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

Latest Episodes:

ELI5 Hawk Eye in Sports - how does ball tracking work? May 28, 2021

Show notes

How does the technology work to determine if a tennis ball is in or out? How accurate is it? Why is it difficult to replace all sports officials with systems like hawk eye?

... 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: lo0rdAri, wanikuma, capnaspen, carlr818, keklenny06, woda8566 and th3_gruff

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:

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ELI5 Tennis - why is it scored 15, 30, 40? May 21, 2021

Show notes

Why is tennis scored so oddly? Why do pro tennis players always take 3-4 balls and then discard some immediately before serving? Why do tennis ball cans have a soda lid on them? How does hawk-eye work?

... We explain like i'm five!

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 Memories - how do our brains store them? May 14, 2021

Show notes

What is happening physically in us when we create a memory? Do our brains move memory in our brains when they transition from short term to long term memory? Why are different types of memories stored in different parts of the brain? What happens to memories when we are drunk?

... 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: lyusifer, tohellwithclevernames, userxblade, gnonthgol, corvinousboy, riedgu, dragonclaud, rebelscientist, fronw-umbrella & emhaz4

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 Carbon Fiber - how does it differ from fiberglass and kevlar and what makes it so strong? May 07, 2021

Show notes

Why is carbon fiber often used as a stick to hit objects in sporting goods? What's the difference between fiberglass, kevlar, and carbon fiber? What makes CFRP so strong?

... 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: seneca_ivbc, robellicose, one_eyed_bear, archangel087, myboo29, barael, vchipeur & ponk_bonk

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 Aluminum Foil - should I use the shiny or dull side? Apr 30, 2021

Show notes

What's the difference between the shiny and dull side of aluminum foil? Are you supposed to cook with one side rather than the other? Why is it called tin foil if it's made of aluminum? Why does tinfoil affect teeth nerves so much? Why is it alumiNUM in the US and aliuminIUM in the UK?

... 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: genoooooo, rataridicta, originfoomanchu, bigmax, randomly_redditing, torakmclaren & odd_sonder

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 Hedge Funds - what are they and what is short selling? Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

What are hedge funds? Explain short selling like I'm five. What creates the phenomenon known as a short squeeze and how have people lost or made a ton of money because of it?

... 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: humulous, imovedyourcheese, door_of_doom, eli5_modteam, the_friendly_skeptic & bradorsomething

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 Coughing - can you really fracture a rib just by coughing? Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

What makes a cough dry? What goes on in your body when you cough? Why does a drink of water help with a cough? Can people in a coma cough? Can you really fracture a rib just by coughing?

... 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: a6zj6, hblovesmicro, medic_228, simmep, whiteman90909, evo180x, gnonthgol, hintoflime and cymbal_king.

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:

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ELI5 Mouthwash - why do so few dentists recommend it? Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

Dentists recommend flossing all the time, but why don't they suggest the use of mouthwash as much? Can or can't you rebuild enamel with mouthwash or toothpaste products? Why does mouthwash cause a burning sensation in your mouth? Why was it named Listerine and what was the event that made it take off?

... 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: billclinton09, ameoba, themuffinman91, zem_42, shinecleaningseattle & thekidinme.

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:

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ELI5 Suez Canal - its important and why Napoleon was involved? Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

What mistake did Napoleon make when he considered building the Suez Canal? Explain the Suez Crisis and the six day war that closed the Suez Canal for eight years. Is that boat that got stuck called the Evergreen or EverGiven?

... We explain like i'm five!

Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and also the r/askhistorians community this week, and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: geekington, randomuser1914, internetboyfriend666, sirtoastymuffin, garboyeezus, gracchus__babeuf & wotan_weevil

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 Tulip Mania - the first speculative bubble and its lessons Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

Explain the "Tulip Mania" craze in the 1600s in Netherlands and why it was important? Why did people get into trouble with futures and options contracts? How much did a tulip cost at the height of the bubble (in multiples of a person's annual salary)?

... 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: packersfan8512, diablevert13, ledradiofloyd, omegastar19 & blueskies12

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

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:

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