query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Don't shoot the messenger (Shakespeare, 1598). When and where else do messengers appear? | [
"This might serve as a starting point to search for mentions of Chasquis in literature. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Because why he was killed depends on who killed him."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Russia's strength in the late Nineteenth Century | [
"Logistics. Russia was on the border with China, sure, but most of Russian population, its cities and industry, were located west of the Urals, thousands of miles away. In the 19th century, Siberia was even emptier than it is now, and until the Trans-Siberian railroad was completed in 1905, it lacked any kind of in... | [
"Weak governments that never really enforced the rule of law in the 19th and early 20th centuries would be the biggest reason."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about History:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about History:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why does the whole world use the same time system, but different systems for everything else? | [
"> but all other measurements can vary among regions, such as distance, temperature, etc. The vast majority of countries in the world use the same [International System of Units](_URL_0_), like metres, degrees Kelvin/Centigrade, grams, etc. There are only a couple of countries that do not use these SI units - and e... | [
"Because here in America for some reason they love to hold on to the Imperial system. And since the rest of the world uses metric, they have to put metric too."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Fisticuffs / Boxing in the 1800's | [
"Without gloves, bareknuckle fighters didn't hit the head very often; they couldn't risk breaking their hands. There were a lot of body hits, and broken ribs and noses, but it wasn't like modern boxing where the head is such a target. In a recent *BBC History* magazine, there was reference to Tom Molineaux and Tom ... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Humphrey Goldenbollocks- nicknames, sexual compliments and insults in the 11th century and laws around slander. | [
"The perhaps less exciting answer is that Humfrid Goldenbollocks is the Modern English translation of the Latin *Aureis Testiculis* which is a [Latinized](_URL_2_) attempt at the Norman surname *Orescuilz*. Some of the Orescuilz family existed up until the 18th century where the name has changed at some point befor... | [
"It is considered a physical defect and therefore ugly so it is considered an insult, just like calling someone's entire body fat is an insult. It was a common insult in from the late 1800s till around 1940."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When it comes to dating 'very old' (specifically - more than 1000 years ago) personal items, is 'provenence' or oral history sufficient? | [
"Personal adornment, at least in archaeology, is classified by visual diagnostics such as material, size, colour, decoration, etc. Many cultures have distinct types of jewellery. Aside from this, other dated objects or c14 samples from the same strata within an excavated context can give dates to undiagnostic artef... | [
"Archaeology is the study of history through artifacts. If people don't actually remember what happened there, requiring other ways of studying it, then I'd say we have archaeology. Paleo-archaeology would be the study of ancient (whatever that means) history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
As a Brit I am taught that the British Empire was a stain upon the earth. But is this true? Did the British Empire do anything good for the world? | [
"The British Empire was arguably one of the vehicles that enabled the virtual extinction of the slave trade. That must rank fairly high in a list of good things. In India, Suttee and the rigid caste system were broken under British rule, and similar improvements could probably be found for most of the other territo... | [
"Because that's called oppression, and is the basis for the worst things humans have done to other humans."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Were cataphrakts typical for Byzantium? | [
"I would normally answer this, but I was the originator of the controversy. _URL_0_ I think that disqualifies me from answering."
] | [
"The thing that you might be getting confused by is that the actual unit named the \"*Kataphraktoi*\" was only used during certain periods. There were many other units of heavily armored tagmata cavalry that went by different names, for example, the *Athanatoi* of John I Tzimiskes or Alexios I Komnenos, or the powe... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How heavily invested were the governments of Spain and Portugal in missions of exploration during the age of discovery? | [
"I do now that it was financed largely by money lent the Spanish crown by the Dutch. Much of the gold and silver from the New World returned to Europe to pay the debts of the Spanish crown that was heavily leveraged and indebted as a result of the Reconquista. As to a monetary equivalent in today's dollars, I am n... | [
"China had a huge navy and explored greatly in the 1400s into the Indian Ocean and possibly across the Pacific Ocean: _URL_0_ However due to the isolationism policies of the next emperor, China stopped their exploration and generally kept to themselves for the next few hundred years which allowed the Europeans to s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
You hear of Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus) crossing the Atlantic, anyone in Asia try crossing the Pacific? | [
"It would not be hard at all to imagine Japanese or Korean fishermen or fur traders reaching Alaska or British Colombia. However from their perspective it would not be that big of a deal. Traveling along Russian coastline, trees, snow, people in canoes, gap of water and some islands to the south, then more coastine... | [
"Christopher Columbus thought he was sailing to India but accidentally found a new continent. As such he called them Indians."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Silent Evidence in History/Archaeology | [
"Southern China is very wet and is very poor in terms of building stone, so buildings were constructed with pounded earth. Yet we can build a very long archaeological sequence for it, so short answer is not really at all. Archaeology method has developed very sophisticated methods for uncovering the evidence of org... | [
"Side 1 - For Vaccines: -Science Side 2 - Against Vaccines: -Paranoid idiocy"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why didn't Reagan uphold the Monroe Doctrine during the Falkland Islands War? | [
"_URL_0_ This thread from a couple of years ago seems to have the most in-depth answer that I found, by /u/tayaravaknin"
] | [
"What do you want to hear more about? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? The Israel vs. Palestine situation? The Arab Spring? The recent attacks on US embassies?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
With the Arab Spring over the last several years and now revolting in Ukraine, is there any precedent to such widespread revolution? What are the implications of such widespread revolution for the countries themselves and geopolitics in a broader sense? | [
"Unfortunately this will violate the 20 year rule in here. And there isn't really a connection between the Arab Spring and the Ukrainian revolts."
