query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Was the Looney Tunes episode "Duck Amuck" the first story to explore the idea of a storyteller's creation rebelling against the narrative? | [
"This is not exactly what you are looking for, but *Don Quixote* was published in two parts--ten years apart from each other. In Part II, Don Quixote and the other characters are cognizant of the first volume and the publication of a false second volume. IIRC someone tried to cash in on Cervantes success with *Don ... | [
"Metafiction is used when a writer alludes to the fact that the thing the reader is experiencing is in fact just a story, but they do so within the story itself. Common metafictional elements include the author inserting themselves into the story, characters acknowledging they are in a story, a character in the sto... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
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Tuesday Trivia | Surviving the Winter | [
"I'd like to flip this and ask a question, can anyone shed some light on wintertime survival in Early Medieval Britain and Ireland?"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How do they make armors for big-breasted women in the Middle Age? | [
"How many women do you think were going to war and wearing armour? War was almost entirely a masculine endeavor and, while there are a few examples of female warriors and commanders, the further we get into the High and Late Middle Ages, the fewer women we see in combat (outside of rebellions and the defense of the... | [
"What color is the skin of most of the people who make and utilize those drawings? Theres your answer"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
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[Meta] Proposal for changing the moderation rules to allow for less expert responses to unanswered questions after a certain time period. | [
"I'd rather they just get reposted to /r/history as a sort of boneyard for unanswered questions here. Two week old follow-ups have little visibility beyond the OP anyway, as they are well off the front page at that point."
] | [
"I'm with you; I think that the rules in this sub are overly restrictive. But the official answer is that if a question is answerable in a very short way, the *question* itself probably wasn't appropriate as an ELI5."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What evidence for pre-writing record-keeping exists? | [
"[Tally sticks](_URL_0_) might fit your description for record keeping, and are a very old technology."
] | [
"We have no way of answering this because names existed prior to writing and prior to any known history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
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What actually happened on July 4th, 1776? | [
"Ironically, the king of England wrote in his diary \"Nothing of great importance happened on this day.\" It wasn't his way of being funny or bitter about America being independent, because news of total independence wouldn't reach his ears for another 3 months, as that's how long it took to cross the Atlantic via ... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Arab doctors in comparison European doctors? | [
"It's not a controversial claim to say that the Islamic world was far more advanced in the field of medicine than their European contemporaries. Translated works of Muslim physicians like Avicenna and Rhazes were important and fundamental texts in European medicine at the time. Avicenna's [*Canon of Medicine*](_URL... | [
"Because they can't get in to a med school in their own country."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
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What are some books like "Zealot" which are accessible to the average person but have better historical accuracy? | [
"Well, I'll step up and recommend the general corpus of **Bart Ehrman**. His introduction to the New Testament is the go-to textbook for undergrad intro classes (and is on the AH booklist). But in addition to his actual scholarship (he is at UNC), he's published a variety of eminently readable books on Jesus, the B... | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
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What would the worldview be for an average soldier at the Battle of Kadesh? | [
"I initially was extremely sceptical, as the thread question is both wide-ranging and oddly specific. However, reading your explanatory post I got a much better idea of what it was you are looking for. You raise several valid points and I think the questions you are asking are interesting ones. But you mostly answe... | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In the Old Testament the word "feet" sometimes had a different denotation. Does this hold true for the New Testament? | [
"I don't know whether this is sourced enough to be allowable in here, but I don't think those passages in the NT are referring to genitals. In the Hebrew Bible, there are several passages, like the one you brought, where it makes no sense if it's about actual feet. For example, Naomi tells Ruth to \"mark the place ... | [
"Not remotely true. Matthew 4:1 devil is the Greek diabolos. James 2:19 demons is the Greek daimonion. Matthew 9:35 sickness is the Greek nosos. Matthew 14:24 wind is the Greek anemos. However it is true that pneuma means spirit, as in a human being's eternal spirit (or soul) but also the Holy Spirit, and also can ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
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Elaglabus was sentenced to Damnatio Memoriae. So how come we have sources for him? | [
"[I've written about damnatio before, and the fact that it's regularly not understood correctly in the public imagination](_URL_0_). Damnatio is not a systematic destruction of an individual's existence, it's the removal of credit from his public works and the erasure of his public honors. It does not prohibit peop... | [
"Thank you for taking the time to answer. Interesting stuff. One thing though. Can we really assume that Livy and especially Polybius could be wrong/lying on a subject? Polybius was almost contemporary to the event. One might think that at a time he wrote his Histories everyone still knew quite definitely who was i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What was the social role of sport in the years leading up to the First World War? | [
"A broad question. Here's some info on African-American athletes before WWI. Jack Johnson would be the most well-known athlete on this topic. He was a boxer with a boastful style, inside and outside of the ring, when black men were expected to be submissive. Boxing was highly followed, and the title of heavyweight ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
To what extent did the typical 15th/16th century European peasant know about/be affected by the Age of Exploration? | [
"Well, there was the introduction of the potato, sugar (in loaves) from canes (as opposed to beets) and coffee. Oh, and tobacco."
] | [
"The Middle Ages is a pretty huge period that spanned centuries, so you might want to refine your question. The daily life of a monarch in the 8th century was incomparably different from that of a 16th century one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
Why did the move of the New York (baseball) Giants to San Francisco fail to inspire the same degree of nostalgia/angst as the loss of the Brooklyn Dodgers? | [
"If you don't get an answer here, you might have some luck over at /r/baseball. They may have some insights."
