query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Why did ancient Greek amphorae have such impractical pointy bottoms? | [
"I've answered this before but I can't seem to find it now. If you you, that thread has more info on ancient amphorae. Two basic theories: A) the pointy ends were meant to slot into the cavities created by arranging a base layer of amphorae in racks on a ship. Imagine a ship's hull, with no decks, lined with racks with holes. Then the next layer slots into the cavities formed between the pots of the base layer. [Example](_URL_1_) B) that the shape was simply to fit into premade racks on ships, for stability in heavy seas. [Example](_URL_0_). The \"pointy\" amphorae were not used for anything except transport. When the contents were distributed, they went into smaller vessels for sale."
] | [
"There is a certain aspect of path dependence here. Barrels and amphorae aren't just different in material, they are different in a lot of ways that have direct impact in their use. For example, to carry an amphora off a ship onto a dock you would pick it up by the handles and carry it, while a barrel would be rolled. Likewise, storing barrels and storing amphorae require different sorts of interior architecture in a ship."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about History:"
} |
In the film Casablanca, there is a scene where a Nazi loudspeaker car (Gestapo according to Rick) arrives in Paris ahead of the German Army and tells civilians how to behave when the Army arrives. Is this accurate? | [
"If I can ask a related question -- in Casablanca, Rick references a concentration camp: > Now, you've got to listen to me! You have any idea what you'd have to look forward to if you stayed here? Nine chances out of ten, we'd both wind up in a concentration camp. Isn't that true, Louie? Since the film was produced in the middle of 1942, I was a little surprised to hear the reference to concentration camps. I had always thought that these were discovered towards the end of the war, in 1945. How much knowledge did people have of camps at that time?"
] | [
"They were aware that something was happening, but they had much bigger concerns at the time. They were fighting wars on several borders, and constant bombings made them more worried about their own skins than whatever might have happened to their Jewish neighbors. Source: Grandmother who lived in Dresden during the firebombings."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Day of Reflection | April 28, 2014 - May 04, 2014 | [
"I quite enjoyed the back a forth in this thread about [early Christian identity](_URL_1_) with some good, healthy debate about the competing theories. Also, /u/tayaravaknin went above and beyond in providing a [exhaustively complete answer about the USS Libery incident.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1988. > > Howe, Daniel Walker. “Church, State, and Education in the Young American Republic.” Journal of the Early Republic 22, no. 1 (April 1, 2002): 1–24. > > Kaestle, Carl. Pillars of the Republic: Common Schools and American Society, 1780-1860. 1st ed. Hill and Wang, 1983. > > Spring, Joel. The American School: From the Puritans to No Child Left Behind. 7th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. > > Katz, Michael B. “Horace Mann: What Went Wrong?” Reviews in American History 1, no. 2 (June 1, 1973): 218–223. > > Messerli, Jonathan. Horace Mann: A Biography. New York: Knopf, 1972."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
How do people groups who have met for the first time communicate? | [
"This is probably worth asking over in /r/askanthropolgy or /r/asklinguistics You can aslo see previous answers to similar questions in /u/drylaw response to _URL_1_ Or /u/bamabreeze505 response to _URL_0_ Or /u/tglucose response to _URL_2_ (he also suggests further reading via Empires of the World: A Language history of the World by Nicholas Ostler)"
] | [
"Because people think they are the best. Do you want to enumerate your concerns?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Can anyone point me in the direction of original Martin Luther King speeches? | [
"[American Rhetoric](_URL_0_) is my go-to site for such things. Excellent archive."
] | [
"Please provide a link to a couple of these apps, or at least their names?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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"neg": "Represent the document about Technology:"
} |
What was the significance of the reign of Septimus Severus? | [
"I am only a Q-list Roman historian, but I would argue that the biggest impact to come from the reign of Septimius Severus can be found in what he allegedly said to his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, on his deathbed: > \"\"Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers, and scorn all other men.\" The notion of placing the army above all of the other groups that an emperor would need to keep happy (the people, the Senate, etc.) really got of the ground with the reign of Severus. This trend was carried on by Caracalla, who gave the soldiers massive wage increases. The legions, of course, became used to their new income rates and discontent grew under Alexander Severus when he cut their wages, a big part that led to his eventual death but definitely not the only."
] | [
"How aware was the Roman citizen of the political intrigues going on at the time? Did they know anything about Ricimer and his control of the emperors of that era?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
What is the origin of the various Negrito people in Southeast Asia? | [
"[This website](_URL_0_) is a great resource on the Andaman Islanders and other negrito peoples of South East Asia. It combines first-hand accounts with scientific articles."
] | [
"A follow-up and related question: how about young people in other parts of the world in this time period? I.e. South Asia, China, West Africa, South America?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
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I was watching a documentary about U.S. National Parks and many people from the 1800's keep referring to Niagara Falls as an "embarrassment". Why is that? | [
"It would be helpful to have some context regarding how the word, \"embarrassment\" was used. \"Embarrassment of riches\" means an overabundance of riches, for example. _URL_2_"
] | [
"They put out a program on the mound builders about 15 years ago which hinted that they might have been built by immigrants from the Old World. The program was sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Just about lobbed my remote at the screen."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
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Why why the writings of Diarists so important? Is there an analog in this day and age? | [
"Diarists are important because they record the reactions of the writers to events as they occur. Taking Pepys as an example, he was able to react to the Great Fire of London as it happened (his first mention of it comes when it was a small fire rather far away from him, for example), rather than writing down his recollections of it after it had finished. It's as close to a real-time source as historians can get: people's reactions to events and the importance they place on those events are flavored by later events. There is an example of a Russian diarist who mentioned in his diary in the late 1930s (I'm paraphrasing) \"Germany annexes Sudetenland. Dinner with friends, then ballet.\" This shows that many people didn't see this as a huge event in Russia, though, of course, it turned out to have massive consequences. This kind of information is *vital* for historians."
] | [
"Wouldn't that be a primary source for the attitude of The Minutemen to the war? If I use Catullus or Horace or some other poetry, I treat it as primary. What would it be secondary to?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Vikings or other Europeans | [
"Hi OP, can you clarify, are you asking about the initial settlement and migrations through the Americas by Aboriginal peoples, or colonization by Europeans? And in either case, what kinds of information are you looking for? This will greatly assist anyone considering answering here. Thanks!"
] | [
"What? Europeans were slamming ass all over the world! North America/US was no exception"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
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How can US presidents keep their presidential papers private? | [
"Generally government documents are kept classified for a period after their creation. This is for a variety of reason, to prevent secret information being revealed, personal details or so that it does not affect public opinion and hinder governments operations. In the US the maximum declassification can take is 25 years, though for really secret stuff it may be held longer if it pertains to present activity. So Reagan was the last major president to get all his papers released. We may get the first Bush's papers in a few years. Generally historians won't be able to look at the papers before their release."
] | [
"US President is the highest office in the nation. Once you've been President, you can command many thousands of dollars in speaking fees, you can open your library, you can publish your memoirs and make more money, you receive a pension of $200,000 per year - why would you want to stay in politics? Anyways, they don't all retire from politics. Harry Truman stayed active for years, campaigning for Democrat Senate candidates."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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"neg": "Represent the document:"
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What exactly led Spain to bankrupcy multiple times in the early modern era? | [
"Rapid inflation caused by the huge influx of gold and silver from the New World created quite a few problems for the Spanish. Then when those gold and silver mines eventually started being less productive, the Spanish had the huge military and government budget needed to sustain a vast global empire. It became more and more difficult to pay those bills, and make the necessary cuts to balance their budget. Give me a minute to find a source. EDIT: [this](_URL_6_) is the best I could do for the moment"
] | [
"Follow up question (please don't delete) how influential were nobility titles on economic upward mobility in the Europe of that same time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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The Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is more widely known as "Obamacare" Are there any other acts or laws that were more widely known by a word associated with a president's name, in U.S. history? | [
"There wasn't a specific law that established these areas, but the Democratic Party was key to popularizing the term \"Hooverville\" for the shanty towns that arose during the Great Depression. I'm still trying to think of a better answer since the most obvious one would be Reaganomics."
] | [
"The President: * Is command-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Although he cannot declare war, he can order troops to mobilize and is ultimately in charge of the entire military. * Sets policy for the federal government. What's not codified in law can be affected by his political leanings, e.g. directing the FBI or Department of Justice to do certain things. * Can sign executive orders which have the full force of law as long as they are not in contradiction with existing laws (they have limits but are still quite powerful) * Nominates judges and Supreme Courts justices * Has the power of veto making it very difficult for oppositional parties to pass controversial legislation without a supermajority Probably a few things I'm forgetting but those are some of the big ones."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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Did Genghis Khan ever control Korea? | [
"Ogedi Khan, his son, did order an invasion of the Korean Peninsula as far as I know, but it was pretty tough going for the Mongols. There is a lot of information on [this wiki page](_URL_0_) if you're interested."
