Canning

ELI5 - How does meat stored in cans/packets not rot? How can canned tuna sit on a shelf for 2-3 years before it goes bad?

When food is canned, either in a metal can or a sealed jar, the container is first sanitized, and the food is sealed inside. After sealing, the entire package is heated to kill any remaining bacteria. This creates a vacuum environment where no new bacteria can grow, keeping the food fresh. This method applies whether it's beans, tuna, soup, or any other canned food. Because no bacteria can enter the sealed container, the food can't spoil. The expiration date on canned foods isn't about safety but about quality. Even after this date, the food typically remains safe to eat, though its taste and texture might gradually decline.

By Alex 11 days ago

Joint Cracking

ELI5 - What does a chiropractor's cracking do to your body?

When you crack your joints, you're basically popping tiny gas bubbles trapped inside. It's harmless but doesn't do much either. Chiropractors often use this cracking sound to make it feel like their treatments are working. Chiropractic is usually seen as pseudoscience since many claims aren't backed by solid proof. Still, chiropractic care might help certain types of back pain because it involves stretching and massage-like moves. But sometimes, these adjustments can actually make things worse. If your back hurts, you're better off seeing a medical doctor who can set you up with targeted therapy rather than taking a chance with chiropractic care.

By Alex 11 days ago

Russo-Ukranian War

ELI5 - What are Russia and Ukraine fighting over? Why did Russia invade Ukraine?

The Russo-Ukrainian war started mainly because Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, wants to rebuild Russia’s global influence and prevent neighboring countries from moving closer to Europe and NATO. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine became independent, but Russia sees Ukraine joining Western alliances as a threat. Putin also claims Ukraine should belong within a Russian-controlled sphere because of historical ties. When Ukraine began looking more toward the West—especially after overthrowing a pro-Russian president in 2014—Russia annexed Crimea and later invaded Ukraine, expecting a quick victory. Instead, Ukraine fought back fiercely, supported by Western weapons and aid, causing Russia’s military struggles and exposing weaknesses like corruption and poor leadership.

By Alex 21 days ago

Speed of Light

ELI5 - Why can't anything move faster than the speed of light?

The speed of light is really about causality—cause and effect must happen in a logical order. Because space and time are linked together (spacetime), there's a natural limit to how quickly information or influence can travel from one place to another. If anything traveled faster than the speed of light, it would break this cause-effect relationship, making it possible for effects to happen before their causes, which violates basic logic. That’s why the speed of light acts as the universe’s fundamental speed limit.

By Alex 21 days ago

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 21 days ago

Artificial Intelligence

ELI5 - Why is AI everywhere now? What does it mean and how is it different from machine learning and neural networks?

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers broadly to creating computer systems or machines capable of performing tasks typically requiring human intelligence—like reasoning, decision-making, understanding language, or visual perception. While AI has gained recent attention because of trendy applications such as ChatGPT or other large language models (LLMs), the concept itself has existed since the earliest days of computing, dating back to the mid-20th century. AI differs from narrower concepts like machine learning (ML), which is actually a subset of AI focusing specifically on algorithms that let computers learn from data to improve performance. In short, AI is the broad, overarching idea of intelligent machines, while machine learning is a more specific technique within AI—one of many tools used to build systems that appear intelligent.

By Alex 21 days ago

Chernobyl Disaster

ELI5 - What is Chernobyl and why was it such a big disaster? Why is it still relevant?

Chernobyl was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred in April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. During a risky safety test, operators lost control of reactor number 4, causing a massive explosion and fire that released large amounts of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. It became the worst nuclear disaster in history, contaminating nearby areas, displacing thousands of residents, and causing long-term health problems, including increased rates of cancer. The nearby city of Pripyat became an abandoned ghost town, and the area around the reactor remains radioactive and mostly uninhabited today. The disaster highlighted major flaws in nuclear safety and transparency within the Soviet government, influencing nuclear policies globally.

By Alex 21 days ago

Algorithm

ELI5 - What exactly is an algorithm and how does it work?

An algorithm is basically a step-by-step set of instructions used to solve a specific problem or perform a certain task. Think of it like a detailed recipe or a roadmap—except it guides computers through processes like sorting data, calculating the fastest route on Google Maps, or recommending content on social media. Algorithms range from very simple (like sorting numbers) to incredibly complex (such as machine learning systems that recognize speech or images). They're essential for programming, data processing, and automation but can also raise concerns about transparency, fairness, and bias—especially when used to make important decisions affecting people's lives.

By Alex 21 days ago

Machine Learning

ELI5 - What does machine learning actually do? How is it related to AI?

Machine learning (ML) is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) where computers learn patterns from data, improving how they make decisions or predictions without being explicitly programmed for every situation. An ML algorithm works by training on large datasets, recognizing hidden trends or relationships, and then applying this understanding to new, unseen data. It's used in many practical areas like recommending movies on Netflix, spotting spam emails, recognizing faces on social media, powering virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, and even predicting stock market trends. While powerful, machine learning also raises challenges around data privacy, algorithm bias, transparency, and the potential for misuse.

By Alex 21 days ago

US Government Shutdown

ELI5 - What is a government shutdown? How does it even happen?

A government shutdown happens when the U.S. Congress can’t agree on how to fund the federal government for the next year or even short-term. Basically, Congress needs to pass a budget or at least a temporary spending bill—called a continuing resolution—to keep the government running. If lawmakers hit gridlock, money stops flowing to many federal agencies, and non-essential workers get furloughed (forced off work without pay), while essential employees like airport security and military personnel still work, but often without immediate paychecks. Shutdowns usually happen because of big political arguments about things like spending priorities, debt limits, or controversial policy decisions, and they can slow down the economy, disrupt public services, and leave hundreds of thousands of workers in financial uncertainty.

By Alex 21 days ago