] | [
"Ultimately, it's all just a marketing choice by the owners of the respective teams. For example, the Minnesota Vikings started shortly after the Minneapolis Lakers left town (NBA team, now in LA), and part of the failure was blamed on St. Paul residents not wanting to support a team named for Minneapolis. Tennesse... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
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} |
Need help! Can someone tell me if this is mass produced during the war, or whether it was trench art? | [
"There are problems with this being \"trench art\" . It's hard to imagine anything military it easily could be made from- not a cartridge or artillery shell. Also, the gear teeth on the sides are too regular to have been knocked out by someone sitting with a file in a shed, they were made by a machine, like a gear ... | [
"I dont exactly know what your talking about do you have a photo of a reference of this ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
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} |
I heard 'saved by the bell' is a reference to when people would 'die' and be buried their family wasn't always sure they were really dead and would tie a string to their finger that would go to a bell, so they could ring it if they ended up waking up. Is there any truth to this? | [
"Yes and no... the type of burial you describe did occur (_URL_0_) but my understanding is that the expression \"saved by the bell\" actually refers to the bell that is rung at the end of each round in a boxing match. Frequently, one boxer will find himself trapped by the other -- \"backed into a corner,\" or \"up ... | [
"Some ways not mentioned: Knocker Up - was an actual job, where people would have a route, and would knock on your window with a long ass pole at a certain time to wake you up. They'd signal at the window to the knocker once awake, so you wouldn't sleep in. Metal in a candle - You'd light a candle before bed, and p... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
What happened to the Basilica cannon? | [
"Not exactly the Basilica cannon, but another massive Turkish super-gun, the Dardanelles Gun which was constructed in 1464 was still in service more than three hundred years later during the Dardanelles Operation in 1807. It was used to bombard British ships during that operation. Sultan Abdulaziz gave the gun to ... | [
"We created the first Taliban why not the next one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
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Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | November 21, 2016–November 27, 2016 | [
"So here are some questions from the last week that were popular and/or interesting and did not receive an answer yet. Is there any brave soul to tackle these? Or will they be lost in time, like tears in a fun naked run through sprinklers? /u/Khatjal wanted to know if Martin Luther’s love of [poop humour was typica... | [
"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 question about News:",
"pos": "Represent the document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Were challenges a common way to end fights/wars? | [
"Not to discourage further discussion, but you might be interested in [this previous answer](_URL_0_) by u/Iphikrates."
] | [
"It shows that they disapprove of the way they've been treated by the reddit administrators. Kind of like sit-ins during the civil right's movement."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
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Is it true that 'Washington, D.C. was designed and built to intimidate foreign leaders'? | [
"Probably not, state visits were very rare when Washington DC was built. Especially so for the United States, given that until Latin American independence, all the countries that US had diplomatic relations with were across the Atlantic Ocean. The first foreign leader to visit the United States wasn't until 1874 wh... | [
"> Is it a city? State? Town? None of the above. It's a \"federal district\", which was approved in 1790. It prevents any single state from being more powerful than any others by also being the home of the federal government. > Why is is called Columbia? Because \"Columbia\" used to be another name for the United ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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} |
[Meta] How does the AskHistorians Twitter account work? | [
"Don't believe /u/caffarelli, it's a robot that's algorithmically programed to find the best stuff out there. It's the real deal. But also, if you want to get *even more* great interesting questions and answer that you might have missed, check out the weekly [Sunday Digest](_URL_1_) thread. The amount of good stuf... | [
"Mentioning previous discussions is intended to be a starting point, not to discourage further discussion. Follow-on questions, info, or disagreement is welcome. The FAQ has a section on this very subject at _URL_0_ Unfortunately, the # anchor doesn't work in the Reddit app -- it just goes to the top of the page. S... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
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} |
What to do with a 1939 copy of Mein Kampf? | [
"If you don't want it around, contact a local university library. Most universities have a section for historical books, they'd likely be happy to have it and to put it into the correct context."
] | [
"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:",
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"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How did the trope of a rural American being anally probed by aliens come about? | [
"Hey, you might be interested in my answer and then the follow-up discussion in this thread: * [How did anal probing become associated with alien abductions?] (_URL_0_) I didn't mention it at the time because it ran afoul of the 20-year-rule then (it doesn't now...), but as far as its place in comedy goes, /u/itsal... | [
"Europe brought the world Mozart, Wagner, Rembrandt, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Kant, Aristotle, Gödel, Händel, Bach, van Gogh, Leonardo and Dumas. America brought the world the Baconator, NASCAR, double stuff Oreos, Ally McBeal, Ben Affleck, Paris Hilton, Jersey Shore, the Five Dollar Fillup at KFC, and the last three... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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Is there a name for the particular style of title page you see in Old English literature with various fonts and word sizes on several lines? When and where does it originate from? | [
"I'm not sure what it is called for the time period you've given an example from. However, your research may be more successful if you're searching the right era. The example you've given is Early Modern English, not Old English."
