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[Thanksgiving question] Who invented pie and why don't we honor them? | [
"I believe the general consensus is that it was a Greek invention (Aristophanes mentions pastries in The Clouds, so 5th Century BC at least), but the pastry was used to carry and preserve the contents, rather than being designed to be one edible article. The convention of eating the crust came far later during late medieval times in England where the poor would eat the undesirable (and practically inedible) crust. Americans \"refined\" the pie down to sweet pastries only for some odd reason (perhaps a lack of meat available meant filling pastry with fruit was more cost-efficient?). Here is a long article that covers the history of the pie (not in a very well structured order, unfortunately) which uses sources such as; - Oxford English Dictionary, Volume III, 1982 - Pie: A Global History, by Janet Clarkson - The White House Cookbook by Mrs. F.L. Gillette, 1887 _URL_0_ As a Brit, I have to say that everyone should eat a steak pie at least once. There's nothing better than hot steak pie, chips and gravy."
] | [
"If there had been, we probably wouldn't know about it, would we?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Was the common working man in England during the Napoleonic Wars really aware of it? Was it something that people with no direct involvement would have talked about on a daily basis? | [
"Aside from the fact there were several thousand English soldiers from all over the country serving, and at least some of them sending letters home. People of the day who had access to a Newspaper would be able to read about the events in the form of dispatches that were published. For example, after the Battle of Waterloo on June 19th, 1815, Wellington's reports were published in the London Gazette on June 22nd. (edit: 22nd, sorry, not 21st)."
] | [
"The character George in Blackadder III was clownishly stupid, and recognized himself to be so. He knew his mental limitations, but was willing to give anything a try, perpetually failing at the task. George IV was not the same. He was recorded as being a smart student, but tended to fail at the big picture issues and was a public relations nightmare. He received an enormous allowance but managed to spend even more. He had a secret marriage that was not recognized by the establishment, is rumored to have had several mistresses, then put his legal wife on public trial for adultery. \"Gormless\" is not a word that I hear very often in American lingo. To which George would it apply?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Why were the British opposed to the idea of hegemony in Europe, being bought about by Germany in 1914? | [
"Because Britain's Strategy in Europe was to maintain a balance of Power. This can be seen in it's interventions against Napoleon, as well as against Germany in World War 1. Britain entered WWI because Germany violated Belgium's sovereignty. Belgium was a wonderful place to cross the channel from. Britain could fight off France. Britain could fight off Germany. Britain could fight off Spain and France with German Help. Britain could not fight off France and Germany. And so, European Hegemony was terrifying to Britain, because it meant that Britain would be threatened."
] | [
"This question is answered in Dan Carlin's podcast. He explains that France and Germany knew that war was inevitable and both wanted Russia to be their ally. Otto Von Bismarck was successful in allying the new German Empire with Russia, but when he was out of office, Kaiser Wilhelm did not work to keep this alliance. France was able to court the ignored Russia and ally with them. France and Russia had been enemies 100 years prior ( since Napoleon's 1812 Invasion) so the WWI alliance had less to do with historical ties and more to do with France's practical needs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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To what extent was North Korea a Soviet satellite state during the Cold War? | [
"A follow up question: can we think of South Korea and Taiwan as American satellite states when they were ruled by military junta?"
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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Question about USS North Carolina | [
"How old was your grandfather? Depending on his age, he could have worked on the *North Carolina* that was canceled in 1922. That particular battleship was laid down in 1920 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard and was under construction until requirements of the Washington Naval Treaty forced it to stop."
] | [
"OP, how about a short explanation about how you know this?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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When the U.S was segregated, if a white person went to a "colors only" restaurant, would they get service or would they be denied? | [
"Were there 'colors only' restaurants? Or were there only 'white only' places? My impression was that whites could basically go anywhere they wanted, they just didn't. And thus the follow-up question."
