query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Suppose it's 1116 in England and I ask a catholic priest "can people have sex in heaven?" What do you think he'd say? | [
"Is there any reason why you chose 1116 in particular?"
] | [
"They ask you the same questions in different ways to see if, after scoring, they were all answered the same way. \"I don't lie\" \"It's always important to tell the truth\" \"If little Timmy asks if Santa is real, I tell him No\" If you're not consistent, they score you lower."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Did Longstreet and other confederates really seek to redeem themselves after the Civil War? | [
"I actually just wrote about Longstreet's post-war career as a boogeyman of the Lost Cause [here](_URL_0_). Happy to field any follow-ups it might leave you with best that I can."
] | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How true is the claim that China has a history of 5000 years? | [
"What specifically are you asking? Is it that China is an unbroken entity stretching back 5000 years? Or are you asking about the history of the people who lived in the region?"
] | [
"When specifically is the story set, ancient Egypt existed for over 3000 years?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Hittite law explicitly allowed necrophilia, according to Wikipedia. In other cultures, it seems to be discouraged. Why would necrophilia be allowed in Hittite society, and was permission or condemnation the norm worldwide in the ancient world? | [
"As a side question, is there evidence of how commonplace necrophilia was in hittite realms? Was it ritual in nature or solely sexual?"
] | [
"Lifetime monogamous marriage evolved as a political institution to create peaceful relations between tribes and dynasties, but *sexual* fidelity was usually not expected or practiced, so there's no basis for thinking it's biological. For instance, visiting prostitutes was a standard feature of ordinary male life ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Social Sciences:"
} |
What's the significance of the term Kampfgemeinschaft? | [
"It seems to have been a German word that proliferated after WWI, to explain the comradeship of the Trenches, and more particularly the bonds maintained by the *Freikorps* veterans groups. If anyone has more information, I'm sure it would be greatly appreciated! Source: * *Catastrophe and Meaning: The Holocaust and... | [
"Related: what happened to the similar but different term Lakonia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how to improve writing style? | [
"I sent you a PM, but if other people are looking for help getting the a good grasp for writing graduate-level work, Danna Agmon's got a [great system for reading historical scholarship called THOMAS](_URL_1_), and it is important to answer these questions when writing it, too."
] | [
"You can learn eachothers languages over time. They definitely had no clue at the beginning."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Did the GRU and KGB once own most of Americas gay bars? | [
"This sounds exactly like you describe it; too out there to be true. No source provided in the post you link to and the guy's posting history does not inspire much confidence in there being such sources."
] | [
"Follow up, if this warrant a new post please tell me: How did politicians and the general public react when they found out these companies were aiding Nazi forces in WW2?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Thursday Reading & Research | February 22, 2018 | [
"I've fallen into a number of really wonderful and deep-diveable archival sources for late 19th century Yiddish theater, in particular theatrical posters from theaters on New York's East Side. (The downside is that I know no Yiddish nor Hebrew whatsoever, not even the Hebrew alphabet, and I keep trying to scroll in... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How accurate can we expect the recent "virtual autopsy" of King Tut to be? | [
"There are several things that mummified reamins like his can tell us. Most of this comes from skeletal analysis. Bones are excellent for telling us the general size and shape of things: they don't change much after death, and nobody's taller than their skeleton. The wide hips, club foot, and overbite are all disce... | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What was so unique about the Greek Phalanx that differentiated it from other shield wall formations? | [
"Someone better qualified will probably answer this but I'll have a crack. I would suggest it wasn't the formation itself that was so unique about the phalanx - effective as it could be. IIRC the persians fielded spear armed formations too for example (sparabara?). Rather the unique feature was the city-state's cap... | [
"Get this book! *Warfare in the Medieval World* by Brian Todd Carey *Warfare in the Medieval World explores how civilizations and cultures made war on the battlefields of the Near East and Europe in the period between the fall of Rome and the introduction of reliable gunpowder weapons during the Thirty Years War. T... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
John Deere's steel plow is a sacred object in the American Midwest for its place in bringing mass crop farming to the area - did it allow any other places to be newly farmed? | [
"I don't think other places have quite the same \"cult of the plow\" that you see in the Midwest of the United States. However, the 19th century saw parallel economic and demographic transformation took place in the grassland/steppe/prairie/pampas regions of both Eastern Europe and the Southern Cone. Like the Unite... | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What did the "Rag-and-bone man" do with the bones? | [
"Sold them to someone who would use them for raw materials; for example, buttons were sometimes made of bones before the invention of plastic. Bone can be charred to make a black pigment, among [other uses](_URL_0_). Bones can also be ground up to make fertilisers, being rich in calcium and phosphorus."
] | [
"They used pieces of cloth. They don't call it \"on the rag\" for nothin'."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The CCP under Mao apparently introduced Traditional Chinese Medicine in its modern form with intent to replace it with 'Western' evidence-based medicine over time, yet TCM remains broadly popular. Did the latter part of the plan just not succeed, or are there other reasons for TCM's resilience? | [
"follow up: could you elaborate on \"in its modern form\"? what's different between that and the *old* TCM?"
