The Beatles

ELI5 - What's so great about the Beatles?

The Beatles (1960-1970) were an English rock band, today considered the most influential band of all time. The Beatles' classic lineup consisted of John Lennon on rhythm guitar, Paul McCartney on bass, George Harrison on lead guitar, and Ringo Starr on the drums.

At a time when most pop songs were made by companies with hired writers, the Beatles pushed the envelope, filling their albums with original, exciting music. This soon became the norm, with recordings coming straight from the hearts of the musicians.

The Beatles were also enormously creative in using different techniques, instruments, and sounds. Lennon's bold lyrics often got them banned on the radio. The Beatles were always a step or two ahead of other rock bands in terms of music styles, instruments, and new ideas. Almost all artists today draw influence in some way from the Beatles.

Most importantly, the Beatles wrote beautiful, catchy music. The Beatles' Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership produced songs from "A Day in the Life" to "You Never Give Me Your Money" and, individually, songs like "Yesterday", "Julia", and "Something." The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time, with the most number one singles (20) of any artist as of 2024.

By drollparadox7655 2 years ago

Piano

ELI5 - How does a piano work?

Though it might seem odd, pianos are actually considered percussion instruments, like drums. This is because, underneath a piano's lid, in addition to a tuned string for every piano key (230 in total), there're tiny wooden hammers covered in felt for each. When a key is pressed, the appropriate hammer strikes the corresponding string, causing it to vibrate and therefore sound as a musical note. A key's hammer stays suspended as long as the key is held down, so the string continues ringing out. When the key is released, the hammer returns to resting on the string, and the felt dampens, or stops, the sound.

By drollparadox7655 2 years ago

The Beatles

ELI5 - What's so great about the Beatles?

In addition to their pioneering of countless recording techniques and innovations, it is simply the Beatles' exceptional songwriting ability that will forever cement their legacy. The melodies written by the Beatles, often in partnership, are not only memorable but intricately crafted, blending simplicity with sophistication. This is evident in songs like "Yesterday," often cited as the most covered song in history, or "Strawberry Fields Forever," often appearing atop lists of greatest songs ever written.

Their harmonies, showcased in tracks like "Because," are complex and innovative, yet accessible. It's this unique blend of musicality and creativity in their songwriting that makes their work timeless and continuously influential, unlike much of today's more formulaic pop music.

By drollparadox7655 2 years ago

Hamas

ELI5 - What exactly is Hamas, how did it form, and if it's a terrorist group, why does it have so much support in Gaza?

Hamas, founded in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza during the first intifada, is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic Resistance Movement, with roots in the Muslim Brotherhood. It aims to fight Israel's occupation and has called for its annihilation, conducting numerous suicide bombings and terrorist attacks. Designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. in 1997, the European Union, and others, Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 after winning elections and ousting the Palestinian Authority. This led to an Israeli blockade, severely impacting Gaza's economy. Hamas has received support from countries like Qatar, Turkey, and more recently aligned with Iran. Its leaders, including Yehia Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, have focused on a violent struggle against Israel, using rockets and tunnels for attacks and smuggling. The 2023 attack inside Israel, which involved hundreds of Hamas terrorists, resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 innocent Israeli citizens.

By Alex 1 year ago

Iambic Pentameter

ELI5 - What is Iambic Pentameter and what makes it special?

An iamb is the term for an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable (such as "a-BOVE"). Iambic pentameter is a group of five ("penta-") iambs, or "iambic feet" as they are known, per line, sort of like:

ba DUH ba DUH ba DUH ba DUH ba DUH

This rhythm, or meter, is traditional in English poetry. For example, Shakespeare is well known to have used iambic pentameter is his plays and sonnets:

shall I comPARE thee TO a SUmmer's DAY

By Alex 1 year ago

Airplane Mode

ELI5 - What would happen if everyone turned off airplane mode on a commercial flight?

Almost certainly nothing. It was actually originally the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) who banned cell phone use on planes because they were worried about too many phones connecting to many towers. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) only got involved later, with the speculation that there might be an issue. Common sense says that if phones were so dangerous, they wouldn't be allowed on airplanes.

By Alex 2 years ago

CPU

ELI5 - What is a CPU, what does it do, and how does it work?

A CPU (central processing unit), often called the brain of a computer, is a complex circuit made of billions of on-off switches called transistors. By using a kind of logic called Boolean, these transistors are organized into small circuits that act like tiny programs. These programs, known as logic gates (like AND, IF, OR), allow the CPU to do calculations. These calculations help in processing everything from 3D graphics to sound.

By drollparadox7655 2 years ago

Timbre

ELI5 - A piano and a violin can play the same note but their sound differs; you can tell them apart. How do notes differ with each instrument, but retain the characteristics of its assigned pitch?

Sounds are mainly characterized by pitch, loudness, and quality. Pitch refers to how high or low a sound is, based on the frequency of sound waves. Loudness is simply the volume of the sound. Timbre, or the quality of sound, is what makes different instruments like a piano and a violin sound distinct, even if they play the same note at the same pitch and loudness. It includes elements like harmonic content, attack, decay, and vibrato, which affect the sound's texture without altering its pitch or loudness.

Key factors in timbre are attack—the way a sound begins and reaches full volume—and overtones, which are additional frequencies present along with the main pitch. While you mainly hear the fundamental frequency or pitch of a note, overtones add depth and richness, creating the unique character of each instrument. So, when a piano and a violin play the same note, what makes them sound different are these subtle variations in how the sound starts, its overtones, and the changes in loudness throughout the note.

By drollparadox7655 2 years ago