] | [
"> Why didn't the Huns just stay there in China The Huns didn't come from China. We actually do not know exactly where they came from, just that they were living east of the Volga River prior to their migration westwards."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
How did doctors close internal injuries before the invention of dissolvable stitches? | [
"Dissolving sutures have been around for quite some time in some form or another. The Roman physician Galen writes about using sutures made from intestines in the 2nd century AD and while we can't be certain these are dissolving there is a high chance they were. By the 10th century though the \"catgut\" suture was definitely in existence, these sutures were made of the fibrous parts of animal intestines (generally sheep and not cat!). Catgut sutures had strength for ~7 days allowing a wound to be closed to heal but would be broken down by the body within 90 days. This remained the prevalent suture type until the development of artificial dissolving polymers beginning in the 1930s."
] | [
"Infections. A cut or scrape that someone in the west would treat with a bandaid and maybe some topical ointment can turn into a nightmare of gangrene and require amputation without things like sterile bandages, over the counter antibacterials, clean water, and the ability to keep wounds free of contamination."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why do months not have uniform length? | [
"The prime factors of 365 are 5 and 73, which means that the only way you can divide the year up into exactly equal chunks is either by having 5 73-day 'months' or by having 73 5-day 'months'. Since the month was originally set to be roughly equal to the amount of time the Moon takes to orbit the Earth, you can see why neither options were very desirable. Then, of course, you have to take leap years into account. So it is essentially mathematically impossible to have 12 months of equal length. As for why February has so few days, that is a not a question I am able to answer..."
] | [
"New to reddit so don't know if this is a joke question? '100 years to the day' means simply that the dates of the events are the same, that's all. The number of years in between, or whether they are leap years, is irrelevant."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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When did the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States swap places on the political spectrum, and what caused it? | [
"When an election happens where political parties switch directions it's called \"realignment election\". The last Realignment Election was in 1964. Lyndon Johnson (and by extension, JFK), called for end to segregation. One of his biggest battle was passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Southern politicians were vocally opposed to it and the Democrat party lost support in the South as Republican conservatives such as Barry Goldwater became vocal opponent of not only the Civil Rights Act but also Johnson's War on Poverty. Johnson told Kennedy aide Ted Sorensen that \"I know the risks are great and we might lose the South, but those sorts of states may be lost anyway.\""
] | [
"Super quick note: In the rest of the world, \"Liberal\" refers to \"individual liberalism\", or in other words things like lower taxes, smaller government, less restrictive laws surrounding business and finance, etc, while \"Republican\" tends to imply social programs and big government. This used to be the case in the US, then politics happened and everyone forgot what they stood for in order to get elected."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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} |
Why did some nations, such as the USSR, Saudi Arabia and South Africa refuse to sign the Universal Declaration of Human Rights | [
"South Africa did not vote for the UDHR because its provisions on racial equality and non-discrimination went totally against the *apartheid* policy of racial segregation. In 1948 the National Party had just been elected, and apartheid was the foundation of their platform. [See here](_URL_0_) for more information about the abstentions. (One of Nelson Mandela's first announcements in his first speech to Parliament after being elected was that the South African government would inform the UN that it subscribed to the UDHR.)"
] | [
"They didn't even declare war on North Korea during the Korean War. \"Officially\", North Korea did not exist and the South Korean government was considered to be the only legitimate government of Korea. Similarly, the People's Republic of China was not recognized by the U.N. at the time. Instead, Chiang Kai-shek's government-in-exile was still officially recognized as China's \"real\" government. In fact, the U.N. was only able to enter the Korean War on the side of the South because the Soviet Union was boycotting the U.N. in response to its refusal to recognize Mao's regime in China. Had the Soviet Union not boycotted the U.N., they could have vetoed any attempt by the U.N. to aid South Korea."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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I am the daughter of an English nobleman in 1650. What does my daily routine consist of? | [
"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 period movies and TV shows that young women would be sent to the court of a higher ranked noble (the King, Duke, etc) to be a lady in waiting. At what age did this usually take place? How much training was a new lady in waiting expected to have before she could be accepted by whoever she is serving?"
] | [
"The Middle Ages is a pretty huge period that spanned centuries, so you might want to refine your question. The daily life of a monarch in the 8th century was incomparably different from that of a 16th century one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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I am a middle-class woman in Britain circa 1860. What does my daily routine consist of? | [
"Do you mean middle-class in the British sense (something like 'the professional class') or in the US sense which seems to include working people?"
] | [
"Like sex, personal finances have long been considered a private family matter in British and American society. It is still generally considered rude to ask people what they spent on something or how much they make. However I was taught to balance a checkbook, calculate interest, and prepare a weekly spending budget in my home economics class 20 years ago. But that prepared me about as well as the sex talk in health class."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How did sailor avoid hypothermia in the 18th century? | [
"In addition to bundling up when possible, there were three things that would keep a sailor warm enough not to die of hypothermia, though certainly not comfortable. First, men on a sailing ship move around a great deal. They are hauling rope, climbing into the masts, rolling sails, and otherwise constantly running around. The constant motion keeps the body warm. Second, sailors often coated their shipboard clothing with a layer of tar. The tar would make the clothing somewhat waterproof and would keep out the worst of the damp. Last, sailors generally only stood short duty watches. In English and American vessels generally 4 hours. Afterwards they would go below to warm up, get some food, or grab some blankets and sleep. Some captains would have the cook keep hot food available in the galley if conditions were safe enough."
] | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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[META] Is it just me or are there way more [deleted] comments in this sub as compared to other popular subs? Why is that? | [
"Trust me on this: I don't mod here, but I mod over in ye olde /r/askscience which has a similar comment philosophy. You are *not* missing anything in these deleted trees. The contain unsourced answers, bad attempts at puns, etc. If you're here because you're interested in history, then the deleted trees are a good thing! What is left is quality, informative, and well written answers that are correct. I wish we could run AskScience as tight as they do over here, but with 3+ million users it is nearly impossible."
] | [
"Why are empty threads showing up on the front page? This makes no sense."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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What happened to Dutch painting in the 18th century? | [
"Apparently during the 18th century the Dutch Republic was seen as being in a decline. Instead of commissioning new works by comtemporary artists, patrons preferred to obtain works from the Golden Age, when their country was more stable and prosperous. And in 1718, Dutch artist Arnold Houbraken published his first volume of biographies of Dutch and Flemish artists, which \"initiated a retrospective assessment of the artistic production of the past century, and thereby marked its end.\" Source: A Worldly Art: The Dutch Republic 1585-1718 by Mariet Westermann"
] | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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As a layman reader, what tools do I use to research the quality of a history book? | [
"I read book reviews. If you're a college student or if you have access to library databases that offer peer-reviewed journal articles, most have the option to search for \"articles only\" and then to limit that search to only book reviews. Also, if you graduated from college within the last few years, your university might still let you log-in to their databases because it takes them a while to update that system (this is my experience at least). You can also find the same book reviews in other ways but that is how I find them. You'll also find that recently published histories should go through the relevant existing literature on the same subject and add their points of view on those histories and discuss how their research aligns or disagrees with them. If you read enough on one subject you'll start to see who is viewed as crap/groundbreaking/trustworthy/accurate."
] | [
"In my view, as a teacher, and former professor, the purpose of an interview requirement is to use primary sources: asking people who were there. Otherwise, you can efficiently read a historian's account. Did the teacher approve your topic already?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
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After the Watergate scandal broke, how did Republicans in Congress and in America at large react? | [
"Hi, the Nixon impeachment has been a popular subject in this subreddit lately; you may be interested in a few recent posts * [Did Richard Nixon have apologists in the press throughout the Watergate scandal? If so, did those journalist lose credibility after Nixon resigned?](_URL_1_) * ~~[After the Watergate scandal and Nixon resigned, how were the careers and reputations affected of the politicians, white house staff, etc etc, whom were found out later to be lying about the extent of Nixon's abuse of presidential power and subsequent cover-up?](_URL_2_)~~ [scratch that - there's nothing left of this one] * [At what point during/after the investigation into Watergate did Nixon voters start to see the truth?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"This is politics. He is attempting sheltering himself from the political bombshell. Nixon also used the IRS to attack his opponents and it didn't turn out very well for him."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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How did the crips and bloods started fighting? | [
"The Bloods were specifically created with the intention of fighting against the Crips. The Crip alliance (the Crips & Bloods are alliances/associations of street gangs rather than being two obvious groups) was increasingly powerful/numerous following its creation and was becoming a threat to rival local gangs like Piru, Brims, Lanes etc. who did not want to become a part of it. These gangs banded together and formed their own alliance as a means of better fighting back against the Crips, which became the Bloods. Even though the \"Crips vs Bloods\" concept is very popular in pop culture, for the most part the most common enemy for a Crip gang in L.A during the 80s and 90s was another Crip gang. Both L.A Crips and Bloods are/were divided into different smaller alliances of gangs that are at odds with each-other and oftentimes a beef between two Crip alliances would supersede any beef the gangs might have with neighboring Bloods."
