Explain Like I'm Five - Eli5 Mini Podcast

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

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

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: ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

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!   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: ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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: ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

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: ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

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

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: ELI5ThePodcast@gmail.com

What is all the excitement about NFTs or Non Fungible Tokens? Why did someone pay nearly $70 million dollars for a piece of digital art? Why pay for something that you can simply copy and paste? Is something valuable if it is media that can be viewed all over the internet?   ... 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: portarossa, brilliantlylouise, basm4, slippery, k_davver & echelon_trigger 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

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 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

Why are too little inflation as well as too much inflation both bad? What is the gold standard? Why did almost all countries abandon it in the 20th century?   ... 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: yellowjacketcoder, bruceleefuckyeah, gradenko_2000, fencerman, silent-ambition1399, workingatbeingbetter & obamanibblesnomaam 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

Are there ways we can slow the degradation of our smartphone batteries? Why does it seem like a wireless house phone battery can last for many more years than a smartphone battery? Why do traditional cars lack any decent ability to warn the driver that the battery is low or about to die? Why does hitting a flashlight when the batteries are low keep it working for a short time?   ... 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: just_isaac, llevin5, steve204, crazy_eric, branden798, biff64gc, victorziblis, redol1963, logically_hindered, apatharas & sheppenwolf 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

Why does lightning travel in a zig-zag rather than a straight line?So why does it strike precise points such as the end of a pole? If the average lightning bolt contains up to 1 billion volts, how is it that humans can survive being struck? How many times does the Empire State Building get stuck by lightning every year?   ... 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: mjconns, lollersauce914, edwinshap, josephwb, lithium, revraven, piho36, cleanasuhwhistle1, gleddez, mg2r, 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

Why are men so much more likely to be colorblind? How do colourblind people know they’re colourblind? How are colourblind people able to recognize the colors when they put on those special glasses, when they have never seen those colors before? Do 3D glasses still work if you are colorblind?   ... 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: idk_what_a_name_is, mandydax, nathanwick, tiny_hay, mejasper, deustaurus, un0m, batmanssidepunch & imbadatreddit69 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

Why is soccer not as popular in America, as compared to American Football? Where did the name soccer come from? Did you know that its official name is Association Football? How do soccer players bend a soccer ball?   ... 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: 1632,flysayah, zbignich, danplashkes, mullacc, cutth & southpawswede 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

Does the visible streak an airplane leaves behind depend on the type of plane? Why do some airplanes leave streaks and others don't? What conditions make for good contrails? Why don't jet engines have a grill in front of them to stop birds etc getting sucked in? What are chemtrails?   ... 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: runiat, erratic_professional, koleslaw, concise_pirate, thekeffa, lnl_hutz, gnonthgol & zer0summoner 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