query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Did the Spartans actually kill their weaker babies? | [
"'The historical Greeks considered the practice of adult and child sacrifice barbarous.[26] However, exposure of newborns was widely practiced in ancient Greece. In Greece the decision to expose a child was typically the father's, although in Sparta the decision was made by a group of elders.[27]' _URL_0_ Ctrl-F '... | [
"* Dogs crying are usually quieter than babies. * Dogs problems are easier to solve than babies. * Dogs are cuter than babies. * Babies cry over the stupidest shit."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What is the history of historical reenactments? | [
"here's some info on naval battle reenactments in Rome [Were naval battles staged in the Coliseum?](_URL_0_) and, just FYI in case you're interested in how widely-spread reenactments are: [When did civil war reenactments become popular in the US? Are war reenactments ubiquitous in other modern day cultures, or is t... | [
"Welcome to the one of the strongest arguments against the prohibition of firearms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Question about the Voynich Manuscript and it's origin. | [
"I know this isn't the answer you were looking for, but, there is a theory (and it is just that, a theory) that it is an elaborate hoax. This idea comes from the fact that some of the letters in the text are repeated in a way that don't make any sense in terms of syntax. But, then again it could just be that we don... | [
"Can you better explain what you are asking about? My google searching doesn't exactly explain what \"The Three Liars Paradox\" is."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Cultural sources to make history fun | [
"I honestly don't know what's fun with middle schoolers these days, but the University of Illinois has a \"Teaching with Digital Content\" project you might find useful, [here are lesson plans](_URL_0_) and [here's the digital content collection.](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"Check with your class resources. This is probably talking about something more specific that has been previously discussed in your classroom."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was the ANZAC contribution to the Vietnam War? | [
"It's an old post, but I've previously answered a question on \"[how did Australian Counterinsurgency tactics and strategies differ from those employed by the US in Vietnam?](_URL_0_)\" which might interest you."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How was the flute discovered? | [
"Because this was certainly a prehistoric invention, you might also do well to ask this excellent question of /r/Askanthropology. Just because it was a prehistoric invention does not preclude some bit of folklore explaining the invention of the flute after the fact - though I wouldn't regard it as necessarily an ac... | [
"What's to explain? Why we have it? How it works?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Where could I find a condensed history of the world? (perhaps not phrased very well) | [
"If you can get access to them, the [Cambridge Histories Series](_URL_0_) is generally very good and covers a wide variety of geographic regions, time periods and areas of study. It's worth checking to see if you can find a library that will provide you online or physical access, because they are quite comprehensiv... | [
"Textbooks tend to be dry, quite surface level and often present dubious versions of historical events very mater of factly. I would recomend looking into either a textbook that has high remarks for accessibility or into a general audience book with a broad scope (in my field the standard is Ian Shaw's \"Oxford His... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Education:"
} |
When WW1 got started, what was the Central Powers' game plan if they won? Were they going to rule France? | [
"* [Did Germany have a treaty in mind if the Allies surrendered?] (_URL_0_) * [If the Schlieffen Plan succeeded, what would the Germans have done with France?] (_URL_2_) * [What were the territorial objectives of the Central Powers?] (_URL_1_) ^ These answers I've given in the past should help. In short, the German... | [
"Hitler wanted to reclaim Germany's glory that they lost in Treaty of Versailles. He kept pushing the borders and since the rest of Europe didn't want a war, they let him. Eventually he got tired of beating around the bush and invaded all of europe, except the UK. The rest of the world spent the next 4 years trying... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Historians, I've got a couple of questions for you. | [
"Might want to resubmit the question with a different title to indicate the topic (ancient Britons/Anglo Saxons) in the header."
] | [
"Not only is that \"theory\" not true, it's not even a theory. There was a question asked on this just a few hours ago. Go have a look for an explanation as to why."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
I have just been sent to prison in the Soviet Union. What should I expect? | [
"To piggy-back off of this, what was the Soviet criminal justice system like for non-political offenses? What investigative methods were employed? What was the case clearance rate like?"
] | [
"Someone told them what the answer is supposed to be."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Technology:"
} |
Historical evidence for Seas monsters | [
"Squids sometimes damage ships like the [USS Stein](_URL_1_) and are often caught in deep fishing nets. There is no reason to suppose that past peoples didn't have occasional encounters. Sink any but the smallest boat? **Highly unlikely**. And even if it did happen, its probable no one would know. Until the inventi... | [
"Same difference between color and colour. Continent-based spelling differences."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What was the purpose of sea monsters on old maps? | [
"Oooh, ooh, I asked a similar [question](_URL_0_) a while ago and I think you'll get the same kick as I did from /u/sunagainstgold answering it. This is obviously not discouraging any answers coming in, but that post needs to be read."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why does the UK give back sovereignty to formerly occupied nations, and then take away sovereignty from others? | [
"Could you possibly clarify what you're after here? The UK has claimed sovereignty over the Falklands since 1765, and British subjects lived on the islands continuously from 1833. Its claims are certainly contested, but any \"stealing from another prominent nation\" that may have taken place long antedates the deco... | [
"Just *because* they can control it. No country wants to cut away a constituent part of it so long as it can still be managed without negative consequences. Apart from controlling a ton of people in Tibet and gaining access to what resources it has, it also also allows China to keep an eye on the rest of Central an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What did a serf have that a slave didn't? | [
"Firstly, in the early 18th century there were not just serfs in Russia, but also slaves. In Russia, slavery was abolished by Peter the Great in 1723. The difference in position was not about having better opportunities to improve their lot in life, and indeed, a Russian house slave probably had better avenues for ... | [
"Because you were VERY likely to inherit your profession as well if you were a member of the lower class. If you father was a smith chances are pretty good he would teach you and when he died you would own his smithy and your son will be a smith as well. There wasn't a lot of upward mobility in ancient society."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Cold war travel from the West to the Soviet Union, possible? | [
"Yes, of course. The USSR was starved for western money, and would actively recruit tourists. It was expensive, and you didn't have any freedom to just, say, go into the countryside on a whim, and the KGB would follow you around, and if you were in the country when a U2 got shot down you would get interrogated, but... | [
"Happy the war was over, decreasing the risk for direct military action between USA and USSR, especially nuclear. Opening up for thawing of relations between the two. Pride in USSR's role as a communicator and at times unofficial mediator in the drawn out peace process ('63-'73). Some pride in the little nation tha... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Since this is "Ask Historians"... suggestions on good gifts for those interested in history? | [
"Simple answer for those interested in US history is any of the books in the [Oxford History of the United States.](_URL_0_;) These books are written by eminent scholars and manage to combine readability with immense usefulness."