] | [
"Someone should really do a study on Asian gangs of New York China Town. In my youth (late 70s and 80s), New York city was full of Asian gangs having gang fights. People getting shot, stabbed and buildings burning down. They start to disappear in 90s, and now you don't hear about them on the east coast anymore. New York Times did a \"where are they now\" type story on former asian gang members in 2008. Most of them are doing pretty well, doing finance, law and real estate."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Where does a layman stay informed on the most current theories and discoveries at Göbekli Tepe and other sites pushing the boundaries of what we think we knew about our earliest history? | [
"This is a site I've shared with students in the past: _URL_0_ > This Web site is designed for those interested in the ongoing excavations at Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Its aim is to provide information about the activities of the Project and of the different aspects of the research being conducted at Çatalhöyük. The Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük was first discovered in the late 1950s and excavated by James Mellaart between 1961 and 1965. The site rapidly became famous internationally due to the large size and dense occupation of the settlement, as well as the spectacular wall paintin gs and other art that was uncovered inside the houses. It is pretty interesting stuff and written for a non-academic audience for the most part."
] | [
"It would be tantamount to what Thomas Kuhn termed a ‘paradigm shift.’ Basically, it would revolutionize the most basic conclusions scientists have had about the origins of life for hundreds of years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Education:",
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Can some one tell me anything about these patches? Are they real/rare? Any info would be appreciated. (Pic inside) | [
"Well, I can tell you this: The patch on the left is the US Navy rank of a Petty Officer First Class. The screw propeller symbol in the middle shows that this Petty Officer's rating (job) was a Machinists Mate. This particular patch (white background with blue details) would've been worn with a white dress uniform. [Here](_URL_0_) is a picture for reference, you can spot similar patches on the shoulders of the sailors depicted. I believe the patch on the right comes from the US Marine Corps, but I can't say beyond that. I'd love to (if you can) hear a future update about your fiancee's grandfather, as it'd be interesting to see why he has both patches."
] | [
"That is a WWI era Yugoslavian/Serbian officers cockade cap badge. I believe they are pretty rare. Usually those pins had blue in the center and red on the outside. It is from the Yugoslavian \"Kingdom era\" 1918-1939 Hope that answered some questions. Edit to add example: _URL_0_ Just a little way down the page youll see the same badge and description."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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American role in the USSR's industrialization | [
"Various books on the post-civil war period mention American industrialists and technicians being brought over to help get Soviet industry started. It wasn't so much a national project as much as the Soviets reaching out to individuals and companies."
] | [
"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 that could somewhat stand up to massive western imperialism. Troubled by the political ground won by USSR's main competitor in SEA - China. That's the general idea, hard to say how it was practically disseminated in the general public. *Sources: Ilya V. Gaiduk - The Soviet Union and the Vietnam War. Confronting Vietnam: Soviet Policy toward the Indochina Conflict.*"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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In his "Infamy" speech, Roosevelt refers to an attack on Midway, but I can't find anything on it, what happened? | [
"On the 7th December 1941, two Japanese destroyers detached from the escort of the carrier force that attacked Pearl Harbor bombarded Midway Island. The destroyers *Ushio* and *Sazanami* attacked the island, firing for just under an hour. The first marine to receive the Medal of Honor during the war, Lieutenant George Cannon, was the commander of one of the coastal defence batteries on the island. He was mortally wounded by one of the shells, but refused medical aid until other marines had been treated."
] | [
"Yeah, Tora! Tora! Tora! is pretty good. It did though confuse even some historians into thinking Yamamoto said the Sleeping Giants quote. Pearl Harbor got so much wrong. For starters, the US didn't have modern warships stationed at Pearl Harbor. For another no US army pilots were transferred to the RAF to get combat experience before the US joined the war at a time in which the US was trying to pretend to be all neutral. No one from Pearl Harbor went on the Doolittle Raid. Dropped bombs do not fall directly downwards. The Japanese didn't spend half of the attack strafing pretty nurses. It's been years since I saw it so I'm probably forgetting a lot of other things they got really wrong."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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} |
Why did the natives of Phillipines killed Magellan? were they hostile to foreigners or did Ferdinand do something to piss them off? | [
"Magellan and his party were hired by the Rajah of Cebu to fight Lapu-Lapu, chief of the Mactan tribe in 1521. During the battle on Mactan island on April 27, Magellan was killed in the heat of battle. The Mactan won the battle. So, in other words, he got involved in a local conflict and was killed by an enemy in war. He was an enemy of the Mactan and an ally of Cebu, and the Mactan ended up killing him."
] | [
"Surviving long enough that you can then steal the land from the native Americans who helped you survive. The one case where Americans should have been worried about immigrants coming in and destroying the culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Napoleonic Cross Channel Raids | [
"Before they were committed to the Peninsular War, the British did try to do minor invasions of the Netherlands in 1799 and 1807; future Marshal Brune stopped the British in 1799 while disease had killed the British in 1807. These were little more than a few thousand troops, around 30-40 thousand troops involved, but was costly for the British as there was little local support from the Dutch. Once Napoleon had lost his grip of Spain due to his arrogance and the Portuguese were fully involved in the war against Napoleon, the British stepped in and fully supported the war in Iberia."
] | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Education:"
} |
When did sharing a bed with your partner become a symbol of love? | [
"Minor point: Katherine was the first wife of Henry VIII, not Henry VII."
] | [
"Not even all humans feel mentally scarred by seeing their parents go at it. There is very much a cultural factor to it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
In the movie "K-19" the Soviet sub captain and two officers turn their missile keys simultaneously while a fourth officer observes with his hand on a gun. Was this the actual protocol? | [
"This is only a partial answer, but, automatic rifles and pistols were carried on Soviet submarines and were peripherally involved in the actual K-19 incident. According to Captain Zateyev's account given in the non-fiction companion book to the K-19 movie, he was worried about potential mutiny after the radiation incident and ordered the collection and throwing overboard of all but five firearms on board, distributed to his senior officers. Elsewhere, he [claimed to have contemplated suicide by gunshot during the disaster.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"_URL_0_ Perhaps the most world altering example I can think of, during the Cuban missle crisis the US began dropping depth charges on a Russian submarine in an attempt to make it surface. The Americans were unaware that this was a nuclear sub with some authority to fire. For all they knew, war had begun. The world dipped very close to war several times during the crisis, they were in international waters so clearly something was out of the ordinary, and they were in a metal can moving slowly at the bottom of the ocean. The general consensus is that the war is on, time to go through with the mission. Fortunately for the world the second in command, Vasili Arkhipov was able to to convince them to wait for orders from Moscow. Had that nuke fired, every other nuke would have fired. Vasili saved the world."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Which Roman emperor wrote down his confessions/reflections about life as a sort of self help book? | [
"I think you are referring to \"Meditations\" by Marcus Aurelius. It is more of a philosophy book than sef-help."
] | [
"Before and during the Victorian era, the classics were considered a vital part of any full and well-rounded education for a young gentleman. This included the Graeco-Roman (many of the greatest Greek philosophers actually lived under the Roman era) and following christian philosophy, ethics and and theories of society, law, right and wrong and much more. Holmes would be ignorant of what Plato wrote about the ideal society, about Saint Augustine's writing of Alexander the Great and the Pirate, of Spinoza and much like it. Anyone making small talk to him at a soarée would find him less a Gentleman for it. In the context of the time, it adds to the eccentrics of the Holmes character. Edit: Changed most to many."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
In the classical era, what caused a war to be called "social?" | [
"The Italian Social War is called thus because it was, in essence, a conflict between Rome and its 'socii', or allies. One of the meanings of latin *socius* is ally, or confederate. By the time of the Social War, Rome's control over Italy was over a complex system of bilateral alliances and colonies of varying legal status, and those allies were called *socii*. Since, in essence, the Roman socii fought more or less united against Rome, this was called *bellum sociale*, sometimes also *bellum Marsicum*, because the people of the *Marsi* were one of the leading opposing powers. And this is why it is called the 'social war', a war between 'socii' or 'associates', if you will. It is for the same principle that the war between Athens and the 2nd Attic Sea Confederacy and the war between the Aitolian and the Achaean League or Aitolian War are called Social wars."
