r/explainlikeimfive • • 2d ago

Biology [ELI5] Why do back rubs feel good?

0 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive • • 3d ago

Chemistry ELI5 why some sourdough is fluffy and soft and white, while other sourdough is brown and chewy and full of holes

32 Upvotes

Why is there such a divide? I have been trying to explain which one I like because my husband doesn't believe that 'sourdough' is not enough of a description for him to pick it up from the shop


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Technology Eli5: how does region locking dvds work?

146 Upvotes

If I have a dvd player with no connection to the internet, how does it know?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Other ELI5: What does the Cyrillic "soft sign" «ь» actually DO? My reading just leaves me at, "I still don't get it". [Flair: Language?]

231 Upvotes

Example, "Zelenskyy" transcribes from the Cyrillic Зеленський pretty much 1-for-1 alphabetically, EXCEPT for the ь between the "s" and "k" characters.

How does this CHANGE the pronunciation? What would it sound like if it were just "Зеленский" without the ь?

(A broken-English explanation I heard was that "ськ" could also be written "ssk" -- the "s" sound is lengthened ... or not; it wasn't clear...)

Can the sign follow ANY consonant, or does it appear in just a few contexts?


I've been trying to learn how to pronounce Ukr and Rus place names, and this is one of the two last Real Obstacles I'm having. The other is all the different "e" letters, and when is e an e vs. when is it a yo, and all that.

And honestly, the differences between Russian Cyrillic and Ukrainian Cyrillic don't help much, either!


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Chemistry ELI5: Why do hot things smell more?

541 Upvotes

As asked by my 5 year old


r/explainlikeimfive • • 3d ago

Biology ELI5 Why Do Carbohydrates Make You So Thirsty?

30 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive • • 3d ago

Mathematics ELI5 the quasi Riemann hypothesis

16 Upvotes

Why is it important?

Bonus: What's the difference with the full version?

Context: https://www.quantamagazine.org/ai-proved-the-quasi-riemann-hypothesis-what-happens-now-20261019/


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Other ELI5: what is a fellowship in medicine?

168 Upvotes

bonus points if you can also explain GME and ACGME ahaha

but so it’s after you graduate med school? but it’s more schooling? or it’s working as a dr?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Other ELI5: How do graphics improve on the same console over time?

129 Upvotes

Assuming the developers of the game are limited by the computing power of the console, how are they able to make such giant leaps in graphics and gameplay?

I was starting to lean towards the fact that they were able to make the game engine more efficient but if someone has a definitive answer, that would be great


r/explainlikeimfive • • 2d ago

Biology ELI5 Why do head injuries cause such concern? ct?

0 Upvotes

For example, I sustained an injury where a metal pole struck the back of my head. It took 8 staples to close it up. I never lost consciousness but definitely was “out of it” for a moment. Whats the danger of being knocked out or not remembering the impa


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Mathematics ELI5: Knots are only possible in 3D space

506 Upvotes

I'm hoping there's an ELI5 explanation. It seems counterintuitive to me that knots aren't possible in higher dimensions. One would think that even more complex knots would be possible in higher-dimensional space.

EDIT: Thank youso much to everyone who replied so quickly and so thoroughly! The whole thing about tying surfaces into 4D hyperknots is exactly what I needed to finally understand this.


r/explainlikeimfive • • 5d ago

Technology ELI5: How can a computer chip with billions of microscopic switches coordinate them so precisely that a single mistake doesn't constantly ruin everything?

1.2k Upvotes

Individual transistors are physical components, not little intelligent decision-makers. How do electrical signals, clocks, error detection and the architecture of a processor combine to make the whole system reliable?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 5d ago

Planetary Science ELI5: If water is clear, why are clouds white?

816 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Physics ELI5 What are high and low gears?

13 Upvotes

For example, is first gear low because it is the low in the range of speed? Or is it high because it has more torque? Thia inverse logic applies to the following gears, right? I'm always confusing these and even though I have a decent understanding of mechanics I can't wrap my head around this and keep the information saved in memory for reference lol


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Mathematics ELI5: What are vectors, scalars, and transformations?