] | [
"White people didn't face legal repercussions for using \"colored\" fountains. There would have been a chance of social derision from the White community, due to the association with African Americans, or the significantly lower quality of \"Colored\" specific areas but nothing illegal would have happened if a white man used a black restroom or water fountain. To clarify: It's possible that this would have been illegal in some municipality, but I haven't read anything on it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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[European history] How did the fleet led by Christopher Columbus make its return to Spain in 1493? | [
"Columbus actually returned to Europe a different \"way\" than he came -- I mean, he sailed both ways, but on his return route he took a more northerly circular path, to profit from the Gulf Stream current and to avoid the area of calm airs called the Sargasso Sea in the central Atlantic. If you will forgive the Wikipedia link, you can take a look at this map of the [North Atlantic gyre](_URL_0_), which is a roughly circular area of currents that encircle the middle of the North Atlantic. If you look at a [map of Columbus' voyages](_URL_1_) that includes his returns, you can see that he profited from prevailing currents and winds both ways -- by sailing southwest then west from the Canaries, then northeast and east towards the Azores."
] | [
"Were the Europeans aware that Japan existed before Portuguese sailors came across it in 1543?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
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How was a 12-Pound Cannon referred to after the Metric system? | [
"The French referred to it as the Canon obusier de 12 - because the calibre was 12cm. They also used the Canon de 12 and Canon de 8, which were 12 and 8cm calibre respectively. They adopted these systems in the 1840s to 1850s, and used punds until then."
] | [
"To be a little less specific, what did people think the future in general would be like before the Industrial Revolution?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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What do we know about the Viking exploration of North America? What are the facts? What do we speculate and assume? | [
"When I learned about this particular subject, what stuck out to me is how little we know. I think all knowledge comes from two sources basically. The [Vinland Sagas](_URL_3_) and the archeological site at the [L'Anse aux Meadows](_URL_2_)."
] | [
"I recommend that you ask whether the classic Viking funeral with the burning boat ever occurred. There is plenty of archaeological evidence consisting of gravesites surrounded by stones arranged in the shape of a boat, and there are a few buried vessels used as graves, so the archaeology is good for this sort of grave-reference to ships. The archaeology of a boat burnt off shore is not likely to exist, so one must rely on primary sources. So where did this idea come from? How common was it? And more importantly, how did it evolve over time? There are also cenotaphs, which is a nice topic, and it gives you an opportunity to use a word that rarely enters into everyday conversation. Good luck."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Was/Is the role of the "little boats" during operation Dynamo (the evacuation from Dunkirk) overstated? | [
"The popular view of the evacuation from Dunkirk is one of the RN and the \"little ships\" rescuing the BEF from the beaches. Although the RN were heavily involved, the bulk of the vessels used in the evacuation were conventional merchant vessels of all types, cargo ships, ferries and fishing vessels of all types were involved. The larger ships used the docks and then the moles at Dunkirk, then when these were destroyed by bombing, ships' boats collected the men from the open beaches north of the town, and ferried them to the larger vessels. The \"little ships\" were then collected to help in this process of ferrying the men to the larger ships. They were, of course, very important in the morale boosting story post evacuation. The annoying thing (obviously I'm biased) I've found about every single screen/film portrayal of Dunkirk is the ignoring of the role of the civilians in the Merchant Navy in the evacuation! I hope that this new version won't be the same."
] | [
"\"The Battle of Normandy\" or \"Normandy Campaign\" is the most encompassing term, referring to the entire campaign to liberate France from the Germans and establish a foothold for the allies in Western Europe, from June to September 1944. \"The Normandy Invasion\" was the first few weeks of the Battle of Normandy, which resulted in the allied forces taking over Normandy. \"The Normandy Landings\" was the first operation of the Normandy Invasion - the actual landing on the beaches of Normandy - on June 6, 1944. \"D-Day\" is the day of the Normandy Landing - June 6, 1944. Broadly speaking, \"D-Day\" is a military term for a date when an operation is to be initiated."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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What plans, if any, did the Confederate States of America have - or discuss - for expansion into Latin America? | [
"None that I know of, however, Southerners before the war had long had pipe dreams of an America that would extend to Panama. All of these new territories would be slave states. More realistic were attempts to gain Cuba as a slave state. One southerner, Walker, established a slave country in Nicuragua by an invasion of the sons of Southern slavers. This regime was overthrown quickly. The Slavers tried to strong arm one of the weak antebellum presidents (Pierce or Buchanan, I forgot which) into forcing the \"purchase\" of Cuba via a secret document called the Ostend Manifesto. It would have worked too, if the document wasn't leaked to the public. The Northern states raised holy hell about a new slave state, and one that would be wrangled from another power at that (insert irony about the Spanish-American War here), and thus the Ostend Manifesto was dropped to maintain the peace."
