query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Looking for a good Nixon biography. Any recommendations? | [
"Rick Pearlstein, *Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America*. He's a journalist and it leans towards hagiography, but it's worth a read."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How would an Ancient Greek, Roman, or Egyptian call someone else an a-hole? | [
"fyi, you may find a few examples from those cultures in the FAQ * [Insults, Swears, and Curse Words](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Can't wait for a Muslim or a Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist to try and use this law in Indiana."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What do you guys think were the most important turning points in WWII in favor of the Allies? | [
"1-The invasion of the Soviet Union sealed the fate of the European Axis Powers, there was no way that the Axis could defeat the Soviet Union 2- Bombing of Pearl Harbor- Same with Germany, Japan had no chance to defeating the United States, Germany's stupid decision to declare war on the United States made their vi... | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Soviet Mechanized Death Robot at the October Revolution?? | [
"Just for the record, that robot is a [Zentraedi officer's battlepod](_URL_0_) from Robotech: Macross. The design was later \"borrowed\" as the [Marauder](_URL_1_) BattleMech for BattleTech. What I'm trying to say is that's not a Soviet design."
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
My great grandfather did some job that involved army supplies during WWII, he had access to blank ration books and he use to steal them so his family could buy more stuff. in Britain How serious would that crime have been treated (in terms of sentencing & public reaction) at the time? | [
"Serious. Penalties for theft or fraud of ration books was fine of £500 and a possible two years in prison. Might have been more severe for your GGF as he was in uniform and subject to military justice, not civilian. But it would not be the equivalent of stealing pens as the system was designed to try and ensure ea... | [
"It will depend on a number of factors. Being able to successfully convict someone would be a large issue with it. You might be able to prove they attended the match and were in the area but not that they did anything illegal. You might also have had plea deals in order to avoid harsher sentences and so on. Can't r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are some little known but important topics in the history of the 20th century? | [
"King Leopond of Belgium's Congo Free State. Even Europeans with a belief in colonialism were disgusted by the genocide."
] | [
"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 Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Literature:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | June 13, 2016–June 19, 2016 | [
"A big shout-out to /u/iguana_on_a_stick, who has just written a [superb answer on the causes of the 'fall' of Rome](_URL_0_). This is a huge topic and I think that he did a great job summing the various 'schools' of thoughts involved. A quick comparison to the answers in the FAQ would show that this answer is more... | [
"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 Reddit post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Has there ever been a battle or minor confrontation in history with three or more belligerents all opposed to one another? | [
"hi! fyi you can get started on this recent post * [Has there ever been a three way battle?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Never before has world has been in a state of peace such as this. There are almost no active wars going on now, which is unprecedented. World War is a hazy term, but generally speaking you'd want large nations wage active war against each other. Proxy war does not quite suffice, for example, Cold War was fought as... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
When did the concept of retirement surface? Has it always been around, or was it a new thing in the 20th century? | [
"If you're talking about state funded pensions, those start in Germany in 1889 under Bismarck. It gave a kind of legitimacy to what was still quite a new government (Germany was unified in 1871) and was a great way to take some wind out of the socialists' sails. Before that time people would have had to rely on fam... | [
"It used to be 6 days a week (Sundays were for Church). The advent of labor unions were able to change labor rules to be 40 hours per week as the standard, and adding Saturday to the weekend. Labor unions became a thing during the Industrial Revolution (which got big in the mid 19th century)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | August 14, 2017–August 20, 2017 | [
"I'd just like to thank the amazing Civil War, World War II, and related historians here who handled the firestorm of Confederacy/statue/fascism questions this week with Olympian endurance. Someone finally asked the equivalent of \"What did Hitler think about Confederate statues,\" and half of the mod team just abo... | [
"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 text about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What was crossing a border like in premodern times? Were there passports and immigration laws, or could one simply wander into the next empire/kingdom/feudal lordship/etc? | [
"Although there's a lot more to be said about pre-modern travel /u/Astrogator answered [How would an average Roman citizen travel through the Empire from one location to another?](_URL_0_). I'd still very much like to know what else there is about Medieval/ancient roadtripping though."
] | [
"It's a misconception than embassies and consulates are territory controlled by the ambassador's country. Certain provisions are generally given to the diplomatic mission that let them have a reasonable degree of control, but it's well within the rights of the host nation to expel the diplomatic mission and take th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is there a Historian who rejected the given moral reasons behind American entry into The First World War? | [
"Smedly Butler wrote the book \"War is a Racket\" in 1935. It was a scathing indictment on the US intervention in WWI. Butler was hardly alone. Look into the Nye Committee, a congressional investigation into the \"Merchents of Death\". The businessmen of the munitions industry are said to have lied the Americans in... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can anyone help me identify a historical document that I can't seem to google properly? | [
"Are you thinking of Alexis de Tocqueville's *Democracy in America*? _URL_0_"
] | [
"I'm glad I'm not the only who gets this every now and then, I don't even know what to Google to try and find the answer"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Archiving:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Archiving:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What exactly were Heliogabalus' crimes? | [
"To add onto this, what does it mean to \"quote in elegiacs all the crimes of Heliogabalus\"?"
