query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Just how complicit was "Shoeless" Joe Jackson in the Black Sox scandal of 1919? | [
"Jackson knew about the plot, kept $5000 (delivered to his hotel room after the last game of the series by pitcher Lefty Williams), and admitted in grand jury testimony that he could have tried harder on a couple of fly balls. But he told Williams that he didn't want the money, and that he was going to tell Comisk... | [
"The thinking is that if sports betting were more widespread, athletes might use their position in the game for personal profit. This is based on the [1919 Chicago White Sox](_URL_0_) who made a deal with professional gamblers to throw the World Series. The White Sox were heavy favorites to win, and the players wer... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States - how reliable/accurate is it? | [
"[You're](_URL_4_) [correct](_URL_2_) [in believing](_URL_3_) [that this](_URL_1_) [has been asked before](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"Well, if you want general history books about the US from the right and from the left, then read *A People's History of the United States* by Howard Zinn (left) And from the right, *A Patriot's History of the United States*."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Some readings on Carthage. | [
"Hello! I've reviewed both the ancient and modern literature on Carthage in another post ([link here](_URL_1_)). I've also compiled a separate list of recommended readings and answered questions on my new profile ([here](_URL_0_)). Please let me know if you have any other questions! :)"
] | [
"Yes to both your questions. See: Spy satellites."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are there hearts on Native American tomahawks? | [
"Which tribes and where have you seen this?"
] | [
"Why do you have so many lips and chins?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Biology:"
} |
What were some dirty tricks used by soldiers and armies in the Middle ages or Medieval/Classical periods? | [
"Signifying something as a 'dirty trick' presupposes mutually-agreed upon standards of conduct in warfare that it would contravene, and for most of (European) history this has not *really* been the case. General principles (capture rather than kill nobility, for instance) may have been perceptible but usually those... | [
"\"ancient times\" is very broad. Are there any specific cultures you're interested in (e.g., Republican Rome, Old Kingdom Egypt, etc.)?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How did the official ball from Mexico's 1970 FIFA World Cup become the 'symbol' of soccer? | [
"I would argue that it has to do with the 1970 World Cup being the first cup that was broadcast in color and widely broadcast live around the world due to advancements in satellite communications. Sources: Dunmore, Tom (2011). Historical Dictionary of Soccer."
] | [
"Found this in Alex Bellos,\"Futebol, the Brazilian Way of Life\" London 2002 > Brazil played the 1950 World Cup in white shirts with blue collars. The colours were not immune from blame. They were deemed not sufficiently nationalistic. For Rio newspaper *Correio da Manha* the white strip suffered from a \"psychol... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What was the first game that humans played? | [
"[Senet](_URL_0_) is an exceptionally old game. As mentioned in the link, artifacts from 3500-3100 BC have been discovered which resemble Senet boards. But as with most \"what was the first\" questions, it's hard to give a definite answer on account of the fact that very little relevant evidence has been both prese... | [
"What if you want a printed version of what was said?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How costly was victory in the classical era? | [
"This question came up recently - see my answer regarding the Greek side of things [here](_URL_0_). The short of it is that casualties averaged about 5% on the winning side and 14% on the losing side, suggesting that the great majority of casualties were suffered in the rout (which is confirmed by narrative account... | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Applying to History MA programs - I wanna be one of you! I need your advice ... | [
"I am an art historian, but found this site to be pretty helpful in general when applying to grad school: _URL_0_ Though it can be even more of a \"hivemind\" than reddit, so do take what they say with a grain of salt. Best of luck on your applications."
] | [
"Is it against the rules to ask for book recommendations on this topic? if not I would like to do so."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I am an East Asian adult male and for some reason I end up being in Rome in 50 BC. What is likely to happen to me ? | [
"You may be looked at oddly however the concept of race that has been developed today did not exist then. Also, there was significant contact with the Far East and Rome which cause great consternation from the conservative elite as the rampant purchase of luxury goods was seen as decadent. Pliny the Elder remarked ... | [
"My opinion on this is that it is as common nowadays as it was two or three decades ago. But now its more accepted to speak about it. There is no stigma with going to the psychiatrist. Just my opinion."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Did authorities in the Ancient Europe or Greece do anything to prevent grafitti? | [
"Graffiti in ancient Rome was often very political, and if it attacked powerful families, they would act quickly to erase it and punish those who wrote it, if they could be found. In Suetonius (I believe), you can find the story of Brutus entering the Senate to find his seat tagged with references to his ancestor, ... | [
"I'd like to hijack this and ask a follow up question: What sort of laws did the Romans have regarding treatment of slaves as opposed to the USA?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The death of Stonewall Jackson and it's importance in the outcome of the Civil War. | [
"While Jackson may have been a very talented and capable commander, structural issues doomed the confederacy in the long run. Union advantages in food supply, manpower, transportation, and manufacturing were pretty insurmountable. Were it not for McLellan's incompetence, the war could have been won during 1862's pe... | [
"There really isn't any convention. In fact many wars go by different names in different countries. For example in Russia what I call WWII is called The Great Patriotic War. What I learned about as The French and Indian War is simply the North American part of the Seven Years War in England. Although, even having ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the least expensive successful presidential campaign in American history? | [
"Well unfortunately the answer to that question is a rather dull one. The cheapest presedential campaign was the first two, of George Washington. Since he run unopposed in both his elections his campaign budget was practically zero dollars. So basically the first election was and will remain the cheapest one ever d... | [
"How would you define \"winning\" a presidential debate?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Book recommendation: history of Native Americans in pre-Colombian New England | [
"Try Bragdon's [*Native People of Southern New England, 1500-1650*](_URL_0_) for a good introduction and overview. She followed that up with [*Native People of Southern New England, 1650–1775*](_URL_1_) if you want to follow the story a little further on after contact. I also highly recommend Lepore's [*The Name of... | [
"In the 1570s, several English pirates (from the Spanish view) allied with bands of runaway slaves in Panama. These included Francis Drake and John Oxenham. Eventually, Spanish military efforts resulted in peace accords with the slaves and the foundation of two free black towns in Panama, the first in the Americas.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Where was the best place to live as a ordinary person in 1,000s A.D.? | [
"How would you define a \"good\" place to live? The answer would probably vary a lot based on what characteristics you value. I imagine there would also be variance for different types of people (based on things like gender, religion, occupation, etc.)."
] | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Is there a reason for Soviet aircraft manufacturers' preference for anhedral wings, as opposed to the dihedral wings we see in Western built aircraft? | [
"In what era/what sort of aircraft? I can find you many examples of western anhedral aircraft and I can find you examples of soviet dihedral aircraft. Edit: each serves their own purpose, it's not done for aesthetics so you can find examples of each with both the Soviets and the West."
] | [
"Biplanes and triplanes were necessary at those times because the engines they had at the time weren't fast enough to generate the lift required to keep the plane in the air. As a drawback, biplanes generate more drag and are much slower than single-wing aircraft. Now that we have high-speed engines to put in plane... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the purpose of covered bridges and where did they originate? | [
"The covering protects the wooden trusses from the elements, allowing the bridge a much longer lifespan. It is only a side benefit that they provide shelter for passengers. Though covered bridges were not invented in America, they were common and popularized here beginning in the early 19th century. Good timber was... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
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} |
textbook to supplement colonial US history class? | [
"Hey, I totally understand feeling more comfortable with a textbook to use for reference. Have you tried reaching out to the Professor/Teacher of the course? If there is a textbook they are partial to but didn’t assign for cost or other reasons that would be your best bet. Especially if it might mirror the general ... | [
"Part of an essay prompt on your take-home final."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Do the Alanians (Alans) still exist? | [
"There are definitely Alans still around. One of the most famous is Alan Tudky, who was in Rogue One: _URL_2_ Now, being serious for a moment, the Alans are still present and are called Ossetians. Ossetian is an Eastern Iranian language and is a descended from ancient Alanian: _URL_1_ Now, in regards to \"white\", ... | [
"hi! that's a topic I don't recall seeing in here (so hopefully someone can contribute something relevant), but you may be interested in these previous threads on Norse-Sami relations * [What was the relationship between the Sami and the Vikings like?](_URL_2_) * [What was the relationship bettween the vikings and ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Was there 'ethics' in government before Machiavelli's The Prince became well known? | [
"I have a related tangential question: While Machiavelli's 'The Prince' often seems to be interpreted as a 'how to' for unethical small-time nobility to gain and maintain power, I've often felt that this is too literal a reading. It's my understanding that Machiavelli was a dedicated civil servant (a 'technocrat', ... | [
"Machiavelli wrote the Prince, which is a guidebook for political advancement through social climbing, manipulation and what we would now think of as branding or PR, and then instructions on how to consolidate and maintain power once you acquire it. In short, it's a how-to book for scheming your way to individual s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
In his autobiography, Nikola Tesla mentions that he got received "a castle in Spain" as a reward for doing a good job while working in Europe. Are there any historical records of such castle or of Nikola selling it before traveling to the US? | [
"\"A castle in Spain\" is a figure of speech in English. It means a non-existent reward, a fabulation, vapour, etc. In Spain we would say \"castillos en el aire\" (castles in the air) or \"pueblos en Francia\" (villages in France)."