] | [
"It depends on what you're going for. I assume you're aiming to recreate the letters of the pair as they would have been written, instead of the texts that were handed down, yes? In that case, I'd stick to the Carolingian script if the choice is between that and Gothic. Obviously, there are considerations. If you'r... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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} |
America's impact in WW2. | [
"You might start by reading how /u/Georgy_K_Zhukov responded to ['Why do we love WW2?'](_URL_1_) /u/Elm11 wrote about a book called [The Myth of the Good War](_URL_0_). [This thread](_URL_2_) was about Confederate statues but expanded to encompass other forms of historical commemoration. [This thread](_URL_3_) is a... | [
"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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Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | December 04, 2017–December 10, 2017 | [
"I wrote some neat stuff this week, even if y'all were more interested in reading about Victor Hugo's sex life (not my finest hour on AskHistorians, LOL!): * [What role did women play in the Golden Age of Islam?](_URL_2_) * [How did Denmark react to Shakespeare's *Hamlet*?](_URL_4_) * [Did the concept of a \"deal w... | [
"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 sentence about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Has there been a social issue as large as racism, sexism, classism, etc. in past that has been totally eradicated? | [
"Sorry, we don't allow [\"trivia seeking\" questions](_URL_0_). These tend to produce threads which are collections of disjointed, partial responses, and not the in-depth discussions about a particular topic we're looking for. If you have a specific question about an historical event, period, or person, please feel... | [
"Because most problems don't go away just by ignoring them. It would be nice if the world worked that way, but it doesn't. The problems with racism in the past were solved by people who took action, not people who avoided the subject because it's yucky. There's no logical reason to assume that modern race issues ar... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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We know that the Inuit of Greenland used iron from a meteor to make tools and weapons. Did they know it was from space? Can you tell me more about this, or about any other people who made tools from extraterrestrial material? | [
"The Egyptians, Sumerians, Chinese, the Aztecs, all left us artifacts made of meteoric iron. In fact it is highly probable that in all metalworking cultures, the first things they made of iron were fashioned from meteorites. Copper, gold, silver are commonly found in nuggets. These are clearly metallic and readily... | [
"The actual reason for this phenomenon is roughly understood. One of the leading theories for this behavior is that it imitates their spaceships. The ones they used over 2000 years ago to make contact with the ancient Egyptians and enslaved them to create beautiful statues."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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How did German scientists view the moral implications of their inventions during the 1900s | [
"Well, it was the age of nationalism, and so most scientists worked for the good of their nation - or what they believed it to be. The scientific and artistic communities weren't as international as they are today, and a good bit more conservative, too. Important Source: The [Manifest of the 93](_URL_1_). Leftist ... | [
"Steampunk uses aesthetics and technology from the Victorian era (mid to late 19th century), when steam power was prominent, while dieselpunk uses aesthetics and technology from between WWI and WWII (early to mid 20th century), when internal combustion engines were prominent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
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} |
Has any country other than USA (assuming it to be true) ever attempted to send humans through the Van Allen Radiation Belts? | [
"No, no other country has sent anybody as far away as the United States. The Russians routinely sent people to their Mir space station, which had an apogee of 262 miles; this is still about 340 miles short of the beginning of the Inner Van Allen belt. Only the Apollo Moon missions and at least one Gemini got into t... | [
"The actual reason for this phenomenon is roughly understood. One of the leading theories for this behavior is that it imitates their spaceships. The ones they used over 2000 years ago to make contact with the ancient Egyptians and enslaved them to create beautiful statues."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Have there been many instances in United States history where heists involving hostages have been successful? | [
"The [Dillinger Robbery](_URL_0_) of the First National Bank was successful by any means - with the gang consisting of John \"Red\" Hamilton (the actual leader), Baby Face Nelson, Eugene \"Eddie\" Green, Tommy Carroll, Homer Van Meter and either Joseph Burns or Red Forsythe - and Dillinger. The gang robbed the ban... | [
"Question for clarification: What does \"apolitical\" and \"compared to others\" mean? Generals have been presidents purely because of their military service. The armed forces have taken very strong voices on American political issues, especially recently. The military has been a frequent reflection on racial and ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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Has there ever been a case of terrorists or other actors claiming responsibility for attacks they did not carry out? | [
"Unfortunately all of the examples I can think of would break the 20 year rule, but the answer is \"Yes\" it happens all the time. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Not for a trial but delayed for an investigation. If someone was able to do that, no further executions would take place until measures were put in place to prevent it from happening again."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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What were ancient workout regimens and equipment like? | [
"Not to discourage further additions and commentary, but this is a pretty common question here, and has it's own chapter in the FAQ. [Did people in the past work out/lift weights/exercise?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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We know the Romans ate while lying down. When did the practice of eating at a table while sitting upright begin? | [
"Do we know how common it was for Romans to do this? This seems like a difficult stance to consume anything."
] | [
"Before the invention and wide distribution of the chair, everyone relaxed like that. A life time of sitting in chairs will make your hamstrings, and the muscles and connective tissue in your thighs, calves, and lower back less supple, to the point of making squatting uncomfortable or even painful. In parts of the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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[META] AskHistorians Meet-Ups, Britain and Ireland Summer 2012 | [
"Perhaps instead of a meetup it is a conference? That would be interesting, a conference of askhistorians who could perhaps live stream some questions each had found and could elaborate on? Pipe dreams are fun :)"
] | [
"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:",
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What are good books on the history of Atlanta? | [
"Urban planning during the early 20th century is rooted in race - so I'd suggest starting off with Kruse's *White Flight* it dives into many of the decisions of how Atlanta was shaped and what caused its famous sprawl. Next try *Planning Atlanta*, it's like an encyclopedia on when and why Atlanta grew the way it di... | [
"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 post:",
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What are the origins of the squirt gun (water gun)? Is Abraham Lincoln the first person to provide evidence of their existence? | [
"In terms of the technology, \"squirts\" have been around for hundreds of years. They were used in 1666, during The Great Fire of London, along with buckets. I'm not entirely sure if squirts included hand-held plunger-in-tube or if they were larger pumps. _URL_0_ As for using a squirt as a kind of gun, I can't ima... | [
"There were a heck of a lot of different gas mask designs during the war, was there one particular design you are talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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Prior to the Kursk Offensive, Red Army soldiers were promised 1,000 rubles for destroying German tanks. Were these rewards ever paid? | [
"Yes, in addition to the standard medals, the Red Army had monetary awards given to soldiers who destroyed a German tank. These awards predate the Battle of Kursk. [Stalin's order](_URL_2_) to create a special distinction between regular and anti-tank artillery also introduced a reward: 500 rubles to the commander ... | [
"Romania suffered the largest casualties in the war on the Axis side after Germany on the Eastern Front. The \"auxiliary\" Axis soldiers, to put it in a manner of speaking, were poorer soldiers than the Germans. The only ones that didn't get (too much) grief from the German officer corp were the Finns and the Cossa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
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Do the sitar and guitar share the same origin, or is it coincidentally that they look similar with similar names? | [
"Etymologically, the word *sitar* means \"three-stringed\" in Hindi. The word guitar is derived from Spanish *guitarra*, which came from Arabic *qitar*, which in turn came from the Greek word *kithara*. A kithara (or cithara) is an Ancient Greek lyre-like instrument. The similarity in their names is a coincidence. ... | [
"There are guitar like instruments with strings designated for each note. For example the harp. There have been guitar like instruments for as long as there are written history. They have varied in size and number of strings but they are largely the same. A lot of these variations have survived to this day. The mod... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
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Book suggestions for learning about the 30 Years War | [
"Check out [The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy by Peter H. Wilson](_URL_0_) . I'm not a scholar and I'm obviously not flaired, but I read this book two years ago and, though it can be a bit of a slog, I haven't found anything better yet about the subject apart from primary sources."
] | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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I have heard that the very earliest depictions of Jesus Christ have him with a wand, is their a reason for this or explanation? | [
"Not necessarily the earliest images, but among them. I wrote a lengthy response on magic wands at r/AcademicBiblical here: _URL_0_ Let me know if you have questions."
] | [
"We aren't 100% sure. There has been quite a bit of research into this but the heart symbol has been used by various cultures for 1000's of years and the exact origin isn't known. Theories regarding this are often nothing more than speculation, with many of them having been put forward as recently as the 20th centu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
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How did Hitler and Mussolini secure the funds to pay for the massive state works at the beginning of their reigns? | [
"Good answers below. It's worth emphasizing r/Edsman1's point that war itself became something of an investment for the Nazi regime. In 38/39, the foreign currency and gold reserves of Austria and Czechoslovakia were crucial to sustaining German rearmament and economic expansion. It's worth pointing out too that th... | [
"Fascism is the Authoritarian Right and is built primarily upon nationalism and populism. This means that when they are established (at least at first) there is a lot of national pride, and a lot of public support for what they do. Franco in particular also did not keep his regime fully fascist. As his reign went ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What would be a good way to "Date" a map? | [
"Assuming your suspect your globe is < 500 years old, narrow the timeframe using this [animation](_URL_1_) of European border changes 1519-2006. (BTW, there's a more detailed [video](_URL_2_) that starts at 1000, but unfortunately omits the dates!) Next head over to Wikipedia's [list of border changes](_URL_0_). Th... | [
"_URL_0_ I forgot I made a video on how to easily make a gif."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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I'm looking for articles and books focused on the ancient Basque peoples under Roman administration (200 BC to 300 AD timespan). I'm having little luck in finding good stuff. Can anyone help? | [
"Any books written by mark kurlansky have segments of the history you’re searching for, the most extensive basque history library is located on the University of Nevada Reno campus, they would be glad to send you any articles you’re seeking. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Do you have a period you specifically want to know about? This is ranges from slightly different to totally different if we're talking about Asia Minor and Syria circa 333 B.C., Italy in 216 B.C., Gaul 500 A.D., Palestine 1066 A.D., Brandenburg in 1630/31 A.D., Silesia in 1740 A.D. or Sedan in 1870. I'm sure we co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Has Britain ever experienced a period of "Ultranationalism?" | [
"Not sure how exactly you would define \"ultranationalism\". Britain perhaps was quite nationalistic in the late 1800s. When the Russians beat the Ottomans at Plevna, and Istanbul seemed threatened, Britain threatened to go to war to prevent the Russians from seizing the straits. A song with the following chorus be... | [
"Republican: Economic freedom, social control Democrat: Economic control, Social freedom Facism: Economic control, social control Libertarian: Economic freedom, social freedom"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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} |
Can we pinpoint a time when humans lost the ability to process raw meat? | [
"Why do you believe we can’t process raw meat? There are plenty of dishes where the meat is served raw"
] | [
"This would be easier to answer if we had any clue what happens inside our brain when we understand something."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
Why did old English have a lot of works with “th” added at the end? | [
"Are you talking about derivative nouns like \"height(h)\" for \"high,\" \"warmth\" for \"warm,\" \"mirth\" for \"merry,\" \"width\" for \"wide,\" etc.?"
] | [
"There is a reason. Specifically the grammar of PIE (the earliest ancestor language of modern English that we have a fair working knowledge of) marked interrogatives (words like who, what, when etc) with a prefix that sounded like 'kw'. (I'm no linguist, but I suppose this is kind of like the way English marks ques... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I'm a dockhand, working in a big city somewhere in Europe in the 15th or 16th century. Who is my employer, how did I get the job, and how do I get paid? | [
"I've read that until more modern times dock workers would often paid irregularly. They would often take goods from work home with them. Not big things, just maybe some rope, nails, maybe some wood. This was generally accepted as a kind of interest until wages could be paid in full. In Graeber's \"Debt\" he says th... | [
"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 query:",
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} |
What were the reasons behind the Zeon military's use of weapons of mass destruction during the opening weeks of the One Year War of UC0079? | [
"It was noted from retrieved Principality documents that the primary reason Zeon used WMD's in the One Week Battle was to obtain a fast and decisive end to the war. They knew that the Earth Federation has access to massive amounts of resources and could continue a protracted war in contrast to the Principality whic... | [
"Well, different regions define the war differently, giving not only different names but also different dates for the war. This makes it hard to say what's a name for WWII itself, and what's just a name for a subset or superset of it. World War II is generally defined (at least in the U.S.) as running from 1939, w... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
In his 1974 book "The Power Broker," biographer Robert Caro paints a rigorous, deeply unflattering picture of NYC's "master builder," Robert Moses. Has this depiction stood the test of time? | [
"I can't comment on how he's perceived in New York or by historians, but he's perhaps the most vilified man in urban planning circles. My undergrad required everyone to write a paper criticizing his policies."