] | [
"Obviously a cult of personality was a big factor in North Korea's development. Other sources seem to point to the Kim family's power being imposed by the Soviets. Why did a similar situation not occur in East Germany?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Were there ever any viking fleet actions? | [
"There certainly were, but on a much smaller scale than we would currently consider a fleet An example that springs to mind is in 875 when according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, \"King Alfred went out to sea with a naval force, and fought against the crews of seven [Viking] ships and captured one ship and put the ... | [
"Thanks! Where these armies where most of the Soviet casualties occurred?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What does this mean? “… historiography no more excludes the possibility of knowledge outside its conventional methods than historians would grant that physics does.” | [
"He's trying to say that historical method cannot disprove the possibility of miracles happening in the past. This is something most historians would agree with. Keener seems to think always preferring natural explanations to supernatural explanations is biased against theism, which it is and which it has to be in ... | [
"Both sides subscribe to the Cartesian dualism method of analysis, but are concerned with opposite sides of the spectrum. Post modernists believe that there is is no objective whereas Solupists believe all that exists is the subjective. Which is a crucial distinction to make in philosophy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Chinese Women's concept of beauty towards their bound feet | [
"The concept that foot binding was a practice forced on women seems to mainly come from Howard Levy's 1966 book \"The History of a Curious Erotic Custom\". Now, there is some dispute as to why mothers would subject their daughters to such a painful practice. The reason I see most commonly is that having lotus feet ... | [
"Social reasons in some cultures, in other cultures both sexes wear body or face make-up, have tattoos and adornments. It all depends what the cultural nom is for a particular community."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
[META]This week's theme links to the Trade theme from a year ago, obscuring the newer questions. | [
"Sort of. The Link in the top bar should have included the \"New\" sorting, to make those show up first, but we forgot! It's been fixed. Thanks!"
] | [
"Wikipedia has a pretty detailed but fairly straightforward entry which includes a \"Lifecycle\" section - _URL_0_ (May contain spoilers for the whole series) Edit: it's Wikipedia, not a dedicated Dune wiki. Also formatting why Edit 2: gave up on formatting"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did communists get a fair trial in the 50s USA? | [
"In 1940 the the Smith Act was passed prohibited the aiding and abetting of any subversive organization that advocated revolutionary overthrow of the government. The Truman Administration would use this in the 50s(the Second Red Scare of McCarthyism) to prosecute over 140 members of the impotent CPUSA. They were d... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
how do we know that Thomas Paine wrote common sense if it was published anonymously? | [
"Benjamin Franklin encouraged Paine to write a \"history of the present transactions\" a few months before its publication. The first pamphlet printed off was given to the Good Doctor. Making his mark, Paine had no interest in hiding his authorship. Candid pieces were often published by pen name in British traditio... | [
"In the text where you see God, he is not referring to the Judeo-Christian 'God', he is referring to 'the god' Apollo, whose oracle decreed that 'no man is wiser than Socrates' which sent him into the whole philosophical investigation because he didn't consider himself wise at all. I can't find a source for that qu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Are "amicus curiae" comments welcome here? | [
"While they *can* be constructive, if you are posting a request for clarification we expect it to be something necessary to reasonably answer the question. We get a lot of \"do you mean X\" which are less actually asking for that then they are simply restating the question, or clearly unnecessary for someone actual... | [
"Followup question(s): How often did this happen/how often did it succeed? Was it a common occurrence, or quite rare? How much support was one expected to have when they presented their petition (e.g. Did they have to have support from a number of noble families? A certain amount of wealth/reputation?) My apologies... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can any Historians please help me identify this mystery device? | [
"In addition to Coyote27's suggestion, please also try asking in /r/WhatIsThisThing -- a much larger community dedicated to answering questions such as this. In the meantime, it's also welcome here."
] | [
"Any chance you can post the photos here or tell us the name of your village? Those things may help someone answer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Hitler Youth Expert? 16 y.o. hopes to interview a HY member or knowledgeable historian for a school project. | [
"My friend's uncle was in the Hitler Youth, don't know if he would be interested but do you want me to ask?"
] | [
"William Jennings Bryan would be a really great character for you to focus on there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How common was it for armies to use drugs to enhance the performance of soldiers? | [
"Could you please specify what time period you had in mind?"
] | [
"Follow up question: What other types of bootcamp training strategies would drill instructors use? Also what were training structures like when there was a massive influx of troops who needed to be trained quickly, such as when the US joined WWII after Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
How did Oklahoma end up with such a prominent panhandle? | [
"I asked a similar question a while ago and got an incredibly thorough and awesome answer here: _URL_0_ props again to /u/khosikulu"
] | [
"An obvious observation is that Arkansas is not on the East coast; from where on the coast are you starting?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Battle of Passchendaele | [
"A good, very detailed answer has already been written. It's called *Passchendaele: A New History* by Nick Lloyd. I think your local library will have it. Or is that too detailed?"