] | [
"You can read the documents if you really want to. There's a lot of mystique surrounding the events just after Tesla's death, and what he had been working on before it. There's a lot of speculation that he had made a \"death ray,\" perfected the wireless transmission of power (which is supposedly completely differ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Where did the English, two fingers up originate from? | [
"FYI, here are a couple of previous discussions on this: [Was the origin of the British 'V-sign' hand gesture from the longbowmen in the hundred-years war?](_URL_1_) [What historical 'fact' do you continually hear but know it's just not true?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Why do British people say mate or git?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What was a 'griff' or 'griffe,' as seen on old slave auction advertisements? | [
"According to the [Online Etymology Dictionary](_URL_0_), the term griffin/griffen/griff/griffe was used \"with uncertain connections, in mid-19c. Louisiana to mean \"mulatto\" (especially one one-quarter or two-fifths white) and in India from late 18c. to mean \"newly arrived European.\"\" It is a racial classific... | [
"You know how we place tombstones on graves with inscriptions on them? They did that back in ancient times as well. Only the inscriptions were on and inside the tombs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
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} |
What year did people think it was in B.C.E.? | [
"hi! you'll find lots of discussion on counting years in these two related sections of the FAQ (link on sidebar): [Other dating systems](_URL_0_) [How did the world agree on what year it is?](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"A.D. Is not after death. There would be time missing in between where Christ was alive. It mean anno Domino (in the year of the Lord). Edit: Towards the end of high school teachers began using B.C.E. which stands for Before Common Era. C.E. can be used in place of A.D. for Common Era."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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Do other professional historians often find themselves in arguments with their fathers about the way things used to be? | [
"My dad watches that show Mysteries at the Museum (it's on deep cable, but I forget which chapter), and thus is constantly explaining to me how many museums there are in this country, and that's why my girlfriend, who has a PhD in art history, should be able to find a job at \"some small museum\" and work her way u... | [
"War. Man. Good God y'all. What is it good for? By which I mean, how do you as a historian handle war? As we know, there is a certain degree of inhumanity about it, and it is important to keep in mind the pain and hardship it involves, but to take too critical of a reading risks distorting the societies involved, a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Cold War Documentaries: Recommendations? | [
"CNN did a really swell documentary on the cold war That I recomend to everyone. _URL_0_ Also if you don't feel like buying it you can watch it on you tube. Here is a link for the first episode of the documentary. _URL_1_"
] | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How come that Israel's nuclear program, a US ally remain so mysterious compared to North Korea which is more isolationist? How much do we know of it? | [
"Hi there, always more to be said here but you may be interested in these older answers from u/restricteddata and u/yodatsracist: _URL_0_ and _URL_1_"
] | [
"Because by signing the treaty Iran promised not to develop nuclear weapons. While Israel did not sign the treaty and was therefore no bound by it. Therefore while Israel did develop nuclear weapons it didn't pledge not to, unlike Iran which did. Therefore no hypocrisy. Of course Israel not signing the treaty isn't... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
Decommunization of middle and low ranking government and civil service officials | [
"It differs a lot from country to country - in Poland we had a verification in early nineties in police and secret services. There is also an automatic lustration when you want to be somebody important on national and regional level (voivodes, MPs). If you admit/get caught on hiding cooperation with communist secre... | [
"It means a political group formed for the common people, public well-being. In practical terms, it is no different than a state, it just uses a different word on its stationary."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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Are there any political or social trends that tend to repeat themselves over the course of human history? | [
"Robert Michel's concept of \"Iron Law of Oligarchy\" in his book *Political Parties* deals with the inevitability of a rule by a small elite within any organization, no matter how egalitarian and democratic it is in its design."
] | [
"There is absolutely no way of knowing. The effects of colonialism affected the history of Africa so immensely that it's impossible to say what might or might not have happened had that not come to pass, the best you can get is wild guesswork."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
In the show 11.22.63, the actor who portrays Lee Harvey Oswald talks with a speech impediment, did the real life Oswald actually have a speech impediment? | [
"I did find a bit of broadcast video of Oswald speaking with press that was published by CNN. He says charged, sir, protested and representation with what appears to be very little trouble. I have no experience with analysis of speaking so I will say no further about the way in which he pronounces words. _URL_0_ I ... | [
"A method actor stays in character throughout the duration of a production (e.g. filming schedule for a movie, or the full run for a theater performance), even when they're not being filmed or seen on stage. The term comes from what at the time was the \"new\" method of immersing yourself so thoroughly in a role th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Did the ancient world ( < 400CE) have a convenient method of note-taking/instruction? | [
"Mesopotamian cuneiform was written on wet clay tablets on which the writing could be pressed out and written over. The tablets could be softened with water and re-used indefinitely, or fired to become permanent."
] | [
"You should organize it by tech. Remember that numbers are tools. You're going to end up talking about what they were for more than the maths. Navigation, architecture, calendars, all of those would develop at different rates in a civilization and have math supporting it. Just as two examples: The beginning of basi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
What is the most uncertain accepted "historical fact" you know of? | [
"Off the top of my head there's the thought that Columbus proved that the Earth was round and that his sailors thought they would fall of the edge of the world. It was known that the world was spherical for a long while. That's not what the problem was. The problem was that Columbus thought the world was much small... | [
"I've always been fascinated by the wide variety of \"Fall of Rome\" arguments and how they're affected by historical perspective. I was wondering: **Does your historical specialty advocate a certain theory for the fall of the Roman Empire? or what's a unique argument for the fall of the Roman Empire that you've co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
Can any historians recommend a book about Central American history, with coverage of political and business, in a professional neutral viewpoint? | [
"I think there is still no good book out on United Fruit. Good starting points would be: *The Banana Wars: United States Intervention in the Caribbean, 1898-1934* *The Banana Wars: A History of United States Military Intervention in Latin America from the Spanish-American War to the Invasion of Panama*"
] | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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How did the athletes got fit in the Classical era? | [
"Here's a thread you might find interesting: [What would the fitness regimen of a Roman citizen be if they wanted to become an athlete?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why were people so incredibly cruel to the Great Auk's before they went extinct? | [
"Folllow-up question: how long have Great Auks been accused of being witches? I get that ravens and black cats have ties with witchcraft as according to pop culture, but why a seabird?"