] | [
"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 post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Need some advice/tips for studying history! | [
"I've had friends ask for help studying for history classes, and it always leads to the same problem: history is not a science. There is no set body of information or list of facts that you can learn that certifies you as someone who \"knows history.\" Every instructor has their own particular focus and emphasis. W... | [
"Do you have any programming experience at all?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Free Google eBooks & History | [
"Oh no, not racism! You can essentially regard anything produced after *The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire* as a modern history. The 19th century was an era when people knew how to distinguish forgery from fact, distinguish primary and secondary sources, and so on. They made mistakes, but so do we. By today's... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about Education:"
} |
Is there any actual evidence that suggests Nixon won the debate on the radio while Kennedy won on the television? | [
"How would you define \"winning\" a presidential debate?"
] | [
"Richard Nixon declined to debate in 1968 and 1972 (there was also no TV debate in 1964 between LBJ and Goldwater), probably in no small part due to his infamous performance in the debate in 1960 with JFK, which has come down as popular wisdom as the epitome of not only the power of television (it was the first tel... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I am a high school teacher and my students are always confused by the definition of a casualty. Please help me clear this up once and for all. | [
"The word casualty in a military context means someone who, due to a battlefield factor (including but not limited to enemy action, disease, malnutrition etc) has been rendered unable to carry out their assigned duty."
] | [
"Hi there! There are 20+ countries that were part of the British Commonwealth and it will immensly help any expert attempting an answer here to narrow it down a bit. Thank you!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
American football during the Civil War | [
"So, the answer is fairly straightforward, since American football wasn't created until after the Civil War. Although it would look quite bizarre to a viewer of the modern game, the \"first\" American Football game is considered to have been a match between Rutgers and Princeton, contested in 1869, and as I discuss... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When did the practice of recalling one's ambassador in order to signal disapproval of a state's behavior begin? | [
"In addition to _delirium's fine comment, I'd add that having one of \"your people\" in the heart of another country is a strong disincentive to war and especially to underhanded tactics. This has precedent in the ancient practice of trading hostages among royal courts, with the understanding that the hostages woul... | [
"In democratic countries, it usually requires an act of congress/parliament. In monarchies or dictatorships, it is just a public declaration from whoever is in charge. The point of such a declaration is just to let the rest of the world (including the target of the declaration) that you are actually going to start ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Has their ever been a society that has had a (sub)type of currency specifically for necessities, while also having a universal one? | [
"You're looking for separate spheres of transaction; most anthropological work on this has its roots in the study of the economy of the Tiv of West Africa. I'm currently researching whether a similar model is also applicable to the Viking world; I suspect that on the medieval emporia, glass beads were used for smal... | [
"Society imposes a value in order to maintain an economy. That paper is not literally worth more, it's a symbol of a value."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why were covered coat buttons made illegal by acts of Anne and George I? | [
"Traditionally there are button makers and tailors. Tailors could easily make their own fabric covered buttons with the leftover fabric. Button makers saw it as a threat to their industry and button maker's guild lobbied to make fabric covered buttons illegal."
] | [
"Follow up question, was life insurance a common policy to have in an American home at this point in time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What sources exist about the history of retail in America? | [
"Sam Walton's Made in America book is a great read. It's not a true history of retail in America, but it offers great insight into the transition towards self service retail from 1945-1990. If you don't mind me asking, where did you develop in interest in retail history?"
] | [
"This as incredibly helpful. I'm doing my master's thesis on the historical memory of free black societies in the north. Could you suggest anything worth reading on that subject?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Books about the presidents that served under the Articles of Confederation? | [
"There was no real \"President\" under the articles, there was only a congress. The Presidency was a completely new concept created by the Constitution. The congress had various presiding chairs, but there was no one person who was given any real power in the post Revolutionary period. This was actually one of the ... | [
"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 Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Book on the United Provinces | [
"[Jonathan Israel](_URL_3_) this is an Oxford professor who written many books about the Dutch Republic (or United Provinces) 1. Dutch Primacy in World Trade, 1585–1740. 1989. ISBN 0-19-821139-2 PB. [Amazon link](_URL_0_) 2. The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness and Fall, 1477–1806. Oxford. History of Early Mode... | [
"British Empire -- > Post-WW2 / Cold War America -- > British and American pop culture -- > Silicon Valley."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
translation recommendations | [
"There's no such resource -- unless people like me count as a resource. However, it's not too hard to choose as translations of Pliny are very thin on the ground (assuming you're looking for a translation into English, that is). I doubt you'd do better than the Loeb Classical Library edition. There are free 19th ce... | [
"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"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why did the US Marine Corps assist with filming the movie "Sands of Iwo Jima"? | [
"There were calls after WW2 to combine the USMC into the Army/Navy, but the [National Security Act of 1947](_URL_0_) ended that. The Marine Corps did, [and still does](_URL_2_), quite a bit to bring about positive attention. The link is to a USMC public affairs office specifically for Hollywood film makers; they'll... | [
"The footage appears to be an extract from the documentary, \"Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam\" identified as images from the battle of Khe Sanh"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did the happy face (or other extremely minimalist faces) appear in art before the 20th century? | [
"I immediately thought of the tragedy and comedy masks, which while not as simple as \":): are still quite minimalist. I do not know when the stylized simple masks of tragedy and comedy came into play, but it would be well before the 20th century."