] | [
"Do any sources say anything about psychedelic mushrooms?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Nicaragua: USA's Vietnam before Vietnam | [
"The US Army did not. (as in, going back and studying the conflict and its lessons.) However, the US Marine Corps did and it was these experiences in counterinsurgency which built the foundation for the several experiments of proper counterinsurgency that was done through the USMC in the Vietnam War. For example, t... | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Have any armies ever used their own feces as a type of biological weapon against their enemies? | [
"It's a time-honored technique. The Viet Cong, for just one example, often used feces to contaminate their booby traps. In a related scatological note, the U.S. military experimented with [scent sensors](_URL_0_) which would pick up humans (avoiding false positives from animals on seismic sensors or tripwires) tra... | [
"Conventional warfare: less chance of civilian casualties; getting shot hurts, but can be recovered from (in many cases) if you survive. Chemical warfare: You can't control it once its released. If the wind is blowing the wrong way, you'll hit your own troops. Chemical weapons cause horrific effects that last the r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How did harbors work 300+ years ago? | [
"I never understood how they worked before the triangular sail - if the wind wasn't blowing did the ships just lie idle in the harbor?"
] | [
"When specifically is the story set, ancient Egypt existed for over 3000 years?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Guy Fawkes name is bandied about a lot in the plot of blowing up the UK Parliament in the early 1600s, however, who were the true masterminds of this plot and why is Guy Fawkes alone synonymous with this plot to the extent that there is a Guy Fawkes day as well? | [
"The true leaders of the plot were Robert Catesby (1572-1605) a Warwickshire gentleman, and Thomas Percy (1560-1605) a member of the Percy family of northern nobles. Both of them were killed at the siege of Holbeche House in Staffordshire in a shootout with the Sheriff of Worcester's troops on 8th November 1605. Gu... | [
"I am not sure if this is the oldest case but Herostratus certainly fits the description of an ancient troll. In Ephesus (modern day western Turkey near the coast) there was a notable temple of Artemis, it was described as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world; and roughly 300 years before the birth of Chri... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Who cleans the mess after wars? | [
"More of course can be said, but do check out [this section of the FAQ](_URL_0_). Might be of interest."
] | [
"Are you sure they were defeated at all?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did the Greeks and Romans use any sort of stimulants? | [
"The short answer is: not so far as we know. There are a couple of hints, but nothing mainstream. I've posted in a couple of threads on this subject previously -- [here's one](_URL_1_), and [here's another](_URL_0_) -- but I won't pretend that my answers were complete: I'd be very happy to see a well-informed updat... | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Was there ever a point in history where a south american country could have had military superiority over the US? | [
"If you are talking about actual countries, then the short answer is no. The Bolivarian revolutions which took place between 1810-1830 were the first time that colonies were successful in gaining their independence. To give you an example of the size of these armies, Bolivar lead a group of roughly 7,000 troops aga... | [
"I would say that alliances made it pan-european; the fact that all of these european countries also had empires stretching around the world made it global. Also, there was plenty of actual fighting around the world, especially naval conflicts."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Is there a similarly themed subreddit that isn't as crazy with the rules? | [
"You might like to try r/history or r/askhistory; r/askanthropology is also very good."
] | [
"Once you become more familiar with Reddit you'll understand. Reddit has what is called a \"hive mind\", which means a large portion of people on this site have the exact same opinions and are very vocal about them. For example, say anything negative about weed and you'll find yourself getting downvoted to hell alm... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is the Smithsonian museum called the "Museum of the American Indian" and not the "Museum of the Native American"? | [
"I used to work there, and here's what we told visitors (this a pretty popular question). The shortest, easiest answer is, \"It's what the legislation creating the museum says.\" The Smithsonian basically took over New York's Museum of the American Indian, moving most of the collections to Suitland, MD, and obvious... | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If you had to give someone a well-rounded and thorough understanding of US history by recommending 6 books, which would you recommend? | [
"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... | [
"Haha, this is a fun and difficult question. There are thousands to choose from. Let me ask a few follow up questions: What time period (medieval, modern, etc.)? What type of history? Do you simply want a political history that discusses how the structure of the kingdom changed form monarch to monarch, or do you wa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where does "man of the cloth" come from? | [
"This is a less than satisfying answer, but as no one else has commented yet I'll take a stab at it... Per [The Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins (2nd ed.)](_URL_0_), as part of their definition of \"man\", they also include that \"a clergyman is a man of the cloth. The writer Jonathan Swift first used 'the cloth' ... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Best History Podcasts? | [
"I routinely listen to [Stuff you missed in history class](_URL_1_). As the name would imply, they tend to go over interesting but more obscure people, places, and events in history but it's always entertaining. A few recent topics include: * The Crown Prince Sado of Korea * The Sinking of the S.S. Artic * The Lio... | [
"Best Seller... in what? If you break everything up into categories you can have dozens of \"Number One Best-Sellers\". Best Seller... this week Best Seller... this year Best Seller... in Romance Best Seller... in Historical Fiction... and so on."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
if i was a wanted criminal in a time before photographs, whats stopping me from just moving a few hundred kilometers away and starting from scratch? would i ever be caught again, and if so, how could they possibly find me out? | [
"A very similar question was posted here some time ago: [Was it easy for criminals 100+ years ago to change their identity to avoid getting caught?](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"Actually, someone like that is pretty hard. A stranger killing another stranger is a difficult case. However, they would obviously first look for any screw-ups: if you left DNA, they might, for example, have one of these \"everyone in this city gives a sample\" operations going. But let's say you avoid everything... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
What did small press look like before DTP computers and printers? | [