] | [
"The wildlife of the Galapagos islands often show no fear of humans at all. They have experienced little or nothing in the way of human predation. That is some pretty strong evidence. People talk all of this nonsense \"The Great White Shark is the perfect predator.\" Not one Rocky Mountain Big Horned Sheep, Elephan... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What kind of jobs are out there pertaining to mythology? Preferably Greek! | [
"If you are interested in a career where you deal with classical mythology, your choices are limited. Teaching is the obvious option. Moving to Greece and working in the tourist trade might be an option, but I suspect that is unrealistic. On the other hand, if that subject is what interests you and you are about to... | [
"I'm looking for recommendations for books to read if I want an overview of the history of the LGBT+ movement in the United States but don't have any previous background knowledge in the subject."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
A little question about map conventions and the ancient world | [
"One can only speculate as to the methodology of the people who made the maps. My guess would be that in the cases you mention, there's insufficient archaeological and/or textual evidence to pin down even approximate boundaries. If you look at central Asia in the second map you've linked, you'll see the Rouran and ... | [
"Just a follow-up question to the original question - what about the reverse. What was Napoleon's view of the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
Does anyone know good references for the cultural history of semen? Im specifically looking at the materiality of semen. | [
"Could you define 'materiality' please? I'm intrigued by your question, but quite confused!"
] | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How are the costs / odds of war calculated? | [
"The problem is you are looking at the situation with hindsight. At the time, there is no such determinism. In your example, Hitler had just beaten France, Britain was badly damaged (more so every night with the air raids), and the United States was not yet in the war. He likely felt unstoppable (most of the world ... | [
"What do you mean? Your question needs to be a bit more specific. Are you asking what it is? Or how it's set? Or how the payments are made?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
'The Miracle on Ice' and the Soviet Union. | [
"hi! not discouraging further contriubtions, but FYI, there was a similar question just last month. Catch up on the discussion here ~ [Where the Soviet hockey players who lost \"The Miracle on Ice\" game punished for their loss to the USA?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"British Empire -- > Post-WW2 / Cold War America -- > British and American pop culture -- > Silicon Valley."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
What was the impact of the Seven Years War on the American War of Independenc? | [
"To add a little to I_Provide_Feedback's very good answer as to the larger effects, there was a smaller but significant one. In the early stages of the Seven Years' War, when it was only the various governors trying ( or not trying) to mount a military response, George Washington learned how to keep an army in the ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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New to studying history. How do I make the best of it? | [
"History is best approached as a detective story: it's all about drawing conclusions from evidence. It can be instructive to take a specific episode, acquire a few pieces of evidence (including a primary source, a secondary source, perhaps an analysis). Then, interrogate the sources: who wrote this? What knowledge ... | [
"I would really like to know a good book on the philosophy of history, or a place where I could learn more to contribute about the philosophy of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the post about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What were the reasons for the government shut downs in the 1970's and 80's? | [
"TIL that prior to Carter, the lack of a spending bill was not that big of an issue. In the early workings of our government, congress assumed that even though they didn't have a spending bill, government workers should still do their jobs with basically a guarantee they would eventually get paid. Carter, on the o... | [
"Yes. Slavery in Rome was not tied to race/skin color like it was in the United States during the 1700-1800s"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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Book recommendations on European wars in the 1700's. | [
"A good starter text is *The Age of Battles* by Russell Weigley. It looks at the development of gunpowder infantry in the 17th and 18th centuries, and most particularly how armies tried (and usually failed) to make battles decisive. It's a bit dated at this point, but it's a foundation text on the study of warfare ... | [
"Are there any books on Berlin during 1920s?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Literature:"
} |
A couple questions about pre-1820s nursing and related things. | [
"In regards to the prostitutes, they were generally lay-women that hung around the priests' or Order's hospital. They had room, board and a bit of work as well as helping regulate the natural urges of men that had otherwise taken their oaths. For a detailed account of pre-1820 medicine, I wouldn't know where to lo... | [
"I'd like to flip this and ask a question, can anyone shed some light on wintertime survival in Early Medieval Britain and Ireland?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
After China's "Great Leap Forward" what happened to all the crummy metal they made? | [
"It was either thrown away or used in faulty manufacturing, which in turn led to low-quality industrial products and machinery. It was an irony that metal produced with so much hardships and desperation by those who made it ended up being put to little use. *Mao: The Unknown Story* by Jon Halliday and Jung Chang go... | [
"Stalin was a very paranoid man, he believed many people were out to get him. His big plan was to industrialize Russia in things he called \"five year plans\". However, Soviet Russia's economy was mostly agriculturally based, led by wealthy farmers named \"kulaks\". The kulaks were seen as a big threat by Stalin, s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How correct is Malcom Gladwell’s Revisionist History? | [
"It’s a good question but I think you need to narrow the scope - Gladwell addresses a plurality of topics."