] | [
"You question lacks specificity. Are you asking if there has ever been an example of a peaceful protest movement that has toppled a regime/government? Moreover, how are we defining \"violent protest?\" Is it merely bloodshed? Or would the destruction of symbols (e.g., statues, religious icons, monuments) also be co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I need book recommendations for my history term paper. I have no idea where to start, any suggestions or advice would be great. | [
"I can't recommend books but I can recommend tactics. * Talk to your professor/TA. Seriously, that is what they are there for. * Talk to a reference librarian. They can help you use the library successfully. * Subject searches and keyword searches both on your library website and on places like JSTOR. * Chase t... | [
"Hi guys! Apologies if this isn't the right place to post this. If so, mods - please delete! I'm a circus performer who went to grad school, and I'm in the final stages of publishing a book about the history of juggling. \"Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: the forgotten history of throwing and catching\... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
You are a fairly well-off Londoner in Victorian times. How would you "park" your horse-drawn carriage without it being stolen? Did someone have to stay with it at all times? | [
"For a short visit like a social call, your driver (and possibly footmen) would stay with the horses outside. For a longer event, like a dinner party, ball or night at the theatre your carriage would drop you off, then return and collect you at a pre-arranged time, which is why grand formal invitations still say 'c... | [
"It is an extension of the era when they were horse drawn carriages. The driver would be on the roof or on a seat in the front that was on the outside of the carriage and passengers would be inside it. It does provide protection for the driver, and it also provides privacy for the passengers and means that they do... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Did Manchu mothers actually perform fellatio on their young sons? | [
"As far as I'm aware, this was mentioned in \"Growing Up: A Cross-Cultural Encyclopedia\" by Gwen J. Broude, on page 303. Quote from the book: > In China, Manchu mothers tickle the genitals of their little daughters and such the penis of a small son. While I can't speak for the truth of this, I'd like to point ... | [
"They already eat their babies. If you leave them alone with their babies and they become even a little bit upset they will eat their own children. They regularly cannibalize each other as adults as well I believe. They are killing machines already."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Has human intelligence been heightened or highlighted by technological advancements? | [
"I took a college course that addressed this same issue, and the bottom line that we reached was that there's no way to be sure. Intelligence has been changed by technology, not necessarily heightened or (I assume you meant) hindered. For instance, before writing technology was invented and popularized, people wou... | [
"As society has progressed, our place in the world has only improved. We live longer, healthier, happier lives now than at any point in history thanks to technological change and the societal changes that follow."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When did the Thou/You Second Person Singular/Plural finally break down? | [
"hi! this question might be a better job for /r/Linguistics, but related questions have been asked here before, so check these out for previous responses [During what period of time did the informal you form, of 'thou' start to and finally become archaic in English?](_URL_1_) [How did the English informal pronouns ... | [
"You, your, and yours are all in second person."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
It's 1856. I, a wealthy southern gentleman, want to send my younger son to the best university available. What are my options? What are my options if I don't want him associating with too many northerners? | [
"Follow up: Would you even send him to university, especially if he was intended to inherit your land?"
] | [
"The Ivy League is a historically prestigious collection of 8 universities in the Northeastern US. You do not have to be rich to get in, but in most cases you have to be exceptional academically. Basically, they are the American counterparts to Oxford and Cambridge."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Monday Mysteries | Historical and Archaeological missteps | [
"Because Peter O'Toole just died. I'll provide this information: TE Lawrence was a trained archaeologist who dug with Leonard Woolley (who later joined the Monuments Men in WW2) and traveled around the ME for years prior to the war. Their dig in Carchemish was also conveniently located close to the German railroad... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Josip Broz Tito - Yay or Nay? | [
"\"Was he a good guy or the bad one?\" Not a valid question, historical figures, and even people in general don't necessarily have to be put in either box. The world is complex, and I think Tito really is a character about it which it is perfectly okay to have a mixed feeling."
] | [
"Avast! It do be National Talk Like a Pirate Day!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
My great uncle fought with the US Army during the D-Day beach landings. Is there a way I can find out which beach he fought at? | [
"If you can discover the unit he served with you can learn the beach his unit landed on. Each unit was assigned a certain landing area and historical records should provide that information. The information may be referred to as \"Order of Battle\". With the unit designation you can learn what day his until landed... | [
"To the best of my knowledge, though the 101st did technically have glider borne units, the only American troops to actually use gliders during the invasion of Normandy were part of the 82nd Airborne. That said, there is still a lot that we would need to reconstruct what life would have been like for your grandfat... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about history:",
"pos": "Represent the text about history:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
When and how did April Fool's come into being? [SERIOUS] | [
"> Check out these previous answers while you're waiting: > > [Questions About April Fools Day](_URL_6_) by [/u/SobanSa](_URL_5_) > > [When and how did \"April Fools\" come into being?](_URL_7_)by/[u/idjet](_URL_7_) & #x200B; PS: This reply was copied from [here](_URL_6_)"
] | [
"'Twas oft asked here. Ye may enjoy these: 1. [ELI5: Where does the concept of having a first and a last name come from? ](_URL_2_) 1. [ELI5:How were last names created? When did this start and how did we get our last names ](_URL_4_) 1. [ELI5: Where did surnames come from? ](_URL_5_) 1. [ELI5: How did everyone in... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How chaotic, if at all, was the process of writing a letter or sending a message to someone in a different country in the 19th century and earlier? | [
"Here's a tidbit from getting mail back from the exploration expeditions in the late 1700s and early 1800s back from, say, Africa, or at least Mungo Park did this when he set out looking for the Niger and many others under Joseph Banks did the same. On the back of these letters, they'd say that whoever delivered th... | [
"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 title about Telecommunications:",
"pos": "Represent the passage about Telecommunications:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
[META] Observations about posts such as: "How historically accurate is x_game?" or "How historically accurate is x_fantasy?" | [
"I agree that specific questions are often better questions, but I would oppose making vague questions against the rules--be they about video games or any other subject. I see little difference between video games and other fictions, such as movies, novels, or television. [A recent question inspired by Game of Thr... | [
"The Rundown: * /u/Georgy_K_Zhukov answered [\"How easy was it to provoke somebody for a duel in 18-19th century Europe? How hard was it to evade a fight?\"](_URL_1_) * /u/astrogator answered [\"What were ancient civilisations like with charities? Did the Romans or mayans have charities in the sense we do today?\"]... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about News:"
} |
What's the best way to go about finding the history of trees in town or city? | [
"Here on the West Coast, it’s common for cities and larger towns to have a [heritage trees program](_URL_0_) and an office of city/town forester/arborist attached to the office of development, parks & recreation, or something like that. I would also check with the oldest librarian at the central library."