] | [
"It's complex and also involves a lot of what has survived over the years as well as ideas about the purpose and function of artwork. Take a look at the Fayum Mummy Portraits if you want good examples of realism way before the Renaissance."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
When did everyone adopt the same calendar? | [
"Saudi Arabia officially still uses the Islamic Calendar. China still uses the Chinese calendar for holidays/celebrations. I don't know of any others that still uses their traditional calendars. Also, the British Empire adopted the Gregorian calendar with the [calendar act of 1750.](_URL_6_"
] | [
"You mean it's not done on the fly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are sailors traditionally considered the biggest cursers? | [
"Crap, if you'd asked this question a week ago I'd be able to answer better. I had just finished a book on sailors in the late 17th - early 18th C. I'm going from memory here and this era isn't my forte but... From what I remember sailors essentially were a separate society due to their long isolation from civiliza... | [
"Did sailors generally know the name of the ships they're fighting?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | September 21, 2016 | [
"* [Skin Proteins from Mummies Reveal How Ancient Egyptians Died ](_URL_0_) * [Human skeleton found on famed Antikythera shipwreck](_URL_3_), scientists want to try and extract DNA from the bones * [Looting? $283 Million Flow of Artifacts to US Revealed](_URL_1_), this amount is just from Turkey and doesn't include... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Wondering about the sign "Beer: Helping ugly people get laid since 1862" Is this year significant at all in beer/alcohol history? | [
"Pretty darn certain it's just a joke sign with an arbitrary date."
] | [
"You realize the drinking age is lower in most parts of the world. I don't think it's 25 anywhere"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
In the video game EU4 wealthy nations can recruit tens of thousands of mercenaries in a short period of time, if this is accurate for the games time period(15 to early 19th century), where would these men be coming from? | [
"I thought it is important to clarify the question pointing out that in EU4 recruiting mercenary regiments is done one at a time per controlled province. So the short time for tens of thousands (that would suggest the minimum is at least 20.000 mercenaries) might not be so short if player is OPM (one province minor... | [
"Towards what end? They have rugged, mountainous terrain unsuitable for tank battles and mandatory military service for all able-bodied male citizens. Their military is also open to women, though I don't think it was in the 1930s. It's a lot of work for not much. The germans prefered to work with neutral Swiss bank... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why would they use B-24's as "Flak Screens" to protect B-17's? | [
"The \"flak screen\" was actually radar jamming hosted on B-24s. Yep, we had radar jamming in 1944. This is a great presentation on the subject of electronic warfare and the birth of Stanford as a tech hub based on US military spending. The entire first half is on WWII bombing technology: [The Secret History of Sil... | [
"Formation allows for each bomber's guns to support the others. If a fighter takes on a bomber one-on-one, it's probably likely that the bomber will go down, if the fighter knows what he's doing. If ten fighters approach ten bombers in formation, it's going to be a lot harder to destroy the bombers, because there's... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What was the equivalent to skinheads before the Nazis? | [
"/u/OneMoGin answer is great, but should insist more on one point: the Skinhead movement emerged as a subculture in the UK in the late 60's. There were no skinheads before that. I can't talk for the UK, but in France, the first groups of Skinheads (importing the culture from the UK) emerged in the late 70's, early ... | [
"And to hijack this in a related way, what were the alternatives to \"America.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why were some of Italian small arms in WW2 so awkwardly designed? | [
"It only addresses the Carcano Rifle used in WWI/II, but this old post by /u/othais [might be of interest to you](_URL_0_). Hopefully someone who can provide coverage of the various automatic weapons will pass through though!"
] | [
"I feel like this is a question that should be answered by a panel like this. a popular question on this subreddit is why, on the on-set of WWII, America was the only country with a semi-automatic rifle while everyone else were using bolt-action rifles. Is this an accurate depiction of the arsenals of the different... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What can you tell me about Mountain Warfare during WWII? | [
"[Here](_URL_0_): 5. Gebirgs Division was the last Mountain division to fight in high alpine terrain and was situated in the Western Alps [along the French-Italian border]. Then on April 20, [1945], seven Gebirgsjägers made a night climb up the Northeast wall [or face] of Roc Belleface. Their brave raid succeeded i... | [
"Where do you mean? Europe? The US? Middle East? Africa? Eastern Asia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I'm single Greek man in 2500 BCE and I left my home to go work. What are some ways I can be reassured my home won't be broken into and be robbed? | [
"Did you truly mean 2500 BCE and not 250 BCE? 2500 BC predates Mycenaean Greece, even, by many centuries."