] | [
"I'm not sure if it's a strictly history book, but I particularly enjoyed Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Literature:"
} |
What's the best way to track my lineage and ancestors beyond Puerto Rico? | [
"I wouldn't exactly say Puerto Rico is a young island. There were indigneous groups there for thousands of years, and Spanish, African, and indigenous peoples have lived on the island for over 500 years now. As to your family. If you think they arrived during the colonial period there is a chance that their travel ... | [
"In which region? Or are you looking for global statistics on literacy?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Can anyone think of empires or nations that expanded while eschewing military use? | [
"The Austrian (Habsburg) Empire certainly expanded by war, but was much less reliant on that than many other empires. It married and inherited its way to much of its territory. A proverbial expression about the empire was \"Let others wage war. You, Happy Austria, marry.\""
] | [
"China once it was consolidated into one large country had none of the centuries of intersectional wars that Europe has had since the Roman Empire collapsed. They are a politically stable agricultural powerhouse with few rivals historically. This means less massive upheavals that interrupt their social structure an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was the American revolution like for the U.K. ? Did they see it as a big loss or just one less place sending them money. | [
"There was a fair bit of sympathy for the American cause in the UK. The Whig leader in Parliament (the more liberal party of the time) Charles James Fox even paraded around in the blue of Washington's army. The colonists were seen by most as the same people to the British or as the Governor of Quebec put it 'brothe... | [
"Several reasons - 1 - It was horrendously expensive. Like... really expensive. The Americas are a long long way from England and the passage was not easy. Shipping any amount of troops would be a serious feat of logistics. 2 - It was not their highest priority. We Americans like to think that our Revolution was a ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about history:",
"pos": "Represent the text about history:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Looking for WWII book. | [
"*The German War: A Nation Under Arms, 1939-1945* by Nicholas Stargardt. What I love about this one, is that it's focus is on how the German people experienced the war they were fighting, and how this changes over the course of WWII. I am by no means an expert on the topic, but I really liked how it felt a lot mor... | [
"Yes to both your questions. See: Spy satellites."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Is there a series that covers the *complete* American History? | [
"Not all of the books have been published, but you might want to check out the Oxford History of the United States: _URL_0_ Many of them are also on audiobook, if that's of interest."
] | [
"I would assume this is all talking about the 19th century; is this a typo?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
1653: "an honest ale-house [...] twenty ballads stuck about the wall." What kind of ballads? | [
"John Aubrey noted the same thing, about the same time. After ordering a meal from the innkeeper, Aubrey and his friends would walk around the room singing off the ballads until it was time to eat. The songs would be set to commonly known melodies, like Packington's Pound or Fortune My Foe and, as kadune says, they... | [
"Dick: The word connoted a person of questionable character long before it became a nickname for the penis. For example, in the 1665 satire The English Rogue by Richard Head, an unsavory character is referred to as a \"dick\": \"The next Dick I pickt up for her was a man of a colour as contrary to the former, as li... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I'm a captured son of a noble in Ancient Rome. What's my near future like? | [
"* Killed. * You might be sold into slavery along with everyone else in your tribe if your people had been vanquished. * Ransomed, if your family still had money/lands. * Kept hostage for the good behaviour of your father and tribe. I think this would depend on who captured you and your standing and character. If y... | [
"Its about a man's nightmare born out of his fears of parenthood. The rest is what you make of it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Book Reccomendations | [
"Gibbon's *Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire* is good."
] | [
"Side 1 - For Vaccines: -Science Side 2 - Against Vaccines: -Paranoid idiocy"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Annales School Book Reccomendations | [
"I recommend Lucien Febvre's *The Problem of Unbelief in the Sixteenth Century* and Georges Duby's *The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest*. I also quite enjoy Marc Bloch's *The Historian's Craft*, which offers insight into the idea of history and the development of our craft. I hope this helps."
] | [
"Side 1 - For Vaccines: -Science Side 2 - Against Vaccines: -Paranoid idiocy"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
In 1980, if I were a university educated but otherwise typical American person, how would I go about doing research if I wanted to learn about something not published in broadcast newsmedia? | [
"Being that I am old enough to have gone through college prior to the creation of the World Wide Web, major libraries had access to online databases with fairly recent research materiel and literally racks and racks of scholarly publications and magazines. While they did not have the luxury of the wide and instant ... | [
"So please correct me if I'm wrong here, but I've read on other threads here that getting the opinions of the general public was difficult because very few of the read and even fewer wrote things that survived to today. So I guess my follow up question is this: how can we even begin to understand how the commonfol... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | April 22, 2019–April 28, 2019 | [
"So I spent entirely too long on [this answer](_URL_0_) and so I am now going to plug it to the ends of the earth."
] | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I found two versions of the same photo from 1930s Germany from school books. Would anybody have information about it? | [
"Hi. The picture is showing Michael Siegel a Jewish lawyer/attorney from Munich and was taken in March 1933. Mr. Siegel was working for a client who has been transported to Dachau. When he went to the police headquarters to inquiry about that he was beaten up by SA men and then they paraded him through the city. On... | [
"Because he and his family were the sources for these photos / information. If the news reports came from school or police sources, his name and picture wouldn't be included. For instance, look at the letter sent home by the principal."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
AskHistorians, let's talk about food. | [
"[Here's a post on peasant food](_URL_2_) [Here's a host of medieval cookery](_URL_1_). [Here is a more official book](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"And to hijack this in a related way, what were the alternatives to \"America.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about food and cooking:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about food and cooking:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
What is your highest recommended book on Joan d'Arc? | [
"What kind of book are you looking for? Are you comfortable reading academic studies or do you require a more accessible style of literature? What kind of study?introduction to her life and times; a more detailed study of a particular aspect, for example as a military leader; a translation of the two chief trials (... | [
"How well regarded are the writings of Joseph Campbell by historians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Czar Nicholas and Bloody Sunday | [
"Nicholas II. Was in Tsarskoe Selo. Tsarskoye Selo - countryside Tsar residence near St. Petersburg. It's like Versailles. Lines from his diary: > The heavy day. In St. Petersburg there were serious disturbances due to the desire of workers to reach the Winter Palace. The troops had to shoot in different places of... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Did Romans use scaffolding to build the aquaducts, etc.? | [
"Absolutely, yes. They used wooden scaffolding. It was likely incredibly dangerous and deaths and injuries were probably incredibly regular."
