r/explainlikeimfive 9d ago

Other ELI5: Monthly Current Events Megathread

7 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 5h ago

Biology ELI5: why neutering a cat/dog gives them health benefit and longer life but even a relatively small drop in testosterone production in human damages our health?

617 Upvotes

EDIT: just to be precise I meant "a relative small drop in testosterone production" under the minimum value range expected ofc


r/explainlikeimfive 2h ago

Economics ELI5: why do we use dozens, so much so that there’s a word for “12 of something”? Why haven’t we standardized using 10 of something more than 12?

151 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 11h ago

Engineering ELI5: Why are rockets always painted white?

383 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 19h ago

Technology ELI5: Why don’t chip manufacturers just make their chips bigger?

1.1k Upvotes

Like I get that the smaller it is the more efficient it is, but what I don’t get is why they don’t just scale it back up. If you have a 3nm chip that’s performs better than a 9nm chip, why not just put 3 3nm chips in that spot and get 3x the power? I’ve been thinking about this and I just don’t understand


r/explainlikeimfive 30m ago

Other ELI5: Why are security screws used to build restroom stall walls?

Upvotes

Usually, in a public restroom, the screws holding up the stall walls or urinal partitions are fastened using Torx Security (like like TR15 or TR20) screws. Why?

Do people really go around trying to unscrew walls in bathrooms? These bits are also easily available and anyone doing this would know the bits used as well.

What's the logic here?

EDIT: If the answer is to prevent vandalism or for extra security, why not use a snake eye / pig nose head bolts? They seem harder to tamper with.


r/explainlikeimfive 17h ago

Biology ELI5: If being in water as warm as 80°F/27°C can eventually give you hypothermia, why are we safe in air at similar temperatures?

578 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 11h ago

Engineering ELI5: Would having a «highway gear» make EVs more efficient?

159 Upvotes

I used to have a VW Golf E. My vague understanding is that a gearbox in general is not needed for EV’s for acceleration but what about maintaining highway speeds? I noticed when I was going 100-120kph it hovered at 30-40% Power. Could having a highway gear bring that down to 10-20%?


r/explainlikeimfive 12h ago

Economics ELI5 how do pharmacies get their drug shipments?

132 Upvotes

When pharmacies are out of narcotics or need to be restocked who is bringing them? And why are they not armed? Surely they have as dangerous of a job as the brinks guys who load ATMs and yet you never hear of any incidents. My husband and I were think neither of us have ever seen a shipment being dropped and we live just around the corner from a few different pharmacies. So is there an underground postal service or what?


r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Economics ELI5: How do insurance companies handle a massive influx of claims during catastrophes like the current LA Wildfires?

1.6k Upvotes

How can they possibly cover the billions of dollars in damages to that many multi million dollar homes?


r/explainlikeimfive 4h ago

Other ELI5 where does the dust comes from ? Why if you don’t use something dust will gather above it ? Where was this dust before ?

24 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 23h ago

Biology ELI5: How can doctors tell you've had a heart attack?

547 Upvotes

Long story short: My mom went to the hospital for extreme swelling; doctors told her she had recently had a heart attack (she had no idea).

How can doctors tell a patient has recently had a heart attack, especially when the patient never had the typical symptoms and didn't realize it themselves?


r/explainlikeimfive 10h ago

Technology ELI5: what’s the difference between a high end blow dryer and the cheap ones you find at the supermarket?

50 Upvotes

As a guy with short hair, I really don’t understand why some girls spend a shit ton on hairdryers. Like what’s the difference between a Dyson supersonic and a blow dryer 1/6 of the price?


r/explainlikeimfive 2h ago

Other ELI5: How do people learn languages through watching TV shows?