] | [
"American who dates a European... My first time in Paris, about 15 minutes off the RER B from Charles du Gaulle airport I was pickpotted by a team of Gypsies. They surrounded me and asked me to sign a piece of paper asking for humanitarian aid with a United Nations header. Suddenly I felt a hand reach into my pocke... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
In the Vietnam war, it’s portrayed zippo’s are used the most but where they supplied by the government? And the lighter fluid and other components had to have been supplied | [
"They were not supplied by the government but privately purchased, typically at a local PX (post exchange) or shop if they were near a city. Here, troops could by all manner of civilian goods like radios, tapes, batteries, playing cards, watches, sunglasses, cameras and film, razors, soaps, sewing kits, toothpastes... | [
"Green ink was something that were really easy to get hands on during the period when the dollar first arrived. It was also a strong ink so it doesn't rub off easily. That's was good, considering how many touched it. The ink were also made up of many different inks, which made the colour hard to counterfeit. Mostly... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Peaceful Spanish Explorers | [
"This is a somewhat loaded question which almost assumes that the Spanish were blood thirsty. In actuality, most of Columbus's voyages were focused on trade and exploration not conquest. He had previously been part of Portuguese expansion around Africa which similarly focused on establishing trading posts not takin... | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why did no super power country build a Cobalt bomb? | [
"Can you give a better description of what a cobalt bomb should do ? I mean from what I have read it is a pretty useless weapon if you plan to invade a country since its creating enormous amounts of long lasting radioactive fallout. So wherever this thing gets dropped it won't be possible to go for 6 years. Proba... | [
"The Soviet is so eager to claim Soviet technology is superior even though he's never seen a handheld radio."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What things were invented/discovered twice? | [
"Evolution by natural selection. Both Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace came to the idea independently. Darwin had been sitting on his theory for a long time, somewhat timid to publish because it though it would be reacted to poorly, although he was slowly working on a book. However, when he caught wind that Wallac... | [
"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:"
} |
Help Identifying Grandfather's WWII Pin | [
"Hi there, this badge displays the coat of arms of the French city of Nice. You can see a slightly more detailed picture of the Coat of Arms [here](_URL_0_). Nice was liberated by American soldiers on the 30th of August 1944, a few weeks after Allied soldiers landed in southern France during Operation Dragoon. It's... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What type of weapon was a "Backed Bill"? | [
"The English bill is a pole arm which first came into use in the 17th century. Similar in form to a halberd, It was first a modified farming tool known as a billhook before being adapted and manufactured specifically as a military weapon. I would assume this entry refers to a billhook with a shorter handle which co... | [
"It is most likely number 1. It's like a scaled up and computerized version of \"Guess Who!\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Technology:"
} |
Why was Green Eggs and Ham banned in China? | [
"I'd like to question the premise of the post. Is there any evidence that the said book was actually banned? The author of the linked article didn't seem to provide any source."
] | [
"He is considered to be one of the funniest comedians in America and he hasn't done nearly anything on TV since his show was cancelled 10 years ago."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
If I take a ship from Alexandria to Rome, during the Ancient Roman period, what are my chances of sinking? | [
"Sailing was the primary mode of transportation as it was often much faster than land routes, particularly for cargo, into the fifth century in the Western Med. and substantially later in the Eastern. Stanford's [ORBIS](_URL_1_) project can give you a rough sense of travel times, though these data are to be used wi... | [
"I am currently reading David McCullough's biography of John Adams. On Adams' trip to France in 1778, the ship took six weeks and four days to sail from Boston to Bordeaux in Winter, which was the hardest time for sailing. The ship was indeed blown a hundred miles or so off course and damaged by lightening during a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I'm a Napoleonic-era soldier, what's my day-to-day life like away from the battlefield? | [
"Not an answer, but I have heard of this book & thought you might be interested in checking it out: [*The Recollections of Rifleman Harris*](_URL_3_) (1848) by Benjamin Randell Harris is a memoir by a British soldier who served during that era. It is available online [here](_URL_1_), and as an [audiobook](_URL_2_).... | [
"I'm not sure if additional questions are allowed on these threads, but I'll have a gander at it. To reenactors: was being part of a reenactment more or less realistic than you initially thought it would be? Did this change the educational value of the reenactment - for better or for worse?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Did females in US public schools have to swim naked in PE class back in the 40s and 50s? | [
"A point of chronology: Your question asks about the 40s and 50s, but if the guy is 63, then he was born in 1952 at the earliest. He would have started high school 14 years later in 1966."
] | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage about Education:"
} |
[Serious] Was farting considered gross in Medieval times? (x-post from /r/askashittydoctor) | [
"It seems to have been, at least in certain contexts. The [Urbanus Magnus](_URL_0_), an etiquette book written in the early 13th century, advised people not to fart indoors."
] | [
"You might want to crosspost this one to [/r/askscience](/r/askscience)! :D Good luck!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
At what point in history did farting in public become socially unacceptable? | [
"Nothing close to a complete (or even very good) answer, but there is this story about Queen Elizabeth I: \"This Earle of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth, happened to let a Fart, at which he was so abashed and ashamed that he went to Travell [for] 7 yeares. On his returne the Queen welcomed h... | [
"Who said anything was unanimous? There's still plenty of cultures where it's perfectly acceptable to show genitals in public."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | April 27, 2016 | [
"I've just read one of the most enjoyable articles I've seen in a long time: Charles West's [experiment in early medieval microhistory.](_URL_0_) And it's open access! So strap yourselves in for a fascinating peek into a ninth-century Frankish village to recover history's lost voices, complete with dodgy courtroom ... | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Does anyone have any information on German Foresters of the medieval period? | [
"The German historian Joachim Radkau has produced some environmental histories on the German forest. His book, *Wood: A History* largely focuses on Central European forests and forest management and examines the fluctuating relationship between man and the forest over the *longue duree*. Radkau's articles \"Wood an... | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Has there ever been a form of language that was expressed through woven threads? | [
"The Shipobo, an indigenous tribe from Peru, have historically recorded songs, via geometrical patterns and shapes, in their textiles."