] | [
"_URL_0_ It says here: Base 21, Mios Woendi, Biak Mios Woendi on wiki: _URL_1_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Compared to the vast the majority of colonies granted independence by Britain in the 20th century, how did Ireland so quickly become a prosperous 1st world country whereas many of the other former colonies are still 3rd or 2nd world nations? | [
"Other British Colonies which became independent in the 20th century also became prosperous. Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates are all British colonies which became independent in the 20th century and are prosperous today. (This also assumes that you con... | [
"> What sides were taken? The short version is that most of the area was colonized by France, England, Italy, and Spain. They did not really take side as much as go along with the colonizing powers. > How were they affected? After WWII, the colonial power had neither the strength nor the will to hold to their colo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Did the US mess up badly by not listening to Churchill's plans to invade southern Europe during WW2? | [
"> The whole invasion of France was to stop the USSR from \"gaining\" mtoo much territory. This is not accurate. The US started chomping at the bit for a cross channel invasion almost immediately after the war started when the germans were still advancing against the russians. Stalin loudly demanded a second front... | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about history:"
} |
Congressman during the American Civil War. | [
"Virtually every senator and representative from a state that seceded resigned from the United States Congress and returned to the South. Most of them subsequently held positions in the Confederate government or military, most notably the Confederate president Jefferson Davis, who had served as a United States sena... | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Hi! I would like to learn good habits and all-around general skills to become a better historian. | [
"The second option is pretty much always the way to go. It's pointless to try to judge the past according to today's culture, science, knowledge, ideas, etc. In the end, to be a good historian, though it's impossible to be completely objective, you have to try to be as objective as you can, and as in any other scie... | [
"There's a big difference between being good with words and having the talents required to write dictionaries."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Which division/company liberated Men's Island in World War II? | [
"The British 147th Infantry Brigade, with tank support from the Canadian Ontario Regiment, cleared the southeast corner of the island as part of Operation Destroyer. Specifically, they advanced through the area from Haalderen to Doornenburg in the morning and afternoon of 2 April, 1945. Since Gendt is right between... | [
"Where do you mean? Europe? The US? Middle East? Africa? Eastern Asia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Conan is the most famous fictional Cimmerian. Who is the most famous non-fictional Cimmerian and why? | [
"A clarifying question, if you don't mind. Are you asking about the historical Cimmerians who invaded Asia Minor in the 8th-7th centuries BC? I don't mean to talk down to you, but are you aware that Robert Howard's Cimmerians are a fictional group of people inhabiting a fictional world and not related to the histor... | [
"Giant Spiders were also a staple of Conan the Barbarian, which was around the 1930s."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Were the heroes of old as muscular as they are portrayed in their statues? | [
"Here are a couple of related questions I remember reading, where you can find relevant answers. New ones are welcome in this thread as well, of course: [How strong/muscular were ancient warriors? Did they know enough about muscle growth to be the same build as many athletes/bodybuilders now? When did humans start ... | [
"They symbol of Liberty from the French Revolution was depicted as having one breast exposed. It is suppose to symbolically represent honesty and fervor. The concept is loosely based on the styles of depicting goddesses in statues in ancient Rome."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How did the bow develop across the world? | [
"hi! not discouraging further discussion here, but fyi, there's a large section in the FAQ on this topic * [Origins and dispersal of bow & arrow technology](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Did people romanticize the recent past like we do? [explanation inside] | [
"The Roman emperor Augustus was very nostalgic, and enforced so number of laws based on traditional morality including the prohibition of adultery. I think more generally every culture has had some kind of nostalgia and romantic view of an earlier period, whether it was to a period of particular affluence, the reig... | [
"hi! not discouraging NYC historians from contributing here, but fyi there have been a few threads on this topic that you might find interesting * [Why did New York City deteriorate in the late 1960s and 70s only to recover in the late 70's and 80's](_URL_3_) - featuring NYC flair /u/Yearsnowlost * [Was New York of... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Did some ancient Greeks/Romans actually have bodies that looked as ripped as Farnese Hercules or Laocoön? | [
"It's certainly possible for people to have that physique, and Greeks and Romans especially encouraged strenuous daily exercise for young men. As a matter of state policy all Athenians were supposed to be fit enough to man a galley oar all day or stand in a phalanx and push their guts out until the other side broke... | [
"They thought the Human body was divine and beautiful. The renaissance just copied them. There are plenty of clothed statues as well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Were the Founding Fathers hunted/sought by the British during The War of 1812? | [
"In general, did the British see the War of 1812 as \"revenge\" for the American Revolution?"
] | [
"Well, if you want general history books about the US from the right and from the left, then read *A People's History of the United States* by Howard Zinn (left) And from the right, *A Patriot's History of the United States*."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What is the earliest Brand that we know of? | [
"I am not sure of the earliest date. I can tell you that 'brands' of a sort were common in the LateRoman and Byzantine empire. Merchants would wear rings with stamps on them, usually in the shape of a symbol (like a modern logo although it was often a chi-ro or cross) or a slogan. The Walters Art Museum has a colle... | [
"Also, a small follow-up; When was the \"Santa myth\" as we know it established?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
A Marine’s first general order is, “Take charge of this post and all government property in view.” In 1921 Naval Secretary Denby directed the marines to shoot and never surrender against stage coach bandits attempting to steal the mail. How did the marines get in charge of mail and what changed? | [
"To be clear, the reference to \"post\" in a Marine's first general order for sentries refers to the place where the Marine has been told to do sentry duty. It is not a reference to \"post\" as in the U.S. Postal Service. Accordingly, the first sentence in OP's question has no relevance to the second and third sent... | [
"There was some outcry. Woody Guthrie even wrote a song about it. But the Rueben James was escorting a convoy from a belligerent country to another belligerent country. The torpedo was actually meant for a merchant ship. It wasn’t widely seen as an attack on the United States - and Americans at this point staunchly... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Tilting: The Medieval Cavalry Lance | [
"Actual use of the lance? Why not read the sources? Fiore's treatise is based on his learnings and teachings in Northern Italy (HRE at the time). If you navigate your way to the mounted fencing section, it may illuminate some aspects of the question you are trying to ask regarding its use. _URL_3_"
] | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Has any modern leader of a western country made a controversial decision/order that no one expected once he became the leader? | [
"Lyndon Johnson was a Democrat from Texas. He stunned the Southern Democrats by strongly supporting the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A huge swath of these Southern Democrats defected to the Republican Party and that greatly helped Richard Nixon win the 1968 presidential election with his southern strategy. Storm Th... | [
"War monger who denied people basic rights and often life. Potentially had some good ideas if your left-inclined, but certainly went the wrong way about it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How did the government of the Dutch Republic work? | [
"I'm Dutch myself and i just made a exam about that subject so il answer you're question First of the dutch republic was more like a federation, you had 8 normal provinces and 2 General provinces (which had slightly more autonomy) Thats why the official name of the dutch republic was *vereenigde provincies der nede... | [
"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 answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
The Chinese have historically always controlled large areas of land. The Korean peninsula is comparatively very small. Why have the Chinese never occupied the Korean Peninsula? | [
"I think it's worth pointing out that under the command of Ögedei, the Mongols did conquer the Korean peninsula, and the Mongols are a recognised Chinese dynasty (the Yuan dynasty), so you could almost make the case that the Chinese *did* conquer Korea. Unless you mean specifically the Han Chinese dynasties, but in... | [
"The Japanese main islands have always been inhabited by Japanese people and the only time Japanese territory was controlled by outsiders was during the Allied occupation after WWII. So, no, China does not have even a remotely valid claim on Japan."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why do great empires that decline, never recover? | [
"Not true at all, though recoveries of empires are rare. As an example in the Hittite empire lost most of it's territory, then an emperor named Tudhaliya I recoquored a lot of it and started a re-invigoration of the empire. Then it lost the territory again, then Suppiluliuma I led another recovery."