] | [
"Are you considering the 18th century to be in conjunction with the great divergence?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia: Sacrifices | [
"Child sacrifices to Huitzilopochtli are not well documented. Usually children are sacrificed to deities like Tlaloc in Mesoamerica. Found within the Templo Mayor was a child burial dedicated to Huitzilopochtli. The child was dressed up like the god complete with a little wooden shield, bells around his feet, and bundled bird feathers on his arms. If you can read Spanish I highly recommend checking out the article on this unique sacrifice. _URL_4_ Drawing of the unit - _URL_5_ Reconstruction drawing - _URL_5_ Image of Huitzilopochtli from the Florentine Codex - _URL_4_"
] | [
"High Crime + Dwindling Population + Crumbling Infrastructure + Diminishing Jobs = Perceived Shithole."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Can dynastic china be seen as the world's first nation-state? | [
"The Old Kingdom of Egypt is usually considered to be the first nation state. There were older city states in Sumeria, but they had a city of about 10,000 people or less, and territory around 25 kilometers radius, that included another 10 or 20 thousand. These city states were near other city states, and warfare was endemic between these small political entities. The pharoah of Egypt unified upper and lower Egypt and had a centralized political structure with a lot less internal disent and chronic warfare to contend with. The fourth dynasty of the Old Kingdom built the pyramids at Giza. These structures were so large, the pharoah had to harness an entire nation to gather enough resources to build them."
] | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why was August von Mackensen referred to as the "Eater of Americans"? | [
"According to [Inside the German Empire in the Third Year of the War](_URL_0_) by Herbert Bayard Swope it wasn't a personal nickname. It was a name applied to people who argued for unrestricted U-Boat campaign without concern for whether or not it would trigger war with United States and ah \"talked a big game\" about what they would do if the Americans ever showed up. This was premised on the notion that the US was completely unprepared ship sufficient troops across the Atlantic and would thus keep munitions at home instead of shipping it to England."
] | [
"No. They were in Italy at the time, having just captured Rome. If you are particularly interested in the 1st SSF, I would highly recommend Anne Hicks' \"The Last Fighting General: The Biography of Robert Tryon Frederick\". He was the first commander of the unit and an amazing officer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Caesar allegedly said "the die is cast" when crossing the Rubicon. What kind of dice games were played in ancient Rome? | [
"I talked a little about Roman dice games [here](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"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 description of the crossing also includes a divine apparition that urges the hesitant Caesar to cross. In any case, from what I have read the Rubicon was small even in the days of Caesar. So it is entirely plausible that he may have been able to wade his legion through it. Source: Suetonius, The Twelve Caesars"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
At what point did it become common to sleep in a bed with your significant other aside from for sex? | [
"You seem to have two different misconceptions. Firstly, it was common for entire families to share a single bed up until the industrial age. Sex was not something that happened naturally in a bedroom because it was uncommon for people to have any degree of privacy, even in a bedroom. Secondly, there is the misconception fostered by contemporary entertainment that couples in the industrialized world during the early to mid 20th century did not commonly share a bed. This is simply due to the extreme prudishness of television and movies, especially in the US, at the time. The reality was that since the era of the private bedroom the sharing of a single bed between couples has been common."
] | [
"Habit, mostly. The same reason people need to shower in the morning/evening, or need their tea with milk. There's often no reason to change that habit, but have you ever heard of a couple breaking up because both wanted to sleep on the left side?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What do modern scholars think of de Guignes' theory of the Xiong-nu ancestry of the Huns? | [
"It isn't really taken seriously anymore. From what we can tell about them the cultures seem to have been quite different, and the historical link sare simply too weak. The term \"Hun\" may be etymologically linked to the Xiongnu, but the Xiongnu were extremely heterogeneous, and anyways the term may have simply evolved as a generic word for scary central Asians."
] | [
"It is really a ridiculous claim by the Mongol nation. Mongol identity was forged in steppe memory through the conquests of Ghenghis Khan and his followers. Certainly the Mongols can claim some ethnic unity that stretches back further than the 12th century, but to the Xiongnu? There is no consensus for who the Xiongnu leadership were, ethnically. Steppe ethnicity and identity is too difficult to pin down with the lack of documentary or archeological evidence. The Chinese writings don't give us enough of a clue to have a strong idea. Were they turkic? Mongol? other? Who knows? The reason we know the specific linguistic-ethnic identity of later steppe groups is that, starting with the Liao (Khitan) - they developed writing systems (based on chinese) - this allows for some clear cut evidence of ethnicity (at least through language study)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How much did WW1, and particualry the Galipoli campaign, influence Australian views on the Britsh Empire? | [
"Seems that I'm a bit late to the party here, but if you'd like further reading on the subject of early 20th century Australia's relationship with the Empire via the medium of joint-conflicts, I'd strongly recommend Professor Joy Damousi's *'War and Commemoration: The Responsibility of Empire'.* Its a very informative article on the subject found in *'Australia's Empire'* (Deryck M. Schreuder and Stuart Ward)"
] | [
"Because we then helped rebuild their country and became a significant trading partner for the next half century (also, don't forget that technically they started that war with us) In general though, the speed with which the beligerants of WWII became allies is pretty historically impressive. The unification against the USSR certainly helped."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Is there any historical precedent for elite bodyguard units such as the Kingsguard in ASOIAF? | [
"The Varangrian Guard of the Byzantine Empire are likely the best example of this. From the late 800's A.D. until sometime in the 14th century this unit was the personal bodyguard of the Byzantine Emperor, and also acted as an elite unit of shock troops in many of the wars the empire was involved in. The members of the guard for most of its history were Germanic, Norse, or Anglo Saxon immigrants brought in for their martial prowess, and also because of their detachment from court politics (the Byzantine Empire is somewhat notorious for its issues with corruption and betrayal). The most well known member was Harald Hadrada, who served in the guard for years and fought in numerous military campaigns before returning to Norway and becoming king. He was the guy who tried to invade England shortly before William the Conquerors attempt."
] | [
"Outside of Westeros, when were ravens ever used for communication? We may be confusing fiction with history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is Denda's helmet purposely designed to look phallic? | [
"In addition to /u/Iphikrates's good answer, I'd like to point out that the helmet more closely resembles a circumcised penis than an uncircumcised one. (You can Google that one yourself.) Since Greeks did not practice circumcision, this is a reason to doubt that it is intentionally shaped like a penis."
] | [
"It's rare, it's shiny, it's easily malleable into more convenient shapes (coins)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Niccolo di Lorenzo, Tribune of Rome | [
"It's been a long time since I read it, and I honestly remember very little about what happens. However, in a seminar on medieval cities, we read *[The Life of Cola di Rienzo](_URL_1_)*, and I remember enjoying it a lot. Another one from the same class that was really fun reading was Dino Compagni's *[Chronicle of Florence](_URL_0_)*."
] | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Education:"
} |
How did we never discover what was underneath Stonehenge and what are the implications now that we know what's down there? | [
"Thank you so much! I honestly find the entirety of Stonehenge to be absolutely fascinating. Thanks for helping illuminate this subject a little more."
] | [
"Probably not worth all of the booby traps, but there are Mayan (and other) ruins in the jungles of Central and South America that haven't been excavated. Surely there are others around the world that have been forgotten and lost."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Have the opposite party of the President of the United States ever hated that President as much as the current Republicans and President Obama. | [
"Without a means of measuring \"hate\" there is way to answer the question in an appropriate manner. From my own period of study 1790-1860 the vast majority of presidents were actively disliked by the opposition with perhaps two or three exceptions."
] | [
"Two reasons: There are a lot of people in the Republican party's base who agree with the Freedom caucus. Then the Republicans would no longer be the majority."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Can you recommend any resources for pre-European history of North American Indigenous peoples? | [
"In addition to the suggestions our users can provide, you may be interested in checking out our Books and Resources list -- [start here](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"Anyone know of a good text examining the evolution of penal systems, *outside of* Western / Egyptian / Near Eastern traditions? Like, China, India, Japan, SE Asia, Africa, the Americas? Is there some equivalent of Foucault's *Discipline and Punish* for one of these other cultures?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are historians' main criticisms of Silvia Federici's book "Caliban and the Witch"? | [
"> *Caliban and the Witch* review Also, /u/faersaerdir12 and /u/LuigiVargasLlosa, I'm so sorry, I meant to address this when you posted awhile back but my life was busy exploding and it slipped my mind. If you're still interested, click through to the thread. :)"
] | [
"*American Slavery, American Freedom* by Edmund S. Morgan is a great read and is one of the main reasons he is considered one of the best historians of the 20th century. The book has some excellent analysis about the role of economics, constructions of race, and how the two related to each other. Also, although I haven't read it, you could check out Bernard Bailyn's new book *The Barbarous Years: The Peopling of British North America, 1600-1675*. Bailyn is right up there with Morgan as one of the most reputable colonial era historians."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Education:"
} |
What are some good resources on the history of software and computing, specifically the late 70's and early 80's during the rise of the personal computer? | [
"Fire in the Valley is a great place to start and is a solid overview of history. Pirates of Silicon Valley is also very good. It was made in to an excellent documentary that you can find very easily and stream. Where the Wizards Stay Up Late is a great look at the germination of the internet Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire was a super fun read and shows you how Bill built his empire. For some earlier history before Jobs, Woz and Gates got involved, take a look at Dealers of Lightning: Xerox PARC and the Dawn of the Computer Age to see where those guys poached alot of ideas and talent from."