"One of Thomas Edison's minor inventions was the Mimeograph Machine. These small, hand cranked machines could provide a low cost, low quality copy of a stenciled sheet. These stenciled sheets could be prepared in a typewriter, or with a device called the \"electric pen\". These stenciled sheets were hand-cranked a... | [
"To be a little less specific, what did people think the future in general would be like before the Industrial Revolution?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is the Guns of August still respected as a source of WW1 history? | [
"A lot of people here really like the book, and Its still fairly relevant. It has some problems though, especially considering her glossing over of the events of September 1914, which I would argue is the most important month of the war. A book *I* would recommend would be [The Marne 1914](_URL_0_) by Holger Herwig... | [
"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 Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Literature:"
} |
Where does the idea of the Christian heaven being in the sky come from? How recent is the modern day representation of it literally being made of clouds, and where did that representation come from? | [
"Ancient Israelites believed that the Earth was a flat disk between *Shamayim*, the realm of God, and *Sheol*, the realm of the dead. Originally, Heaven was only the residence of God, and all dead went to the same underworld. Eventually, the Israelites began to adopt Greek ideas, such as a round earth and Heaven as... | [
"Mythology is part of religion. Zeus himself is not considered a myth, but a God. He still referred as a Greek God. However, the rituals (like animal sacrifice and festivals) are not considered part of the mythology, but part of the ancient Greek religion. Mythology is pretty much just the story parts. For example:... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When did we learn that sperm was the cause of our lives? | [
"People understood the importance of ejaculate for thousands of years. Of course, people wondered how this amazing stuff worked, and ejaculate was among the first things intensely studied by [Anton Van Leeuwenhoek](_URL_0_), who is credited with inventing the first microscope. This led to the discovery of sperm, an... | [
"Because it creates life and the only sex capable of creating life is woman!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Myth of the solo genius? | [
"The singular genius [Nicolas Bourbaki](_URL_0_) got a lot of early credit for what was latter revealed as a fairly ambitious and influential group project. Not quite what you were after, but certainly related."
] | [
"_URL_0_ Great video on how someone becomes the Pope."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why do we call Passendale "Passchendaele" in English? What is the history of the name? | [
"Passchendaele is the French name of the village, and it's not the only Belgian town that the British army called by the French rather than the Flemish name. Passchendale was fought over in the 3rd Battle of Ypres (not Ieper) and another part of the battle involved the Messines (not Mesen) ridge. Whether this is du... | [
"Most scholars believe that Easter gets its name from Eostre or Ostara, a Germanic pagan goddess. English and German are two of the very few languages that use some variation of the word Easter (or, in German, Ostern) as a name for this holiday. Most other European languages use one form or another of the Latin nam... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Where do I find a history of flawed ancient technologies used as props for nationalism? | [
"Check out Eric Hobsbawm's anthology *The Invention of Tradition* which focuses on the invention of a mythical past to suit contemporary politics. Although it's not *quite* what you're asking for here, it's worth checking out James Scott's *Seeing like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Ha... | [
"What information do you have that leads you to believe that their depictions are accurate, and not merely full of fictional details?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
AMA: The English Way of War: Arms, Armour and the Hundred Years War | [
"What was the 'life cycle' of a 15th century armour? IE how long would it be used from the time it was manufactured to when it was no longer used as armour? Would a gentleman at arms at Flodden wear a harness that had been made prior to Tewkesbury, 40 years before? Might an Imperial Knight in the War of the League ... | [
"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 post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
In the show Band of Brothers we are shown numerous woman who had slept with German soldiers while their heads are being shaved after a Dutch town is liberated by American Soldiers. Similarly, we are shown women whose head was shaved with a baby. What happened to these women and their children? | [
"A followup question: OP asks about Holland, but the practice of shaving the hair of women accused of sleeping with German soldiers seems to have been widespread. Why did this particular form of punishment become so popular?"
] | [
"From what I've learned: In ancient Greece and similar civilizations, the world was constantly at war. Forever engaged in battle regarding the bounds of your territory, it is unsafe to have women out at the front lines with the soldiers. This is where much of the homosexuality became widely practiced due to the fac... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In medieval clothing, what is a “Schert”, and how do you pronounce it? | [
"It's pronounced 'shirt,' essentially, and is, like the article describes, an undergarment that goes between the wearer's skin and tunic, to help keep the tunic clean and sweat-free."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Literature Recommendation Request: Modern Middle East Labor History | [
"I think your best place to start is with the work of Zachary Lockman and Joel Beinin. Lockman has two monographs on Labor in the ME and Palestine: *Workers and working classes in the Middle East : struggles, histories, historiographies* (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1994). *Comrades and enemies : A... | [
"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 argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | July 08, 2019–July 14, 2019 | [
"This is another great list of responses. Just a small note- there’s very little here in relation to African history, which is a little disappointing. I’m going to try to formulate a question to try and address the balance."
] | [
"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 Reddit question about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
The winners rewrite history? Is everything we have from the winners pov? | [
"Hi there, Not to preclude further discussion, but this is a question which arises quite frequently. You may be interested in the following answers: - [Is history written by the victors?](_URL_1_) by /u/TenMinuteHistory - [People say \"history is written by the winners\" and imply it's biased. Was there ever a time... | [
"To their own community of academics. But how far back are we talking? Ancient greece? Renaissance? Isaac Newton era?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did Germans guide their V-2 rocket? | [
"Adding to this question, what sort of post-launch information were the Germans able to get? Was there any data to help them make adjustments to the next wave?"