] | [
"Because English was the dominant language of the superpowers of the 19th (UK) and 20th (USA) centuries. Countries tend to not change their language, no matter how shitty it is, unless they have to."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What made humans unanimously decide the orientation of the Earth? (i.e. the top and the bottom) | [
"Hi! You'll find some info to get you started on this here * FAQ section [Why is North shown as \"up\" on maps?](_URL_0_) featuring answers by /u/khosikulu"
] | [
"By drawing an imaginary line through the planet along the axis that the planet spins, and assigning the top end as north and the bottom end as south, relative to the north and south of the Earth. Yes, this is an arbitrary assignment -- for all we know we're upside down to the rest of the aliens in the universe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Physics:"
} |
I inherited this WW2 medal about a decade ago. It was given to a civilian for keeping a large portion of the railways in the UK open. Does anyone know any information about it? | [
"I believe /r/whatisthisthing is more focused on answering your type of question, though /r/AskHistorians is usually happy to help. That said...I believe you have a medal for the [Royal Victorian Order](_URL_0_). The letters CVO suggest that this is a Commander grade honor."
] | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The game company Nintendo was founded in 1889 as a playing card company. What was Nintendo doing during WWII? | [
"u/keyilan gave an answer to a similar question about three years ago. _URL_0_"
] | [
"You may not be aware that some snack brands are foreign because you grew up with them. For instance, Nestle' is a Swiss company that licenses the Kit Kat bar, invented in England, to the Hershey company. Probably the largest foreign fast food place in the U.S. is Tim Horton's which is a Canadian doughnut restauran... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Did some people actually sell their children in the great depression? If so, what happened to them? | [
"This photograph looks to be staged. It is possible that this photo was created as a form of commentary, and does not capture an image of something that literally was happening. Do you know where it came from? While I have never heard of children in the United States being sold in large numbers during the Great De... | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Mercenaries and the Angolan War of Independence? | [
"Is there anything specific you'd like to know? Because it seems like you have two questions: one concerning mercenaries in Africa (which is honestly a history covering most of the Cold War and which, at the lack of proper sources, be shallow at best) and one regarding the Angolan War of Independence which lasted b... | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
I need help identifying a flag found in attic | [
"Might want to try the guys over at [Vexillology](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Can't remember specifics but something about nuns creating a shape that looked like children folding arms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
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} |
Need help accurately converting English characters to Elder Futhark runes. | [
"There is a lot of nuance to it. I have some experience with runology but I would never presume to try this and call it accurate. You'd need a professional runologist for that and there are probably less than 100 of those in the world. You see, the problem is that you are not trying to transliterate letters here^* ... | [
"Related question, but: Why Greek? Why not Egyptian hieroglyphs instead? Why not Cyrillic? Or Mandarin characters?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Education:"
} |
What was the sentiment about the date ticking over from 999AD to 1000AD? Was there some kind of fear/panic/theological significance similar to our tech scare Y2K? Any notably large celebrations? | [
"Most of the reactions regarding the change from 999 to 1000CE comes centuries later after the event, with the earliest being seen in the writings of German abbot Joannes Tritemius. His writings contains bits about it being the end of days, fear of the population. However seeing how almost all of the writings about... | [
"Most likely the only significant event would be the endless stream of panic induced superstitious end of the world conspiracy theories."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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Was the Atomic Age in America really as full of unbridled enthusiasm for the future as is commonly depicted in pop culture? What other eras and cultures in history were distinctly optimistic or pessimistic about the future? | [
"Well, it didn't last long, but the fall of Communism in Hungary was followed by euphoria and for the first 2-3 years people were extremely optimistic about how we would reach the Western Europen standard of living within a few years. People were enthusiastic about starting businesses (which they were not allowed b... | [
"Science Fiction is less of a prediction mechanism and more of a window into what people are currently thinking. In early sci-fi, the goal was to exploit a possible future where people became better as individuals and as a species. Currently, sci-fi represents a general pessimism about the human condition. Not ever... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
Would the practice of Voodoo in Louisiana between 1900 and 1925 be "illegal"? | [
"A good book to examine on this subject might be Mary Renda's [_Taking Haiti: Military Occupation and the Culture of U.S. Imperialism, 1915-1940_](_URL_1_). Voodoo didn't enter into mainstream public consciousness in the U.S. until around the late 1920s and 1930s, partly because of cultural symbols and imagery evok... | [
"Yes. Slavery in Rome was not tied to race/skin color like it was in the United States during the 1700-1800s"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
I read a claim that the Hutus and Tutsis are actually the same and were first split by the European colonists who entered the region. Is there any support for this claim? | [
"No, while there is substantial overlap, there are real generic variation between the two population groups and Hutu animosity towards Tutsis, who migrated into what is now Rwanda, is a source of long grievance in the local mythology. There's also clear physiological differentiation, to my untrained eye, as the Tut... | [
"Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations on the planet and we hear a lot about them and their history prior to European colonial era. We also hear a lot about the Caliphate eras of the middle ages and dark ages which controlled much of North and Central Africa, and of Carthage that was in North Africa during the R... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
Was there an equivalent of "This is 21st century, and you still send letters?" or "This is 21st century, and we still have shitty printers" before 20th century? | [
"I posted this before, but I recently came across a newspaper article from the Frisian Leeuwarder Courant, January 21st 1758: > 'Men heeft hier, met veel verontwaardiging, in eenige buitenlandsche nieuwspapieren, gezien de verdigtzels, die konings vyanden verspreiden van het gedrag van zyne Majesteits troupen in Du... | [
"It's not a modern phenomenon at all, what makes you think it's only been happening for the last 20 years?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Gentrification:"
} |
How and when was it discovered the Mayans hadn't used wheels? Are their other questionable decisions that Mayans were 'blind' to? | [
"The wheeled vehicle is not as intuitive an invention as most people seem to think. In fact, as /u/Daeres explains in [this submission](_URL_0_), it was only ever invented twice and possibly even only once, in the entire history of mankind. The reason the wheeled vehicle did not reach the Americas before Columbus i... | [
"Mostly everything on the History Channel about Ancient Alien theory is sensationalist bulllshit. Their way of explaining it is usually along the lines of \"We don't quite understand how ancient people achieved this, or what these symbols that kinda sorta look like spaceships mean, therefore:aliens.\" That being s... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
The Old Summer Palace was destroyed in 1960 during the Second Opium War, but to what extent was it then again ransacked in 1900 by the Eight Nation Alliance? | [
"While the Boxers are not my primary area of familiarity, nevertheless I have found no reference to a second major sacking of the Summer Palace in either Paul Cohen's *History in Three Keys* (1997) nor David Silbey's *The Boxer Rebellion and the Great Game in China* (2012), and a [blog post by Dr. Silbey comparing ... | [
"The country has been conquered before: it was under Chinese rule from the 17th century to 1921 (with a mix of conflict and autonomy between 1911 and 1921). It was even briefly conquered by the infamous Baron von Ungern-Sternberg during the Russian Revolution, until the Chinese came back. And he had more than 500 k... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
How real are hidden mechanics in temples we see in movies or video games like uncharted or Indiana Jones? | [
"hi! you'll find some discussion in this recent post, plus links to a pile o' threads in the FAQ * [Ancient ruins with booby traps in them. is that trope based on anything that actually ever existed, or is it totally the invention of 19th/20th century adventure fiction writers?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Believe it or not some people care more about if a game is enjoyable than if it looks good. I know I spend most of my gaming time playing games like Minecraft, Elder Scrolls 3-5 and old pokemon games, all of which may not look the greatest but damn are they fun. Video games should be about having a good time, that... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Were jesters really a thing? What did the position involve? What kind of act did they perform? How did one become a jester? | [
"Hey there, you might want to check out the FAQ section on [Court Jesters](_URL_1_) by u/texpeare. Also, take a look through some (or all!) of these previous threads: **On court life and jestering:** [*What was life like for a jester/royal fool on the medieval era?*](_URL_0_) by u/nilhaus [*I'm a court jester in th... | [
"So /u/citrusonic has a really great answer with regards to music, but what if you had no talent for music or were not interested in playing it? What other activities would the daughters of English nobility take part in circa 1650? How much and what type of education would they receive? I've also seen in many perio... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did people navigate before using Polaris to find North? | [
"They still used the sky, even though they couldn't be so accurate. For example, in the *Odyssey*, which was written when Polaris was eleven degrees away from the Pole, Odysseus navigates by the also-non-polar Great Dipper: > *He never closed his eyes, but kept them fixed on the Pleiades, on late-setting Bootes, a... | [
"In the real world why would anyone want to be a politician?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was that "old-timey" boxing stance used sometimes for comedic effect in movies ever a real thing? If so, why/when did it change? | [
"First of all, motion should not be steady and preferably not always in the same direction. The goal here is to make your own fists harder to hit. Since you have no gloves to protect you, they are a valuable target. As for the position of the hands, pugilists used it to keep distance from opponents. That's also a r... | [
"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 Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
When and where were line graphs first used? | [
"The Cartesian coordinate system was developed by René Descartes in early 17th century, it is a powerful tool to link algebra to geometry. The polar coordinate system was introduced in the same century too, Sir Isaac Newton was one of its early developers."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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} |
How true is it that in 1914 there were Christmas truces in which enemies played football together and exchanging gifts instead of fighting during the First World War? | [
"The stories aren't totally false, but highly embellished. This came up recently, and you can find a more in-depth answer [here.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Remembrance day is coming soon. It's the UK's version of the US's Veteran's Day, which is also on the same day. They both commemorate the end of World War 1. The red flower pins represent poppies, and they are a symbol of Remembrance day because some of the fighting in WW1 was done in poppy fields."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
WW2-focused board games | [
"Hiya, this seems a bit more suited as a question to /r/boardgames than this subreddit. But my guess is that they would tell you about things like [Memoir 44](_URL_0_), which is supposedly quite good."
