/r/explainlikeimfive report: Wednesday, January 01, 2014 - Wednesday, December 31, 2014 subredditreports

Totals: 351 days, 950 posts, 622,803 comments.

Included in this report: The top 950 posts, and 536,325 of the top comments, by 165,365 distinct authors.

There were 5 gilded posts, and 543 comments were gilded.

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See the comments for detailed reports and charts.

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Most Popular Posts

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Score	Author	Post Title
4872	/u/_Illuvatar_	ELI5 Why does light travel?
4728	/u/Pickled_Pigs_Feet	ELI5: What's the difference between an Ave, Rd, St, Ln, Dr, Way, Pl, Blvd etc. and how is it decided which road is what?
4604	/u/senor_homme	ELI5: How could Germany, in a span of 80 years (1918-2000s), lose a World War, get back in shape enough to start another one (in 20 years only), lose it again and then become one of the wealthiest country?
4288	/u/freyzha	ELI5: Why did the US Government have no trouble prosecuting Microsoft under antitrust law but doesn't consider the Comcast/TWC merger to be a similar antitrust violation?
4190	/u/musky13	ELI5: Why are banks only open Monday through Friday from 8-5, which is literally the only time that most people can't go to the bank due to work?
4112	/u/Oquinne	ELI5: This Math Homework for my first grader
4044	/u/addooolookabird	ELI5: The Taliban just killed 130 people in a school, mostly children. Why is that somehow part of a rational strategy for them? How do they justify that to themselves?
3998	/u/epicjigsaw	ELI5: What the hell makes mattresses so damn expensive?
3897	/u/MrCobs	ELI5: Dogs eat "dog food" everyday and it has everything their bodies need, why isn't there a human equivalent to "dog food"?
3868	/u/muzzlebuster	ELI5: What exactly is dry cleaning?
3851	/u/see_bee	ELI5: Why is a rape on a college campus handled as an administrative problem by the school, rather than as a criminal matter, handled by the police?
3833	/u/eatification	ELI5:Why does the word 'cool' remain cool for so long, and yet words like 'groovy' and 'rad' seem out of date in just a couple of decades?
3820	/u/Weenercopter	ELI5: Why is it that I can buy a perfectly edible block of cheese that has "aged for 3 years," but then cheese in my fridge goes moldy in a month?
3790	/u/jsk_2tech	ELI5: How has Stephen Hawking lived so long with ALS when other people often only live a few years after their initial diagnoses?
3710	/u/ilovedeannatroi	ELI5: When I get a headache, what is actually hurting? Is it my skull, my brain, tissue? What??
3698	/u/CoolDeathFalcon	ELI5: If nobody "owns" the internet, who exactly am I giving money to when I buy a domain?
3694	/u/bthornsy	ELI5: How/why do old games like Ocarina of Time, a seemingly massive game at the time, manage to only take up 32mb of space, while a simple time waster like candy crush saga takes up 43mb?
3680	/u/omfg_the_lings	ELI5: Why, even though I take excellent care of my current laptop, and ones in the past, does it get slower and slower as time goes on almost to the point of not being functional, and what can I do to fix it?
3657	/u/MrIdent	ELI5: How come I hear about cancer in every organ except the heart? Why is heart cancer so rare/doesn't exist?
3644	/u/_justtwoguys	ELI5: what was illegal about the stock trading done by Jordan Belfort as seen in The Wolf of Wall Street?
3642	/u/TimothyGonzalez	ELI5: The millennial generation appears to be so much poorer than those of their parents. For most, ever owning a house seems unlikely, and even car ownership is much less common. What exactly happened to cause this?
3635	/u/crazy_eric	ELI5: Why do I read stories every few months about researchers developing amazing new battery technology but batteries still suck after so many years?
3628	/u/notBrit	ELI5: How is ISIS able to sell oil on the black market to the tune of $3,000,000/day? Who is buying it, where does the oil end up, and how does this network remain active?
3609	/u/pannenkoek2012	ELI5: How did banks work before computers? Couldn't you withdraw all your money from 2 different banks before they contacted each other?
3583	/u/inkheartandwings	ELI5: If it were possible to fly a space craft into the sun without becoming a giant burnt marshmallow... would the ship crash on the surface, or pass through because it made of gas?
3548	/u/bombywyh	ELI5: Why can't you cut all the wires in a bomb to prevent it from detonating?
3526	/u/CoozeCruiseY2K	ELI5:why are dentists their own separate "thing" and not like any other specialty doctor?
3499	/u/coloradogiant	ELI5: How can a cheeseburger from a fast food restaurant cost less than a peach from a grocery store?