] | [
"Further question: how much did the Allies know about operation Valkyrie?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
I just learned that Cortez had a female slave who was the sole reason for his massive success; who are some other powerful unknowns that are interesting to note? | [
"It's kind of simplistic to say La Malinche was \"the sole reason for his massive success.\" He benefited from the support of Mexica enemies; disease; an enemy that favored taking war prisoners over death; and superior arms. By the time Tenochtitlan fell he had numerous Nahuatl-Spanish translators. You should read ... | [
"He kind of orchestrated and led the native coalition and Spanish troops that defeated the Aztecs, who were the most powerful state in Mexico at the time. I'm not sure what you are going for here."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was thermite ever used or speculated to have been used effectively in battle pre-19th centure? I.e. sabotage | [
"As you say it wasn't invented until the late 19th century, but in addition one of its primary components is aluminum which, until the late 19th century and the development of aluminum electrolysis, was worth more than gold. Aluminum wasn't successfully isolated at all until the middle of the century. So I think we... | [
"Might be a translation issue. There were grenades in 1812 much like the ones we think of today -- that is, hand-held bombs with an explosive charge. Grenades in the early 19th century had a fuse that would be lit before they were tossed. But it's unlikely that hand-tossed grenades were used in \"bombardment\" -- h... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | August 15, 2016–August 21, 2016 | [
"Rundown: * /u/true_new_troll on [\"Because Czechoslovakia was occupied by the USSR after World War II, what happened to the Czech government-in-exile that was stationed in London during the war?\"](_URL_2_) * /u/sunshine_bag answered [\"Amateurism in Sports and the Olympics: Why so important, and what ended it?\"]... | [
"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 post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Would a professional historian weigh in on a relatively obscure book: "The Religion Of The Occident" by Martin A. Larson? | [
"> The Buddhists gave us renunciation, which made sex, family, wealth, labor and comfort into crimes and which made of idle communism and parasitism the saintly way of life. Only if you completely ignore tantric Buddhism. Really, the whole passage seems hopelessly teleological."
] | [
"The Agrarian Origins of Modern Japan by T.C. Smith should be your starting point."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Democratic States dont go to war. How true is this statement? | [
"The way i heard it was that democratic states don't go to war against other democratic states."
] | [
"Left-wing answer: Not enough socialism Right-wing answer: Too much socialism"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
how did early productions of plays like King Lear simulate plot-significant events like stormy weather? | [
"By using simple stage tricks still in use today by theatres with limited budgets. Elizabethans would strike pieces of sheet metal (the Greeks used drums) to produce a sound like distant thunder. For rain, they would suspend a perforated bag (or possibly a drum) full of paper confetti above the stage. At the right ... | [
"It literally translates to \"god from the machine\", and it refers to a plot device where there's a problem that's solved by the sudden arrival of an influence that wasn't previously part of the plot. It came from old devices in Greek theater used to bring actors portraying gods onto the stage. Such characters wer... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the oldest Native American structure that's been found? | [
"The first houses in the Plateau Culture Area date to around 6,000 years ago. They are fairly small (4-5 meters across), circular, and about a meter deep. By 5000 years ago, housepits are larger and evidence longer or more intensive use as indicated by higher artifact counts and broader artifact diversity. Ames arg... | [
"It's much much much older than a few decades. The best guess is 1475, although it could be older. There's a lot of competing theories as to its origin."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
I'm a Filipino American visiting the American South before the Jim Crow Laws are repealed. As a non-white, can I only enter places for blacks or can I have the privelege to enter places for whites? | [
"I have written a previous (fairly short) answer on a similar topic, that is segregation against Filipinos in general. I used Seattle as my example, but I do think that it’s still worth reading because segregation was all over the country, not just the South. [Segregation of Filipinos in Seattle](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"White people didn't face legal repercussions for using \"colored\" fountains. There would have been a chance of social derision from the White community, due to the association with African Americans, or the significantly lower quality of \"Colored\" specific areas but nothing illegal would have happened if a whit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
The Spanish word for "pillow" is "la almohada." Is this word related to the Almohad Caliphate of the 12th Century? If so, how? | [
"I believe that the word for pillow in Arabic al-mochada (المخدة) is the reason for the Spanish word, and just as you said it stems from خد (ched). الموَحدون (Al-Muwaḥḥidūn) or al-mohada is just a case of transliteration causing confusion. The words are not similar in Arabic. Edit: I got the source for the etymolog... | [
"Muslim and Islamic are interchangeable when used as an adjective. For example \"Muslim architecture\" and \"Islamic architecture\" are both correct. However \"muslim\" is also a noun that refers to a follower of islam and is not interchangeable in that context. For example you would say \"John is a muslim\" but no... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Historical American figure I could relate too? | [
"While we're sometimes willing to help with homework, this is beyond the pale. How on earth could we say what historical figures *you* relate to?"
] | [
"Looks like Charles I of Great Britain to me."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What is the worst crime ever committed by the US government? | [
"Removed because this is a crystal-clear case of asking [a loaded question and/or soapboxing.](_URL_0_.)"