9 Upvotes

I hear a lot about people learning languages from watching TV shows and had a few questions. ~ 1) Are they only using TV shows to learn a language or is it just in the beginning? 2) How do you know what things mean? Is it just using context clues and looking for repeated words? 3) Do you have to watch the show in your native language and then watch it in the language you want to learn? 4) Do you use subtitles to watch (when dialogue is in new language) and if so, are they in the language you are trying to learn or your native language? ~ I'm personally interested in the logistics of this as I would love to do this to learn more languages, but I do not understand how to utilize the method.


r/explainlikeimfive 15h ago

Planetary Science Eli5: If something hit the earth to cause its tilted axis, why didn’t it keep spinning in the direction it was hit? How did it stop?

79 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 17h ago

Economics ELI5: Where do fire victims go?

95 Upvotes

When there is a smaller single home fire, the residents can go rent an apartment or house during rebuilding. What happens when something this massive occurs? Jobs are gone, infrastructure is gone, materials will sky rocket, getting in line for schools and homes to rebuild with take years or decades, etc. Serious question, where will all of these people go for the next few years IF they decide to stay and rebuild? NorCal? Nevada, Arizona? Will home prices in those areas skyrocket? Will jobs become a challenge to find?


r/explainlikeimfive 4h ago

Chemistry ELI5: How does the red stuff that the planes fighting wildfires work?

8 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Engineering ELI5: Would hiding in the basement would be sufficient to survive such large fire like we are seeing in Palisade?

1.0k Upvotes

I am not in any danger my self, just looking at news and wondering IF that could be possibe, and what would be the requirements and precautions to make it possible such as dept of basement, cooling, ventilation, etc to make it viable option.


r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Economics ELI5 How did the economy used to function wherein a business could employ more people, and those employees still get a livable wage?

1.3k Upvotes

Was watching Back to the Future recently, and when Marty gets to 1955 he sees five people just waiting around at the gas station, springing to action to service any car that pulls up. How was something like that possible without huge wealth inequality between the driver and the workers? How was the owner of the station able to keep that many employed and pay them? I know it’s a throw away visual in an unrealistic movie, but I’ve seen other media with similar tropes. Are they idealising something that never existed? Or does the economy work differently nowadays?


r/explainlikeimfive 17h ago

Other ELI5: Aerosol cans getting cold when spraying an empty can

42 Upvotes

Didn’t know what flair to add, apologies. But I’ve always wondered why my can of dry shampoo or hairspray gets cold when it runs out. TIA

ETA: thank you for the helpful responses. I was never very good at science growing up, and apparently not good at it now lol


r/explainlikeimfive 10h ago

Economics ELI5 : What determines currency exchange rates ?

11 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Other ELI5: Why can’t California take water from the ocean to put out their fires?

5.3k Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 0m ago

Technology ELI5: What is the 'Dead Internet Theory' people keep talking about?

Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 25m ago

Other ELI5: Car insurance and Drivers Insurance and buying a second hand car!

Upvotes

Hi! I’m 21 years old and likely getting my first car soon.

I have a drivers license and I live in California.

So how does car insurance and drivers insurance work? are they the same thing or different things?

for example, I do not have a car but I have a license so if I drive somebody else’s car, does that mean their car insurance covers it if I’m in an accident ?

so if I get a car and I get car insurance (through the same company that I have my rental insurance) that’s all I need to get right? There isn’t “ drivers insurance” on top of that right?

Also, I’m planning on buying a car secondhand meaning I will have to take over the title of the car from someone else. my current understanding is that I buy the car from someone they give me the papers that are registration for the vehicle and I go to the DMV and put the registration under my name.?

Then every year I have to re-register the car with the DMV and put the new sticker on the license plate?

Thanks for the help!!!! I feel like a child trying to understand this and i’m an adult it’s embarrassing 😭


r/explainlikeimfive 1d ago

Physics ELI5 How can one type of electric heater be more energy efficient than another if all sound and vibration eventually converts into heat anyway?

349 Upvotes

r/explainlikeimfive 1h ago

Other ELI5: What is Scots Law and how does it differ to law in England and Wales

Upvotes