3489	/u/DetectiveJakePeralta	ELI5: When my cat rolls over and looks like it wants a belly-rub, then it decides to attack my hand, does it really think that I'm a threat, or is it just being a dick?
3475	/u/TechyEsq	ELI5 - Why does a community need to secure the RIGHT to create its own broadband? Why can't they just do it?
3458	/u/MoleyVoley	ELI5: Why can a Chinese company ship me an eBay purchase for $1.06 including the product, when it costs me a minimum of $1.97 to ship something across town in the U.S.???
3447	/u/W00dzy87	ELI5:why is the Mona Lisa so highly coveted- I've seen so many other paintings that look technically a lot harder?
3442	/u/Magic_Marhmello	ELI5 why does it appear so easy for hackers to shut down multimillion dollar services like PSN and xbox live?
3420	/u/Flonkus	ELI5: How do the underground pipes that deliver water for us to bathe and drink stay clean? Is there no buildup or germs inside of them?
3392	/u/carmel33	ELI5: Everyday girls/women have photos "leaked" onto the internet without their consent. Why does it become an FBI concern when the woman happens to be an actress?
3391	/u/solemnelephant	ELI5:if we eat chicken eggs and chicken in mass consumption. Why do we eat turkey but not turkey eggs?
3373	/u/Renwick_	ELI5: Snapchat is free to use and there are no ads in the app. Why is the Company/App still Worth billions? where does the money come from?
3369	/u/Goobiesnax	ELI5: Why isnt China's population declining if they have had a one child policy for 35 years?
3365	/u/JackTheJinger	ELI5: How is it that, say, Lebron James and Danny DeVito are considered to be the same species despite being so physically different, but a brown bear and a black bear are considered to be completely different species despite being so physically similar?
3363	/u/ChaserXavier	[ELI5] Why is 0 plural? Like 0 seconds or 0 apples.
3358	/u/avdeenko	ELI5: If Ebola is so difficult to transmit (direct contact with bodily fluids), how do trained medical professionals with modern safety equipment contract the disease?
3343	/u/score-hidden	ELI5: How Doom (1993) had online multiplayer on dialup and now games "require a fast broadband connection"
3343	/u/puttputtpoop	ELI5: How do poops and farts work together in the digestive system? Are they lined up in a row or can a fart overtake a poop?
3333	/u/DAMMITGUSTAV	ELI5: if wifi is just a different frequency of radio signal, why can't we broadcast free wifi to everyone from radio towers (like we do with radio)?
3325	/u/raj96	ELI5: Why does phone voice quality still suck, while Skype and FaceTime sounds like the person is right next to me?
3311	/u/welluhthisisawkward	ELI5: Why do Jews not try to convert people like other Abrahamic religions? (Christianity, Islam)
3307	/u/cooley112	ELI5: How come theme parks can snap clear pictures and get good quality footage of people going up to 70mph but bank cameras can't get a clear shot of a robber standing still?
3279	/u/Yanks4825	ELI5: Why can an animal poop and not wipe and be perfectly fine, but a human must wipe or endure "the rash from hell?"
3272	/u/ariadawn	ELI5: Why release a grand jury result at 9pm when you are worried about rioting? Aren't people less likely to riot at 8am?
3266	/u/rhit67	ELI5: How can Malt-O-Meal blatantly rip off every brand-name cereal while Apple and Samsung have been in legal issues since the beginning of time?
3266	/u/stefeyboy	ELI5: Why in the era of HD quality video do phone conversations still sound like two cans connected by a string?
3259	/u/abootypatooty	ELI5: how are the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki habitable today, but Chernobyl won't be habitable for another 22,000 years ?
3245	/u/Musical_Jinn	ELI5: What is the best way/position for humans to sleep? It seems we are always giving ourselves muscle and spine issues due to poor sleeping practices.
3228	/u/thebobkelso	ELI5: How did adding "Le-" or "De-" to the beginning of a more traditional name become prominent in Black American culture?
3206	/u/Karneet	ELI5:How the hell can my copy of Pokemon Gold for gameboy color know what the correct time is after a decade of inactivity
3179	/u/69tank69	ELI5: With all the lawsuits going around where companies can't be sexist when hiring employees how is hooters able to only hire big breasted women
3169	/u/redecoratemyroomplz	ELI5: My seven year old laptop has a 2.2Ghz processor. Brand new laptops have processors with even lower clock rate. How are they faster?
3157	/u/kingofphysics	ELI5: Why is there so much clutter and loose wires on the International Space Station? Isn't it dangerous? Why don't they clean it up?