] | [
"A related question were there public figures at the time who were apologists that tried to justify for the actions of the Japanese military at Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Is the word villein (unfree tenant or similar in the middle ages) connected to the word villain? | [
"Yes, they derive from the same latin root (villa) both originally meaning a person of the serf class. OED defines villain as: > 1. Originally, a low-born base-minded rustic; a man of ignoble ideas or instincts; in later use, an unprincipled or depraved scoundrel; a man naturally disposed to base or criminal actio... | [
"English is a bastard language made from the mixing of Old English (related to modern Frisian) and old French which was spoken by the Norman conquerors. Even reading Chaucer from the high middle ages is quite difficult to discern for the modern English reader and that was well along in the process that began in 106... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Language and Translation:"
} |
I love reading wiki pages about e.g. The battle of agincourt or war of the roses and following links to other people places and events; are there any historical novels that are both enjoyable but also accurate I could read about this time (anything merovingians to war of the roses) | [
"Check out Bernard Cornwell's stuff - he's known as one of the top historical fiction writers (if I recall correctly) and he definitely does his homework. There's a bit of fluff, obviously, like his inclusion of the chopping off of longbowmens' fingers (which we're not 100% sure happened - it's possible though!), b... | [
"This might be a bit out of your way, but you might want to look at the works of Geoffrey Parker on the military revolution, it is more focused on early modern warfare and world history, but iirc its one of the theories that propelled military history out of event history and military academies, and thus very impor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What were the reasons John F. Kennedy's executive order 11110 was thrown out? | [
"A quick look at the wiki says that it was actually Reagan who overturned it with EO 12608 in 1987. EO 12608 was literally called \"Elimination of Unnecessary Executive Orders and Technical Amendments to Others\" so I believe it is safe to say that the order was revoked as part of a general cleaning up by Reagan. N... | [
"Assassinations are somewhat of a dark spot in American history. This country was based on a concept of freedom that assassinations precludes - the idea that you could be murdered due to a political belief is something that is *fundamentally* un-American. Plus, Kennedy's presidency was one where there was a cluster... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How accurate is the 1970 film "Waterloo" | [
"On the other hand, Christopher Plummer was pretty convincing as the Duke."
] | [
"The footage appears to be an extract from the documentary, \"Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam\" identified as images from the battle of Khe Sanh"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about movie accuracy:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about movie accuracy:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Quotation from a bronze age general who conquered a city said something like "But we have the weapons!" to a local politician who could not understand the enforceability his rule? | [
"A vaguely similar story appears in Plutarch's biography of Pompey the Great (Gn. Pompeius Magnus): > ...[M.] Perpenna [Vento] immediately abandoned Sicily to him [Pompey], and he [Pompey] retook its cities, which had been abused [by Perpenna], and treated them all benevolently except for the Mamertines in Messana... | [
"The Mongolian armies (according to Jack Weatherford in Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World) would sometimes do as you suggest, giving towns the option to join his (and other Mongolian) army. One of the most interesting facets of the Mongolian invasions is that they would sometimes pass a city by witho... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was Vudack a derogatory term during WWII I heard it in a game but can't find any reference anywhere | [
"There's the word \"mudak\" (Russian: мудак) which roughly translates to \"fool\" or \"idiot\", (in the arrogant sense) or more crudely, \"asshole\". It's uttered several times throughout the game, and appears in level transcripts."
] | [
"It, in most cases just means \"Son of a b#tch\", at least from the cases that I know of, I don't think I've seen any other definition"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Were there any benefits to the complex overlapping suspension used by late WWII German vehicles? | [
"The one thing I remember is that it distributed the suspension load more evenly over the entire track (side to side), making for better track life, and improved handling."
] | [
"Because there wasn't one single company producing electrical components for all countries at the various times that these countries were producing their infrastructure."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Electrical plugs and their design:"
} |
Was the custom of covering oneself during sleep always so prevalent? | [
"Do you mean \"covering oneself\" as in sleeping under sheets and/or blankets? Or do you mean pajamas? As for why we do it, try /r/asksocialscience."
] | [
"A followup question: OP asks about Holland, but the practice of shaving the hair of women accused of sleeping with German soldiers seems to have been widespread. Why did this particular form of punishment become so popular?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Was Clark Gable forced to make "It Happened One Night" as a form of punishment? | [
"Capra's first choice for the male lead was Robert Montgomery, but Louie B. mayer refused to loan him out because he had plans for him to star in a similar \"bus picture\" for MGM. After missing out on Montgomery, Capra asked for Gable. Mayer was souring on Gable because his career was seemingly faltering and he (G... | [
"Jack and Jill - Production Budget - $79 million, Worldwide Box office - $149 million (3% rotten tomatoes) Blended - Production Budget $40 million, Worldwide Box office - $126 million (14% rotten tomatoes) Grown Ups 2 - Production Budget $80 million, Worldwide Box Office - $246 million (7% rotten tomatoes) Grown Up... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Finding Military Service Records at the National Archives in D.C. - would going in person be just as effective as hiring a 3rd party to pull records for me? | [
"Using the National Archives is absolutely something you can do yourself. They are used to dealing with people like you who just want to pull family records. It's not difficult. You might spend some time before you go familiarizing yourself with the catalog, but there will be someone there who can help you fill out... | [
"A draft card on file does not indicate service, merely compliance with registration. Under the Selective Service Act, you great-grandfather might not have registered until AUG 1918 when the War Department asked that all males age 18-45 register (previously, the cut-off was 30). Do you know if he was a Class II or ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Flintlock advantages over matchlocks? | [
"There are a number of advantages. GeneralLeeFrank mentions the quicker loading and firing and the position isn't given away, although that didn't matter as much in most battles and could be used as an advantage, as John Smith did against the Turks. One of the biggest advantages is the relative safety of the flintl... | [
"It's still smoothbores firing ball bearings by igniting black powder right? In that case, no. It's not going to be more accurate. The mini-ball and rifling were the innovations when it comes to accuracy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I am a Senator in Imperial Rome whose lands are all on the Italian peninsula, and I want to establish a new estate in the distant East - maybe Egypt, perhaps Anatolia. How do I even begin to go about making this investment? | [
"As a follow up question; were lands in Italy considered more valuable than say those in Africa and Gaul?"
