ELI5 Explain Like I'm 5: Bite sized answers to stuff you should know about - in a mini podcast

Latest Episodes:

ELI5 Carbonated Water - why does flat soda still taste like soda? May 26, 2026

Show notes

Why do soft drinks exclusively use carbon dioxide instead of gases like oxygen or nitrogen? Why does "flat" soda still have a distinct taste compared to regular tap water? Why does Perrier extract natural gas from its spring water only to pump it back in later? Does the carbonation in sparkling water affect your body’s hydration differently than drinking regular water? Why do smaller bottles of sparkling water go flat significantly faster than larger two-liter bottles?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: uniqueusername3171, irteris, daneilthemule, ggd_x, omega_weapon85, plsdntdwnvote, melange_powered and malvoliosf

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ELI5 Money Laundering - what, why and how? May 22, 2026

Show notes

What is money laundering? Why can’t a criminal just spend good old fashioned cash? What are some of the ways used by criminals to launder money? Besides casinos, why are laundromats often mentioned? Why are countries like Panama and Cyprus ideal for laundering money?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: courtimus, atomkanister, el_mochilero, skatingraccoon, jakob4800, mechadragon469, m34tbag, slippedtheslope and paxnova

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ELI5 National Debt - who do countries owe when they are in debt? May 15, 2026

Show notes

If every major country is in billions of debt, where are they borrowing from? Who exactly do they owe? Are there any consequences for them being in debt? Why is it a problem when it gets large? Why was Greece in trouble, while Japan seemingly has high debt but is fine?

... We explain like i'm five!

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Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community, and specifically the following reddit users whose questions and responses formed the basis of this conversation: emils5, poomanshu, potato_octopi, cop-disliker69, reshkayden, agoraiosbum, cheesewithwhine, aythekay & anjabe96

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ELI5 Royal Family - how does the British royal family make money? May 08, 2026

Show notes

How does the royal family make money? How much is the queen worth? Explain the Soverign Grant and Crown Estate. How much did Harry inherit? What exactly does the Royal family do?

... We explain like i'm five!

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community as always and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: youtoo2, pjwils, loki-l, pillowzzz, mastrik, callumgg, jakeismyname505, pythonpoole, dougde & haikuginger

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ELI5 Flight Delays - how do airports manage major disruptions such as weather cancellations? May 01, 2026

Show notes

When flights get cancelled because of heavy winds, why is it only a proportion of flights and not 100% that stop? Isn’t it a binary decision of: 'safe' or 'too dangerous'? After weather cancels thousands of flights and lots of people are displaced, how to they all get back on schedule when presumably flights for the next few days are already booked up?

... We explain like i'm five!

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community, and specifically the following reddit users whose questions and responses formed the basis of this conversation: skmotay, mr_gimenez, nil_defect_found & unpopularcrayon

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ELI5 Easter - why the bunny and chocolate eggs? Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

How is the date for Easter determined each year? Why do we have an Easter bunny and chocolate Easter eggs? Why did Christmas become a bigger holiday than Easter? What animal is often used instead of a bunny in Australia?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: nehala, nomocactusnames, vorengard, marcvanh, euthy, deadmanv5, juanpablo2016, override9636, underbuster and kouhoutek.

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ELI5 Helium - is there really a global shortage? Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

How can "superfluid" helium flow against gravity and climb up the walls of a container? Why was helium discovered on the Sun nearly thirty years before it was found on Earth? How does a gas used for party balloons play a critical role in life-saving MRI technology? Is inhaling helium to make funny voices actually a dangerous risk to your health? If helium is abundant in the universe, how are we "running out" of it on Earth?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: typesfast, twiztedbydesign, camnewtonslaw, nattybumppo, disappointedbird, crepitor, dr_heron and major_fudgemuffin

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ELI5 Cupping Therapy - can bruises really heal you? Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

Why do we see many professional athletes look like they were attacked by a giant octopus? How did a treatment from ancient history become the biggest trend in modern locker rooms? If a bruise is "stuck" blood, how can it actually help your blood flow? Can we really suck "bad energy" or "toxins" out of our muscles with a glass jar? Why do some doctors call this "quackery" while others say it's a powerful mental tool?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: breeze_in_the_trees, tateshinski, phage0070, doingthehumptydance, mohamed and zhang

To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Join us on Twitter:

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ELI5 Crying - why do we cry with both sadness and joy? Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

Why is crying so much more than just being sad? Why do your lungs perform those jerky gasps once the actual sobbing stops? Why does that painful "lump" form in our throats when the glottis tries to stay open for oxygen while we're trying to swallow? How do emotional tears differ chemically from the ones we use for onions, and do they actually "flush" stress hormones out of the body?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: previous-change-4346, josvan135, gynoceros, nimo01, manatee3232, mike2220, tstack123 and lohborn

To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Join us on Twitter:

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ELI5 Norway's Olympics - how tiny Norway conquered the Winter Olympics Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

How did a country with only 5.7 million people beat much larger countries in Winter Olympic medals? Why does Norway ban competitive scoring and league standings for children under the age of twelve? How can not caring about winning at a young age actually create more world-class Olympic champions? Is it true that people in Norway actually use skiing as a primary way to get around?

... we explain like I'm five

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: nudave, ritterbruder2, rap and theathletichq

To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Join us on Twitter:

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or send us an e-mail:

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