] | [
"We would have to use images or gestures as much as possible; in this case they would be trying to communicate with us as if we were animals."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Do any WWII historians have any information on these Japanese caps? | [
"It is a little difficult to tell from the one with a partially submerged anchor on it because the picture is a close up, but I believe this is a Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces field cap. These were elite units, the equivalent of our marines, and some were also converted to paratroopers. If the khaki color i... | [
"Honestly, I've never seen this uniform with the two black spots before and I tend to be knowledgeable about WW2 uniforms. However, it may have to do with with them being locked up and/or a tradition in the division or company. I'm not entirely sure and I will get back to you with a better answer. Edit: Found the ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia: Wild Animals | [
"> I was once bitten (very slightly—near the knee) by a bear—at Roger Williams Park in Providence. —H. P. Lovecraft to Duane Rimel, 4 Aug 1935, *Letters to F. Lee Baldwin, & c* 282 There's a joke in Lovecraft circles that if there are three days in his life without a letter, we refer to it as his \"lost period\"—a ... | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Noam Chomsky claimed in a recent eMail discussion between himself and Sam Harris that Japan had "sincere intentions" when entering World War II. What were those intentions? | [
"The \"sincere intentions\" of the Japanese Imperialists were similar to those of any other expansionist imperialist power. The Imperialists honestly believed, or convinced themselves they believed, that expanding the Japanese demesne would be good for both the Japanese people and those they were conquering. The pr... | [
"They're not allowed to have an offensive military force. They do have defensive military forces. The reason is because of their history of military aggression, particularly in World War II, and their defeat in that war."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the post about History:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Do we have any sense of how much money Jesus would have made as a carpenter? Do we know what working conditions would have been like? | [
"I've run into [this interpretation](_URL_0_) (a pdf) in a few different places: that the word translated as \"carpenter\" was often used to describe a **scholar**, a person who was good at sorting out complicated ideas and fitting concepts together cleverly. From that paper: > In Hebrew, the term for *skilled cr... | [
"Interesting question and I have no answer. Just questions of my own. * What were property rights like during this period? * Was it more common for average people to just build their own home? * How would land disputes be resolved?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Help identify inherited Roman map | [
"Also: the map is not Roman itself (ie 2000 years old), but displays info about ancient Rome. It could be antique, but we would need much better images. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is 19th or even 20th century as date of creation."
] | [
"The other four are simply a repeat of the last four on the front"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Did sharks really follow slave ships on their journey across the Atlantic to feed on bodies thrown overboard? | [
"I am not a historian, but have been interested in this ever since I heard about the oceanic white tip shark being the most deadly shark to humans due to the habit of tailing ships and eating up shipwrecked sailors quotes from [the oceanic white tip entry in wikipedia](_URL_1_): \"the oceanic whitetip, the most co... | [
"Did sailors generally know the name of the ships they're fighting?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I met a WWII veteran (South African) who told me he got through Italian lines and back to Alamein after the fall of Tobruk in 1942. I was unaware that this was done by anyone. Does anyone know of any others who successfully made it out? | [
"The fighting in North Africa was that it was *extremely* fluid. During much of the desert war, the \"front lines\" existed in a very vague sense and could be very porous. This made escapes like the one you mention possible (albeit difficult). To give you an idea of how penetrable the front line could be, consider... | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
My father just mentioned that, about 30 years ago, blacks weren't allowed in Australia. I never heard of this. Any details? | [
"It was called the White Australia Policy, and it ended in 1973 (41 years ago). Basically you had to be a white western/northern European who spoke English to immigrate, (essentially British). It's a lot more complicated than that, (of course there's a Wikipedia article about it), but that's the gist of it."
] | [
"As a Brit, I've certainly not come across the idea that it was accidental. Quite the opposite. Where is that interpretation taught?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did Werner Van Braun feel about being taken to the US? | [
"German scientists were taken to some sanatorium at Gorodomlya island at Seligyor lake, they lived there much more comfortably than most of Soviet scientists. They actually had made a contract to work there and were allowed to take with them wives (or mistresses) and children. German engineers were paid quite well ... | [
"Are you American. A lot of Americans don't know much about the first man to go to space for the simple reason that he was Russian."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How much was Jesus sold for? | [
"According to /u/lacedaimon, who commented on an earlier thread about the same question, about $6000. [Link to his comment](_URL_0_) so you can see the reasoning behind the number, and an interesting discussion in the child comments."
] | [
"Someone told them what the answer is supposed to be."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Technology:"
} |
During the rise of scientific racism in the 19th century, did anyone try to discredit it? | [
"[This past post deals with a similar topic](_URL_0_), with a detailed response from /u/restricteddata."
