What's stopping an alien civilization within 1,000 light-years from sending us a clear "hello"? Answer by Steve Baker: "So consider our spacecraft - Voyager 1 and 2. They are very close to the limits of what our largest radio dishes can communicate with. ".

Why does the number 256 appear so often in programming and computer hardware? Answer by Alex Eustis: "People are stating that it's because 256 is a power of two, specifically 256 = 2 ^ 8. They're not wrong, but there's more. ".

What are the top 5 rock and roll bands that started it all? Answer by Rik Elswit: "Music is a continuum, and styles are constantly morphing into each other. The elements of what's now called rock and roll all appear earlier in other forms.".

Why did the Boeing 787 crash? Answer by Michael Benton: "There’s been a lot of speculation as to several probable causes. My educated guess at this point is a simultaneous dual engine flame-out. ".

Does the plane have any chance of survival if the pilot aborts the takeoff after the point of no return (V1)? Answer by Anas Maaz, Airline pilot (Airbus A320/ A321): "Beyond V1, a safe stop on the runway is no longer guaranteed.".

Why do airlines wait until it's time for departure to finally do maintenance? Answer by Jim Guibault: "So on those rare occasions that you're delayed for maintenance, it's not because of irresponsibility. It's because something popped up. ".

What did you think of The Birth of Tragedy by Friedrich Nietzsche? Answer by Frederick M. Dolan, Professor, UC Berkeley: "The Birth of Tragedy (1872) is one of the greatest works in the history of Western philosophy of art and aesthetics. It’s also ultimately incoherent. ".

Is it true that sometimes a good teacher is a scary teacher? Answer by Joshua Alexander: "Get a good bluff in. We can't hit them, but you have to show up and let them know you mean business. ".

How did a Ford Model T start its engine if it didn't have a battery until 1919? Answer by Aero Dynamico: "You crank them. Yes, cranking. It means begin turning over the engine using outside effort. ".

Can a nylon tent really protect you from bears, or is there something else you should do to stay safe overnight? Answer by John Wegner: "That big bear will rip that thing apart if he thinks there's something inside that he wants. Or, he'll just bellyflop on the whole shebang. ".

Why don't people who live by the sea just extend their land by dumping earth into the sea? Answer by Ciro Pabon: "Any material you throw into the sea is, sooner or later, lost to the sea due to the inexorables: the law of refraction, the law of Archimedes. ".

What do you think of Stephen King's book "On Writing"? Answer by Orson Scott Card: "Like most writers, he has the skills but doesn't understand them. They come out of his deepest language and narrative, at levels below consciousness. ".

What should I know about Nietzsche? Answer by Frederick M. Dolan, Professor, UC Berkeley: "His criticisms of morality were motivated by his conviction that it can inhibit growth, defined above all as the enhancement of individual agency and self-mastery. ".

Why do some Marines seem uncomfortable wearing their uniforms in public places like airports? Answer by Mitch Carroll: "In most cases, Marines aren't actually ALLOWED to wear our uniforms in places like airports. ".

What are some examples of cheap products that were 'unintentionally well engineered'? Answer by Ernesto Gasulla: "The very fact it was conceived in times of scarcity led to it being nearly unbreakable, as users would not have had money to repair it often. ".

If mathematics was the law of nature, and represented pure truth, wouldn't scientific progress be automatic, rapid and inevitable? Answer by David Joyce: "Yes, if you know the mathematics of some things, you can predict a lot more. But some things will remain unpredictable.".

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Was Robert Kardashian a corrupt lawyer? Why or why not? Answer by Ty Doyle: "Robert Kardashian was never really a practicing attorney, period. He went to law school and passed the bar, but quickly went into business and was enormously successful.".

Why is there no human being ever stepped on planet Venus yet it's closer to Earth? Answer by Andy Duffell: "Venus is so unbelievably hellish that it kills the toughest Soviet-engineered robots in minutes or hours.".