] | [
"Don't consider this a full and proper answer, but it seems relevant to point out that the movie in question was largely based on a book about Lincoln's cabinet and political work during the Civil War, also touching on his election and position within the Republican Party. Check out Doris Kearns Goodwin's *Team of ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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} |
Can someone read my great grandparents marriage certificate as i can't | [
"| Conjugal Status | Birthplace | Age | Names | Father's Occupation | |:-----------:|------------:|:------------:|:-----:|:---| |Bachelor | Basle, Switzerland| 26 | Freidrich Wilhelm Reichenbach, Louise Schwarz| Farmer | | Spinster | Berry, NSW| 26| William Kn--y? Cockerell, Sarah Elizabeth Penny? | Blacksmi... | [
"I'm not able to do this personally, but on TV when I see people do it they check out the ink to confirm it's not written in sharpie if the person lived in the 1800s lol then they just look at other signatures they have on file or online and compare the 2."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Was royal "we" ever used in regular speech or is it just for formal documents and proclamations? | [
"This is an interesting question OP. I have a related question: did monarchs and others who used the 'royal we' mean to denote that they were speaking for themselves and their office, or themselves and their subjects?"
] | [
"\"Us\" is a first-person plural pronoun. Referring to oneself in plural is usually done by royalty (the \"royal we\" as I know it) which would explain why I have primarily seen language like you quoted being used by people in the UK. I would assume, therefore, that people saying things like \"give us a kiss\" are ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
Are there any legitimate criticisms or concerns when it comes to Howard Zinn's works and academic integrity? | [
"There are many concerns, yes (and to be fair, there are always concerns about any individual historian -- no one is perfect, and as you point out everyone has flaws in his/her work). This is not at all to discourage further responses, but here are some past threads that can get you started: _URL_2_ _URL_0_ _URL_... | [
"Don't speak for the entire field of historians. They've already spoken for themselves. Your historiography should take these statements and make an attempt at understanding their meanings and implications. What, based on their choices of analysis, has governed their focus in writing? What implications does this ha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
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} |
Was the 'Band of Brothers' really THAT outstanding fighting unit? | [
"There were several thread discussions about this topic. Consense seems to be that Ambrose as \"historian\" is questionable. Maybe check [this thread](_URL_0_) and the answer of u/Georgy_K_Zhukov For me the Battle of Bulge comes to mind where Ambroses account differs from reality especially when it comes to numbers... | [
"Well, what was the unit's name? Commanding officer? Where in Burma was he at? Gotta have a few more specifics? In any case, I'd be excited to hear from someone who was in such a little known (but fascinating) theater."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
Where can I learn about the Victorian boom in botany and horticulture? | [
"Try [*Sex, Botany, and Empire*](_URL_0_) It isn't strictly Victorian, but the second half of the book I believe has a lot of good information on the history of Victorian botany, and all of the very weird concerns that surrounded the study (for instance, women often had to read censored botany texts, since the reg... | [
"How do you define your hints of schizophrenia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
I am a blacksmith in england in the 1700s, where do I get my ore from? | [
"To piggy back on this, I'd be interested in knowing where blacksmiths got their ore well prior to the 1700s - when the ability to basically travel around the world (Australia was officially discovered in 1606 and the East India Company was founded in 1600, for instance) was a somewhat established thing. I'm assumi... | [
"I have heard about mandragora and belladona extracts being used to dilate pupils for matters of beauty, but that might have been for Roman ladies. I wonder what kind of products and materials would they use, if some of it was dangerous and what kind of tools they used to apply it (for example I do know that some f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
How are the Carolinas named after Charles II? | [
"The Latin spelling of Charles is Carolus. Then from Carolus to Carolina. _URL_0_"
] | [
"How well regarded are the writings of Joseph Campbell by historians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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Historians, what are your favorite oral history books? | [
"Alessandro Portelli's *They Say in Harlan County* and *The Death of Luigi Trastulli* are both excellent. Paul Thompson's *The Voice of the Past* and Michael Frisch's *Shared Authority* are both great theoretical explorations of the value of oral history. It just struck me - Brooks's *World War Z: An Oral History ... | [
"I have a few questions for 20th century political historians: How do historians usually work with 20th century political commentators? Are they good primary sources to understand the political opinions of the general public or do they just show the commentators' opinions? Are there any works that discuss how histo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Where there ever sightings or legends of Sasquatch or Sasquatch-like creatures during the American Revolution? | [
"Related question: are questions like this, specifically about legend and folklore, appropriate for this sub? I'm certainly interested, just wondering if it falls within the expertise of our excellent mods and volunteer historians."
] | [
"I'm curious as well. I've only heard of them through Mooney (and through people who read Mooney) but he recorded Cherokee stories about them, then later when he worked with Kiowa, they had stories about them too—quiet, shy people that kept to themselves. I don't believe they were non-Indian, but it is interesting ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What was the main difference between China and Europe that allowed China to unify, but Europe remained divided? | [
"Jared Diamond attempted to explain this in Guns, Germs and Steel (which I highly recommend as a book). Essentially, if you look at a map of Europe, you will see it has a very irregular coastline with lots of peninsulas and islands. This means that ethnic differences are amplified as people are isolated from one an... | [
"Because the Industrial Revolution happened in Europe. To continue with the Civ analogy, Europe went into the Industrial era while China languished in the Renaissance era for a long time. Why the Industrial Revolution didn't happen in China or some place other than Europe is a longstanding question with many theori... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What happened in the year 1AD? And when did we decide to start counting years? | [
"There's a really in-depth and well explained answer to a similar question by /u/sunagainstgold [here](_URL_2_) - hope that helps!"