] | [
"You will probably get a lot of differing answers, but at the end of the day it all depends on how you define \"Empire\" and if you include informal Imperialism in this definition. If you are looking for formal Imperialism, it gets a bit easier: The USA was an Empire after the Spanish-American War of 1898, when it acquired Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Philippines and Guam from Spain. Although it has been debated if the Westward Movement could be regarded as Imperialism as well. As you didn't really elaborate on your question, I'll leave it at that for now. Any follow-up questions?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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How did Commonwealth countries/nations gain independence? | [
"Hi there! There are 20+ countries that were part of the British Commonwealth and it will immensly help any expert attempting an answer here to narrow it down a bit. Thank you!"
] | [
"The independent Commonwealth Caribbean countries have been largely unsuccessful financially, regardless of how long they have been independent. For example, the country that has been independent for the longest time, Haiti, is the most impoverished nation in the region. British control, as you call it, provides a solid legal and financial structure for the dependent countries. After gaining independence there were struggles to modify laws and provide for a stable structure that enables economic prosperity for the nation. The citizens of dependent nations are, in general, much better off than their independent neighbors. Source: Commonwealth Caribbean Law and Legal Systems, Antoine."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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How did George Washington Carver inventing peanut butter become one of the prototypical "contributions" black people have made to society? | [
"He didn't invent peanut butter. Marcellus Gilmore Edson did."
] | [
"Well we're still feeling the ripple effect from old racism and slavery. Watermelon originally came from South Africa and spread through most of Africa in ancient times. It was the moors who brought watermelon to Europe and early American settlers who brought it here to the USA. When slavery was at its peak, watermelon's popularity in the states also rose dramatically because African slaves would be inclined to have food from their native homeland (them and their ancestors ate watermelon pretty regularly). Proponents of slavery would use the watermelon as an iconic symbol to push their agenda, \"all you need to keep a slave happy is a watermelon, so obviously they are subhuman since us white folks need more than just watermelon to be happy.\" After slavery ended here in the us, there were still plenty of racial overtones that continued on with the watermelon. You are right that it is complete bullshit, one study showed the African Americans only account for 11 percent of watermelon consumed in the us."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Lots of US states have laws against oral sex. Were these laws ever enforced? How? | [
"Another question, would both parties involved get in trouble, or just 1 person?"
] | [
"Because most states have laws against fetal homicide, but states are not permitted to ban abortion before the third trimester. The law is not required to be philosophically consistent."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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American bases in the Pacific I can use for my story! | [
"By 1941 and the run up to war the US had several dozen bases across the 1/2 of the world represented by the Pacific. Everything from the great fleet base at Pearl, to smaller outposts like Wake or Guam and the Philippines, to outposts in paradise like Pago Pago. What kind of base does it need to be, how big, what king of facilities, US/European Men and women present, any natives? Does it have to have routine and large amounts of ship traffic, or a tiny speck of coral with a shallow harbor and an rough airstrip?"
] | [
"Because they'd have to take on the whole US Army?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Looking for information on Appalachian folklore. | [
"If you are looking for very, very early, there is a whole chapter devoted to folk beliefs among the Scotch-Irish immigrants that settled in Appalachia in \"Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways Into America\" by David Hackett Fischer. In particular, I remember a few about butter. The more hair, the less harm. Tossing a frog in will help it turn to butter. If it will not turn to butter, a witch may have placed a spell on your churn. You must then heat a couple iron nails red hot and toss them in. This will burn the witch who has a hold on your churn, and force them to release it."