] | [
"They're pretty much OGs. And by OG I mean it was the first English (language) website to rip off 2chan."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
What is the meaning and origin of the "blue blood" phrase used about nobles? | [
"Several cultures use the phrase, but it was originally Spanish. People who claimed to be \"pure\" Spaniards (that is, of Visigoth stock) as opposed to Muslims or Jews, were pale. Visigoth nobles, who didn't work outside as much, were paler still. Pale = visible veins. Visible veins are blue. Blueblood. I *knew* ... | [
"What does \"ashy\" mean in the context of body parts?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
AskHistorians Podcast 097 - Union Prisoners in the Civil War South w/Professor Lorien Foote | [
"Having data capped internet, what's the typical size of a podcast? Imagine it's not too large? 100M or so?"
] | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Who actually received an advantage from the French Revolution | [
"This question is really, really broad and vague. Are we talking political entities here? The national or international stage? Are we talking individuals or groups? What sort of advantage? Can you give us some background on what led you to ask this question that might help you get a better answer?"
] | [
"You made the mistake of thinking that the primary intention of the US government when going to other countries is to promote freedom."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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Why do keyboard instruments have bass keys on the left and treble ones on the right side? | [
"This is a very general gloss of keyboard and guitar ergonomics. First of all, the majority of people are right handed, and historically speaking, in what's known as the common practice period i.e Classical Music, you would want your most skillful hand to be able to play and add decorations to the melody of whateve... | [
"Oh god I was first French horn in college but I'm terrible at explaining things. Here I go! Ok so I'm sure you've seen a piano. All the white keys are the \"natural\" notes. Example: A,B,C. All the black smaller keys are the variants of those notes. Example: The little black key to the left side of the \"B\" white... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
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} |
Alexei Petrovich, 17 year-old son of Peter the Great, went to Dresden in 1609 and studied French, German, mathematics, and fortification - what would studying "fortification" entail for an early 17th century prince? Paintings? Books? Having peasants build models? | [
"Alexi Petrovich visited Dresden in 1709, not 1609, by the way. Basically \"fortification\" meant training as a military engineer. It would include study of the architecture and engineering necessary to build what is called today a \"star fort\" but was called at the time \"*trace italienne*\". Training would pr... | [
"The emperor in the story doesn't represent a specific person. In fact, it's an adaption of existing folk tales featuring foolish rulers transmitted via Spain, Arabia, Persia, etc. It's a very ancient theme. But in the story, the emperor rode in a carriage and visited the theater. What sort of emperor was Andersen ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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I hear it often said that Shakespeare coined the term alone and its bastardizations. Was the concept of loneliness nonexistent in western culture before him? | [
"[Merriam-Webster](_URL_0_) says the first known use of alone was in the 13th century."
] | [
"Modern English basically starts right around when Shakespeare was active. One could even argue that, with all the words and phrases and usages coined by Shakespeare, he *made* modern English. He's also one of the pioneers of western drama; companies of players and their works were low, common and disreputable prio... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
When did electrical wiring become a norm in houses? | [
"Ok, I hadn't read Angela's Ashes, and had to look up a summary of it. It looks like you are referring to the time in Ireland? If so, I'm going to have to bow out, because my knowledge of the electrification of Ireland is non existent. In the United States, by the 1930's, electricity was far from a luxury for \"the... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Were there any successful "corners" in the early American stock market (1790 - 1934)? | [
"I don't know the specifics of it and I don't have the book to hand, but William Cronon's *Nature's Metropolis* definitely discusses early attempts to corner the market in grain futures. The book is a history of Chicago, and one chapter deals with the way that the city became a new kind of market and entrepot for g... | [
"Hamilton's National Bank *was* established. There was a National Bank from 1791-1811, then no bank for 5 years, then a new National Bank from 1816-1836, then no bank for a while, then a new National Bank from 1863 (Civil War debts and loans and what-not) until the early 20th century when the Federal Reserve banks... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
Are there any good books about the politics that lead to the beginning of World War One? | [
"The War That Ended Peace by Margaret MacMillan. [Here's](_URL_0_) a piece done on the book by The Guardian."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
How long would it take a Viking longship to get from Norway to the shores of England? | [
"If the longship departed from Stavanger, Norway, and landed at Newcastle on Tyne, England, the distance would be 350 nautical miles. If the longship averaged 4 knots, the time would be 3 days 16 hours. Obviously, this would vary depending on how much speed the wind and weather allowed the longship to make, and by ... | [
"The Russian Empire DID spread over the Bering straight. Vitius Bering was the Russian explorer who gave his name to the straight and the shallow sea to the north of the Aleutian islands. However, the Russian colony in Alaska was so remote, it was quicker to sail from St Petersburg, south to Cape Horn, then north t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did the vikings just not realize that if they traveled a few hundred more miles south they would find much more agreeable temperatures? | [
"First off, *víkingar* raided all over Europe, from Scandinavia to Spain and Russia, and would have definitely told of other places when they returned home. The trade links between Scandinavian countries and Islamic states indicates that Scandinavians were definitely aware of other, warmer climes, but there migrati... | [
"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... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