] | [
"First, it is BCE for \"Before the Common Era\" and CE for \"Common Era\". Or prior to that it was BC for \"Before Christ\" and AD for \"Anno Domini\" or \"in the year of the Lord\". AC is for air conditioning or alternating current. > but how did they measure the years at the time? It depends on who you were talk... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Classics abbreviations/sources | [
"These are references to F. Jacoby's *Fragmente der griechischen Historiker* (\"fragments of Greek historians\"), an essential multi-volume compilation of historical texts that survive only in fragments. The reference is to the (numbered) author and then the number of the fragment. The work is more commonly given a... | [
"fyi, you may find a few examples from those cultures in the FAQ * [Insults, Swears, and Curse Words](_URL_0_)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why did it take until the 25th Amendment in 1967 for the US presidential line of succession to be unambiguously established? | [
"What the founding fathers intended with Art. II section 1 was the determine that the Vice President assumes the roles and responsibilities of the president until a new president is instated. That doesn't necessarily mean that he IS president. It means that he has his job, temporarily, until things can get sorted o... | [
"The Speaker of the House of Representatives would become President until the next presidential election. If everyone in the presidential line of succession resigned rather than become president and no one in America would take the job then there would be a constitutional crisis. Congress would be forced to amend ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Were things as good during the Reagan era as modern-day Republicans say they were? | [
"Hard to evaluate this question as stated, but if you're asking, \"Why do Republicans like Reagan\", here's an answer I gave a while back: _URL_0_"
] | [
"The way my old man told me when I asked him: Conservatives (Republicans) want to keep things the way they are. Progressives (Democrats) want to change things. What those things are exactly changes with the times."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
If President Truman was a Democrat and the 80th Congress was controlled by Democrats why did Truman call it "The Do Nothing Congress?" | [
"The 80th Congress was not controlled by the Democrats. In the 1946 midterm elections, the Republicans gained both houses of Congress for the first time since 1930. They promptly lost both again in 1948."
] | [
"Many of them were extremely controversial at the time. Several of FDR's programs were overturned by the Supreme Court. Having a Democrat majority in Congress certainly helped. FDR wanted to include healthcare as part of Social Security, but didn't think it would pass. Truman tried and failed to pass it. Again, it ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about history:"
} |
What brought about people hanging up photos of famous living people (Presidents, Generals) in their homes, and how widespread was this in the 50's-70's? | [
"I have a question too, how common was/is it to hang portraits of monarchs in households, and why? Most people don't hang portraits of presidents in their homes."
] | [
"Chewing tobacco and dipping tobacco were much more common place BC (before cigarettes). So much so that the Supreme Court even had (still has but are used as waste baskets) spitoons. Spitting fell out of favor in the late 1800's/early 1900's as spitting began to be associated with spreading disease."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
I can't roll my R's. Would that have been considered a speech impediment in cultures where rolling the R's is necessary for the pronunciation of the language? | [
"Since languages using the alveolar trill, like Spanish, are still extant, you should consider asking /r/linguistics, or an actual Spanish speaker."
] | [
"It wasn't complexity. It simply used sounds that people can make (phonemes) that aren't part of other languages. Your brain processes sound, so that you can understand people who are making different sounds as saying the same words with an unusual accent. To do this, it specializes on the phonemes that are used in... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What Type of Escorts did the Enola Gay and Bockscar have? | [
"So there were fighters stationed on [Iwo Jima](_URL_2_) to support the heavy bombers. And they did escort the bombers so far as [the coastline](_URL_1_). But the three bombers went on the bombing run by themselves. Likely this is because the force of the blast and resulting shock wave might've destroyed any smalle... | [
"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 text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Chart of the usage of the word 'fuck over time. How did this happen? | [
"Google engrams is based on ocr'd text, and the computer is misreading how the letter s was often printed before 1800 (the [\"long s\"]( _URL_0_) ) as an f - it's mistaking \"suck\" for \"fuck.\""
] | [
"In a related question, where the hell do Brits get the \"F\" in Lieutenant?!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Official U.S. Language | [
"_URL_0_ It's an urban legend, particularly popular in, of course, Germany. The link explains it quite well."
] | [
"British Empire -- > Post-WW2 / Cold War America -- > British and American pop culture -- > Silicon Valley."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Any book recommendations similar to *All the Shah's Men*? | [
"It seems like you'd really like Mark Bowden's *Guests of the Ayatollah:The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam*"
] | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Literature:"
} |
How long would it take on horseback to travel the silk road? | [
"Hi! The Mongol *yam* postal system had staging posts every 40km between major cities, where government-sanctioned riders, issued with passports (*Paiza*) could rest and change horses. A man, it is said, could get from Beijing to Baghdad in two weeks, while a letter, handed off from rider to rider, could make the j... | [
"It was the fastest way by sea to asia. Land routes were treacherous and slow, and you had to cross mountains to get to asia."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Before John Von Neuman invented the stored program concept. How did computers store programs and how were they programmed? | [
"Programs were often hard wired, literally wired, in a plug board, on early machines. So the input data and program were part of the machine. Before the advances in the ABC (Atanasoff–Berry Computer) became common, the results were analog voltages that had to be read out, or actual decimal memory they had to be re... | [
"Depends on what you define as a computer. Mechanical computers have existed for a very long time. I assume you mean digital computers. Back in the late 40s it was discovered that If you solder pieced of particular elements together in a particlar way you can create switches that turn on and off electronically. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
How old are "Full Metal Jacket"-style bootcamp techniques that involve verbal abuse, insults, psychological stress? | [
"Follow up question: What other types of bootcamp training strategies would drill instructors use? Also what were training structures like when there was a massive influx of troops who needed to be trained quickly, such as when the US joined WWII after Pearl Harbor?"