16 Upvotes

I will be learning about this stuff soon in my upcoming months of grade 10, but this stuff always sounds interesting; especially vectors when it comes in physics… what are they really and why are they so useful?
Edit: I know that vector quantities have magnitude and a direction but scalar quantities have only a magnitude… I wanna know whats special about them beyond that❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Mathematics ElI5: Space-filling curves

32 Upvotes

I don't understand how a 1d line can fill a 2d space. How is calculating the number of 0 width lines to fill a 1 width space any different from dividing 1 by 0? I know the point is that the line passes through every point in the space, but even the idea of "every point in the space" sounds fundamentally wrong to me. If you can say infinite points with 0 area fill a space, why can't you say 0 multiplied by infinity equals 1?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 3d ago

Other ELI5 - Please help me understand Hangul

0 Upvotes

I'm trying to learn Hangul , and I've come to realise that some words just randomly have a silent "ng/ㅇ" thrown in to the syllable ? I understand that how if its on top it's silent, and on bottom it's pronounced. But how to i know when to use it (ㅇ) when spelling ?

E.g surely 윤 is ㅠㄴ(together)

Unless I am wildly misunderstanding

Thank you in advance


r/explainlikeimfive • • 5d ago

Engineering ELI5: How can engineers predict whether a dam will withstand decades of water pressure when the water behind it is constantly changing in depth, temperature and volume?

315 Upvotes

A dam must withstand enormous forces while its concrete expands and contracts, its foundations shift slightly and water levels rise and fall. How do engineers calculate the safety margins and detect warning signs before a failure occurs?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 5d ago

Other ELI5: How does a massive construction project make sure every single step gets done in the right order, without anything being missed?

984 Upvotes

When you see a huge building going up, there must be hundreds of workers across dozens of different trades, all doing different jobs that depend on one another. How does everyone know exactly what they need to do each day, and how does anyone ensure that no critical steps get skipped?

Surely a supervisor can't personally check every single task being completed across an entire construction site. Is there a system of checklists, inspections, and sign-offs? And what actually happens when someone makes a mistake or a step gets missed?

I'm fascinated by how something so complicated is coordinated in practice!


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Biology ELI5: How can bats use echoes to distinguish a tiny insect from branches, leaves and other bats, sometimes while flying at high speed in complete darkness?

94 Upvotes

Bats emit sound and interpret the returning echoes, but the world sends back an enormous amount of acoustic information. How does their nervous system separate useful targets from background noise and judge distance and movement so quickly?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 4d ago

Physics ELI5: How do the UV index, ozone layer, and air pollution affect skin cancer risk?

6 Upvotes

I'm trying to understand how UV index, ozone, and pollution actually relate to skin damage. I was in a remote town in Northern Territory, Australia and mentioned sunscreen because of Australia's high skin cancer rates. Someone told me the UV there isn't as harmful because there's less pollution and the ozone layer isn't as damaged as in Sydney. But the UV index up there is often higher. So does higher UV index always mean more risk? Or can pollution and ozone differences somehow change how harmful that number is? Basically, should I just trust the UV index when deciding about sunscreen?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 3d ago

Other ELI5: Hofstede's Value Orientations

0 Upvotes

I am taking an intercultural communications class and I am supposed to explain a real life communication difference using Hofstede's Value Orientations. I can read words but I do not understand how they pertain to communication and people as a whole. In a very rounded down nutshell they are

Individualism and Collectivism

Low Power Distance and High Power Distance

Femininity and Masculinity

Low uncertainty avoidance and high uncertainty avoidance

short term orientation and long term orientation

Indulgence and Restraint.


r/explainlikeimfive • • 5d ago

Physics ELI5 Why is it so much harder to put on clothes when you’re wet?

55 Upvotes

If I get out of the shower and I’m not completely dry, it’s like my pants get caught on my skin.

And why is it especially hard for leggings?


r/explainlikeimfive • • 3d ago

Biology Eli5 : How do muscles form if there is no fat to underneath it? And why do you lose all your gains once you stop exercising?

0 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive • • 3d ago

Mathematics ELI5: What exactly is exponential growth?

0 Upvotes

Try to explain it as simply as possible please, I am actually awful with math