Palestine

ELI5 - What makes Palestine Palestine? What is the difference between Palestine and Israel?

Palestine generally refers to territories in the Middle East—primarily the West Bank and Gaza Strip—that Palestinians claim as their homeland and future state. These areas have been at the heart of a long-running and complex conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, rooted in historical, political, religious, and territorial disputes. Palestinians seek independence and recognition, but the region faces ongoing issues like military occupation, settlement building, disputes over Jerusalem, and political divisions. Internationally, Palestine is partially recognized as a state and has observer status at the United Nations, but it remains a highly sensitive and contentious geopolitical issue worldwide.

By Alex 1 year ago

ELI5Base

ELI5 - What is this silly website called "ELI5Base" and why is it necessary?

Eli5Base is kind of like a cheap ripoff of Urban Dictionary, except instead giving definitions for the coolest hip young lingo, you can find "easy-to-understand" explanations and analogies for "things" that "intelligent" people pretend to "understand."

By Alex 2 years ago

Brexit

ELI5 - What was Brexit and why was it bad? Or good?

Brexit was the UK's decision to leave the European Union (EU)—a political and economic alliance allowing countries to easily trade, travel, and share common laws. In 2016, the UK narrowly voted (52% to 48%) to exit, with supporters arguing it would allow Britain more control over immigration, save money on EU contributions, and let the UK independently negotiate global trade deals. Opponents warned it would disrupt trade, raise prices, create labor shortages, and weaken Britain's international influence. After officially leaving in January 2020, the UK faced ongoing issues like complicated trade procedures, especially around Northern Ireland’s border with Ireland, economic slowdowns, and continued debate over Brexit’s long-term value.

By Alex 1 year ago

Bank

ELI5 - How do they get profit besides interest? What do they do with our money inside of it?

Banks don't store your money per se, they borrow it and agree that they owe it back to you. They use deposits to fund loans and investments, earning returns by charging higher interest on loans (e.g., 5% on auto loans) than they pay on deposits (e.g., 1% on savings). The difference is their profit.

Less liquid accounts like CDs offer higher interest because banks can lock in those funds for longer-term, higher-yield investments. While banks keep some cash for withdrawals, a mass demand—like in a bank run—would exceed reserves, forcing them to unwind investments and call in loans, which isn't instantly possible.

By Alex 1 year ago

Human Intelligence

ELI5 - Why has no other species on the planet, living or extinct managed to get anywhere near the intelligence level humans have in terms of building/talking/inventing etc.?

Our brains use a lot of energy, which is why babies are born small and need lots of care. Intelligence is good if it doesn't make life too hard. To use our brains well, we need to talk, work together, and use our hands to make things. Cooking food with fire helped too, and humans are the first to balance these to benefit from intelligence.

Other human-like beings who were smart disappeared long ago, and finding evidence of them is difficult. Smartness is only useful if it helps have more children who survive.

Our early ancestors had good eyesight and hands for picking fruit, and later adapted to hunt for food when the earth changed. These skills helped them use their brains to survive tough times, which is rare.

By drollparadox7655 2 years ago

Human Intelligence

ELI5 - Why has no other species on the planet, living or extinct managed to get anywhere near the intelligence level humans have in terms of building/talking/inventing etc.?

Until not long ago, other human species lived on Earth; they used fire, made tools, and buried their dead. Modern humans outlived these species, but finding evidence of their existence is hard, leaving our family tree unclear. Intelligence develops when it helps beings have more offspring, but it needs the right conditions, like those after the dinosaurs when our ancestors ate fruit. Later, the African Savannah required humans to adapt, using intelligence to thrive in tougher conditions—apparently a unique and rare sequence of events.

By Alex 2 years ago