] | [
"Yes, but perhaps real estate is cheaper than the equipment needed to cover the entire land?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
"dolphin wig" in 17th-century Rome | [
"can you include more context? I have a hunch it might refer to the dauphin/dauphine, as in the heir to the French throne and his wife. I think you'll get a better answer if you can give more clues."
] | [
"/u/CptBuck on Belly Dancing, \"The Streets of Cairo\" and late 19th century world fairs will probably interest you: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia | Primary Sources: Official Records | [
"A couple of interesting collections that might appeal to people who are curious about Scottish history are the Scotland's People website hosted by the National Records of Scotland, AKA, the National Archives of Scotland which has made census, birth, marriage, and death records, as well as parish registers availabl... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Did The Doctor ever let Hitler out of the cupboard? | [
"No, it lead to Charles Chaplin of Great Britain being able to impersonate him for the rest of the war, thus turning the tide in favor of the allies Source: thin air"
] | [
"Long but: The Doctor is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. He hid the entire planet during the Time War because the Daleks would have destroyed it. This Doctor is, I think, his 13th incarnation, and he is a couple of thousand years old at this point. The lizard lady is Madame Vastra, and her people inhabited t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What did the Maginot Line look like to the international community during the interwar period? Sources appreciated | [
"To clarify, are you asking what it literally looked like (casemate/turret/ouvrage designs, layouts, etc), or how other governments used it for their own strategic planning?"
] | [
"[The Myth of the Eastern Front](_URL_0_) - this book has at least a chapter or two on American perceptions of the Soviet Union, Stalin, etc., during and immediately after the war."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are the oldest records that are still regularly accessed for practical purposes? | [
"In the UK, it's probably the records used by heralds of the [College-of-Arms](_URL_0_) although lawyers who dig through old statutes might use older records."
] | [
"So please correct me if I'm wrong here, but I've read on other threads here that getting the opinions of the general public was difficult because very few of the read and even fewer wrote things that survived to today. So I guess my follow up question is this: how can we even begin to understand how the commonfol... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Are named combat weapons a fantasy trope or are there records of named weapons being used in combat? | [
"Follow-up question: how common was it to name your sword? Would it be comparable with when some people name their cars or guitars?"
] | [
"Signifying something as a 'dirty trick' presupposes mutually-agreed upon standards of conduct in warfare that it would contravene, and for most of (European) history this has not *really* been the case. General principles (capture rather than kill nobility, for instance) may have been perceptible but usually those... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How did the 30years war influence trade (routes)? | [
"There was a commercial crisis extending from central to north-western Europe as early as 1620, during the conflict's initial Bohemian phase, though the slowing of silver shipments from the New World may also have contributed. Without questioning estimates of human loss, Schulze & Volckart consider the longer-term ... | [
"Educated guess that Worldwide colonization by uk caused many parts of the world to speak the language."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Theory and Methodology in Historical Analysis | [
"Depending on the program you're in and the orientation you plan to adopt in your own research, I'd say don't get too hung up on the distinction because often there isn't one! Postmodernism, for example, is both a methodology and a theory. It is a theory that critiques modernity, objectivity, rationality, etc, but ... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
In 1941, my grandfather lived in Ward 39, Philadelphia PA. Can someone help me find where that is today? | [
"I don't know how often the ward boundaries changed, but [this 1927 map](_URL_2_) puts Ward 39 roughly where the [Clearview neighborhood](_URL_0_) is. You might find other resources [Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network](_URL_1_), too."
] | [
"Yes I do! They were a carriage maker that went by the name Wilson Childs & Co. My great-great grandfather and great-great-great grandfather both worked there as wheelwrights. The shop was located at 2nd & Hancock Sts in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. I have more information available, I'll try to look it ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
The primitive forms of "sanding" wood. | [
"I apologize if this doesn't meet the standards of this sub, but another way to smooth wood is to use a tool called a [hand plane](_URL_6_). They work by removing the topmost (rough) layer of wood and exposing a smooth layer underneath. With certain well-maintained planes it's even possible to have [incredibly impr... | [
"There is its called florescent lighting. Edit: typo"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Technology:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia | “This one goes out to…” Dedications in History | [
"Dean johnaton Swift, author and dean of St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin left money in his will to found St Patrick's Hospital for Imbeciles, which continues to this day as a psychiatric hospital called St. Patrick's University Hospital. In his will, which was composed as \"Verses On the Death of Dean Swift\" he d... | [
"Because you just happened to be listening to music when your \"The Complete Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine\" arrived at the door."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Science:"
} |
Origins of the legend of besieged city sending out the last animal with the last food to trick the besiegers into thinking there is more food? | [
"There's a similar legend, of the origin of the name of the city Carcassonne, originally a Roman town. Dame Carcas, beseiged by Charlemagne, drops a well-fed pig off the castle walls after 5 years, so Charlemagne gives up and is going home. Dame Carcas begins to ring the town bells in celebration, and one of Charle... | [
"Yes they were actually used. Often they were to set fire to wooden buildings during a siege, light boats on fire in sea warfare, also for burning enemy equipment such as primitive artillery, and for burning down the tents they were camping in. Furthermore, an arrow may not pierce armor or a horse's skin. Having th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
During the Great Depression, would it be a good idea to do a small crime to go to jail and get a place to sleep, clothes, and food? | [
"I can provide a general answer, but don't have any sources, so I will refrain from doing so. I'll just say that you may want to narrow down the location you are talking about, and what type of person you mean. Getting arrested in small town Mississippi as a vagrant black man would be very different than being arr... | [