] | [
"It didn't get created all at once, but over time it was developed from a bunch of different ideas until it gradually became what we have today. This process really started in the late 60s, but the world wide web (what you know of the internet probably) didn't come around until the early 90s."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In a recent doc on Oppy, it's said that in 1951 the US response to a Soviet attack would have involved destroying China. | [
"As late as the first half of *1962*, this was the plan. According to SIOP-62, the sole edition of America's modern nuclear war plan available to the public, there were no \"holds\" against countries in the Communist bloc or any strategy other than firing everything at everyone. Kennedy, upon taking office, was aghast at this approach and ordered a structured approach which came into effect with SIOP-63 in August 1962. That plan had several different options the president or his successor could order. Google \"SIOP-62\" and you'll find plenty of supporting documents."
] | [
"A follow up & relevant question, how close did the CSA come to being recognized by a European Power?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Europeans greeted as gods | [
"hi! there's lots of room for input about the many first-contact experiences, but you may be interested in these earlier posts * [Is there any truth to the commonly cited fact that the Aztecs believed the Spanish were gods?](_URL_0_) * [How accurate is this top comment from r/pics about Quetzalcoatl?](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"What? Europeans were slamming ass all over the world! North America/US was no exception"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How old are finding aids for libraries or archives? Would a university library in Europe in the 1500s have a detailed list of books and materials held in the library, and their location in the stacks? | [
"[Archives of Ancient Sumer](_URL_0_) (c. 4500 – c. 1900 BC) catalogued their holdings of clay tablet texts via the **incipits** (the opening few words), and the incipits are listed on catalogue tablets for easy reference. An example of the list: > Honored and noble warrior > Where are the sheep > Where are the wild oxen > And with you I did not > In our city > In former days Of course, this is an incredibly inefficient system, as the incipit generally tells you nothing about the text that follows--and it depends on the librarian already having a working knowledge of everything contained in the library and the catalogue of incipits is only really good for a memory aid."
] | [
"An archive is more than a room full of dusty things. As an archivist in a still active institute, items are created every day that need to be added to the archive. This ranges from minutes to artifacts while part of it is digital. The main tas is to organize these documents and record where they came from, when, why and how. Keeping provenance (context of creation etc) is essential and cataloguing the digital item with tags just like a physical item keeps it accessible and findable in the future: the key tasks of an archive."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Archiving:"
} |
How to respond to someone who states, "History repeats itself."? | [
"I'm sorry, but can you be more specific? If your friend says that history repeats itself, what specific events is he talking about? (I do hope this kind of comment is allowed on this sub, but since the OP was not very specific, I can't be expected to give a detailed answer with sources.)"
] | [
"This almost seems like a violation of Rule 7... \"Loaded questions are not allowed. A loaded question presumes a controversial opinion is fact, usually to provoke an argument. \"ELI5: Why is Obama the president when he wasn't born in the US?\" is loaded. \"ELI5: The controversy about where Obama was born\" is a non loaded way to ask about the same topic.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Is there a "roadmap" of Ghengis Kahn's personal battles? As in the ones he participated in? | [
"Can you post said maps you wrote in the description?"
] | [
"Thanks! Where these armies where most of the Soviet casualties occurred?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Day of Reflection | June 30, 2014 - July 06, 2014 | [
"I enjoyed this week: * /u/yodatsracist in [*Have the Kurds ever had a state? If not why have they never been able to create one?*](_URL_0_) * /u/American_Graffiti in [*Why did everything get so \"wholesome\" in the 1950s?*](_URL_1_) * /u/itsallfolklore in [*Compared to how it is portrayed in cowboy movies what brand/type of alcohol did people really drink in Saloons?*](_URL_2_)"
] | [
"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 Massachusetts Press, 1988. > > Howe, Daniel Walker. “Church, State, and Education in the Young American Republic.” Journal of the Early Republic 22, no. 1 (April 1, 2002): 1–24. > > Kaestle, Carl. Pillars of the Republic: Common Schools and American Society, 1780-1860. 1st ed. Hill and Wang, 1983. > > Spring, Joel. The American School: From the Puritans to No Child Left Behind. 7th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. > > Katz, Michael B. “Horace Mann: What Went Wrong?” Reviews in American History 1, no. 2 (June 1, 1973): 218–223. > > Messerli, Jonathan. Horace Mann: A Biography. New York: Knopf, 1972."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
During the War of 1812, did the Niagara Escarpment ever prove to be a natural barricade or strategic lookout point? | [
"The main issue was that Niagara Falls prevented quick travel via boat. * The British built much of their Lake Erie Fleet on [Navy Island](_URL_1_) a mile upstream of the Falls (fun fact: this island was almost selected as the site for the UN's HQ) * Much of the American fleet was launched in [Blackrock, NY](_URL_3_) (now a neighborhood in Buffalo) a few miles upstream from Navy Island. It's pretty clear that the escarpment didn't prevent the [Yanks from sacking York](_URL_0_) (Toronto) or the [British from sacking Buffalo](_URL_2_). I crossed post this to /r/Buffalo as there might be a few resident historians who might better answer your specific question."
] | [
"Sure, they could have tried but would have resoundly failed. All major British invasions during the war of 1812 were defeated notably Lake Champlain, Baltimore and New Orleans. Britain couldn't even even gain control of the Great Lakes which was a perquisite for control of most of the Northern states. British successes were largely limited to stopping American invasions of Canada, seizing peripheral territories like Mobile and Northern Maine, raids in force in Washington and along the Chesapeake Region, and the blockade of the United States which wasn't complete until late 1814. You also have to recognize the tremendous growth of the geographic size of the United States since the end of the revolutionary war, made the chances of Britain returning the United States to colonial rule extremely unlikely from a purely logistical standpoint. It's hard to give a more in-depth answer since the plausibility of British returning the United States to colonial status is virtually zero."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
If a member of your historical time period were to visit us, now, how would you explain the cultural and technological changes? What do you think would be the most profound, to them? | [
"I think the Internet. Wikipedia. It is downright crazy to find literally any kind of information in like 30 secs. Basically what we have from their point view is a machine that knows everything. Like God. We have created a distributed machine God as far as omniscience goes."
] | [
"I think significance is a relative term to use. The way we perceive what happens in our lifetimes depends on who and when and where we are. I imagine everyone to ever live believed their time was the most trying in human history to some standard. Sorry if that doesn't help. I do find that a fascinating question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about history:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why does the US Constitution have the 17th amendment? | [
"While you wait, there's a good reply to a similar question in [this thread from 4 years ago] (_URL_0_)"
] | [
"They can. Specifically, by amendment. Example: The 18th amendment outlawed alcohol. The 21st amendment reversed the 18th."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where can I get a non-biased, non-PC history of the American frontier? (My education was all 'noble savage' and white guilt) | [
"The simplistic, non-PC version of history *is* that European-descended settlers and administrators tried to eliminate native peoples and their cultures. Robert Hines is a fairly standard author to recommend for American West history, although amazon lists The tremendously bad *Sun Chief* as one of his, which it is not. Avoid that one. Otherwise, it's hard to recommend 'unbiased' histories of anything because they simply don't exist."
] | [
"Often they believe it wasn't this big systemic thing. Jewish people were killed, but not much more than any other flavor-of-the-month racism target. Camps were for protection from ghettoes, the gas-showers didn't happen, just explain it all away. And it's just played up (easy to do, jews own hollywood) so that they can benefit from people's guilt. Source, my father, though I'm hazy on it because I just walk away when he tells me I should read X book or listen to X lecture with a title like \"The Holocaust: Researching both sides\" or whatever."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why was the number of allowed lashes upon slaves a maximum of 39 in the British Empire. What is so special about the number 39? | [
"The maximum allowed in the Bible (Deuteronomy) was 40 lashes; 39 became a standard in Jewish law so as to make sure 40 lashes weren't administered and thus the Law be broken. If I'm not mistaken, it was thought that anything more than about 40 or so might kill someone. More importantly, Christ was supposedly administered these 39 lashes, creating the cultural idea of \"39 lashes\" you're thinking about."