] | [
"We are amazed because building massive structures without sophisticated machines and tools seems amazing to us today. We haven't \"lost\" anything though. People kept right on building amazing structures right the way through history. The pyramids, the Acropolis, the Aqueducts, hundreds of amazing Cathedrals, etc.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why is Texas pride so strong? | [
"There's always more than can be said, but I answered a [previous](_URL_0_) question related to differences between Northern and Southern states with regards to history education that speaks to some of what you're asking. I use Texas and New York State as examples. > From the post: > Northern states - through a co... | [
"What's so bad about having something made in Israel?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Has anyone ever vertically circumnavigated the earth? | [
"I don't know whether mods will allow this answer, as the events we are talking about are fairly recent. Sir Ranulph Fiennes managed to circumnavigate the globe going through both poles in an expedition from 1979 to 1982. He is credited by the [Guinness Book of Records](_URL_0_) as the first to circumnavigate eart... | [
"May I add a supplementary question and ask: What was the thing (that looks like a land mass) running across the bottom? Did they know about Antarctica? And the land mass that gets cut off near where Australia is - presumably that's Indonesia and not Australia? EDIT: It appears to be an enormous New Guinea (which ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What did Maryland do as a colony? | [
"They enforced religious freedom in a way their neighbors weren't willing to."
] | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When is it okay for historians to make a value judgement? | [
"Another consideration is the scale of your statement. There should never be a situation where a historian uses one quality to sum up a singe entity, especially at the scale of a person's entire career. This goes against the detailed, critical narratives that historians aim for. It's acceptable to say that a certai... | [
"Because you rarely know the full set of circumstances in a person's life. You're making a judgement with incomplete information."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Is there any evidence that the man eaters of njombe actually killed over a thousand people? | [
"The account is from George Rushby, the game warden of the time who hunted them down. However, the [Field Museum](_URL_0_) did an isotopic analysis on the bones of the also famous Tasvo lions, and significantly lowered their death count. Someone might be able to do the same for the Njombe."
] | [
"Not at all. They feed on dead tissue unless starved. I believe they gained their reputation from some old story in which a local ruler did exactly that(the cow thing), but failed to tell his audience the fish hadn't eaten in days."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
was it possible for a person of a working class back ground to get into Oxbridge in 1890? | [
"I haven't found a definitive answer, but I've e-mailed Oxford and Cambridge about it. It is, however, interesting to note that Oxford established a women's college in 1875. Now, [I'll quote](_URL_0_) : > In an interesting piece of reverse trading, the two subjects that had been studied only by women - English and... | [
"Follow up question (please don't delete) how influential were nobility titles on economic upward mobility in the Europe of that same time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Effective distances of ranged ancient/medieval weapons [research for a tactical game] | [
"I mainly deal with European history and was going to chime in on the firearms, but there is just no way to generalize without being more specific. For example, the term \"musket\" covers weapons used from the 13th century up until the 19th century, and rifles are still used today. A Ming Dynasty musket and a Napo... | [
"There already is an ongoing discussion about this * [What truth is there to the claims on historical archery made in this video? why did archery die out as a military specialty?](_URL_0_)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia: Interpreting Incidents | [
"Steven Seymour comes to mind. He was Jimmy Carter's interpreter on his visit to Poland in 1977. Carter began the exchange by saying he was pleased to be in Poland, which was translated as, \"I am abandoning the US forever to live in Poland.\" Carter went on to say that he was curious about what the Polish people d... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What did a standard ration look like in the Dutch Navy during the age of sail? | [
"Where did you see that mentioned ? 7000 to 9000 calories a day is about the consumption range for members of an Antarctic expedition on skis - and one can't ingest that much daily without a diet that includes such dense fuels as pure fat, which no one will happily eat daily outside of a survival situation. Age of ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What's the best adaptation of *The Romance of Three Kingdoms* to enjoy with my young son? Or how about *The Water Margin*? | [
"You can give the manga [Sangokushi](_URL_0_) a try; it's marketed as a \"faithful adaptation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms\". It also runs for 60 volumes. Also, Cao Cao did nothing wrong."
] | [
"I'm currently reading the *Dead Zone* by Stephen King, which is pretty good, but I'm planning on reading something more historical soon. For the past couple of years I've made a habit of reading one long presidential biography a year, and this year my in-laws gave me a crap ton of them, so I have to choose which o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about Literature:"
} |
Is there such a thing as "history repeating itself"? | [
"Some say that isn't possible since history itself cannot reenact the events that happened 100%, only a \"guess\" making it not \"accurate\" What I mean by that is you cannot reenact the Battle of Galipoli to what it was back then; like a chemistry or any science experiment. Majority of the historians (and the ones... | [
"What makes you think they are \"more common than ever before\"?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health:"
} |
Excessive price of some books. | [
"Usually, obscenely expensive titles are obscenely expensive because of the following: - Out of print - Very limited run - So few copies in circulation that there's a limited supply, sellers can charge what they please. A cursory googling of the authors you've mentioned, all three of them have texts related to Is... | [
"Advertising, selling info, and premium versions of the free stuff."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
Why were Soviet and German Military Cartography much more similar when compared to Allied Cartography? | [
"Since there have been no replies so far I would suggest to xpost this to /r/mapporn."
] | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I have a coat, what is it? | [
"What you have in your possession is an American Class A tunic, more known as a dress jacket (or tunic). He would not have worn this in action. The patch on the right chest signified a honorable discharge from the Armed Forces and it is very likely that the uniform was worn by the veteran at reunions. The two patch... | [
"Because they are so dear I think. That and they have introduced a wire to keep you from losing them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What are the most fascinating ancient mysteries still unsolved? | [
"My personal favourite is still just The Sphynx. It's attributed to the ancient Egyptians because they're just the earliest people we know of who have a record of it, but nobody really knows exactly when it was built, or by who, or what it's original name was, what it was for or who the face is meant to be. There a... | [
"Cursed images are pictures the beg the five Ws: Who, what, when, where and why. They are usually creepy or downright disturbing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Help on Research Paper concerning WWII (x-post from r/Military) | [
"I'm not sure about online sources. But, *Once a Legend: The Story of \"Red\" Mike Edson and the Marine Raiders* by Jon T. Hoffman would greatly aid your paper. Edson took all the lessons learned in the Banana Wars in Nicaragua such as small teams, long patrols, communication, and applied them to making the Raiders... | [
"You might want to crosspost this to /r/AskScience."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the oldest record of Polydactyly in humans? Does this trait stretch back into prehistory? | [
"You're familiar with the polydactyl petroglyphs at Pueblo Bonito and other Ancestral Pueblo Great Houses, yes? They aren't that old, but technically are prehistoric, dating back to [600 to 1280 CE](_URL_0_). [Here](_URL_1_)'s two polydactyl feet petroglyphs embedded in an interior wall of Pueblo Bonita. [Here](_UR... | [
"The Americas were settled by humans significantly later than Eurasia, let alone Africa which is the birthplace of humans."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about History:"
} |
How and why did the Chinese campaign “The Great Leap Forward” fail? | [
"Check out [this ](_URL_0_) thread on a similar question from a few hours ago."
] | [
"I actually just wrote a paper on this. Heavy industry in China actually underwent incredible growth during this period, with heavy industry output increasing by 230% from 1958-60. Global output of resources such as coal and steel increased, resulting in China becoming a global leader in those industries. The numbe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Good sources on antebellum life in the South for poor whites | [
"Try bitterly divided by David Williams and also plain folk in a rich mans war by David Williams."
] | [
"A follow-up and related question: how about young people in other parts of the world in this time period? I.e. South Asia, China, West Africa, South America?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
AskHistorians Podcast 108 - Poor Whites in the Antebellum American South w/Dr. Keri Leigh Merritt | [
"Holy cow! How did I miss that these podcasts even existed? I have a lot of catching up to do."
] | [
"Okay so this is a huge huge topic so i'll give you some of my personal favorites and/or quality works. **African Americans** * *Freedom Struggles: African Americans and World War I*- Adriane Lentz-Smith * *Black Newspapers and America's War for Democracy 1914-1920*- William G. Jordan * *The Double V: How Wars, Pro... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
I found this document from WW1 rolled up in a closet. I've had it framed recently, but I've been unable to locate any of the history behind these certificates. Can anyone help me out? | [
"Ah, Good old Ordinance Corp. Pre 1918, they tested and trained on Sandy Hook, NJ before moving to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD. Hard to believe the areas where they fired rounds are now tourist beaches. The large gun emplacements are still at Sandy Hook. Same with a lot of the bunkers. These huge cannons could sho... | [
"I've asked this before but I will again. Peter Hagendorf was a soldier in the Thirty Years' War who kept a famous diary of his service that seems very unique but I'm completely unable to find any English translation of it anywhere either online or in print. Do any Thirty Years' War experts know where I could find ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
How can I corroborate a family story? | [
"Does [this](_URL_0_) help? Apparently relatives of ex-employees of the Ford Motor Company can request those records."
] | [
"If I can ask a dumb question: how do you prove a counterfactual?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | May 01, 2017–May 07, 2017 | [
"It's been a rough couple of weeks on AH, so here is something cute and fun: [medieval giraffes](_URL_0_)!"
] | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about News:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Help me identify this creepy artifact! Or point me in the direction of someone who can help? | [
"It seems to be something called a \"403 error.\""
] | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
After glancing through all the Jared Diamond rebuttals on this sub's FAQ, it seems as though geographical determinism is largely discredited. But I don't understand how that can be the case, what else is there? | [
"Not an answer but an auxiliary question: has Diamond ever addressed any of the criticisms towards his work?"