"Just because they're homeless doesn't mean they have somehow abstained from the concept of money. Let's say you were 18 and suddenly your parents decided they were tired of you and were no longer legally obligated to take care of you so they stuffed some clothes in your school bag and tossed you on to the street. ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
As historians, how frustrating are private collectors? Are there any artifacts or documents you would like to get your hands on for research but that are in the hands of private collectors who will not let you? | [
"The situation has changed, but the Getty Museum used to have the best-preserved copy of Fiore Dei Liberi's medieval combat manual, and there was no way of looking at it. It had been scanned, but they were no longer selling CDs of the scans, they were not available on their website, etc. Thankfully, they have since... | [
"> Do these end up in so called private collections? Most likely they do end up in the possession of wealthy individuals who don't care about laws in the country from which they were stolen."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Is the story of the Viking at Stamford Bridge just made up? (Link to story inside) | [
"This story comes from an English primary source from the twelfth century, what the Viking historian Gwen Jones (The Vikings, second edition) refers to as the \"'C' Chronicle\", which read as follows: \"The Norwegians fled from the English, but there was one Norwegian who stood firm against the English force, so th... | [
"Think of it like Genesis (the book of the Bible, not the band) but for a much, much older civilisation. Check out these stories but also the rest of the site. _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How realistic is the story of the lone viking at the battle of Stamford bridge? | [
"Short answer: We have no idea. Longer answer: We really have no idea. There's no actual evidence that the single warrior at Stamford existed, as the ASC and Henry of Huntingdon are the only mentions of it - *Heimskringla* doesn't, so far as I recall, mention the single warrior at all. As far as it possibly being a... | [
"In a related question, what are the odds of surviving being stabbed in the belly and falling into the river which runs through a major city in the same time period?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Was there any G20 style summit for kings in the Medieval times? | [
"the Closest thing would be the a church summit or election of a HRE. where the highest highs of german dukes would gather. In a way each county's House of Lords/council of state was a G20 summit. the world was smaller - but each of those great lords was a world economy unto himself. In some countries the Lords mig... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why didn't Japan steamroll China in 1937-1942 the way it steamrolled the rest of Asia? | [
"China had been modernizing for some time under Chiang Kai-shek, and was no pushover even for Japan. In the first major battle, the [ battle of Shanghai]( _URL_0_ ), the Chinese army outnumbered the Japanese over 3:1 and, although ultimately defeated, killed 25% of the Japanese forces engaged. This Pyrrhic victory ... | [
"It was hard for them to work together due to the huge geographic distances between them. There were some long range submarine cargo missions, supplying things like rubber and tungsten. And some designs for aircraft ended up in Japan too. When Japan attacked the US, Germany declared war on the US in the hope that J... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about history:"
} |
Are there any trends or patterns in history that are considered consistently reliable or inevitable? | [
"The only trends I can think of at the moment are: 1. Humanity has become less violent. (We're now in the most peaceful time in human history) 2. Humanity is becoming wealthier. (In most places. There are some exceptions that are becoming poorer.) 3. Humanity is becoming more educated. (Once again, there are still ... | [
"It's not a mandate to make it happen; it's a prediction from historical data trends. And it's rapidly losing its predictive power."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How far back does the idea a king rules for his people's benefit extend? | [
"At the very least 380 BC since that this is one of the major topics discussed in the first parts of Plato's Republic. It is hard think of a Western period where it was not accepted. What else would be the point of rulership? Even when people believed in divine rights, they believed God told kings to rule the peopl... | [
"State sponsorship from Roman Empire and then other countries. Isn't it lovely when your subjects believe monarchs rule by divine right and the regular people should just endure hardships and oppression to get rewarded in the afterlife?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How, why, and who the heck thought of creating a piece of thin wood to blow through to make noise and then make the most complex piece of brass anyone could think of. | [
"Who? Adolphe Sax. There is a nice slide show at _URL_0_ which includes the patent drawings that Sax submitted in 1846. The invention was not quite the miracle that you are implying. The number of holes to cover is pretty similar to that of the clarinets that preceded it. Those had been added a few at a time over t... | [
"I love that question. Back when we were quite primitive, those people who would seek out different things and not be content with what they had, would go ahead and explore, possibly outrunning their competitors in the evolutionary race once ingenuity had been included into the important assets. It is really simple... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Science:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Science:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I didn’t realize Omaha Beach is 5 miles long. Where was the exact spot (sector) that Robert Capa took his iconic photographs of the landing? | [
"Robert Capa came ashore with Company E of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. Company E was [originally supposed to land on the western part of the Easy Red sector](_URL_1_), but strong sea currents forced the company’s landing craft east, and they landed scattered along the boundary ... | [
"The initial landing in Normandy was split between 5 different beaches and allies: Utah and Omaha for the US, Gold and Sword for the UK and Juno for Canada. Omaha is the beach most commonly presented in fiction (Saving Private Ryan or, to relate to your question, in Cod 2), which is likely because it was the most ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What is the meaning of this Victorian era joke from the film "Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown?" | [
"OK, this isn't my specialty but I think I've got it figured out. After the death of Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, the Queen became very close with a Scottish servant by the name of John Brown. Her attention to John Brown caused public outcry from those who thought she was being disloyal to her family. ... | [
"Edwardian when Edward was king Victorian when Victoria was queen"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was life like for the average American teenager in the era of Sputnik (circa 1957)? | [
