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

Latest Episodes:

ELI5 Pillows - do humans really need them? Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

What happens if we sleep without them? Does it cause long term spinal problems if you sleep without one regularly? Why do babies seem to do fine without a pillow?

... 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: starrdust322, agentelman, open_door_policy and philosophile42

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Mattresses - what makes them so expensive? Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

What makes mattresses so expensive? What is the purpose of a box spring underneath? What is the best way and optimal position for humans to sleep? Why do we humans like to use a pillow to support our heads when we sleep?

... 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: musical_jinn, crackyospine, shakeanjake, epicjigsaw, nittygrittytruth and andy_clark

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Olympic Games - why most games are money losers? Jul 23, 2021

Show notes

Why are all the Olympic Games money losers except the famous Los Angeles event in 1984? What did LA do differently? How does funding for the Olympics work? Why doesn't the IOC just buy an island to host the Olympics there every 4 years? Do Olympic athletes have a McDonalds in the village?

... 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: businessowl, supreme_101, ahawks, cromulentembiggener, wolfthawra, bryan_sensei and ceatsykoopa98

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Genetic Memory - can memories be inherited? Jul 16, 2021

Show notes

Can memories be passed down to subsequent generations via genetics? What did a team at Emory University discover about genetic memory? What does it mean for medicine, in particular treatments for anxiety and phobia?

... 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: danasf, brave-welder, tdscanuck and nerdchieftain.

Paper referenced in episode:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3923835/

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Cloud Seeding - can it solve drought issues? Jul 09, 2021

Show notes

Why can't we seed clouds to solve California's drought problem? How does seeding clouds even work? Which countries and states have used the technology? Who legally owns a cloud?

... 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: grenata, ratelslangen2, irwin96, drkobbe, kaseyB, steavee and shaggorama

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Pasta - did Marco Polo really 'invent' it? Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

Why does pasta foam when the lid is on the pot, but the bubbles quickly disappear if I lift the lid? If all pasta is made from the same ingredients, why do we have so many pasta shapes? Did Marco Polo introduce pasta to Europe or was it all a marketing tale?

... 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: 77to90, sandor, sweetmercy, ipodpron, apoorva63, thegreatlakesarefake, ktlrj, walnutsnail, varialectio and pigeoncanfly

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Chess - why is the queen the most powerful piece? Jun 25, 2021

Show notes

Is chess a sport? Why is it so popular? How did it become a global game? Why is the queen the most powerful piece on the board? When playing with a computer on low difficulty, how does it know how to play a not so great move? Do men and women play in separate tournaments?

... 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: doncuneo, thescamr, johnny9991, karaps, jetpacksforall, school-yeeter, concis_pirate, matig123, delehal, polemicize & kandiru

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Tunnels - how are underwater tunnels built? Jun 18, 2021

Show notes

How do they build underwater tunnels? How do tunnel boring machines know where they are going? What happens when they meet in the middle? Why do underground tunnels not flood when it rains - doesn't water flow to the middle and collect?

... We explain like i'm five!

Thank you to Carl for writing in with this week's question!

Also thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: ermoibliye, smodfan, 2CGMicro, chilli0102, garokev, netsecwarrior, salmon_pokebowl, wrsaunders, enrique37, bap710, kylehooks and hotfudgefries

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Earwax - how does your ear canal cleans itself? Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

How does the ear canal and the eardrum keep itself clear of earwax? Why is only one third of your ear canal able to clear ear wax? What does your jaw have to do with ear wax removal? Did you know that people have one of two types of ear wax based on their genetics? Why have anthropologists done studies on ear wax?

... 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: akadap, h2opolopunk, rthereanynamesleft, dkf295 and martinonfire.

This wikipedia article was also helpful in research for this episode:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwax

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

ELI5 Cling Film - what makes it cling? Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

What makes cling film sticky? Why are there competing theories for how it clings? Why is the Saran Wrap product significantly less sticky today than it was before 2004? Why does wrapping a plastic bag around your credit card help it scan?

... 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: 4emonas, jbloom43, genghiskhen, phage0070, meowi_purrr, thirteenera, chippolot, inanecathode, uglydodo, diamondcubeminer, thebladex666, concise_pirate and mattschmie

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

https://www.twitter.com/eli5ThePodcast/

or send us an e-mail:

ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

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

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected