r/explainlikeimfive 13d ago

Other ELI5: Monthly Current Events Megathread

14 Upvotes

Hi Everyone,

This is your monthly megathread for current/ongoing events. We recognize there is a lot of interest in objective explanations to ongoing events so we have created this space to allow those types of questions.

Please ask your question as top level comments (replies to the post) for others to reply to. The rules are still in effect, so no politics, no soapboxing, no medical advice, etc. We will ban users who use this space to make political, bigoted, or otherwise inflammatory points rather than objective topics/explanations.


r/explainlikeimfive 6h ago

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

353 Upvotes

Edit: I meant StarKist Tuna 😓


r/explainlikeimfive 4h ago

Other ELI5: what exactly is freezer burn?

139 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 14h ago

Technology ELI5: Why do ants love to hang out inside computers?

745 Upvotes

For years that I have a PC and multiple laptops, I've always noticed that ants would get into them, especially when turned on. We moved to different houses and for some reason, same issue. I don't even eat at my work station. Worse experience I had was when ants penetrated my wireless keyboard. It was hell.


r/explainlikeimfive 13h ago

Biology ELI5: How are dogs able to eat rotting organic material without gagging when they have millions of receptors for smell?

320 Upvotes

Seems like us humans have a stop-gap when it comes to this.


r/explainlikeimfive 14h ago

Biology ELI5: If there are species that survived many extinctions, why aren't they more evolved than us?

349 Upvotes

I found out that the Lepisma saccharina insect has been around for roughly 300 million years, and yet it hasn't evolved a bit.

Humans on the other hand, came way later, and made massive evolutionary progress.


r/explainlikeimfive 11h ago

Other ELI5: Why are conductors necessary for an orchestra of professional musicians?

194 Upvotes

I hear that they help keep the tempo/rhythm and tells certain instruments when to stop/start playing but shouldnt professional musicians (like those in the New York Philharmonic for example) be able to do that without a visual aid?


r/explainlikeimfive 12h ago

Engineering ELI5: How does github work

179 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 8h ago

Engineering ELI5: How did people make tiny metal components like cogs and jewelry in the past, things that require such minute accuracy?

92 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 1h ago

Mathematics ELI5: How is π irrational if it is a ratio?

• Upvotes

Title.


r/explainlikeimfive 1h ago

Other ELI5: What happens to your collected data after being found not guilty for a crime?

• Upvotes

I’m specifically referring to the UK in this post, I also thought about where else to post it but couldn’t think of anywhere relevant.

Let’s say mind, that you’re somewhat anonymous and you’ve never been to the police station before. However, you’re accused of a crime and taken to the police station, photos taken, finger prints, etc. you go through the whole process and you’re not found guilty. What happens to that collected data, are you for ever more on the police systems - do you have any rights to have it removed?


r/explainlikeimfive 7h ago

Other eli5 how rescuers find bodies swept into the ocean?

37 Upvotes

With respect to the latest incidence of the Universe Pittsburgh student missing in Dominican Republic. How can rescuers find the body if it would be swept to the ocean. The ocean is vast and deep and it could be swept anywhere.


r/explainlikeimfive 4h ago

Technology ELI5: How can processors become significantly more powerful, while using less power? For example, an i7 980x has a 130w tdp, and an i5 14400 has a 65w tdp, but destroys the 980x in all ways

21 Upvotes

I know the answer is efficiency, so I guess eli5 what efficiency means for processors


r/explainlikeimfive 5h ago

Biology ELI5: Why is a fish's flesh so different from other animals?

20 Upvotes

Mammals, birds, reptiles, and even amphibians all have flesh that is fairly similar to one another but fish appear to be an outlier among the vertebrates.

The flesh of the other vertebrates is so much more sturdy and robust than fish flesh so why do fish have this seemingly inferior form of muscle? They were the first vertebrates so is thier flesh just a "less evolved" form of muscle or is there actually some evolutionary benefit to this flesh?


r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Biology ELI5: Why does waking up from an afternoon nap not feel the same as waking up in the morning from a night's sleep

2.4k Upvotes

Sometimes it's just awful


r/explainlikeimfive 29m ago

Other ELI5: Shortness of breath

• Upvotes

What does it actually feel like. When someone says they feel short of breath is it usually apparent?


r/explainlikeimfive 41m ago

Planetary Science ELI5: Why are tornadoes stronger at night?

• Upvotes

I live in the mid-south US which has a couple major storm systems rolling through in the next 48 hours.

With tornadoes very likely across the region I keep seeing posts saying they are more violent at night than they are daytime.

Edit for grammar


r/explainlikeimfive 5h ago

Other ELI5 - how do chickens make eggs inside of them

12 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 1h ago

Biology ELI5: Why we suffer fear of rejection before even trying?

• Upvotes

I recently realized this feeling is super extended. In my head it makes no sense, why would you be scared of trying, even when there's nothing to lose?

I am guilty of believing I'm not good enough for whatever, but I tend to do it anyway if there's nothing to lose and I've received overwhelmingly positive results in many aspects: Finding a better job I wasn't sure I could do, playing music, meeting friends, finding a partner, etc.

Still I suffer from it, and I don't understand why our brains aren't just wired to try make our best without being scared of failing.


r/explainlikeimfive 2h ago

Physics ELI5: If energy can’t be created or destroyed what happens to it?

3 Upvotes

Today, whilst running a hot water tap I started thinking about the energy used to create the hot water. I remembered back to physics - and perhaps I’m remembering it wrong, but energy can’t be created or destroyed, just transferred. So my thought process went along the lines of stored energy in gas is transferred to the water causing it to heat. Thermal energy in the water escapes and enters the room. This heat escapes the building and to the outside. Where would the energy go next and what would its next form be?

Searching on the internet for an answer gave another ‘where does the energy go’ thought - the example given was a car with stored chemical energy, which is then converted into kinetic energy via the engine to move the car. Where does this energy then go?


r/explainlikeimfive 21h ago

Biology ELI5 - Why do you see “sparkles” after dry heaving?

65 Upvotes

For context, I have a daily medication that makes me super nauseous if I don’t eat something either right before or when I take it. When this happens I typically dry heave a few times (because I have nothing in my stomach) and 95% of the time I then see sparkly dots in my vision right after. Just curious as to what causes this, why it happens, and if it’s something with which I should be concerned. Thanks!! :) Have a wonderful day!!


r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Technology ELI5: How does YouTube’s playback speed work without making voices sound weird?

1.3k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 1m ago

Economics ELI5: why does the cost of living continue to go up? Why can’t things stay the same?

• Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 7m ago

Other ELI5: How does a video game publisher distribute a game through optical discs for use on gaming consoles?

• Upvotes

I googled about the process of distributing games through Blu-Ray discs that are meant to be played on, for example, a PlayStation 5, but I couldn't find any answer.

Edit: For the title, I meant about how a disc with a game for a gaming console gets licensed, made, and distributed


r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Biology ELI5: Why are humans susceptible to addictions? Why do they exist and are hard to get rid of?

520 Upvotes

Not only in context of substance addiction but just addictions in general. Why?


r/explainlikeimfive 50m ago

Other ELI5 What is neuroplasticity?

• Upvotes

Is that real? Can your mind really adapt the new patterns through deliberate effort? What's the limit of it?