] | [
"Not OP but I'm unsatisfied with the answers so far. They're all based on knowledge of a day being 24 hours. How did they determine there are 24 hours in a day and not 4 or 6 or 8?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I've heard that Chinese dynasties would burn/destroy the records of the previous regime upon assumption of power? Is this true? | [
"Every dynasty produced an official history of previous dynasties, and these are all extant. Furthermore numerous smaller histories remain along with court records. The debate over the salt and iron tax of Han Wudi, for example, is something of a minor classic of Chinese intellectual literature. The last major break in Chinese source transmission I can think of is with the fall of the Han, and for a thousand years thereafter the historical record is generally more complete in China than in Europe. So I am not familiar with such a policy, nor any real policy procedure new dynasties followed at all, really. Each one came to power in rather different circumstances. Furthermore many emperor, such as Kangxi, were quite obsessive when it came to preserving literature."
] | [
"I can't speak on when the Ming court got the news, but I can speak on their reactions. The idea that China had everything that it needed was very popular at the time. It was rich due to the silk and porcelain industries, and the tribute system usually got it the items that it did not have. The idea that exploration was unnecessary had become common at this time, partially due to the grounding of Zheng He's fleet. A popular theory is that since Zheng He was a eunuch, the grounding of his fleet was an effort to curb the power of the eunuchs in the Chinese court by the other beureaucrats. I am remembering this from my A.P. World History class last year so take my answer with a grain of salt."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about History:"
} |
When did we start thinking of pirates as family friendly ? | [
"Although it is not the same question, you may also be interested in this answer about the stereotypical depictions of pirates _URL_5_ as written by u/Elphinstone1842"
] | [
"Better question: why is there censorship at all? Are we really supposed to be ashamed of the fun bits of life?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Biology:"
} |
Did the United States assume the debts and obligations of the Confederacy upon surrender? | [
"The 14th Amendment is mostly thought of in terms of citizenship rights and equal protection. However section 4 of that amendment makes it quite clear that the USA refused to honor or assume any debts or obligations of the CSA. Unfortunately I don't know for certain about the period between the end of the war in 1865 and the ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868. > Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. *But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.* [emphasis added]"
] | [
"The Southern States wanted to keep slavery as it powered their economy. As a result many of them left the Union of States and created a Confederacy of States. The Northern (Union) States went to war to keep the Union together and bring the Confederate states back into the Union."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What books do you recommend for the WWII Europe theater, foreign relations, or other books? | [
"*The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich*, by William Shirer. I swear by that book. Shirer, who lived in Nazi Germany himself, goes into exhaustive detail on nearly every conceivable subject regarding the Nazis. As you'll no doubt be happy to know, about 3/5 of the book is devoted to the war in Europe and he writes extensively about the diplomatic maneuverings, especially in regards to Nazi aggression towards Czechoslovakia and Poland, although he covers most of it. The only down side to you is that he focuses primarily on the German perspective. If you want to read about life in Britain during the war, you'll need to look elsewhere. Nevertheless, I **highly** recommend it. Edit: missed a comma."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When did the idea of branding a product with the country of origin become popular or even standard? Was this ever done in antiquity? | [
"For USA it was written in law in 1930 in Smoot Hawley tarriff act, which, among other things, made mandatory to mark the country of origin. It was not the main point of the act but went along in 'Misc' section of the act with protectionist nature of limiting quantity of imported goods. [Except as hereinafter provided, every article of foreign origin (or its container, as provided in subsection (b) hereof) imported into the United States shall be marked in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly, and permanently as the nature of the article (or container) will permit in such manner as to indicate to an ultimate purchaser in the United States the English name of the country of origin of the article.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Country of origin labelling applies to anything imported into the US. Check your clothing tags for example. These labels are required by the FTC for the US, and serve for consumer information and trade reason. It can be both a positive or negative labelling. For manufactured goods, made in China is usually frowned upon. For food, being able to say that it is imported is often treated as a selling point. In either case, the quality may be exactly the same as the domestic equivalent, but it explains why the label may be more or less pronounced, depending on the product. Interestingly, in China, there are counterfeit \"made in the USA\" goods made for consumption in China, because there's a perceived quality difference."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Did the 19th century British constitution actually forbid the head of state from leaving the country? | [
"From the Care of King during his illness etc. Act, 1811 (51 Geo 3 c 1): > XII. Provided also, and be it enacted, That if His said Royal Highness George Augustus Frederick Prince of Wales shall not continue to be resident in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, or shall at any time marry a Papist, then and in either of such cases, all the Powers and Authorities vested in His said Royal Highness by this Act, shall cease and determine. Other monarchs, previous and subsequent, who left GB to visit territories abroad appointed regency councils to manage things of immediate urgency at home, but George was already acting as regent, so no - he wasn't allowed to leave."
] | [
"The Queen has a large amount of theoretical power that the monarch hasn't actually exercised in a very long time that if she were to would cause a constitutional crisis. This includes, but is not limited to the power to veto any law passed by parliament with no way to override it. The power to dismiss the Prime Minister. The power to disband the military. The power to fire every Civil servant. The power to release all of \"Her Majesty's prisoners\". In practice she has a formal Head of State role welcoming foreign dignitaries while the Prime Minister actually runs the Government."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Good books on the History of Mathematics | [
"One of my favorite maths history books is *The Joy of x*, which approaches the really groundbreaking ideas of mathematics in an essayist's style. Strogatz delivers the information in an entertaining and more importantly (to me, at least) pun filled way."
] | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
What are some good books to read for the layman on the history of mathematics? | [
"Fermats last theorem, simon singh. Really enjoyed this."
] | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When did a tradition of making cars in a variety of colours start? | [
"Model T Fords were actually available in a variety of colors - red, green, gray and blue - when the model was introduced in 1909. In fact, black Tin Lizzies weren't even available from the factory until 1915, at which point it became the only color officially available until 1926. _URL_0_"
] | [
"I'm no authority on the matter, but I assume it has something to do with the movement of air."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Entomology:"
} |
How were cartoons (political or otherwise) printed in newspapers during the age of movable type? | [
"What /u/CptBuck said. Also, cartoons don't really appear in newspapers until the 19th century, first in the form of lithographs; *Punch* in Britain and *La Caricature* and *Le Charivari* in France in the 1830s. Before that they exist as stand alone sheets. What we would recognize as political cartoons, employing caricature, don't really appear until around the 1770s in Britain, printed as etchings, usually hand-colored."
] | [
"An interesting read on the subject is the article *An Empire of the Obscene* in journalist Eric Schlosser's 2003 book *Reefer Madness*. It focuses on the career of Reuben Sturman, who was the biggest distributor of pornographic materials from the 60's onwards and a very big figure in the business until 1989 when he went to jail for tax evasion. It does tell more of the history of porn in the US. At some point before movie projectors became more common, there were entrepreneur's who provided a projector and material for \"stag nights\" or bachelor parties. Another thing to find some information on is the appearance of viewing booths in porn shops, although I'm not sure whether this was as late as the 70s. I don't have the book with me, but I recommend it highly, the other two articles on underground economies in the US, the marijuana trade and the illegal immigrant business are very interesting too. Edit: Had to remove some ambiguities. _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Any good books on the Reconquista? | [
"A lot! O'Callaghan is a good general history. Also check out: [Medieval Spains](_URL_2_) -another good general work [Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain](_URL_4_) - another O'Callaghan, talking in particular about the philosophical underpinnings of the Reconquest [Medieval Iberia](_URL_1_) - a collection of primary sources from Iberian Christians, Muslims, and Jews, many of which deal specifically with the Reconquista [A Society Organized for War](_URL_0_) - on the local militias of Christian Iberia, and their crucial function in maintaining and expanding the frontier [Communities of Violence](_URL_3_) - on the use of more \"mundane\" violence to maintain ethnic/religious distinctions in Aragon...this one is definitely more academic If you want any more, just ask!"
] | [
"Does anyone know of any good texts on Sassanid Persian culture?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
What's this called? The exodus during 70's-80's when Chinese refugees swim to HK fleeing communist China? | [
"\"The Great Exodus to Hong Kong\" _URL_0_ No English wiki exists yet"
] | [
"China, before Mao (before and during WWII), were allies to the US, since Mao's death relations have been improve with them. The UN and the US went to war with North Korea, a significant war. At the time, Korea was supported by Moaist Chinese. 100s of million of people died as a result of communists and their conquests. it wasn't trivial."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why are the chances of War within the Developed world so low? | [
"This is a huge debate in the international relations field known as the [democratic peace theory](_URL_0_). There are plenty of explanations for it but none so convincing to be completely accepted. It could be due to the structure of democracies themselves- leaders are used to negotiation and compromise and are held accountable for their actions by the people. It may also be the nature of the developed world itself- we find trade to be much more favorable than war and prefer more peaceful options of conflict resolution. Or perhaps its a cultural issue- the Western democracies were forced into an us vs. them mentality during the Cold War and our shared culture prevents feelings of aggression and hostility. Interestingly enough, while democracies don't declare war against other democracies, they aren't necessarily more peaceful than non-democracies. It is up for debate whether non-democracies or democracies are actually more warlike."