3156	/u/CapedDebater	ELI5:why do we need to rake leaves? What is the harm in leaving them on the ground to be covered by snow?
3153	/u/Motocid	ELI5: If a woman became president of the US, and got pregnant, would she get a maternity leave?
3141	/u/ExteriorAmoeba	ELI5: Why do so many websites, reddit included, timestamp posts as "x years ago" instead of just saying the actual date the content was posted?
3130	/u/krixen	ELI5:what is happening when I lie in bed awake for hours? Am I still getting rest or is it just a waste of time?
3130	/u/WumpusAmungus	ELI5 the differences between the major Christian religions (e.g. Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Protestant, Pentecostal, etc.)
3127	/u/Finidog	Why is there a blood shortage? Hospitals charge like $800 per unit. Why don't they pay $250 for a donation. Everyone would donate. ELI5
3127	/u/MoppySam	ELI5: How does a coding language get 'coded' in the first place?
3122	/u/gyroscopesrcool	ELI5: Why are cars shaped aerodynamically, but busses just flat without taking the shape into consideration?
3113	/u/neilbarron	ELI5: what's actually happening during the 15 seconds an ATM is thanking the person who has just taken money out and won't let me put my card in?
3104	/u/Twinfold	ELI5: Why do huge shows like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad use a different director each episode? Wouldn't they want to keep a similar vibe and vision throughout the season?
3094	/u/corey561	ELI5: Why are people protesting in Ukraine?
3079	/u/trullard	ELI5: "If something is free, you are the product."
3068	/u/welluhthisisawkward	ELI5: Why do I have to pay or jump through 1000 loops to get my credit report but cell phone and other companies can see it instantly?
3066	/u/AdventurousMan	ELI5: Why does fridge have a "D" in it, but refrigerator doesn't?
3055	/u/SenpaiSama	ELI5: Why do we feel the urge to destroy things when we're angry?
3051	/u/dudeitsrazz	ELI5:What is 4chan and why is it being banned in so many places? Isn't 4chan just like reddit?
3049	/u/Tomxj	ELI5:How were graphics able to improve on consoles like XboX 360 and PS3? The hardware didn't change at all but if you compare any 2006 or 2007 game to like GTA 5, you can see a big difference.
3041	/u/j4n3st	ELI5: Where does white zit pus eventually go if you don't pop the zit?
3041	/u/cockdickpeniscunt	ELI5: How does Mongolia still exist today, how hasn't it's massive yet virtually unpopulated land been taken?
3029	/u/DuceGiharm	ELI5:What are the differences between the branches of Communism; Leninism, Marxism, Trotskyism, etc?
3024	/u/jax010	ELI5: (Michelin Stars) Why do we care what a tire company thinks about restaurants?
2987	/u/sgt_yolostrats	ELI5: Since education is incredibly important, why are teachers paid so little and students slammed with so much debt?
2984	/u/g4b1nagy	ELI5: Why do wounds itch when healing, prompting us to scratch and potentially re-damage the area?
2984	/u/Dolphin_Titties	ELI5: A 1 ton truck carrying 1 ton of live pigeons approaches a bridge that can only bear a load of 1.2 tons. If the driver bangs on his ceiling and all the pigeons fly off their perches (and hover within the truck) can the bridge take the weight?
2980	/u/Flaming0Joe	ELI5: If bears can hibernate through the winter living strictly on fat, why can't obese people just sit around and not eat anything?
2975	/u/philbahl	ELI5:Why at night when i'm trying to do things i feel so confident? Like i think about doing things but when time comes or when i wake up in the morning I don't want to do it anymore or i chicken out?
2962	/u/Happy_Bridge	ELI5: Why do the FBI and CIA use polygraph ("lie detector") tests on their employees, if polygraph tests are considered pseudoscience and so unreliable that US courts don't allow them as evidence?
2952	/u/czar_zach	ELI5: Why must businesses constantly grow? Why can't they just self-sustain?
2945	/u/carsmello_anfernee	ELI5: What exactly is corrupt about the World Cup?
2945	/u/Jollywog	ELI5: Why did the dial-up sound have to be played out loud?
2943	/u/jefesignups	ELI5: When a singer is performing during a concert and they have an earpiece, what are they listening to?
2933	/u/intoon	ELI5: How is it cheaper for companies to catch a salmon in Alaska, freeze it, ship it to China, have it "prepared and packaged" there, and ship it back (still raw) to stores in America? How is it not cheaper just to catch, freeze, and sell within the country?