] | [
"It was a long process, really, filled with poor leaders and horrible economics. The empire itself physically ended after barbarians invaded and looted Rome several times. In 432, the Roman government sent out a letter to its various provinces as a notice along the lines of \"Don't expect any help from Rome anymore... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How and why did using chewing tobacco become so common in professional baseball and not other sports? | [
"It's not really a historical question, it's simply the pace of the game. For long periods of baseball an individual player is idle. If you watch one fielder and only him; he may not interact with the ball for several innings at a time. He then may sit in the dugout for 2-3 offensive innings before his next turn a... | [
"Cricket was actually quite popular in the early days of the United States. During the industrial revolution baseball became more popular because working-class people could play it. Cricket requires a carefully manicured and watered lawn, but baseball can be played in whatever field is handy. It's a similar story ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia: Making Saints out of Sinners | [
"So how will history deal with Gandhi's sexual life? Is there anything to some of the claims about his misdeeds?"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Grandma (b. 1929, Arkansas) says she was named after a traveling merchant called a "drummer". Who were they and what did they sell/do? | [
"\"Drummer\" is just an old-fashioned slang term for a modern traveling salesman. In the 19th century, a drummer was a small-goods seller who traveled by train or in a horse-drawn wagon with suitcases of merchandise. There had always been peddlers who traveled hawking their own wares, but drummers were the first wa... | [
"Perhaps all we know about Cotton-eyed Joe is what we *don't* know about him: we neither know where he came from, nor where he went. We do know, though, that had it not been for him, we would have been married a long time ago. In all seriousness, he is just a character from a song who stole the heart of the narrato... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
It's 1865, I am a recently freed slave, with no land or money. How do I support myself? | [
"There's a fairly new book out where a journalist traces the history of his family's plantation and the family of a some of the slaves. It's pretty interesting. He talks about blacks being forced to take their owner's last names as a form of social control, so that the whites knew who was supposed to be working for... | [
"Have you ever watched *12 Years a Slave*? If you were a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time (pre-1865 America), nothing at all was stopping you from being forced back into slavery. Even if the law supposedly protected you, there was no realistic way for you support your rights."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Did Romans in the Colosseum really use the thumbs up/down? and if so, which was live and which was die? | [
"\"In the case of an appeal, the decision rested with the munerarius, who generally followed the declared wishes of the audience, which waved hankerchiefs or made a downward movement of the thumb (*'pollicem premere'*), a sign to drop the sword, if it wanted a fighter spared. Anyone who was against mercy pointed hi... | [
"There are many stories associated with it. The one story I heard comes back during the ancient or medieval era. In battle, when soldiers captured an archer, they would cut off their middle fingers. Without their middle fingers, they couldn't properly fire their bows. So, as a taunt, archers would wave their middle... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Historians of Reddit, how do you feel about the Sid Meyer's Civilizations franchise? | [
"As an anthropologist, I've always had serious concerns about how the Civilization franchise portrays traditional Eurocentric notions of \"progress\" and of unilinear social evolution (i.e. the idea that all societies, everywhere, are striving towards the same end-goal, and that end-goal by default is the European ... | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
The Spanish Bureaucracy in the New World, how did it come about and how was it maintained for 300 odd years? | [
"I would suggest reading a basic colonial Latin America textbook. The most common is probably Burkholder and Johnson *Colonial Latin America*. Another good one, Lockhart and Schwartz *Early Latin America*. Those will answer your questions and are pretty cheap if you buy them used."
] | [
"The Phillipines was part of the Spanish empire for over 300 years. It was even named after King Philip II of Spain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
[American History] Before Westward Expansion, where was US ranked in the world, size wise? (confusing title, explained better in post) | [
"In the late 18th century, the new United States were large by European standards, although small by global, imperial standards. China was obviously larger in land area, the Ottoman empire was probably larger, as were the Spanish, Portuguese, and British empires."
] | [
"Are you asking about the Empire (16th century to later 20th) or just about the relations of wars and the Empire. I am a bit confused to exactly what you are asking."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What happened in the year 1000 celebration wise? | [
"This has been asked before, with decent answers: the posts [here](_URL_0_) and [here](_URL_1_) might help you."
] | [
"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:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | March 30, 2015–April 05, 2015 | [
"Not sure how overlooked it was since it's got 200 upvotes at the moment, but u/JimeDorje had a good series of responses to the question *[Did Shangri-la exist?](_URL_0_)*. His responses to the couple bigger follow-ups are good as well."