] | [
"How do you define your hints of schizophrenia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Where did the ‘stag do’ originate from? Did groups of men partake in stag do’s hundreds of years ago or is it more of a modern thing? | [
"Context for any Americans reading this: a stag do is a bachelor party. A bachelorette party is a \"hen do\". I believe a bachelor party is called a \"bucks\" in Australia? An interesting follow up question might be where all these names came from..."
] | [
"Humans across a wide variety of cultures have been manufacturing alcohol for over 5,000 years. It's built into a lot of cultural traditions, even the Bible mentions it. If it was invented 10 years ago it probably wouldn't be legal."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Visitor from /r/dnd here. What are some small events that could indicate a build-up to war? | [
"Can I suggest crossposting to /r/history? Your question is a bit outside of the normal scope of this sub and they are a bit more loose with content over there."
] | [
"A dragon is a single, large, intelligent foe that no human-sized hero stands a chance of defeating in straight combat. Even if you've got a dozen heros or an army, you still can't beat it in straight combat. To defeat the dragon, you need to be clever or quest for a magic sword - something that's worthy of a hero. Just being strong enough to kill something with single blow of your sword doesn't make an interesting story. There's bound to be minor obstacles on [The Hero's Journey](_URL_0_) but the dragon is pretty much the epitome of what ultimate enemy needs to be, at least in our standard mythology. ---- ...and that doesn't even require you to go into what a dragon represents symbolically."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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(Viking/Scandanavian weaponry) In Marvel Comics, do any of the versions of Mjölnir accurately resemble ancient warhammers? | [
"/u/Gugg256 gives a great answer about how Vikings imagined Thor's hammer to look. To add to it, here's what actual hammers from a Viking tool chest (found buried in a bog) looked like: Sketches of the originals: _URL_3_ And a reproduction: _URL_4_ You'll notice the shape isn't so different from some of the necklaces / artistic versions of Thor's hammer."
] | [
"He's the oldest, having been born before WW2 and then kept in suspended animation for a few decades. You would probably guess that Thor was the oldest, being a God and all that, but he's technically just a crippled med student named Donald Blake given the mantle of godhood on contact with the hammer of Thor (Mjolnir)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Did any of Lewis Carroll's contemporaries believe or suspect he was a pedophile, or is this purely a modern idea? | [
"Follow-up question: If it is purely a modern idea, where did this idea come from, and how much validity is there to it?"
] | [
"I work a lot on Newton, although it must be confessed that I work in Intellectual History, so I don't really think much about people's lives, instead I think about their ideas. That being said, I've never heard anybody seriously suggest that Newton and Fatio's relationship was sexual. It is often remarked that Newton was a jerk, a weirdo and a loner. While the weirdo part is perhaps too harsh (he was committed to his work), he absolutely was a jerk and (probably because of this) was also a bit of a loner. This has led some people (including some historians who should know better) to try to explain these things by invoking things like Newton having autism/aspergers, or being gay. He certainly may have had autism or aspergers, but there's no way for us to know. Similarly, he certainly may have been gay. He definitely had no interest in women. But as far as I know there is no actual evidence pointing to Newton being gay, or having a sexual relationship with Fatio."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Is spreading dust on scrolls historical? | [
"What you are seeing is called [pounce](_URL_0_), which is a find sand like substance used to dry the ink faster. The inks used before the twentieth century did not dry as fast as modern ink, so the pounce material would be used to prevent smearing or smudging when turning the page or folding a letter. If you look in Monaghan's *Learning to Read and Write in Colonial America*, she has a brief discussion on pounce powder, it's uses and even gives advertisements in colonial newspapers. Edit: Since the Wiki page has no sources, check out *A Dictionary of English Manuscript Terminology: 1450 to 2000*, page 307 where it defines pounce as \"a chalky, slightly abrasive powder used by scribes from medieval times until the early nineteenth century...to apply it to the surface of a parchment...in order to remove grease...[and] to absorb excess ink on the parchment or paper page after writing.\""
] | [
"Only Tangentially related, but is there any property specific to cat skin that makes it more suitable for holding coin?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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What exactly was found when the Borgia apartments were unsealed in 1889? | [
"Why were they sealed in the first place?"