] | [
"Going back in time and preventing the Libyan Revolution is probably the only way to create peace within the next decade."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
Why did FDR want to put Brazil on the UN Security Council? | [
"If you can still talk to that teacher, maybe you could clarify if FDR meant the Permanent Members or the rotating body. Nearly everybody gets a turn on the rotating body of the UNSC."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What other times of history have had as much pessimism and as many doomsday prophecies as today? | [
"The 14th century was pretty bleak. Not only did you have the Black Death, but that was preceded by some terrible weather. The Little Ice Age had begun its prelude towards the end of the 13th century and picked up speed throughout the 14th century. Incessant rain ruined crops and washed seeds away, so there was mass famine in Northern Europe especially. Throughout this period you hear lots of talk of the end of times. People did all sorts of things in preparation for it, as can be seen in church freccos and tomb carvings particularly. The 14th century is probably the biggest Doomsday period of them all. But the world never did end."
] | [
"Destructful weather. Mass extinction. Bad crops and food shortages. Little to no intercontinental travel and a seemingly post apocalyptic lifestyle in general."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Climate science:"
} |
Did people/artists a long time ago ever draw 'cartoony' things? | [
"Absolutely. Maybe not incredibly cute, but very funny. European medieval manuscripts often have crazy doodles in the margins, called \"marginalia.\" [Here](_URL_1_)'s some great examples of marginalia and simply enigmatic illustrations from medieval texts. Meanwhile in Japan, [he-gassen](_URL_0_) is a genre of ink-brush painting dedicated to fart battles. Many examples date from the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries."
] | [
"Probably for the same reason you would immedieately recognize a cartoon animal, but when you try to draw one yourself it would look like crap."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
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} |
History of Flat Earth Vs Globe Earth | [
"The concept of a spherical earth dates back to classical antiquity. While it’s impossible to quantify “how many” people knew this, we have plenty of evidence that common people in medieval Europe knew the earth was round. Here are some previous answers: _URL_1_ And _URL_0_"
] | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
On TIL someone claimed that Henry III of England received both a polar bear from Norway and an Elephant from France as gifts. Is there any evidence for this claim? If so, were large animals as gifts customary? | [
"Yes. The Tower of London actually had a large menagerie for much of its history. Gifts of rare and exotic animals were somewhat common gifts between monarchs as a means to show their wealth and far-ranging power. Today, the only real remnant of the Tower's menagerie is the raven enclosure. Source: *Tower: An Epic History of the Tower of London* by Nigel Jones"
] | [
"This sounds like a pretty classic urban legend, and I'd be fairly skeptical of it. *Caveat lector*, I am not a historian of the Spanish navy, but as far as I know Spain (like most powers) had terrible manning problems for its fleet throughout most of the 18th and 19th century. They weren't really in a position to pick and choose potential sailors based on height. Do you have a particular source for where you've heard that, or is it more of an \"around town\" sort of thing?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about English iconography and heraldry:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about English iconography and heraldry:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I am trying to find information on Arabs living in Milwaukee/Wisconsin from 1914-1970. How best could I go about this? | [
"Have you tried the US census? They tend to keep good records of race and religion."
] | [
"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 post:",
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How did the view that "Pureblood" wizards were superior to those of Muggle heritage come about? | [
"The rise in distrust of Muggleborns came primarily after the passing of the International Statute of Secrecy in the 17th century, after which the magical community withdrew from larger interaction with the Muggle world. The isolation from the Muggle world largely fueled pureblood supremacy movements in later centuries."
] | [
"He wanted to bring the whole world under his control, Muggles included. He'd probably initiate some kind of Final Solution for Muggles, and then eliminate squibs and 'mudbloods' and rule over his Nazified state."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What were Thomas Jefferson's economic views? | [
"No validity whatsoever. In terms of economics, Jeffersonianism is largely thought of as existing in opposition to Hamiltonianism. Hamiltonianism advocated ready access to capital, and envisioned an urbanized, industrialized nation, much like the then forming industrial revolution in the USA. By contrast, jeffersonianism is constructed with the vision of yeoman farmers and other self-sufficient types or self-employed craftsmen forming the basis of the US economy. Jeffersonianism of course also had more tolerance and room for slavery than Hamilton's view of the world and also limited citizenship strictly to white males with property. Both of these visions aren't really redolent of socialism--unless you want to make a 'great leap' and see Jefferson's agrarian vision as being proto-maoist--but Hamiltonianism is far more recognizably similar to our own economic world and also had a larger place for centralized government power."
] | [
"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 comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Literature:"
} |
What is known for certain (or at least for very likely) about the Tiwanaku civilization? | [
"Hey there! It just so happens I'm in Tiwanaku at this very moment. There's an awful lot that we do know- far too much to discuss in one instance! The tour guides here are notoriously crap. Yesterday one in the museum went on about their contact with China because of one image of a fellow with narrow eyes. I can definutely discuss the roles of the various monuments in the city- what are some other specific topics you're interested in so I can grab some sources for you? Art, architecture, politics, timeline, history of the archaeology, clothes, agricultural tech, etc..."
] | [
"Because of their interpretation of some details in their practically same religion and historical, tribal diferences. Two reasons of most wars and conflicts."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If you could "go back in time" to witness a single historical event unfold, what would it be and why? | [
"I'm not a historian, but I would love to see [the night Cortes escaped Tenochtitlan.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Do you have a period you specifically want to know about? This is ranges from slightly different to totally different if we're talking about Asia Minor and Syria circa 333 B.C., Italy in 216 B.C., Gaul 500 A.D., Palestine 1066 A.D., Brandenburg in 1630/31 A.D., Silesia in 1740 A.D. or Sedan in 1870. I'm sure we could whip up some kind of generalized answer but I feel by better knowing what you're thinking about when you ask this question I (or someone else) could provide a more in depth, specific answer tailored to you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I'm a lower-class housewife in 1903 Paris. What currency do I use in my day-to-day life, and what would simple things such as bread, milk and eggs cost? | [
"You are using Franc (later known as Ancien Franc) as currency. Bread costs: F 0.38/Kg Milk:F 0.3/L Eggs: F 1.37/12 source: _URL_0_"
] | [
"Kind of, but not necessarily. It means that if they took their salary, exchanged it for US dollars, and tried to spend them in the US, they'd be poor. But presumably everything is cheaper in that country as well, so that a $10k salary might actually be enough to pay your bills and live comfortably. Prices vary a lot between countries. In some countries you can stay at a hotel for a couple of dollars a day. In others, you need to pay close to a hundred times that. So whether they're poor or not depends on how much they can afford to buy with their local salary, and their local prices."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Did 19th century Chinese immigrants know what would face them when they got to the US? | [
"While I'm not personally a huge fan of Iris Chang (as she does write from a very pro-Chinese point of view, often at the expense of others, ex. Caucasians, Japanese) I do think her book \"Chinese in America\" gives a good overview of what life was like for many Chinese immigrants. California is unique among US States in that its name is not based off the Anglo pronounciation of the word (New York as \"Nu Ye\" and Canada as \"kanada\"), it is called \"Jin San,\" or Gold Mountain. This was because of the California Gold Rush, where many Chinese immigrants from Guangdong immigrated to look for gold. As with most gold rushers, some made it big, most made just a little bit. Of course, when they had been envisioning a sort of Garden of Eden that was made out of gold, and when they instead landed at a ramshackle set of settlements flooded by immigrants and were heavily discriminated against, there was obviously some disappointment."
] | [
"If you think treatment of animals is bad in China, you have to seriously look at the treatment of people in The Republic Of China."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Imagine a typical (British) slave working in a Roman aristocrat's vineyard in AD97, Imagine a typical slave working in a Virginia plantation in AD1797. Which of them works the most hours (relative to the amount of sleep, rest or leisure they're allowed)? Which has the least calories in their diet? | [
"I'd like to hijack this and ask a follow up question: What sort of laws did the Romans have regarding treatment of slaves as opposed to the USA?"