] | [
"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 Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How can I educate myself in the French Revolution? | [
"If you want professional and scientifical knowlegde, try and get the Oxford Handbook of the French Revolution, pretty easy to read and sums up almost all of the latest studies of the French Revolution. If you want something more interersting and exciting, try to find some good documentaries about it :)"
] | [
"I'm looking for recommendations for books to read if I want an overview of the history of the LGBT+ movement in the United States but don't have any previous background knowledge in the subject."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Literature:"
} |
What is the greatest number of independent, sovereign nation-entities to exist at the same time? | [
"Not by a long shot. After the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War, there were three hundred independent political entities inside the very weak Holy Roman Empire. In 1492 there were at least 500 independent nations of Native Americans living in North America. The 1500 to 1650 time frame probably has t... | [
"France as a political entity has existed since the establishment of the Kingdom of France in 843AD. From that time until the present day the nation of France has undergone many changes of government and bureaucratic structure, but those changes in government form do not mean that 'France' ever ceased to exist as a... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia: People Using Really Cool Technology! (This thread has relaxed standards—we invite everyone to participate!) | [
"> Saw a demonstration of television last Saturday. Very vague & flickering. - H. P. Lovecraft to Robert E. Howard, 25 Oct 1933, A Means to Freedom 2.654 > Saw a demonstration of television the other day at a local department store. Rather like the blurred, flickering biograph films of 1898. - H. P. Lovecraft to A... | [
"I'd like to point out how awesome it is that complete strangers can come together and develop the best explanations for such a complex topic, and in a way that most anyone can understand. Lots of good posts in here. Collaboration makes us better at problem solving and decision making. Kudos. EDIT I'd like to remi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Much of America's high school history books tend to focus more on the journey of taming the western frontier, than what was going on back east. So I'm wondering what was the general population's thoughts on those who decided to head out west? | [
"The book is not yet out, but Mark A. Eifler, an Oregon historian, is working on one about this subject. He has researched correspondence between those who stayed East and those who went West, in some cases having found the letters each way, and has some great stories about it. I think it should be out some time in... | [
"I'm sorry if this isn't what you're looking for but i took this question in a historical context rather than seeking to provide modern day reasons. As you know, some of the northeastern-most states were contained within the original 13 colonies, thus giving it much more time to develop than other states. Along wit... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Were sobriquets like those found in "Game of Thrones", such as Kingslayer, ever common in pre-modern Europe? | [
"They were pretty common across all of Europe. The French did it a lot and more consistently than the English. Philip the Fair, Philip the Tall, Louis le Hutin, Louis the Fat, Charles the Mad; I would say up through about 1400, more French kings had them than not. Spanish kings too had a number, some Russian as wel... | [
"Although this doesn't apply to all \"bad\" words, one origin of commonly used swear words was the class/ethnic split between the lower class German speaking Saxons and upper class French/Latin speaking Normans of late Medieval England. Common words that were used by the lower classes were German, whereas fancier, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Linguistics:"
} |
Assata Shakur is back in the news. Anyone familiar with the case know any links that discuss it in a fairly objective manner? I've been searching for an hour and having a hard time confirming the info written in the Wiki article. Thanks! | [
"Seconded, I've had the same trouble in the past. In particular: did Harper actually admit perjuring himself? Did the prosecution dispute the medical experts who said she had her hands up or did they argue that she could be found guilty even if the shot was fired after she surrendered? what about the other crimes s... | [
"Can you please rephrase this so it abides by our 20-year rule? We're a history forum, not a current events one, and I think your question is asking how things are today instead of how they have been in the past. Thanks!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What was the impact of the publication of Darwin's evolutionary theory in the average Pokemon trainer's life? | [
"Disclaimer: I'm in no way accustomed to the newest developments in Pokemon science, my area of expertise is about ancient version pokemon. I recommend you ask our friends in [r/askscience](_URL_1_) too. Darwin is a highly controversial figure in the Pokemon World. As a matter of fact some part of his theory are co... | [
"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 Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
It's 1 in the morning in Ancient Rome and I'm drunk and hungry; what is my go-to drunk food? | [
"Roman Pompeii, at least, seems to have had a thriving nightlife in the districts where the wine bars, or *popinae*, operated. The popina sells light fare like olives or cheese, but if you've been kicked out or want something hot, the same district is bound to have at least a few streetfront food stands, or *thermo... | [
"This person is not at all opposed. Personally, I've never let the time of day (or night) dictate what food was appropriate for me to consume. My friends/wife/coworkers regularly give me shit about eating \"non-breakfast\" food in the morning. Spaghetti for breakfast? Why not? Have a hankering for Sushi and a bowl ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about food and cooking:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about food and cooking:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Were warriors/soldiers of the past strong due to knowledge about exercise, or did the fitness come as a result of being a warrior/fighter/soldier? | [