2928	/u/chumjumper	ELI5: How can 20 year old movies like Jurassic Park and Terminator 2 have really convincing special effects, whilst the CGI in newer films looks completely unrealistic?
2927	/u/SweetJewsForJesus	ELI5: What is physically causing the feeling of your "stomach dropping" when you receive bad news or see something terrible?
2925	/u/Guy_Number_3	ELI5: Why the hell does Yankee Doodle call his hat "Macaroni" after he sticks a feather in it?
2921	/u/Capri92	ELI5: What does a CEO of a large company do in a "typical" week, and why is he (usually he) paid so much?
2921	/u/Notacatmeow	ELI5: How does a brain anus rhythm instantly kill you
2917	/u/gingerroute	ELI5: How do celebrities keep their cell numbers and personal emails so locked down?
2891	/u/_Insert_Name_	ELI5: Why isn't America's massive debt being considered a larger problem?
2885	/u/Minh-Anh	ELI5: Why are uncooked eggs dangerous but sunny side up eggs are ok? Isn't the yolk uncooked?
2879	/u/eao	ELI5:When a criminal offence becomes legal, what happens to the prisoners who were convicted of it?
2876	/u/Hoihe	ELI5: If cats are lactose-intolerant, how did we come to the belief that giving cats milk = good? Or asked differently; how is it that cats (seemingly) enjoy - to the level of demanding it - milk?
2864	/u/ruairihair	ELI5: What does Russia have to gain from invading such a poor country? Why are they doing this?
2863	/u/minecraftstan	ELI5: Why can I "hear" perfect pitch in my mind, but when I try to sing I sound like a walrus giving birth to farm equipment?
2861	/u/Mr__Fishy	ELI5: What happanes to someone with only 1 citizenship who has that citizenship revoked?
2859	/u/wonderboys1	ELI5: How can old movies be converted to HD if the original source material wasn't? Karate Kid 2 looks amazing in 1080p.
2843	/u/Rutagerr	ELI5: Why do all the planets spin the same direction around the sun?
2843	/u/AustinJGray	ELI5: Were the Space Shuttles really so bad that its easier to start from scratch and de-evolve back to capsule designs again rather than just fix them?
2841	/u/Sarcastic_Musician	ELI5: You leave spaghetti sauce in a plastic bowl or tupperware item for too long. When you finally clean it, some impossible-to-remove residue remains. What is this stuff, why can't I remove it, and is it promoting bacteria growth?
2840	/u/Skweejji	ELI5: What are house spiders doing?
2836	/u/Speed33m3	ELI5: Those black rubber tubes that cross the road and appear to count cars. Why are they counting and who puts them there?
2827	/u/gravitykilla	ELI5:How is it we have advanced medical science to a point where we can grow ears on mice but cannot grow hair on a bald head ?
2825	/u/BarbecueSlop	ELI5: Why are teens who commit murders tried as adults, but when a teen has sex with someone who's 30 courts act like the teen had no idea what he/she was doing?
2819	/u/bunnyhopskotch	ELI5: What is Al Qaeda fighting for?
2813	/u/readysteadyjedi	ELI5: Why does feeling lonely make you want to spend more time alone?
2811	/u/Heianorge	ELI5: Why is it that if you lick or spit on something, your saliva smells pretty bad, but it doesn't necessarily taste bad to kiss someone?
2809	/u/Comafly	ELI5: How does an explosion actually kill you?
2809	/u/runawaysaints	ELI5: Why is it so taboo to ask about someone's salary?
2807	/u/jvaldez	ELI5: Why do humans cry during emotional distress? Is there an evolutionary advantage to crying when sad?
2805	/u/James1o1o	ELI5:Why does it take multiple passes to completely wipe a hard drive? Surely writing the entire drive once with all 0s would be enough?
2795	/u/mandmi	ELI5: Why does Islam seem to have more violent fanatics than other religions?
2786	/u/Raging-Balls	ELI5: How are crowds counted (at non-ticketed events, like protests and riots)? How do they figure 20 or 50 thousand people showed up for a non-organized event?
2785	/u/Max_Blanck	ELI5: How do Amazon used booksellers stay in business selling many books for $0.01?
2784	/u/Utophiaf	ELI5 why do beards and pubes grow curly but the top of my head it comes out straight?
2779	/u/YourAsianBuddy	ELI5: Why is the name "Sean" pronounced like "Shawn" when there's no letter H in it?
2779	/u/qwefj2	ELI5:Why does it feel better to sleep in a cold room with a thick blanket than a normal room without any blanket at all?
2763	/u/McWaddle	ELI5: Why is beef jerky so expensive?