What's the background behind this very NSFW propaganda print from around the time Japan won the Russo-Japanese War? Who would have produced it or consumed it? I take it falls under the category of "Shunga". Was it "mainstream" or "pornographic" or both/neither? | [
"Thank you for this imagery, I have something new to haunt my dreams. The message in the picture is a pretty poor joke, the sort of thing one might find in the British contemporary Punch. Going from right to left: The right message is the Russian soldier (designated as \"rosuke\" or \"russki\") saying that \"Ugh, ... | [
"By \"asian porn\" I think you're referring to the Japanese porn industry and the products they produce. Japan basically has a law in place that states that materials \"injuring to the public morals\" should be censored. This belief largely stems from the Meiji Era of Japan where the law was first implemented. When... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Apart from the outcry following The Jungle, what impact did the work of Upton Sinclair have on American society? | [
"The impact *The Jungle* had on American people was not the impact Sinclair was going for. He wrote *The Jungle* as an expose on what he felt were predatory hiring practices executed by Chicago beef packing houses in the late 19th-early 20th century. He decried hiring Swedish immigrants and basically working them t... | [
"What are the must read books about the American revolution published within the last five years? What are the current arguments being discussed by historians who study the era?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Literature:"
} |
How did the Portugese empire go from once spanning the whole world to it's current state as not even being a G20 country? How did such a drop off from prominence occur? | [
"I covered a lot of reasons of early decline in power in [this post](_URL_0_). You can also read this very nice and concise [thread](_URL_1_) by /u/nathanial_jones"
] | [
"The British empire did not reach it's largest extent untill 100+ years after the loss of the 13 colonies. It was nowhere near \"collapse\" after the revolutionary war, in fact it played a starring role in defeating Napoleon not long after and it's 19th century heyday was yet to come. So not very much although you ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
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} |
Medieval Period quesion. | [
"When you say \"lower Middle Ages,\" do you mean in the French sense of *bas moyen age*, ~1000-1500? (English would usually say \"early\" and \"later\" rather than high and low). If so, you might be interested in: * Ian Mortimer, *The Time Traveller's Guide to the Fourteenth Century* * Barbara Hanawalt, *The Ties T... | [
"Relevant entertaining and informative youtube video Electrocution in Water: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What do we know about the historical nature of private family meals in America? | [
"There was a pretty interesting project that began in 1935 under the Works Progress Administration called the Historical Records Survey. Part of it was an investigation of current American culinary practices called *America Eats*. Mark Kurlansky's book *The Food of a Younger Land* and Pat Willard's book *America Ea... | [
"I sincerely doubt there's much difference in personal liberties between America and Western Europe."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
When did the concept of "consent" first come about in regards to sexual relations, both culturally, and legally? | [
"I look at the history of the consent ethic for one region in this thread: * [When did the idea of consent as a requirement for sex or marriage first arise in western Europe?]( _URL_0_)"
] | [
"Firstly, it's illegal because the laws were written at a time when homosexual sex was illegal *for being homosexual sex*. There was no need to distinguish between incestuous heterosexual unions and incestuous homosexual unions. Secondly, sex isn't just about reproduction. There's also no small amount of power. An ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
I'm in Siena, and I found this coat of arms on a wall in the old hospital, and I was wondering where it was from? (link in description) | [
"Seems to be the coat of arms of the House of Hapsburg-Lorraine - the dynasty which held the Grand Duchy of Tuscany from 1737 onwards after having succeeded to the last of the Medici, Gian Gastone (what a character!). As a related piece of trivia... their rule ceased in 1859, with the Italian unification."
] | [
"I remember reading in my ancient history text book at university, that there is a grafitti found in Pompeii on a brothel wall, which says \"Here I got a sour one\". I'll see if I can find any other source on this."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
What is a good book, like Sapiens, that is considered more accurate by experts? | [
"I loved Toute lhistoire du monde (cc) Poche – 14 février 2007 de [Jean-Claude Barrea](_URL_0_)u. It's the entire story of the world, and it's a similar style. The guy is a historian and it's well written in a similar matter. I'm not sure you can get it in another language though."
] | [
"I would really like to know a good book on the philosophy of history, or a place where I could learn more to contribute about the philosophy of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are some good general history books covering Napoleon and the French Revolution? | [
"Peter McPhee's *The French Revolution: 1789 - 1799* is a very good general introduction, which also covers events all the way up to Napoleon's rise to power and the Consulate in addition to the Revolution. I'd highly recommend it."
] | [
"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:",
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} |
How much net worth in 2018 dollars would you need to be considered a "Kulak" in Stalin's Russia? | [
"Follow up question: I've heard it claimed by folks like Niall Ferguson that the persecution of the Kulaks was deeply tied to antisemitism and was nothing less than an anti\\-Jewish pogrom? Is there any truth to this? If so, was this a centrally directed policy, or locals who turned on their Jewish neighbors when p... | [
"I would say he wasn't, basically he had 200 million sesterces and an income of around 12 million sesterces a year. The best way to compare fortunes across time is not tons of grain (since machinery means grain is relatively cheaper to produce now for example) or just adjusting for thousands of years of inflation; ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Looking for some books on the Dutch, Knights, Medieval Warriors/Weaponry and War, Medieval European Nobility, and Medieval Culture | [
"A good place to start, for at least part of what you want, is Strickland's *Anglo-Norman Warfare.* I usually also recommend Gillingham's *The English in the Twelfth Century*. It's not so relevant to your precise interests, but it is good."