"Naturally strong lads with an aptitude for physical work would usually be expected to join the army at some point. Stemming from that, being a soldier, and constantly training, also helped with fitness and core strength. Even as late as the Renaissance, soldiers often found work as artists' models, since artists a... | [
"A significant aspect of the Mongol horse archers was their way of life (horsemanship, bow hunting, nomadic ways) and how that contributed to their military success. Europe can't just copy a unit of horse archers because it takes a life time to become a master horseman and/or archer. The Mongolian steppe lifestyle ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about History:"
} |
Did soldiers in the ancient world carry water bottles with them to war? | [
"followup question (related to water needs of an army) : the movie Kingdom of Heavean talks about Saladin drawing the Crusaders away from water, and then shows a long tracking shot of a bunch of really hot thirsty tired guys marching to emphasize the point. Was lack of water / thirst really this much of a decisive ... | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why did so many honourable scientists participate in the manhattan project knowing that their knowledge is going to be abused to build a weapon of mass destruction? | [
"They likely realized that the bomb would be used by some military power, whether it be by Germans, Russians, or Americans. They likely took solace in that the Americans were being less aggressive in their conquest of Europe than the Russians (hence less likely to use it in their home countries), and that the Germa... | [
"Because war is sometimes necessary, and history has taught us that it is ultimately inevitable. Outlawing war isn't going to help anything. However, you can reduce suffering because of war as much as possible by outlawing weapons that cause undue pain. Expanding bullets, incendiary bullets, poison, chemical weapon... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was the milkman practice common with all American suburb families or was it mostly a luxury for upper middle class that was just perpetrated a lot in media? | [
"For the UK, the vast majority of milk was delivered until relatively recently. [This newspaper report](_URL_3_) gives a figure of 85% for 1980. [Section E of this UK government report](_URL_4_) gives 45% in 1995, 5% in 2010. (I appreciate the latter break the 20-year rule, but these are the only statistics I could... | [
"How would you like to not be able to get a loan till you have lived in a city for 10 years and gotten to know the people at the bank personally at church and social events as well as personal interaction going into said bank? The modern world no longer works in that fashion. We live in too large of communities and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
On this day, 40 years ago, Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro was kidnapped and later killed. Who is currently assumed to had done it? | [
"Can I ask a related question? \"The strategy of tension is most closely identified with the Years of Lead in Italy from 1968–1982, wherein both far-left Marxist extremists and far-right neo-fascist groups performed bombings, kidnappings, arsons, and murders. Activists have accused NATO of allowing and sanctioning ... | [
"Communist Salvador Allende became president through open and free elections. As he was good buddies with Fidel Castro the US did not like this. The CIA worked with Chilean General Augusta Pinochet to overthrow the government. It is claimed that Allende took his own life with a gun given to him by Fidel but many th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why did japanese royalty tie boxes to their heads? | [
"Those \"boxes\" and \"wooden containers\" are actually a silk headpiece called the kammuri. Kammuri were typically worn by male nobility after the noble male children reached their coming of age ceremony. This included emperors, shoguns, and some daimyo. A similar garment is worn by senior Shinto priests as well. ... | [
"I have never heard of this before, I've only heard that men were to wear a watch on the left hand and women on the right."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Saudi Arabia: "Where arguments for moral relativism go to die" - How and why did this come about, and was it different before? | [
"Keep in mind that the Saud family didn't control the Arabian Peninsula until well after World War 1. Before that, the Hashemite dynasty (Sharif Hussein, and his sons Abdullah and Faisal are probably the Hashemites most people have heard of) ruled the Hejaz, which contains Mecca and Medina. Ibn Saud found the allia... | [
"Because, like many people, he realises that this is not a fundamental problem with Islam, but a problem with some fundamentalist Muslims. Essentially this really isn't about religion, it's about politics."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Anyone know a link with Nazi-Germany and Western Samoa? My great grandfather was a Nazi, and I'm Samoan. My grandparents passed away so I don't know who to ask? | [
"Imperial germany had colonies in the pacific. Among them was \"German Samoa\". All of these colonies were lost after World War I, but theres not many years from the end of WWI untill the rise of nazi germany. So yes, there's certainly a link. _URL_0_"
] | [
"I would love to post; unfortunately all I have is anecdotal evidence from my father's family who were upper class South Viets living in Saigon who escaped after the war. If the moderators allow it, I could ask my dad any questions you'd like to know about what happened and what they did!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Modernization in Japan from 1868-1930. | [
"That...that's pretty broad. Is there anything specifically you want to learn about? I'll happily give you a good answer...but \"give me some quick facts and a summary of the Meiji Period\" is REALLY hard to answer (I mean, you could just copy/paste Wikipedia, but I assume that isn't the kind of summary you were lo... | [
"I will explain like via the medium of pictures! _URL_1_ German factory in 1945. _URL_0_ American factory in 1945."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about World Affairs:"
} |
What was the first recorded name(s)? | [
"To add to that, can someone give the literal answer to that question, ie what are the very first names we have written down?"