] | [
"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 Reddit question about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Big rocks in NYC's Central Park: how did they get rid of the rest of Manhattan's big rocks? | [
"[Check this page out for a quick intro](_URL_1_). Basically, there are three main layers of stone in Manhattan, one of them a large ridge of schist that happens to shove to the surface in the current location of Central Park. [Take a look at this map too](_URL_0_) - you'll note that the original Dutch trading post... | [
"At this rate, we'll end up... sending trash into space. Joking aside, once the holes are filled, they pour some dirt, put some grass and trees above it and often it becomes a park. There's one near where I live, it used to be a gigantic garbage dump, now it's a gigantic park. There are well hidden tubes coming out... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I have heard that samurai armor is glazed red or yellow on the inside because when light reflects off of the glaze it gives the wearer a demonic appearance. Is this true? | [
"I just checked my Turnbull and he just says it's laquered those colours, so you probably misremembered. In anyways, yes some individuals or groups of warriors did laquer their armor red (usually it's black/brown) or more rarely gold/yellow. This definitely made these warriors stand out on the battlefield, and in t... | [
"The eye holes of the costumes show some of the actor's skin, so it's best to paint the area around the eyes a similar color to prevent any human features from slipping through and breaking immersion."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Graduate School Question | [
"I'm in the same boat, and I got to visit a campus to speak with department members as well as current grad students. The consensus was that GPA doesn't matter as much to the program you're applying to as it does the administrative/financial aid side. Research and contact professors you want to work with -- let the... | [
"Associate's Degree: 2 years Bachelor's Degree: 4 years Master's Degree: Bachelor's + 2 years Doctoral/Ph.D: Bachelor's + 4-6 years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
AskHistorians, do you know what those coupons are? (Pictures inside) | [
"From the text on the back: \"Kassenschein\" appears to some sort of bond. It is for the amount of 10 Heller ~~(perhaps another name for Thaler)~~ [No, it actually was currency](_URL_1_). They are issued by the city government of \"Wien\" (=Vienna) in NederOsterreich (=Southern ~~Austrialia~~ Austria). They are red... | [
"you want a lesson in genomics and genetic expression in ELI5? I want to see that too! Up vote for balls!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | July 22, 2019–July 28, 2019 | [
"I took a detailed look at [the murky history of the holiest relic in Christendom](_URL_0_). In what circumstances, exactly, was the True Cross re-discovered in Jerusalem in c.330 – and by whom? What did the relic look like? And, when it was looted by the Persians after the fall of Jerusalem in 614, what happened t... | [
"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 Reddit query about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
So I've noticed some mini-blimp things in a lot of films that take place in WWII. What are they? | [
"Love that episode BTW. Anyway, they are [Barrage Balloons](_URL_0_). Barrage Balloons were designed to clutter up airspace, and to force bombers and fighters to fly higher, or to discourage low altitude attacks. Not only were the balloons themselves an obstacle, but so were the steel cables supporting them. By rai... | [
"I'm pretty sure you're seeing this mostly in movies and television, which may lead you to believe this actually happens."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How common/used were blimps in World War 2? | [
"Not to talk down to you (I don't know how much you know), but most of the pictures you see featuring \"blimps\" are probably just barrage balloons. These were large unmanned balloons, tethered to the ground with large steel cables, such as in [this](_URL_0_) picture of the normandy beaches. Militaries put these up... | [
"Also, would her military experience be any useful in finding a job? Did women serve in the British military during World War 1 and if so, did they go back into the workforce afterwards?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Which mathematical concepts were arrived at independently? | [
"The mathmatical concept of zero was developed by the Olmec before 400 BC. The Maya culture left hard archaeological evidence that they were using the number zero by 36 CE. The Siddhantas are a collection of Indian astronomical texts that date back to 425 BC. They used the sanskrit word for \"Void\" to describe ... | [
"It wasn't taught, it was invented. But there isn't a single inventor we can credit. Instead it was one of those things discovered independently by many different people across time like other early inventions."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Mathematics:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Mathematics:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | August 21, 2017–August 27, 2017 | [
"I want to highlight the answer that /u/terminus-trantor provided to my borderline one-time deleted question [How close was the Old World from discovering the New World right before Columbus?](_URL_0_). He provided a brilliant answer that also covered stuff that I was going to include in the question itself at firs... | [
"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 sentence about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How significant was militarism in starting WWI | [
"I know this sounds silly, but when high school students are taught about the causes of WWI, they are taught the acronym M.A.I.N. Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism, and Nationalism. In Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August, she says \"-[Military] staffs, goaded by their relentless timetables, were pounding the tab... | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What is the source of technophobia in Western civilization? | [
"Considering this isn't technically historical, you're probably better off asking in /r/asksocialscience."
] | [
"How well regarded are the writings of Joseph Campbell by historians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Mark Moyar, Triumph Forsaken, and the revisionist school of Vietnam War history | [
"Hi there! Just a little heads up, we had a short discussion about this recently [over here](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"Can you clarify what type of policymaking you're wanting to get into? While I can give you some suggestions for, say, foreign policy, I won't be of much help if you're interested in, for example, urban redevelopment. I wouldn't suggest you read Said's *Orientalism*. While it's an important work, there's no need to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
Books on Political economy for beginners? | [
"I'm currently reading Robert L. Heilbroner's \"The Worldly Philosophers\" which gives an outline of the basic ideas behind the thinking of Smith, Marx, Mill, Keynes etc… Though I have found it fascinating it is slightly muddied by Heilbroner's biases, as the works of Hayek, Friedman, Rothbard and others are entire... | [
"Are there any good introduction books to historiography in general? JFK in particular? Thank you"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
'The Patriot' depicts General Cornwallis (early on) as fair, "gentlemanly," and somewhat sympathetic to the plight of the colonists. How accurate is that portrayal? How accurate is the movie in general? | [
"Cornwallis, while a member of the House of Lords, voted against both the Stamp and \"Intolerable\" Acts. He was indeed sympathetic, and his sentiment was shared by another British commander, General Howe who had lived in North America for some time and identified with the colonists. Regards to the Patriot, I wish... | [
"I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned here that Gettysburg is co-written and directed by Ronald F. Maxwell, who is a neo-confederate revisionist. Gettysburg and Gods and Generals both try to white-wash and re-write Civil War history. Both films (but especially Gods and Generals) are just jam-packed with inaccurac... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about movie accuracy:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about movie accuracy:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Question on Viking crews? | [
"As far as I know, this is correct (from studying early English naval history, that is). \"Mixed nationality\" crews were common because men tended to follow a leader and could change allegiance over time, so a man's origin would not necessarily determine his allegiance to a leader. Also, keep in mind that \"Vikin... | [
"Does anyone know of any good texts on Sassanid Persian culture?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Literature:"
} |
How much would Jesus charge to make a chair? | [
"There have been a few good threads concerning if Jesus was even a carpenter. Specifically, /u/jasoncaspian's comment [here](_URL_0_) and /u/reslumina's comment [here](_URL_1_) may be helpful."