] | [
"Training. Specifically, what is known as \"stress inoculation.\" This is why new recruits in the military have to complete tasks while being yelled at and generally messed with by their instructors- a crude imitation of the stress of combat. It's why high quality police training involves responding to crises amid... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Found this in our backyard while mowing. I live in the north western part of Wisconsin. My little brother is interested in this and Native American history is not my forte. Seems to be made out of bone, deer maybe? Can anyone provide information on the tribe and history of an arrow head. | [
"I would recommend taking this to a local archaeologist, someone who can look at the size and material better. With this picture alone I can't tell what size it is. There's folks who do nothing but specialize in projectile points - I wish I could help more as I'm not one of those folks. This *is* in the area /u/Ree... | [
"There was a game called chunkey. It involved rolling a round stone on the ground while participants either shot arrows at it or threw spears. I used to be an archaeologist, and found one on a site that dated to around 1000 ad. This particular stone had a circle engraved in it that was about 2 inches in diameter. T... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How substantiated is the LA Times recent editorial on the Bear Flag Republic? | [
"It should be noted that the rich Californios weren't exactly screwed by the Americans. Most kept their fortunes and some even gained state political office after statehood. The Native Americans faced extreme hardship during the Gold Rush period. On phone right now, but there is a lot of literature on this that you... | [
"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 Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How was the American Revolution viewed in Catherine the Great's Russia and what was the reaction to it? | [
"Not particularly insightful, but John Quincy Adams (eventual US president who had traveled to France on a diplomatic mission with his father John Adams) was dispatched from Europe (I think Holland but possibly Paris), on a diplomatic mission while the War was still on. This means that Russia was at least willing ... | [
"The biography *Peter The Great: His Life and World* by Robert K. Massie is one of the best biographies I have ever read and reveals the conditions of Russia as it was about to enter the world stage. Also gives a great description of the Great Northern War."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In the Biblical book of Genesis, Jacob selects the color of his sheep by having them look at branches of the same color while they bred — a pseudoscientific "impression" theory of inheritance that was nonetheless widely held in antiquity. What were some of the earliest criticisms of this idea? | [
"Would you like to share the criticism from Kant?"
] | [
"All comments have been very helpful. I admit my question comes from ignorance of these previous scientists, their ideas and how their work was seen by the scientific community and the public. Now I understand how easily Darwin’s work could be read by the lay audience and how the method (natural selection) was diff... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How dangerous was jousting? And how competitive? | [
"I can't speak to the first half of your question, but there are in fact people who joust in the modern age, and from what I've heard it is quite competitive and not for the faint of heart. _URL_3_"
] | [
"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:"
} |
I was surprised to learn recently that Nixon allegedly had an alcohol problem. What do we know about it, and how seriously was he impaired by it? | [
"Follow up question. Boris Yeltsin was a famous alcoholic. Did this change how seriously he was taken in the days directly after the fall of the USSR?"
] | [
"Marijuana and alcohol are not stimulants. But to answer your question: this policy was aggressively pushed in the USA, especially by the Nixon administration, because African Americans at the time were greater users of marijuana than whites, and certain politicians were looking for ways to oppress them. I'm sad to... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why is this monk writing with two "pens?" (artwork within) | [
"I don't know if this was ever the practice in Christian societies, but in both Jewish and Islamic cultures of the Middle Ages, there was a practice of \"refreshing\" the text of a sacred book by carefully, one letter at a time, scraping away the faded text, and instantly writing in a new letter in the identical fo... | [
"Cropping, photographs looked like this a hundred years ago - _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Has human history ever "lost" a day? How do we know Friday is actually Friday? Could we have lost any when major calendar systems changed? | [
"I'm not sure I understood well the question... if you're asking about the seven-day-week cycle, we can be pretty sure that [it has gone on unbroken since the first centuries of Christian Era](_URL_0_). The Church has always been very keen to preserve the week cycle, because of the holiness of Sunday (and Saturday,... | [
"The calendar names and dates were established before the concept of science was know or at all understood. Thus picking a more natural way of breaking up the 365.26 days of the year was not undertaken. Notice that the Jewish, Islamic and Chinese calendars are entirely different, and they don't bother to fix their ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Ancient Rome's leaders seemed to commit suicide at a drop of a hat. Why was this? | [
"It depends on who you are talking about. The Romans did consider suicide a good way to go if a person was going to die anyways (this is best shown in Pliny's letter 3.16 about Arria and Paetus). However, depending on the person, there might be other reasons for suicide. The proscriptions under Sulla and the maiest... | [
"For a while there they were threatening to wipe Israel off the map every twenty minutes or so. That might have something to do with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
My friend found this outfit in a box in his basement. What is it/what is it's historical significance? | [
"Those triangles look like they might be Masonic [triple tau](_URL_0_) symbols. Masons also use six pointed stars as part of the imagery (there is a six pointed star on the outfit) and the number seven (note those tassel things each have seven strands and seven beads or pearls on them). Sorry I can't do better, but... | [
"Far left is a sticker for participating in a 10k run, mid-right is a turtle, far right appears to be an identification tag of some sort, and I don't know what mid-left is."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why didnt the U.S.S.R utilized Buran Spacecrafts like U.S did with the Space Shuttles? | [
"The shuttle was a total failure in everything except PR. The original idea was that a reusable spacecraft could be much cheaper to operate, it actually costed like 10 times more per launch. It had the unique capability to bring back large objects from space, but that's totally useless, you send the data back and l... | [
"Why do they need to launch their own rockets if they can hitch a ride with the Americans or Russians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why Did Revolutionary War heroes Die in Debtors Prison | [
"Huh? Neither Haym Solomon nor Robert Morris died in debtor's prison. While Morris was imprisoned in the Prune Street Prison from 1798 to 1801, he did not die until 1806. Morris's financial problems had more to do with land speculation and the political climate in England that stopped him from accessing particular ... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Biblical history question....I'm almost afraid to ask. | [
"hi! this a popular question! more/new input is welcome, but meanwhile, get started on this section of the FAQ* [Did Jesus exist?](_URL_0_) *see the link on the sidebar or the wiki tab"
] | [
"I only read the bold parts. I'm scared now. But I don't know what I'm scared of."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Its 1918, what would life be like for an unwed woman, with no family, no money and is an immigrant in England? (What would Wonder Woman's options be?) | [
"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?"