] | [
"Did you mean in the USA, or in Japan?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Rules Roundtable #18: Why Wikipedia is not a source | [
"The main uses I have always found with Wikipedia has always been: 1.) Double checking dates. 2.) Decently curated lists. For example [Spanish Explorers](_URL_0_). 3.) Decent pictures of the topic material. 4.) Timelines. 5.) Links to sources. This allows me to read the material for myself. 6.) Ball parking and ref... | [
"If you're not aware, we have a weekly thread here on \"What's new in History?\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Education:"
} |
Can the assumption that pre-modern civilizations were--in general--less hygienically aware than us be justified? | [
"Pretty well justified, actually. We didn't really have solid understanding of how diseases spread, or even what they were, until relatively recently. An effort has been made to find out, and as much as we make fun of medieval humours today, the theory did describe the symptoms somewhat accurately, but there simply... | [
"Christian/Catholic doctrine didn't stifle \"progress\" as a rule, and the Church as an institution was vital in the acquisition, conservation and dissemination of knowledge, even while it was engaged in persecution of heretical ideas. Things are complicated! It's certainly true that the Middle East had a more acad... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | June 28, 2017 | [
"*National Geographic* has teamed up with the Amelia Earhart research group TIGHAR (and some super-cute dogs) in their [latest attempt to locate the remains of Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan](_URL_0_). The dogs are border collies from the Institute for Canine Forensics; TIGHAR is the same group that did a s... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was it like being charged by cavalry? | [
"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... | [
"Are you sure they were defeated at all?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Cassius Dio says Claudius brought 12 war elephants to Britain. Did he really do this? How did he do this? | [
"It isn't mentioned in any of the earlier sources (Tacitus and Suetonius primarily) and it is generally not considered likely. Although the English Channel is not particularly long, it is somewhat temperamental in terms of weather and currents and the English coast rather famously does not have very many good landi... | [
"According to Suetonius they crossed a small bridge over the Rubicon. Specifically, he claims Caesar said \"Once across that little bridge, we shall have to fight it out.\" However, it should be kept in mind that Suetonius was writing in around 121 CE. This was a long time after the events had transpired and his de... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
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} |
Forced increase in population... Yet had terrible results??? | [
"Romania? In 1967 the dictator passed a decree banning abortion and contraceptives in an effort to increase the population by 7 million. _URL_1_ The USSR also had a 6% tax on childlessness from 1941 until its collapse. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Which country? Some will do much worse than others."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
What was it that isolated Southern China? | [
"Because it's mountains too. You need to cross two major moutain ranges to get from southern China to India. The ranges aren't as high as the Himalayas, but they're high enough. You need to consult a topographic map of the region. Only Vietnam is open to China, and therefore was under heavy Chinese influence and wa... | [
"Are you sure they were defeated at all?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Where can I find resources for the Sengoku Period of Japan? Specifically around the year 1567. | [
"So first, Nobunaga has been fighting Mino since before his father-in-law died in 1556, and even if we don't count his failed attempts to save and then to avenge his father-in-law, he still invaded Mino in 1561. 1567 is when he *finished* his conquest of Mino. Second, I *highly* doubt anyone would have done researc... | [
"Are there any books on Berlin during 1920s?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Literature:"
} |
does anyone know how many generations have there been since 1 AD? | [
"Just decide how long you want your generation to be--25 years, 30 years, whatever--and do the math. If you're going to say 25 years is a generation, then there have been about 80."
] | [
"we're all related if you look back far enough . sometimes by blood other by marriage .I'm related to the king of england 50 times removed"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What's that joke that went around amongst pilots during WWII where the punchline was "if you see nothing, it's the Luftwaffe?" | [
"It's not a joke among pilots, but among ordinary soldiers. The joke is from late in the war, and the point is that the Gemans had completely lost air dominance. > It was with good reason that Eisenhower had categorically stated in a D-Day briefing to the troops: 'If you see fighter aircraft over you, they will b... | [
"Rather than explaining what she's doing, she's showing concern that a five-year-old is walking around without parental supervision. It's redirection, like the joke, \"What would Mr. Rickover say if he was alive today?\" \"Help, help, get me out of this box!\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How was the Sistine Chapel received by the public immediately after it was finished? | [
"[\"The earliest witnesses marveled at the ceiling as much as people today do. Giorgio Vasari, artist and biographer of artists, wrote nearly forty years later that “When the work was thrown open, the whole world could be heard running up to see it, and, indeed, it was such as to make everyone astonished and dumb.”... | [
"In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. It took two years for the police and officials to recover it. The painting, which was somewhat popular to begin with, achieved a celebrity status of sorts during the affair. When the Mona Lisa was recovered in Italy, it went on a tour of the country before returni... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Ways of finding epigraphic sources on Tiberius | [
"Oh man, I hope you've checked out \"Princes and Political Cultures\" by Greg Rowe, which is an entire analysis about recent(ish) discovered inscriptions from the Tiberian period regarding early imperial governance. If you mine the book, it may give you some avenues as for other inscriptions. Aside from that, you m... | [
"This might serve as a starting point to search for mentions of Chasquis in literature. _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Wednesday What's New in History | September 28, 2016 | [
"It didn't happen this week, I just discovered it this week. Sekigahara is getting the Nagashino treatment. That is, there's a movement among Japanese scholars to re-examine the battle and the sources used to traditionally describe it, focusing on sources closer to the event questioning later sources. Some of it I ... | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I've heard that Cortés arrived in America on the same year that an Aztec prophecy predicted a god was supposed to come to earth. Is this true? | [
"I'm not trying to discourage further discussion on this topic, but I have written [a response to this question before](_URL_0_). To give you a brief summary, we don't know, but it is probably a myth that arose shortly after the conquest. Or to be more precise, it is probably a series of factual events, misundersta... | [
"Geronimo de Aguilar was a monk who was shipwrecked in the Yucatan before Cortes went to present day Mexico. While there, he was able to learn a lot of the Mayan language; his learning as a monk made it a lot easier to pick up. The Spanish later found him and took him with them. When they landed in present day Mex... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What to do with old history journals? | [
"Did you try to give them to the *library* of the university? My library will take donations like this, use them to pad out holes in our collection, and then dump them in the book sale if they aren't needed. If you PM your general location I can give you some ideas for other university libraries to contact. Genera... | [
"What do you want to know about them exactly?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Has there even been a peaceful or nonviolent revolution that has successfully replaced a government or have all insurgencies been violent in nature? | [
"Portugal's 1974 Carnation Revolution, that put an end to over 40 years of a Catholic para-fascist corporativist dictatorship. It was ran by insurgents in the Portuguese Army but these never used their guns. The State's Secret Police eventually fired over about 5 people but ended up surrendering without exchanging ... | [
"An insurgency is armed rebellion. A civil war is where different groups within a country fight a war against each other. A coup is where a group quickly overthrows, or attempts to overthrow, a government. A revolution is where the system of government is changed in a short time. So you can have an attempted coup ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
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