] | [
"Life wasn't \"nasty, brutish and short\". According to the latest research, hunter/gather societies had massive amounts of free time. If you go back to just the Medieval era, the so-called \"peasants\" could hardly be persuaded to work (for money) for more than an hour or two a day, because they met all their own needs via their own hands (farming, housing, etc.). I don't have references to hand as I'm on my mobile. Out tech-heavy life--and our capitalistic, corporate-driven lifestyle--isn't easy by any stretch, since we spend 8 to 10 hours (1/3 of our precious life) working for someone else for money to pay for all these nifty pointless gadgets. Life was simple in the distant past: eat, sleep, sex, storytelling, exploring, just \"being\". (This is a pet peeve of mine: that this technological life is \"better\"... It all depends on your definition of \"better\". :-)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why was the United States not able to return to an isolationist stance after World War Two? | [
"Not able to? They didn't really want to. America was the strongest nation with complete domination after WW2 (bar the USSR) and they used their domination to create international order that favored the United States. A large reason that the USA and Europe are dominant is because post-ww2 economic and international policy favored them. (Because of the USA's dominant stance after WW2)."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Is it important to choose a specific area to study, or is just a general survey of world history beneficial as well? | [
"I suggest looking at world history not as a general survey, but as a subdiscipline of its own that examines global themes and connections. You can find an overview of the subdiscipline [here](_URL_0_), and there's a [great journal](_URL_1_) that your university almost certainly has access to via your library website."
] | [
"> Why do a lot of colleges promote large study abroad programs? to try to appear worldly and cultured to the people they want to impress. to make money > Does studying abroad apply mostly to people studying the language or culture? Not exclusively, although many language majors will study abroad in the country where their language is spoken...many programs in the US and Canada have partnerships with universities in other countries and so they also offer courses taught in English. > What would be the benefit of studying abroad as someone in STEM to become well-rounded and open to different perspectives, to prove that you can survive independently in a new environment. some schools may be renowned for their work in a particular field, such as biomedical research for example. If you are in the sciences, it may be worth it to save your general liberal arts requirements for your time abroad."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why, in 1914, did Russian 1st Army Cdr. Rennenkampf and 2nd Army Cdr. Samsonov despise each other so much? | [
"It is rumored that during Russo-Japanese war there was serious conflit between those two after [Battle of Liaoyang](_URL_2_) and that Samsonov even slapped Rennenkampf over his face. But main sources of this rumor - former German general [Max Hoffmann](_URL_1_), who was military observer during Russo-Japanese war and Russian novelist [Valentin Pikul](_URL_0_). Some novelists even transformed slapping into whipping. But Hoffmann never witnessed said slapping himself, actually never met Samsonov and Rennenkampf during Russo-Japanese war, and there's no any confirmation except Hoffmann's words. It's safe to assume that mutual despise between those Russian Generals is merely an unconfirmed rumor."
] | [
"British soldiers would have been aware of the German invasion of Belgium; they probably wouldn't have known too much about the political details, but were probably shocked at the German atrocities. The big surge in volunteering, which overwhelmed the recruiting system, came after the Mons Despatch, which made clear that the BEF was in crisis, and desperately in need of Man power. I'd highly recommend *The Last Great War* and *A Kingdom United*, which put paid to the Myth of War Enthusiasm. French soldier would have been aware of a GERMAN INVASION OF THEIR COUNTRY, and probably would have enlisted to defeat the invaders. I'm less sure about the Russians; I figure some might have been aware of Serbia being attacked by Austria-Hungary, and of the need to protect their fellow Slavs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
Why was the National Endowment for the Humanities established? | [
"u/restricteddata talked about some of this in the stickied NEH thread we posted yesterday -- [see this comment](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"The President can Veto Legislation Passed by Congress. Congress can Impeach the President. The President Appoints Judges to the Supreme Court who must be approved by Congress. The Supreme Court can Overturn Legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President. No one Branch has all the Power. There is a Balance of mechanisms for them to keep each other in Check."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What is the oldest country to have not undergone a radical change in its government system? | [
"You need to be a bit more specific in how you define radical change. The United States has not ever changed constitutions, and has a remarkable continuity in governmental institutions, yet our governmental system has radically changed. Marbury vs Madison alone was a seismic shift in the Supreme Court's, and the judiciary in general's, relationship with the legislative and executive branches at all levels of power."
] | [
"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 political entity/nation. In a sentence, changes in government are not the same as is changing the nation. The Republic of France and the Kingdom of France were the same nation with different governments. There is no yard stick by which a nation can be measured. A number of factors must be taken into account. One of them is political self-governance which is why the USA is often considered to have been born after the Revolutionary War."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What does “pattern” mean in 18th century British military context? | [
"'Pattern' in this context is essentially a synonym for 'type' or 'mark', introduced in an attempt to provide standardisation to ease military logistics when weapons and equipment manufacturing was carried out by multiple factories across the country. A 'pattern' was essentially a blueprint which was stored and could be copied and provided to manufacturers to accurately reproduce, which then in turn ensured that all battalions in the army could achieve a uniform experience, or all use the same ammunition, use the same swords etc. The Brown Bess, for example, had many variations or patterns on a standard design. The 'marine' or 'sea service' pattern had a shorter barrel than the 'long land' pattern, which made it easier to reload or generally wield in the tight confines of a ship without significantly decreasing the accuracy, while ensuring that ammunition producers could provide the same musket balls to both the navy and army."
] | [
"It has a few different meanings in different contexts. What setting are we talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about finance:"
} |
What is the origin of the unicorns on the Royal coat of arms of Scotland? | [
"Nobody knows how the Unicorn came to be Scotland's \"national animal\", but it was at the heart of Celtic mythology, symbolising purity, life and happiness. The earliest we can trace it to in Scotland is on the Royal Coat of Arms at [Rothesay Castle](_URL_0_) on the Isle of Bute which is believed to have been carved prior to the 15th Century and during the reign of King James III gold coins were minted that bore the design of a [unicorn](_URL_1_) and indeed today you'll still find a unicorn on the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom. Also, Unicorns are badass."
] | [
"As far as I know it was because it was the colour used to represent the royal family and the colour in the coat of arms."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I'm a Plains Native American in 1840. How different is my life from my ancestor's in 1540? | [
"I can add two huge differences in their society between 1540 and 1840. 1. First, is by the late 18th century, horses had become ubiquitous on the plains which completely changed the ways Native Americans hunted, transportation, communication, and trade. I actually learned in this subreddit of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt where one of the first large caches of horses escaped. After that, horses spread all along the plains and Comanche and other tribes created big trade networks over the plains, where horses were a big commodity. Social-dynamics changed and different tribes became more dominant while others waned. 2. Is trade with white settlers is well established and Native Americans have access to new technologies such as western clothing, boots, guns, and rum, which also transformed their society away from their traditional roots."
] | [
"The Middle Ages is a pretty huge period that spanned centuries, so you might want to refine your question. The daily life of a monarch in the 8th century was incomparably different from that of a 16th century one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about history:",
"pos": "Represent the document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was the average diet and training routine of a Spartan? | [
"You may be interested in our FAQ section on [What were the Spartans really like?](_URL_0_) and possibly the section on [Did people in the past exercise/work out/lift weights?](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"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 post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why was the word "knot" so inexplicably popular in 1943? | [
"The peak is actually in [1944](_URL_1_), which was the year that the [Ashley Book of Knots](_URL_0_) (a pretty comprehensive encyclopedia describing thousands of knots) was published. It appears that this book is part of the data set that Google is using, and apparently its inclusion was enough to roughly triple the incidence of the word \"knot\" that year."
] | [
"hi! there's lots of room for more input but you may be interested in a few earlier posts * [Did ancient peoples \"go to the beach\" as we do today?](_URL_1_) - Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Polynesia (surfing), 19th c Britain & France * [When did we start going to the beach?](_URL_6_) - various * [Question about beach culture in England.](_URL_4_) - 19th c Britain * [Why were pier-based amusement parks so popular in the early/mid 20th century?](_URL_2_) - 19th c Britain & USA * [When did \"going to the beach\" become a popular way to spend time?](_URL_3_) - ancient shoreline middens, Nazi Germany * [When did \"going to the beach\" become a popular, recreational activity?](_URL_5_) - 20th c USA, a survey of artistic portrayals * thread in [Why was surfing seemingly the focal point of popular youth culture in early 1960s America?](_URL_0_) - 18th c & 20th c Hawai'i (surfing)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
[Journalism] To what extent was Hearst responsible for the failure of "Citizen Kane?" | [
"I'm sorry, but what do you mean by the \"failure\" of Citizen Kane?"
] | [
"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 text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Can someone explain the War of the Roses to me? | [
"Two rival houses fought in a dynastic war over who would be the next ruler of England. The first house was Lancaster whose symbol was a red rose and the second house was York whose symbol was a white rose, hence the name \"War of the Roses.\" The war lasted from 1455- 1485 with occasional battles being fought during that time. The war ended when Henry Tudor defeated Richard III (The last king of York) and then married the daughter of Edward IV (another Yorkist) and united the two houses. This became the Tudor Dynasty whose symbol was a red and white rose."
] | [
"Help! Can someone explain SCOT and Structuration theory to an idiot?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
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