] | [
"It has been updated and renovated on several occasions since it was last burnt by the British."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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It seems like almost every US war during the 20th century had a face of the enemy who would be featured in political cartoons as a representative of the enemy: the Kaiser, Hitler, Ho Chi Minh, Hussein, Bin Laden, etc. Was there any such figure during the Korean War? | [
"During the Korean War the main figure used to represent the Communist side was Josef Stalin. Stalin was seen as the most powerful Communist figure and thought by many to be the person responsible for the war. He was also the one American readers were most likely to be familiar with. Sometimes Mao was used, mainly to represent specifically the Chinese rather than all of the Communist forces. I haven't seen many (or any, even) US political cartoons from the Korean War portraying Kim Il-Sung. Here are a couple of Stalin cartoons from Jack Knox: [1](_URL_3_) [2](_URL_1_) And here's another featuring the old Russian Bear symbol: [3](_URL_2_) Finally, Catherine Forslund wrote a very good article on editorial cartoons during the Korean War that I'd recommend reading: _URL_0_"
] | [
"The Italian people revolted and ousted Mussolini from power when the war turned against them, and afterwards helped support the Allied war effort against Germany. As a result, they tended not to get demonized as much in post-war propaganda as Germany and Japan did."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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Is there any chance the trojan horse was a fictional story | [
"While it's not specifically about the details of the Trojan Horse, you may enjoy this essay by /u/iphikrates which discusses what historians of ancient Greece think about the whole of the Iliad: [Why do some historians completely dismiss the Iliad and Homeric epics as having any historical basis?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"I would assume this is all talking about the 19th century; is this a typo?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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The Council of Nicaea in 325 enacted a series of canon laws, one of which was to ban self castration. How big an issue was this for it to be one of the few things on their agenda?! | [
"I don't know how popular it was, but I know that [Origen](_URL_0_), a prominent Christian leader of the previous century, had castrated himself. So, it would definitely have been on the minds of the Council. As for why, I can see three reasons: * To promote chastity. Christian teaching then saw sin even more seriously than many do now; churches usually required years of public humiliation before restoring someone to communion after serious sin. Someone who's castrated, obviously, won't be fornicating. * As an over-literal interpretation of Matthew 19:12, which says, \"There are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.\" The verse isn't commanding this, but [in context](_URL_1_ 19 & version=NASB), someone could get the idea that it's recommended. The historian Eusebius says this's why Origen castrated himself. * As an influence from pagan cults, where some priests were castrated. I think this's why the Council condemned it."
] | [
"Paul. In the Gospels Jesus is fairly clear that the old law has been abolished (see Mathew 15:11 as the standard proof text for this)- that is that those Old Testament sins are no longer sins. But, the Gospels are not the end of the New Testament. In the Epistles the Bible condemns homosexuality (and other Old Testament sins). To the mind of many that makes it clear that while many of the Old Testament laws have been abolished not all of them have been. (Roughly those break down into laws about purity which are abolished and laws about social and sexual behavior which are not). Obviously, this explanation is less that convincing to many, but it is one of the standard explications given when this question arises."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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What type of paper did Shakespeare write Romeo and Juliet on? | [
"Old rags. No seriously. Old worn out hemp and linen rags would be pulped and then pressed to remove the water then pressed out into sheets and then dried."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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Do we currently have any "real" archaeological findings related to Mathematics/Physics/Geometry from the Classical Greek Era (5th-4th century B.C.)? I mean something similar to the "encarved zero symbol" at the Gwalior temple in India? | [
"By using the term \"archaeological findings,\" you seem to be excluding the literary record. In fact, there's a huge and significant trove of ancient Greek literature on the topics you've enumerated in your list, and these resources continued to inform the study of math, science, and philosophy in the greater Mediterranean up through the modern period. Edit: typo"
] | [
"Did you truly mean 2500 BCE and not 250 BCE? 2500 BC predates Mycenaean Greece, even, by many centuries."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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At the end of "Hamilton" the musical, the character of Eliza Hamilton says, "Every other Founding Fathers' story gets told." Is there another Founding Father about whom the American public should know? | [
"Would John Jay count? Is he considered as influential as Hamilton in academic circles?"