] | [
"Because it is worth a lot of money to the government!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Historians of r/AskHistorians, I am about to begin my senior year of high school. I have a profound adoration for military and musical history and I would like to ask a couple of questions. | [
"You might want to try /r/askacademia, as that's sort of the sub for that kinda question."
] | [
"Generally, I would say that it is accurate. From the limited reading I've had to do on this for classes (readings being focused on Livy and Polybius), I think they do a very good job on giving the history. I love this series for their discussions on gaming theory, and remember that the writer for the series (James... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
A Patriot's history of the United States? | [
"Howard Zinn [has been widely discussed here](_URL_1_). Reading two very biased books with opposite viewpoints is a good way to study how different present-day ideological groups can use history to justify their views, but isn't a really good way to get a \"well-rounded\" view of history. You probably can't go wro... | [
"They were made in chronological order from when the state became part of the US."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Old visions of the future seem to show flying cars and spaceships. Did anyone successfully predict the information revolution instead? | [
"Yes, it was predicted in some detail in 1945 by Dr. Vannevar Bush. You can read his predictions here: _URL_0_. In addition, Nikolas Tesla made some pretty good guesses about cellphones in Oct. 1909: _URL_1_."
] | [
"I honestly don't think that society's fascination with the future has disappeared. It's mostly just not as in your face because the things that we imagine about the future look a whole lot like the technologies we use currently. Which is the same reason all of the past projections of the future look so retro to be... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
On the origin and popularity of Tentacle Porn? | [
"We discussed this very recently here: [Tentacle porn goes back hundreds of years, but when did Japan start getting known for having it?](_URL_0_) I can try to answer any follow-up questions you may have on that."
] | [
"Reddit as the new opiate of the masses?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | May 04, 2015–May 10, 2015 | [
"/u/restricteddata on [Nuclear Weapons Proliferation](_URL_3_). /u/kookingpot on [Early Zoos](_URL_5_) /u/quouar on [Margaret Sanger](_URL_2_). /u/DavidAOP on [Pirate Towns](_URL_1_). /u/elos_ on [Germany](_URL_4_). /u/edxcitizen87539319 debuting /u/Polybios to talk about [William I and William the Silent](_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 Reddit title about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Dug up a cannon ball in our front garden. Any Info would be appreciated | [
"As posted in r/whatisthisthing, that appears to be a mineral specimen of marcasite, not a cannonball."
] | [
"It's because I got my first snow blower a couple weeks ago."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Working conditions in California agriculture in the 1970s: why were "short-handled hoes" used? | [
"Short-handled hoes forced the workers to be closer to the plants to avoid damaging the crop while removing weeds. Working with a long-handled hoe added the risk of damaging the plan, but caused less damage to the workers' backs. So, guess which one the land owners wanted the workers to use? The short-handle hoe wa... | [
"The impact *The Jungle* had on American people was not the impact Sinclair was going for. He wrote *The Jungle* as an expose on what he felt were predatory hiring practices executed by Chicago beef packing houses in the late 19th-early 20th century. He decried hiring Swedish immigrants and basically working them t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is JFKs wife reaching for at the back of the car after her husband was shot? | [
"I believe many historians believe she was reaching for a piece of his skull and/or brain. One of those irrational moments where humans try to make everything right. [Jackie on the trunk](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Lincoln and Kennedy were more relevant presidents Also booth was a huge actor in the day (think Obama being shot by George Clooney) and Kennedy's had the big mystery of why it happened because Oswald was shot before he went to court."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Not sure if this is the correct subreddit, but you're historians and this is (I'm assuming) a historical thing. Found on the back of a bayonet, any idea what it is/says? | [
"It says Mre d'armes de St Etienne Janvier 1876. Mre is short for \"Manufacture\" and d'armes means (you guessed it) \"arms\". So it is the makers mark for the state owned arms manufacturer in St Etienne, France in January 1876. A little more information about the [site](_URL_0_) I have a sword from the Napoleoni... | [
"I think this is a bit against the rules, but I'm hoping everyone will let it slide. I was googling around while we wait for a pro to answer your question, and I found this really fascinating referenced break down of victorian finances. It's not american, but I thought you might enjoy going through the information ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Were certain musical chords once banned for being evil? | [
"My area of expertise is not specifically western art music, but in my research into several facets of early church music I have never come across a reliable source for the banning of certain chords. Now, pieces of music were banned at times, but this is quite different. It should also be noted that tri-tones were ... | [
"This can be partially from cultural conditioning. Some sounds are considered happy or joyous to some cultures which others would consider cacophonous or frightening. In western music we consider songs in major keys to be happy, joyous, adventurous, pretty, or ecstatic, and songs in minor keys to be sad, scary, dep... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Science:"
} |
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