2762	/u/Elijah-Picklecopter	ELI5: How was it decided that people became "adults" when they turned 18? Why is that age significant?
2751	/u/DiverGuy1982	ELI5: Why is it that if you cook popcorn for 20 seconds too long the whole bag tastes burnt but the the first few kernels to pop can seem to withstand the microwaves heat for up to several minutes?
2751	/u/UniqueUsername1a	ELI5: We've been hearing about ebola for years. Why is it spreading internationally now?
2749	/u/rabiiiii	ELI5: Can someone explain Rocky Horror Picture Show to me? I feel like I didn't "get it"
2744	/u/georgehimself	ELI5: Is there a physical difference between someone that can sing and someone that cannot?
2742	/u/JellyCream	ELI5 why is loan sharking illegal but pay day loans which can have an interest rate of over 350% are legal (in the US).
2740	/u/CylonToaste	ELI5: How can Donald Trump go bankrupt multiple times but still remain a millionaire?
2738	/u/Penman2310	ELI5: Why do diseases only do bad things to us? Why are there no diseases/viruses that are actually GOOD for us?
2727	/u/Shabhira	ELI5: A question from my childhood that I was told was stupid. If a big cannon fired a little cannon, then the little cannon fired a cannonball in midair, would the cannonball go farther? What would happen?
2721	/u/schrankage	ELI5: How did knowing Einstein's theory of relativity lead scientists to make the first atom bomb?
2716	/u/BadVsEvil	ELI5: Why do cigarettes have so many chemicals in them, why not just tobacco?
2715	/u/n03113	ELI5: What is bubble gum flavor exactly?
2712	/u/Mikeavelli	ELI5:If most Youtube Ads can be skipped after 5 seconds, why don't advertisers start making 5 second ads?
2705	/u/halfmanhalfsquidman	ELI5: Why do humans eyes have a large visible white but most animal eyes are mostly iris and pupil?
2697	/u/alienbrayn1	ELI5: When you cut something in half, why can't you simply put it back together? What once held it together that no longer can?
2696	/u/Ayymeee	ELI5: What does the phrase "twice removed" or even "removed" mean when referring to a family member?
2692	/u/harrybro	ELI5: Why is Tesla given such a hard time to be able to sell their cars?
2684	/u/DashFerLev	ELI5: On To Catch a Predator, what crime are those guys committing?
2682	/u/achtagon	ELI5: How does the Quartz in a clock keep accurate time? It's a dumb rock!
2676	/u/riguyisfly	ELI5: Why do only white people have varying hair colors, while people with other skin colors typically only have one hair color?
2676	/u/SlobBarker	ELI5: How come when I leave a cup of water out overnight, the next day it tastes stale?
2666	/u/k_plus89	ELI5: Why is it that there are so many people on reddit (not just visitors, but registered users), yet all top posts seem to plateau around 4 or 5K upvotes?
2660	/u/sintripital	ELI5: Why are mosquitos unable to spread HIV and AIDS?
2657	/u/JeletonSkelly	ELI5: Before the invention of radio communication, how did a country at war communicate with their navy while they were out at sea?
2655	/u/JosephHowards	ELI5:How was "incest" or lets say DNA from same family tree avoided in small clans/Nomads where there are less than 10000 people?
2652	/u/Star-spangled-Banner	ELI5: If the Stratocaster '57 and '62 were so legendary, and still today are so coveted, why don't they just manufacture their guitars in the same way they did back in 1957 and 1962?
2650	/u/Drmacaroon	ELI5: How does somebody like Aaron Swartz face 50 years prison for hacking, but people on trial for murder only face 15-25 years?
2647	/u/Mystical_Pig	ELI5: Why does everything hurt more when you're cold?
2646	/u/polarizing1	ELI5: How did marijuana suddenly become legal in 3 states? Why is there such a sudden change in sentiment?
2637	/u/GettingSoysauce	ELI5: Why is "suspension" from school a punishment?
2626	/u/AmadeusWolf	ELI5: Where do bugs go in the winter? How do they come back in the spring?
2625	/u/oEMPYREo	ELI5: Why does the sentence "I'm better than you're" not make sense when "you're" is short for "you are?"
2618	/u/thinkofsomethingkwik	ELI5: What really happens when people die of "old age" or "natural causes" ?
2618	/u/eyeseayoupea	ELI5: I woke up 5 minutes before my alarm and decided to close my eyes. Fell back asleep for what seemed like an hour but only a minute had passed. Why did it feel like so long?

Submitted January 02, 2015 at 03:57AM by subredditreports http://ift.tt/1EQMzJD subredditreports