] | [
"I would recommend Sarah Vowell's brand new book, *Lafayette in the Somewhat United States*. She is not a historian, she's an essayist but what I love about her is how she plays historian, historiographier, and essayist in how she melds history with public perception of the history. As such, a majority of the book is focused on Lafayette and his role in the American Revolution. With this she describes Lafayette as glory hound and looked toward America as a place to gain glory from battle outside France since it was the place of a major war. However, there might have been other things, as Vowell also alludes to the very close father-son relationship that both seemed to have been wanted by both. As usual, Lafayette was complex individual and I feel that the sites that you are referencing only one example out of many. There is another book I would recommend *Lafayette in Two Worlds: Public Cultures and Personal Identities in an Age of Revolutions* by Lloyd S. Kramer."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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How were ballistic machines employed before the development of physics? | [
"Physics dates back to the Ancient Greeks, who coincidentally are credited with inventing the ballista. The Persians had some sort of \"machines\" at their disposal, but we have no real idea what they were. The earliest ballistae came about from attempts to launch larger projectiles with larger and stiffer bows. The ancients understood well enough the related physics of parabolic trajectory and such, even if they didn't use the same terms as modern physicists. For that matter, the first human that invented the bow probably figured out the basics fairly rapidly. Campbell, Duncan. *Besieged: Siege Warfare in the Ancient World.* New York: Osprey Publishing, 2006."
] | [
"Almost all of our modern medicine is a result of military engineering, as well as jet airplanes, and radios."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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Does anyone have any sources to contribute to a Soviet Antisemitism research guide in the making? | [
"I don't know if this is relevant, but here are some [\"coffins\"](_URL_0_) that the Moscow State University gave to Jewish applicants in their entrance exams in the 1970s. The university used math problems that were nearly impossible to solve in order to curb the amount of Jews in their math department."
] | [
"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 | {
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What happened to the Picts in modern day Scotland? | [
"This is not a complete answer but it's been 7 hours and nobody has answered at all, so I will throw in what I know. There were certainly wars between Northumbria and Pictland and between Dal Riata and Pictland, and in the 12th century Henry of Huntingdon wrote; \"but we see that the Picts have now been wiped out and their language is totally destroyed so that they seem to be a fable we find mentioned only in writings.\" However, the Pictish people weren't actually destroyed. Their process of 'nonemesis,' losing their identity and becoming part of the larger kingdom of Alba, is complicated and difficult to study due to the dearth of evidence from Northern Britain in the time period during which they disappeared, the Viking Age. For a complete answer to the question, I'd recommend reading Alex Woolf's book, *From Pictland to Alba, 789-1070*."
] | [
"Did you mean in the USA, or in Japan?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
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I am an Aztec captive selected to sacrificed. What would my last days be like? | [
"[This question](_URL_0_) discusses a specific type of sacrifice, but you'll find it a useful start."
] | [
"You only remember the good and forget all the little things that made it mundane. Also you won't fully know the value of something until you no longer have it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is there a term for the concept that people alive at the present think they are the acme of history? | [
"Do you mean a culture-wide version of the End of History Illusion (_URL_0_)?"
] | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How big of an impact did Li Shizhen's Bencao Gangmu make in Chinese medicine? | [
"I am only an acupuncturist, and my program did not include herbs. But I know that in the field today li shizhen's work is the foundation of herbology."