] | [
"Before birth control it was a profession that led to the creation of bastard children that society doesn't want to deal with."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Did the Soviet Union have crop-dusting as heartland America did? | [
"Yes. While I do not know a lot of the specifics about what chemicals were used for crop maintenance by the Soviets, the USSR certainly did employ crop-dusting aircraft rather extensively. The Antonov An-2 for example was actually nicknamed the *\"Kukuruznik\"* - which loosely translates as *\"corn crop duster\"*. ... | [
"Famously the CIA translated a comic book that was made for the vietnam war on how vietnamese people could create uprisings in villages against communist authority using methods such as assassinating village leaders. I think it was used in niceragua. They tried to create a nuclear powered monitoring station on a mo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How is it that all copies of the Chronicler's third volume on The Kingkiller seem to have been lost? | [
"They have not been lost, I am assured that they are simply really, really heavy. Unfortunately Kvothe the Bloodless decided to sleep his way through the entire Elvish pantheon, and by recounting it in sufficient detail, Devan Lochees' works now weigh several tonnes each. They are each being delivered by teams of o... | [
"Someone wrote a whole new book in the US, said it was buried there by ancient Jews and was the next part of the Bible. Some people believed him and here we are."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What are arguments against the First Gulf War? | [
"Some of Saddam's reasons were that the Kuwaitis where directionally drilling from the Kuwaiti side of the border into Iraqi Oil fields. He also felt that the Nation state of Kuwait was artificially constructed by the British after WWII out of lands that were rightfully part of Iraq. Saddam viewed Kuwait as Iraq's ... | [
"Follow up: What *were* his reasons for siding with the British?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was there any "copyright" on coat of arms in feudal Europe? | [
"When Francis Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, he attempted to use the coat of arms of one Sir Bernard Drake. However, Sir Bernard objected to this, claiming that Francis was not related to his branch of the family and therefore not entitled to his arms, a disagreement that apparently came to blows. Queen Eli... | [
"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 post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | April 06, 2015–April 12, 2015 | [
"/u/Cozijo gave an excellent answer to my question about [non-luxury trade goods in Mesoamerica](_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 post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why did Saint Cuthbert have a head in his arms at New College, Oxford | [
"Not an expert on this topic at all, but I enjoy trivia about saints and I happen to have visited Durham Cathedral where Cuthbert is buried and where this is explained. I am sure somebody could write a more in depht reply about the two saints, but just a quick answer to your question: the head is that of [king Oswa... | [
"Why were they sealed in the first place?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Necessary idiological viewpoints for certain historical topics? | [
"Hey, just to clarify, Ep 106 was on marijuana. Are you thinking of 108 with Keri Merritt, on poor whites and slavery in the American South?"
] | [
"The French Revolution in regards to the mindset of modern culture. The Industrial Revolution when it comes to technological advancements."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
I've been reading about the SS "Direlwanger" unit, which was comprised of murderers, rapists, and the criminally insane. Is their precedent for this in any other time period? | [
"Could you elaborate on what type of precedent you mean? Do you mean, essentially, penal battalions? Composed of men who had criminal records or were deemed especially violent? If so (I know wikipedia is not an official source, but to get a very rough understanding) here is [a list that might be a start.](_URL_0_) ... | [
"The same thing that would happen to you in Nazi Germany, essentially. You would be arrested, possibly tortured/sent to a camp, and, if serious enough of an offense, executed. The Japanese military (which was the controlling force in Japan at the time when you exclude the emperor) had a special unit set up called t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | February 01, 2016–February 07, 2016 | [
"* /u/Mictlantecuhtli gets down and dirty in archaeological evidence to discuss [what shaft tombs can and can't tell us](_URL_2_) about social class of their occupants and the people who buried them * /u/400-Rabbits claimed that women are invisible in Aztec (or rather Mexica, but specific Mexica) sources before [ma... | [
"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 title about News:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about News:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | July 10, 2017–July 16, 2017 | [
"* /u/sunagainstgold on [\"Do contemporary historians operate under the assumption that their published works, and some of their conclusions are going to come across as anachronistic, or 'dated,' at some point in the not too distant future?\"](_URL_2_) * /u/rhodis answered [\"Why did the Scottish plan a crusade aga... | [
"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 document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was the pre-1800's view of the future? | [
"Good call. There's a reason I start science fiction as a genre with *Frankenstein* 1817. There were only a few outliers that weren't satires that weren't really trying to be convincing (Cyrano de Bergerac's *Voyages to the Moon and the Sun* 1657, *Gulliver's Travels* 1726). The outliers are Kepler's *Somnium* 1634... | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Interviewing my grandma about Dutch Papua Guinea. | [
"Thanks for the post! I'd love to know how Dutch Papua was affected by the war for Indonesia's independence from 1945-1949, and the later regional rebellions Permesta and RMS in South Maluku. I look forward to the reply, great project!"
] | [
"There was E in my ele. middle school career. Michigan."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
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