"Check out Stephanie Coontz's : The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap. She doesn't focus just on females, but she does get quite a bit at the way we falsely \"remember\" the period as everyone having a childhood like Leave it to Beaver. Another source might be to check out some of the gov... | [
"Because American schools are designed to suit the work schedules of kids who worked in steel mills back in the late 1800s and early 1900s."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Education:"
} |
Have you heard of mercury filled hollow swords in the US prior to the Civil War? | [
"In researching this, it seems almost unanimous that such blades have never been manufactured in enough quantity to be used in warfare if even manufactured at all. On a similar note, and one that might have caused the original thought of mercury filled blades, there have been blades with ball bearing filled channe... | [
"I live in Wisconsin. Is there anywhere in the state where I could see first hand items from this era? Infrastructure or left over commercial areas?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why did the military claim that a a flying saucer crashed at Roswell? | [
"According to the US government narrative, a rancher [ran across some classified programs](_URL_0_). And it all got out of hand because a local US Air Force press officer saw some stuff he shouldn't have and reported it as flying saucer debris. There are some pretty questionable issues with that story, and 60 years... | [
"It’s confirmed that it’s a test site for development of new planes. The U-2, SR-71, F-117 and B-2 were all secretly tested there. That’s not a secret anymore. But some people believe there’s also a large underground base there where they keep aliens, UFOs and the only existing copies of Shrek 5 and Half Life 3"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Did the Brazilian national team (soccer) really decide to change their uniforms after the 1950 defeat to Uruguay? | [
"Found this in Alex Bellos,\"Futebol, the Brazilian Way of Life\" London 2002 > Brazil played the 1950 World Cup in white shirts with blue collars. The colours were not immune from blame. They were deemed not sufficiently nationalistic. For Rio newspaper *Correio da Manha* the white strip suffered from a \"psychol... | [
"1. There are a lot of allegations of bribery. The report on it has not yet been made public. 2. Mistreatment of imported workers by the various contractors building the stadium. 3. In the middle of summer the temperature in the mid-day sun is over 120F, European players and fans won't enjoy that. So to compromise ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Web site showing trade routes and communication times for ancient Roman world? | [
"think it is this website you are talking about: _URL_0_"
] | [
"27 days under ideal conditions (meaning summer) if you travel from Ostia to Narbo (present day southern France) then follow the mountains west and then again by ship north to Londonium. This is also the cheapest route for a passenger (although for transporting goods the sea route through gibraltar is cheaper). Th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What do you believe is the central theme that represents the Western Civilization from 1740 - Present? | [
"The central theme to me would be expansionism. Trying (and succeeding) to spread their own culture, control or social and natural sciences around the world. This can be contrasted with e.g. the more isolationist Chinese or Arab civilizations during this same time period. Evolving technology and science can be said... | [
"For a general overview of modern Chinese history I personally liked The search for modern China by Spence, it covers Chinese history in a fairly well from 1800-1990."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Question concerning the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. | [
"I'm guessing on the tour they told you that it was done in the Beaux Arts French style and that the architect had styled in on the halls at Versailles. There's nothing in the Beaux Arts cannon that dictates coloration, but if you google \"Bancroft Hall\" you'll see that it has plenty of copper on the roof and in i... | [
"One of these is not like the others."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Did China invent the steam engine? | [
"No. Various conspiracy/sinologue-apologist/revisionists may suggest so, but it has never been mentioned by any credible, reliable, or otherwise historically viable source that I'm aware of."
] | [
"Why do some parts of the world call gasoline petrol?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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} |
Late Roman (Late Antiquity) Experts wanted | [
"The Cambridge Histories are usually pretty good; the Barker book is a bit old but not terrible. Check out libraries near you [here](_URL_0_). Otherwise, you may want to try /r/homeworkhelp"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If Nixon was so popular in the early 1970's, why did he need information from the Democratic National Committee so badly? | [
"Excuse my ignorance, but why is Watergate such a big deal? Of all the slimy things politicians do nowadays this doesn't seem all that bad to me."
] | [
"Nixon resigned because the House was about to vote to impeach him for obstructing justice in the Watergate investigation. Nixon had his key advisers hire some guys to break into the opposing political party's headquarters and steal their things and then tried to cover it up. Because his role in the cover-up was b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
My primary school history book stated in on of the trivia sections, that soldiers during holidays went over to the enemy trenches to celebrate together. Was it true in any kind of form? | [
"Here's a previous thread that answers your question. _URL_0_ Here's another thread that talks about similar events. _URL_1_"
] | [
"For the most part, soldiers don't want to fight wars. Especially when they go on for a long time without a clear change. In the case is the Christmas truce, a number of soldiers agreed not to fight long enough to take a break and enjoy the evening. After, they returned to their duties and different sides of the co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was daily life as a Janissary like? | [
"I wouldn't even say they were like either of those. They were sort of like a collection of elite warriors that almost formed their own caste, with their own pseudo-political constituency - evidenced by the fact that they highly influenced Ottoman politics and in many cases, revolted when they weren't getting paid ... | [
"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 Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
In the Catiline Orations, Cicero says he knew of Catiline's meeting to assassinate him, "before your meeting had broken up," is this exaggeration? Who could've left the meeting as it was taking place to visit Cicero and tell him? | [
"Sallust fills us in on that. One of Catiline's conspirators was a dude named Quintus Curius. He had been fooling around with Fulvia. She was an expensive girlfriend, and Curius ran out of cash. To keep her around he started bragging about how he was going to become wealthy and she would have everything (after Cat... | [