] | [
"The Confucian Age was in the Spring and Autumn period, this was the age of philosophers, about the time of Buddhas life and the lives of the Hebrew prophets The Sung/Song dynasty was one of the best eras in Chinese history. It had many advances in literature and the arts. Sorry, no book recommendations :("
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
According to Wikipedia, when the British left the falklands in 1774, they left a plaque claiming the islands for George III. What happened to this plaque? Is it still up? | [
"According to my copy of Martin Middlebrook's *The Falklands War* : > The plaque was later removed by a Spanish naval officer and taken to Buenos Aires. Since he says 'Spanish' and not 'Argentinian' I presumed the plaque was removed sometime before 1811 when the Spanish settlements in the Malvinas were withdrawn. Argentina became independent in 1816 and the next settlement was established by Argentinians in 1826, under British protest. So I did a little digging on Google books and in *The Falkland Islands*, Mary Cawkell says that the plaque was removed in 1775 by a party from Puerto Soledad. In turn Buenos Aires was captured by the British in June 1806^* and the plaque was taken and returned to London. After that I don't know. _URL_0_ ^* Buenos Aires was recaptured by Argentinian forces a month and a half later."
] | [
"The Falklands is a British colony, they don't have any voting rights, but are technically British citizens and the majority are of British ethnicity, and they would rather stay under British rule. Argentina believe the islands should be under Argentine rule because when they gained independence they also gained the Falklands and had settlers there before the British expelled them and colonised in the early 19th century. Also, the Falkland Islands are too small to survive as an independent state according to the UN."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Incest in Medieval European Villages | [
"So first, yes, many people didn't travel far, but a lot of recent work has shown that medieval horizons were much broader than people first thought. Pulling a wife from a neighboring village would not be like venturing off to find the grail. Second, villages weren't so very small, by and large - I don't know of an actual study of average size, but 50 wouldn't be too absurd. Third, and most important, the Church forbade marriage within seven degrees of consanguinity. While there were often dispensations given to nobility (see the aformentioned Hapsburgs), the process would be cost-prohibitive for almost everyone else. On the other hand, few people - even noble families - could trace their lineages back that far, so the extreme limits of the rule were probably not well enforced."
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Does China have a claim on Japan? | [
"The Japanese main islands have always been inhabited by Japanese people and the only time Japanese territory was controlled by outsiders was during the Allied occupation after WWII. So, no, China does not have even a remotely valid claim on Japan."
] | [
"If you are located just to the west of it, and you don't love Japan, you call it the East Sea. If you don't think China should have any claims over it, you call it the Sea of Japan."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Were there Roman-Empire political "cartoons?" What other ancient political "cartoons" do we know about? | [
"If wall graffiti counts in this instance then yes, they did have political cartoons and attack ads in ancient Rome. [Source](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"I have a few questions for 20th century political historians: How do historians usually work with 20th century political commentators? Are they good primary sources to understand the political opinions of the general public or do they just show the commentators' opinions? Are there any works that discuss how historiography should deal with political commentators? And how do you think future historians will use today's political commentators in their work? Also, a followup: do religious sermons and homilies work in a similar way as political commentators in historiography?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How does Washington contrast the US to Europe in his farewell address? | [
"This seems like a homework question. The address isn't long, and it's easy to find online."