] | [
"Guns, Germs and Steel by Diamond addresses this question- but as already pointed out it’s an EXTREMELY complex question. Additionally, there is a lot of Western bias in many literature bases- so I’m not sure your assumption that they did is completely accurate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How historically accurate is Joseph Conrad's portrayal of colonization in Belgium in "Heart of Darkness?" | [
"I would recommend reading [King Leopold's Ghost](_URL_0_) for a nice general reader introduction to Belgium Congo. But, unfortunately pretty much any terrible thing you can imagine happened in Congo. Conrad spent 3 years working for a Belgian trading company, mostly on the Congo. So a lot of his account is lightly... | [
"I actually just wrote a paper on this. Heavy industry in China actually underwent incredible growth during this period, with heavy industry output increasing by 230% from 1958-60. Global output of resources such as coal and steel increased, resulting in China becoming a global leader in those industries. The numbe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
If I were touring the British Isles in 1685, what are the chances I would encounter an African slave? | [
"Interesting choice of year. I had planned to mention the city of Bristol, and its [well-attested](_URL_3_) presence of [Africans](_URL_2_) and slave owners. However, the slave trade was a royal monopoly until 1698, I thought Bristol must not have been in the trade yet. But checking a [source](_URL_0_) it seems Br... | [
"There's always somewhere else to explore. In the 1400s I'm sure the could have spent money to solve the problems of their time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Where did the concept of True Name magic originate? | [
"It was a feature of Ancient Egyptian belief. Isis is the goddess of magic because she knows the secret names for things. She even tricks Ra into revealing his secret name so that she has power over him, sending a snake to bite him so that he will need healing, which will require her to use a spell with his name. ... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Metternich: Who Was He? | [
"That...sounds like you want us to do your homework for you. Chances are that no-one here will, but you're in luck, because research is fun! What sources are you looking at, or thinking of using?"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Wondering About the accuracy of Lincoln 1860 campaign song recorded by Ronnie Gilbert in 2008 | [
"Could you specify what you mean by accuracy? Do you mean, is Ronnie Gilbert faithfully singing the actual lyrics of an actual song by the Hutchinson Family? Or are you wondering if the song itself is accurate in what it is saying about Lincoln and the US? Gilbert's claim that the song got Lincoln elected is debata... | [
"Well, it may not be the best book, but it is a delightful read and a fresh new perspective. Try out *Our Natural History, the Lessons of Lewis and Clark*, Daniel B. Botkin, 1995. Berkeley publishing group, New York."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What happened to people with broken jaws? | [
"As far back as 1600 BC physicians knew how to treat a dislocated jaw. Simple fractures were treated by bandaging them and by applying slabs of fresh meat. Compound fractures were essentially untreatable. For a much more detailed history of the treatment of maxillo-facial trauma I would like to refer you to NL Rowe... | [
"Nobody talks about the ones that become janitors."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Has an invasive or agriculturally-destructive species ever been intentionally introduced to a rival country, with the intention of causing harm? | [
"This does not quite fit the bill of \"rival country\" but in 1989, a self described \"ecoterrorist group\" known only as \"The Breeders\" took credit for the recent infestation of California by medflies, which began destroying crops. Opinion is divided today as to whether it was a real attack, an out of control pr... | [
"The primary cause of extinction at this time is loss of habitat resulting from human beings cutting down forests, paving over fields, and otherwise altering existing ecological environments. Additional causes include air pollution and its various side effects such as the increasing acidification of the ocean, glob... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
It's 1936, I'm a German watching the Olympics. I start cheering for Jesse Owens. Am I punished or called out for cheering for someone who is of a "lesser race" than me? | [
"No. Jesse Owens was reasonably popular among Berliners and many German athletes, such as Luz Long, first off, so you wouldn't be alone. Secondly, the government wants to look good for the world and impress London in particular. Carl von Ossietzky is still in the news after being transferred from a camp to a Berlin... | [
"Because today we also realize that our racism in WWII was unjust and lead to innocent people being harassed or worse because they happened to share heritage with people we were at war with. We as a society have become more tolerant and, well, nicer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What are the most historically-accurate films out there? | [
"Already discussed (including lots of recommendations) on r/AskHistorians [here](_URL_0_) and [here](_URL_1_)."
] | [
"What are the must read books about the American revolution published within the last five years? What are the current arguments being discussed by historians who study the era?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Literature:"
} |
People in old black and white movies all seem very polite and confident. But were people generally really like that back then, are these movies in any way a good representation of the people of the years they were filmed in? | [
"Well, here's a trailer for [Angles In The Outfield (1951)](_URL_0_). And here's [an actual warning handed out by MLB to ballplayers in the late 1890s](_URL_1_). Do you see the difference? In real life if you went to a ballfield back then, you might have heard a player tell the ump to go fuck himself. You will ne... | [
"Because, even if you weren't alive back then, those time periods have still be represented a certain way to you through popular culture, TV, and movies. You like how those time periods have been presented, and what they seem to represent, so you desire to go there just like how you'd desire to go to an island reso... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
(NSFW 18+) How far back in history do BDSM and other forms of kink go? | [
"Here are a couple of related threads: _URL_12_ _URL_11_"
] | [
"\"Common\" and \"Creepy\" are not mutually exclusive when looking at media from 50-ish years ago."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Could someone help me translate the engravings on this late 1800s Chinese lead container inherited from my great great grandmother? | [
"Hi, some ideas since you haven't received answers here: you may try one of the translation subs, /r/translation or /r/translate IIRC, or a Chinese regional sub, or one specializing in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). If you live near a Chinese community, you might also try a herbalist or TCM practitioner."
] | [
"It looks a lot like a lock I used to have... hard to tell from the pics. I think they were sold to tourists in the Middle East. Mine was inherited from my grandmother."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
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