"It seems as if he managed to make it back to the Roman camp at Canusium in a group of several thousand Romans who had also managed to escape. I can't find anything in more detail, I'm afraid. He rallied them and prevented them (including senior officers) from fleeing to Sicily seeing as Rome was apparently wide op... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Experts of Herodotus, Persia and Attic Greek, I need your help! | [
"It would have been handy to know *where* this passage appears, but I found it: it's [book 7, chapter 61](_URL_0_). From what I can tell, the translation you quoted is pretty literal. *περὶ δὲ τὸ σῶμα κιθῶνας χειριδωτοὺς ποικίλους,1 ... λεπίδος σιδηρέης ὄψιν ἰχθυοειδέος* \"around their body, [they wore] multicolore... | [
"Would you like to share the criticism from Kant?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
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} |
History is packed with wars and conflicts, are there any societies that stand out as cooperating with each other instead? | [
"I would think about the Chinese Ming dynasty and the Korean Choson dynasty. This is especially true during the Imjin Waeren (1592-1598) when Ming troops came and helped defeat the invading forces of the Japanese General Hideyoshi. The relationship was strong between the two dynasties for the longest time. Choson ... | [
"This is a huge debate in the international relations field known as the [democratic peace theory](_URL_0_). There are plenty of explanations for it but none so convincing to be completely accepted. It could be due to the structure of democracies themselves- leaders are used to negotiation and compromise and are he... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Are there any examples of tomb robbers or explorers that fit the trope of the fantasy dungeon explorer? | [
"You might be interested in [Percy Fawcett](_URL_0_), the early 20th century explorer. He was a very famous explorer, mostly for helping map parts of South America and the Amazon. I recently read the book [The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon](_URL_1_) and it goes over a lot of the stories a... | [
"which stereotype. the happy go lucky gentleman pirate? the bloodthirsty psychopath? the opportunistic mercenary? the free spirit?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Sunday Digest | Interesting & Overlooked Posts | October 26, 2015–November 01, 2015 | [
"A second vote for /u/idjet's [epic 4-comment answer](_URL_2_) on inquisition in medieval Europe, which unites knowledge of secondary scholarship with original research. It's one of if not *the* best descriptions of medieval inquisition and its genesis that I've ever read. Please don't miss that one this week. /u/X... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph about News:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Where might the iron ore for the Eiffel Tower have been mined? | [
"All the iron used for the Eiffel Tower was produced at the refineries of Fould & Dupont in Pompey, near Nancy in the Lorraine basin in North-Eastern France. > \"Tous les fers de la Tour Eiffel, 24 types de cornières ouvertes et fermées, en tout 7,056,909 kilog., ont été fabriqués et livrés par M. Fould Dupont. Le... | [
"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 post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Is the trend of referring to decades as the "[x]ies" a modern thing? | [
"The Gay Nineties is actually a term for the 1890s which was quite common in the early twentieth century (although I imagine it started later than the actual 1890s, as it's obviously a term of nostalgia). I still see it sometimes on collections of sheet music. I'm not sure if that is where the custom of referring t... | [
"Historically the phrase is known as a shortened form of \"to a tittle\", which was a common expression used frequently by the English around the early 17th century. Basically it means \"to the smallest detail\". TL;DR -- Evolution of popular/common phrases over the course of time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I'm a Youngling at the Jedi Temple during the Clone Wars. How much do I know about the politics of the Republic? Am I involved in any way? | [
"The comment above is typical Imperial apologist propaganda. Younglings were educated in the ways of the Force from the day they stepped foot on Coruscant, but it was definitely not the only focus of their upbringing. Jedi were expected to mediate in the most difficult conflicts that emerged throughout the Galaxy,... | [
"Remember that relative to the proportion of people in galaxy, only a tiny, insignificant amount wield the Force, even during the height of the Republic before the Clone Wars. Now imagine after Vader killed most of them off. Even if they were alive before the Clone Wars, chances are most have never encountered a Je... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Orwell says:"The Great War, for instance, could never have happened if tinned food had not been invented". Is this correct? How would lack of canned food change WW1? | [
"Could OP or a mod leave a note about why every comment was deleted? Is there a repeat post elsewhere or something inherently wrong with the OP?"
] | [
"Two World Wars. Wars activate the survival instinct in countries. If you can't beat someone with raw strength alone, you have to make sure you are smarter than them. And to be smarter, you must be able to develop and make use of new technologies as fast as you can. Computers, rocketry, radar, along with many other... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
[meta]Let's maybe set out some guide rules and scope for this subreddit? | [
"Should there be a way to flag questions that seem like pure homework mining? For example, I saw the following question pop up the other day: > I'm not very well educated on the nature and subject of the old Guild systems of Medieval and Renaissance Europe and I am curious what economic or political factors lead t... | [
"I'm marking this post as official , It's one of few recent posts about this topic that isn't loaded and it clearly asks about the recent events. As an official thread we'll be pointing all new questions about this specific topic here, and it'll show up on the top of the subreddit. Mods will be heavily moderating t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What is the stick called that was planted on the ground and held up a rifle when firing, and when and where was it used? | [
"Use of a musket rest, or forquette, was common in the early days of the hand-held firearm, during the early 17th century. The matchlock musket used in Europe at this time tended to weigh around 6.5kg and be 1.5m long, making it burdensome and awkward to hold up. Added to this was the significant recoil caused upon... | [
"The flag is to symbolize carrying the flag into battle. This was traditionally done by a single person carrying the flag on a pole, and while running toward the enemy the flag will trail behind. The flag is shown on military uniforms on the right arm, with the stars facing the enemy (indicating going towards, not ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Regarding the History Channel's Viking show: Was wife sharing as much a part of everyday Viking life as the show makes it out to be? | [
"I haven't watched the show, so could you elaborate on what you mean by 'wife sharing?' Infidelity was not generally approved of in early medieval Scandinavia, and it was in fact one of the reasons why people could file for divorce according to Grágás, a 13th century Icelandic law code."