] | [
"Osprey Publishing, which tends to be more 'accessible' and image-focused tends to have volumes upon volumes dedicated to Uniformology. They have multiple volumes for the various Armed Forces of World War II. A few of their titles that may interest you: \"The Romanian Army in World War II\" by Mark Axworthy \"The R... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
I am interested in learning about history, can anyone help? | [
"Read. Read this subreddit. Read this subreddit's [Popular Questions](_URL_1_). Read some of [this subreddit's recommended books about history](_URL_2_). Read some of [this subreddit's recommended academic resources](_URL_0_). Read. That should keep you occupied for a year or five. And, it'll get you started!"
] | [
"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 query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Who was General Tso? | [
"[Tso Tsung-t'ang](_URL_1_) (alternately Zuo Zongtang) was a Chinese general during the late Qing dynasty, most famous for helping to quell the Taiping rebellion. I'm about to commit a horrible sin for /r/AskHistorians by linking to a TED talk. Nevertheless, this [talk by Jennifer 8. Lee](_URL_0_) (coincidentally t... | [
"Looks like Charles I of Great Britain to me."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why would a New England village have tall wooden poles c.1900? | [
"Any chance you can post the photos here or tell us the name of your village? Those things may help someone answer."
] | [
"Does it matter if there is water instead of roads between a number of small towns? We have boats and bridges."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What was daily life like in the People's Republic of Hungary circa 1960? | [
"I don't know, but one of my teachers was a Hungarian. One day he saw a student in a coffee shop wearing a hammer-and-sickle shirt. He went up to the student and said \"You know, in Hungary there are many people that would be very unhappy to see that shirt.\" He was a very easy going man, but there was real anger t... | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why was America as successful as it was in the 20th century? | [
"A very vague question that has lots of answers but in short: * Industrial success * Almost constant innovation in multiple sectors and industries * Military success, monetary and financial domination (especially in setting up the US Dollar as pretty much the de facto international currency in global transactions)... | [
"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:"
} |
Interested in major historical events and need help on finding out more about them. | [
"A timeline of world history events: _URL_3_ r/AskHistorian's book recommendations on world history: * [What is a good book for learning world history from... the beginning?](_URL_0_) * [Could you guys give me a recommendation on a set of books that I could use to give myself a sort of general understanding of West... | [
"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 title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What is the history of time(keeping)? | [
"I'm not sure about the rest, but the 60 minutes in an hour devision comes from ancient Mesopotamia where the number system was base-60. ([this website](_URL_1_) describes how it worked.) In my region, there were many overlapping calendars. (A 365-day solar one, a 260-day ritual one, a 584-day one aimed at the cycl... | [
"It has a few different meanings in different contexts. What setting are we talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about finance:"
} |
In your opinion, what was the most significant event leading up to the American Revolutionary War? | [
"I don't think there is one single event that can be attributed to starting the American Revolution. I would say that the rising British involvement in Colonial affairs in contrast to the previous 150 years of benign neglect led to a series of events that quickly escalated into revolution. This change in conduct ca... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
This is what I presume to be a European capital building? | [
"It is the Jefferson Building of the US Library of Congress. See this [colorized photo](_URL_0_) from the same angle. Oddly, what tipped me off was Horatio Greenough's statue of George Washington in the lower left-hand corner. [Another angle](_URL_1_). [Note the same light fixtures on the columns.] The statue was ... | [
"Could you find a picture of what you mean?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How early was the first of what we would consider a "military campaign?" | [
"Well we have records of of Akkadian, Assyrian, Sumerian and other Mesopotamian conquests dating back to around 3000 BCE. These records come in the form of art carved upon decorative pieces depicting conquests of cities. Though I believe the first battles we have written texts for are the battles of [Meggido](_URL_... | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
When were the first musical instruments available to the public? | [
"_URL_2_ These were made out of clay a really long time ago. There's also good stuff under Similar instruments. According to _URL_0_ the oldest clay whistles found in Central Africa goes back more than 30,000 years. There's this, too. _URL_1_"
] | [
"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:"
} |
When did historians quit using O.S. Birthdates? | [
"The dates changed in 1752 due to the Calendar Act of 1752. So Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and others born before 1752 would have a O.S. birthdate and after the change they would have a N.S. birth date. _URL_1_ _URL_0_"
] | [
"Are there any good introduction books to historiography in general? JFK in particular? Thank you"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can anybody recommend a good book or reputable online source for Native American symbols? | [
"The Lakota, and other Plains groups, kept a pictorial history called a winter count. Winter counts are a collection of images with each image representing the major event of each year. The images would serve a bit like a mnemonic device for telling the history of the group. The Smithsonian has an online exhibit [h... | [
"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 query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can this sub offer any information on this disc that I found? | [
"To me, it looks very similar to many [medieval wax seals](_URL_0_) that I've seen. Have you tried to do a rubbing (where you gently press a crayon against a piece of paper over the item) of it? That might pick up more of the writing. Latin was used as the universal language up until pretty recently - really, unti... | [
"Why was this removed? i was also hoping to find the answer here. My guess is fluid movement?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Health:"
} |
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