] | [
"Well drugs weren't really an issue back then. Alcohol and marijuana and tobacco were more or less accepted. It is only in the 20th century when those things became taboo. As for sex and rebellion, have you read Shakespeare? He and other playwrights covered those themes extensively especially in tales such as Romeo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When did humans introduce iodized salt to their diet? Were we all suffering from iodine deficiency before that? | [
"Iodized salt was started in the United States in 1924. Before refrigerated transport, many parts of the United States suffered from goiter--a disorder of the thyroid gland due to lack of iodine. You can naturally get iodine in your diet by eating seafood and vegetables from iodine-rich soil. The areas that did no... | [
"They had a diet that didn't contain refined sugars and starches, so it wasn't as necessary. The bacteria that do the most damage are feeding on simple carbs that weren't a major part of the human diet before advanced civilizations arose. Once we started tinkering with our food supply, crude dentistry soon followed... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is there any record of slaveowners in the U.S. ignoring the 13th amendment? | [
"There is u/MrDowntown ‘s comment [here](_URL_1_) on the importance of Juneteenth and how celebrating it among African American people spread outward from Texas that addresses Texas slave owners ignoring the 13th amendment. u/cake_flattener1 also has a good comment further down the thread. I don’t know of others, b... | [
"As a follow up question, how did one prove he was a citizen before the passage of the 14th amendment?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why was the fall of the Brazilian monarchy so sudden and swift, despite popular support and stability? And was/are there popular movements to restore it? | [
"I can't write a lot right now because i am on ny cellphone right now. The political situation in Brazil was from stable. There were a lot of reasons why it ended, the main ones being the abolition of slavery, Don Pedro II interfering with the church, the military wanting to express their opinion on the press, the ... | [
"How revolutionary was the general populace in areas controlled by the anarchists? Did they actually believe in the anarchist ideals? To what extent were those ideals actually carried out?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
My dad gave me some WW2 artifacts (some kind of officer's sword and some kind of carved stick) can anyone tell me anything about them? | [
"The sword appears to be a Manchukuo Police sword. Manchukuo was the puppet government set up in Manchuria by the Japanese during WWII. Their weapons and such were pretty much exact copies of the Japanese ones. You can see the Manchukuo flag on the back of the sword in picture 3. _URL_0_ If you can get it from a n... | [
"Well, I can tell you this: The patch on the left is the US Navy rank of a Petty Officer First Class. The screw propeller symbol in the middle shows that this Petty Officer's rating (job) was a Machinists Mate. This particular patch (white background with blue details) would've been worn with a white dress uniform.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How could the Americas and Australia go unnoticed by the rest of the world for such a long time? | [
"I could just as easily ask \"How could Europe, Asia and Africa go unnoticed by the rest of the world for so long?\" The shortest answer is that when transportation becomes possible and the potential gain from exploration is high enough, people naturally explore."
] | [
"Iceland was discovered by Europeans (and settled) almost 500 years prior to the discovery of North America. For those 500 years it was part of Europe. When America was discovered Island had already been a part of Europe for such a long time it made no sense to treat it differently."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What was the significance of dwarfs in Aztec society? | [
"Meso-Americans considered physical deformity to be the result of in-utero divine intervention and believed it to embody elements of supernatural power. For instance in the migration myth of Quetzalcoatl he was attended to by an army of dwarves and hunchbacks. Beeing attended to by hunchbacks and dwarves was appare... | [
"\"ancient times\" is very broad. Are there any specific cultures you're interested in (e.g., Republican Rome, Old Kingdom Egypt, etc.)?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How was the USSR able to compete financially and in materiel with the USA when they were seemingly so fraught with problems? | [
"Hey! I think it's very important to note that contrary to what you would think, the Soviet people were very well educated. School being free, they never had a shortage in scientists/engineers, both being crucial in the industrialization process of the country. Additionally, as was previously said, heavy industry w... | [
"It was because the USSR was starting at a lower point of development. Tsarist Russia was still mostly a feudalistic agrarian society with very little industrialization They were basically 100 years behind technologically speaking and between the Tsars wartime industrialization, and the full tilt industrialization ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What could be considered the highest attended event in history? In other words, what are the largest gatherings of humans in recorded history? | [
"Estimates of attendance vary but it is estimated that tens of millions (30-70 million) people gather to this event: [Kumbha Mela - The world's most massive act of faith](_URL_0_) Wikipedia has some further estimates of attendance during its history: _URL_1_"
] | [
"> Is there a scientific (e.g. flocking) or cultural (it seems like this often happens during the \"stoning of the devil\" ritual) explanation for why this happens with such frequency at the Hajj and not, for example, during Papal Masses or major concert festivals? I think the scale of the Hajj blows all of these e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Today economists talk about the inevitable rise of China. Was there any similar discussion regarding the rise of the United States in the late19th/early 20th centuries? | [
"French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville in his book Democracy in America 'predicts' rise of both US and Russia to superpower status and their rivalry. He also comments that other European powers, like France, lack space for further expansion. Book was published in 1830s."
] | [
"No. Opium smoking started sometime in the 16th century in China, and wasn't popular enough for there to be 'opium dens' until the 18th century or so. Most accounts of opium dens in Europe are 19th or early 20th century."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How did the travel and tourism industry recover after WW2 specifically in Europe? | [
"I'll go a bit off topic here but wanted to make sure that an important fact gets mentioned: Mass tourism as we know it today didn't really exist until the 1950s or 1960s and was, at least for Germany, an invention of the Nazis through \"Kraft durch Freude\" which offered cruises and holidays on beaches (They bough... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What is the largest unit to ever disguise themselves as the enemy successfully for a military operation? | [
"The use of false flags has traditionally been a large part of naval warfare; a vast number of ships have been captured because they stopped to hail a pirate or enemy flying their nation's flag. In World War II, Germany launched several commerce raider ships which carried false funnels and other bits of fake infras... | [
"A lot of the times the mission isn't allowed to be armed or to fight. It's often a part of the rules for being allowed into the country in the first place."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
1939 Slang- "Ring-gink" & "Coily" | [
"Are you sure they aren't phonetic spellings of \"ringing\" and \"curly\"? That's what I gather from the small section you've posted. It seems that the author is pointing out the absurdity of teaching very refined pronunciation of certain words while pupils retain \"low class\" pronunciations of other words."
] | [
"X does make that sound in the word Xylophone. Also: Xavier Xander Xenophobia Xanthum Xanadu *Xenon thanks /u/bovfem"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Help identifying an old (Spanish) coin I found in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. | [
"It is a coin of 2 reales, from the time of Philip II, but prior to the conquest of Portugal, so the date is 1556-1580. Judging by the part of the coat of arms corresponding to Bourgogne and the badly minted coat of arms of Austria, I think it is a counterfeit coin minted in Mexico. Compare to the counterfeit 2 r... | [
"It looks a lot like a lock I used to have... hard to tell from the pics. I think they were sold to tourists in the Middle East. Mine was inherited from my grandmother."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Colors, standards, guidons, etc and carrying in battle? | [
"I'm going to answer for the 18th/19th-century British army, because that's what I have a source for (Richard Holmes' *Redcoat: The British Soldier in the Age of Horse and Musket*), but the answer is that colour-bearers could and did fight, and that it was an extremely dangerous position. Colours could be taken to ... | [
"They pay attention to formation, as well as have complete knowledge of uniform number and body shape/size."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Was the A6M5 Kō ever used on IJN carriers ? | [
"The A6M5a did serve on IJN carriers, firstly at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. There were 53 A6M5as serving on the Shokaku-class fleet carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, and 54 on the converted carriers Junyo and Hiyo. Also present were A6M5bs on the light carriers Chitose, Chiyoda, and Zuiho."
] | [
"Following the end of the Second World War, the Imperial Japanese Navy gave up a number of ships as a part of reparations. The destroyer Hibiki, for instance, went to the USSR, and the destroyer Yukikaze was handed over to the Republic of China. The British took over a number of IJN ships moored in Singapore, most ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Has there ever been a serious attempt to 'get rid of' pennies in the USA? Why wasn't it successful? | [
"Yes. As to why they failed, the congressional delegation from Illinois always objects, because lincoln is on the penny, and the zinc lobby is fervently opposed, because pennies are mostly zinc."
] | [
"Probably not as much as you think. The dollar isn't based on gold anymore, it hasn't been in a long time."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Trying to find a specific operation from World War II. Tried Google, still can't find it. Can you help? | [
"It seems that this documentary was about [Trent Park](_URL_1_) . I do not know the name of this operation, however similar operation with German nuclear scientists was called [Operation Epsilon](_URL_0_) ."
] | [
"There was one just like this a few days ago. Use the search bar function. It will help you learn how to not be lazy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Are there journals of Australian settler's reactions to the native animals? | [
"There's definitely more to be said, I wrote a post a little while back [with some quotes from explorers about seeing kangaroos and wallabies for the first time](_URL_0_) - hopefully you might find that interesting!"
] | [
"Are you referring to modern day people rebelling against the government, or historically among tribes?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is there any evidence that the Ostrogoths used slingers in late antiquity Rome? My university runs a historical tabletop war gaming interterm in which students battle each other using 4th century historical correct armies. You are allowed to add units to your roster as long as you have proof. | [
"Could you go into more detail on this wargame you are doing? While I sadly cannot answer the question, I'd like to know more about your setup."
] | [
"Well if you are looking for organization, tactics and strategy of an Early Roman Empire army, look at Vegetius' De Re Militari, there are free translations pretty easily available online. While Vegetius is writing at the time of time of the late Empire, the army he is describing is an ideal force that he wishes th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
How did people prove who they are before widely issued IDs? How could you prove you owned your land, that your children were yours, you are the account holder at early banks? | [
"Hey there, not to discourage further answers, but you might want to check out the FAQ section on [Identity Proof & Theft](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"The court is going to look at the evidence, not just someone's claim. If you held yourself out to the public as married, claimed tax exemptions as a married couple, combined finances as a married couple, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
My grandfather arrived at Normandy 2 days after D-Day. He said the water was still red with blood. Is this possible/true? | [
"As for finding records of his service you would have to have one of his surviving kin, you as a grand child do not count, to request copies of his paper work. My mother got a copy of my grandfathers DD214 among other paperwork. _URL_0_ This is the link to how you start. Your best bet to following his steps would ... | [
"While not actively hidden, the 1944 Exercise Tiger comes to mind. An Allied convoy was practicing maneuvers for the invasion coming that spring. The escorts given to the convoy were old and on different radio frequencies. A German E boat found the convoy, attacked, and darted back into the night. Almost a thousand... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How well known is the Emu War in Australia? Is it taught in schools, or just a funny anecdote a few people mention now and then? | [
"It is not well known (source: I am Australian). The culling of animals in Australia is common - for instance, 3500 wild horses were shot from helicopters happened last month, (_URL_0_). The only difference is that in this circumstance, soldiers were used. It was just a nice headline grabbing quote employed by a po... | [
"Many of course are teachers. If we do not remember our history we are condemned to repeat it. There are many ideas floating around, political ideas mostly, about how to run the government. Most have been tried. If we read our history we can try to avoid the mistakes of the past. History is a broad field. Genealogy... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
History of the Word War (Francis A March) | [
"> Does any one know just how actually authoritative it is, or if has been unduly colored by the closeness of the author and the subject. Well, it was published in 1919, immediately after the war, and as you point out, the author was close to an important figure in the conflict. I can't claim to have read the book ... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Education:"
} |
Book recommendations on European combat c. 1000-1300 | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | [
"To clarify, Crusader Kings 2 spans ~800AD to ~1400"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Is Santa Claus's conical felt hat based on any real hat that was worn by people? | [
"Thomas Nast likely combined two elements. One is mitre worn by bishops that ends in a point. Saint Nicholas probably didn't wear it but in Dutch and German speaking areas popular depiction of him in a [red bishop outfit](_URL_0_) (is there a better name for it? I am not familiar with Catholic vestments) has been a... | [
"It doesn't really have a purpose aside from being decorative. However, that shouldn't stop you from enjoying the rich history of the pom, which can be traced way, way back to Norse mythology and beyond. It seems many of the northern countries have some sort of legend or myth that has a prominent character (Freyr,... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Do Djinn legends predate islam? If so did they survive the conversion to islam in some form? | [
"Djinni are almost certainly a pre-Islamic set of entities, but their \"survival\" of conversion wasn't really a trial. Djinni were and still are an accepted part of the created order of the universe. They didn't really need to be converted any more than sand needed to be rethought. Within Islamic thought, the Djin... | [
"A follow-up question. I remember my Arabic teacher telling me that they were historically persecuted by the Sunni majority, and found refuge in Christian communities, which in turn forged a bond between Alawites and Christians in the Levant. Is there truth to this?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What books should be trusted? | [
"You will be interested in a series we ran a year ago on finding and evaluating sources, particularly parts [1](_URL_1_) and [2](_URL_0_). These both feature several of our flaired members discussing where to find the best sources, how to evaluate books, and how to get the most out of secondary sources."
] | [
"What are some of the primary sources that you have found? This sounds interesting. Would you recommend any books for a fun read?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
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