] | [
"It was the convention held in the United States which lead to the drafting of the Constitution. Do you have a more specific question?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Listening to the BBC I heard a professor make the offhand remark that people did not know how to swim in the Bronze Age. Is there any truth to this statement? | [
"Of course humans knew how to swim. Babies know how to swim when thrown into water, and people on coastlines had sure as hell better know how to swim even if, like the Greeks of Hesiod's time, they're not too fond of it. The Persians at Salamis didn't know how to swim, but that doesn't mean people in the Iron Age didn't know how to swim. Immediately when Bronze Age swimming comes to mind the first thing that I think of is the [Kadesh Inscription](_URL_0_), which shows (on the far right of that picture) Hittites swimming across the river. Many of them are drowned because of their equipment and panic, but you can see on the opposite bank they are coming to land or being fished out (some are being held upside down to get the water out of them)"
] | [
"As a follow up I heard it said several times that the Romans would use urine as mouthwash. Is there any truth to that?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Assata Shakur once said, “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” Is this true? | [
"I don't recall any of the South American dictatorships of the 70s ending by war or external pressure. The case which I'm most familiar with, Uruguay, had been in a dictatorship since 1973, and in 1980 the military junta in power tried to give some legitimacy to its government, proposing a new constitution which would effectively result in a very flawed democracy. That constitution was submitted to a popular vote, and rebuffed, even with all the weight of the state press behind it, and many politicians who were against it either in jail or in exile. Afterwards, the military junta recognized they had effectively lost popular support, and negotiated a elections in 1984 with a full return to democracy in 1985. Edit: The sources I'm familiar with are all in spanish. An exhaustive and balanced view is given in Lincoln Maiztegui's ['Orientales 4'](_URL_0_) ISBN: 978-9974-643-70-3, dealing exclusively with the period 1973-1985. Edit2, corrected dates."
] | [
"TO quote John Steinbeck: \"Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.\" You can't vote against the oppressors if your one secret wish is to join them one day."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In her 1987 autobiography Assata Shakur wrote that "Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them". How historically accurate is this statement? | [
"Although answered questions can still be re-asked, this question has already been asked before, with a few answers, by /u/tach ,/u/random-dent and /u/SOAR21: _URL_0_"
] | [
"The definition of \"terrorist\" is in the eyes of the beholder, or more accurately, the dominant class in society. In South Africa, Mandela was a member of the ANC, and the ANC advocated armed resistance against the apartheid regime. Even though that regime systematically terrorized a majority of the population through murder, torture, indefinite detention, and in general fascistic laws, people like Ronald Reagan did not call them terrorists. Instead, he [labeled Mandela a terrorist](_URL_0_) and vetoed sanctions against the apartheid government. If Nelson Mandela was a terrorist, then so was George Washington."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did the anniversary of the execution of Guy Fawkes & co become a national night of festivity in the UK? | [
"Point of fact: 5 November was *not* the date of execution. The Gunpowder Plot leaders were executed later; Fawkes on 31 January 1606. 5 November 1605 is the date they were *arrested* and the plot foiled. The celebrations may have had some spontaneous content but were helped along by the [Observance of 5th November Act](_URL_0_) of 1606, stipulating an annual day of thanks for the defeat of the plot. The early episodes seem to have involved a lot of anti-Catholic sentiment and occasionally the lighting off of explosives, and although the former does not exactly bring out the drunken festivities, the latter can. tl,dr: It's not just a good idea, *it's the law!*"
] | [
"They don't. The Chinese New Year is usually some time in February, and is widely celebrated both within China and in Chinese communities around the world. The Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is usually in September and is celebrated in Israel and by Jewish communities everywhere. The Islamic New Year is not a hugely celebrated festival but most Muslim countries will use the Islamic calendar and be aware of its changing dates. However as with many other aspects of Western culture, the celebrations associated with December 31st have been widely exported and after all, who would turn down the opportunity for a great party and fireworks, no matter whether the date is locally important or not?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Thursday Focus | Historical Fiction | [
"[Fatherland](_URL_12_) is a must read, one of the earliest/most popular stories asking \"What if...?\". Harris went on to write [Imperium](_URL_11_), which is also pretty good. Also a must read (and maybe must-see?) is [Animal Farm](_URL_15_) by Orwell - the more you know about Sowjet History the better (and depressing) it becomes... Finally a time-sink for those interested in **bad** research/history: [tvtropes on all the things Dan Brown fucked up in his books](_URL_13_) (I'm not going to call them novels). They call his kind of research failure \"[Dan Browned](_URL_14_)\" - and rightly so!"
] | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
1938 Peace for our time agreement with Germany. What were the alternatives and the arguments pro/against it at the time? | [
"I think its pretty simple: For - No one wanted another war, I don't even think Hitler did. Against - Hitler and the Nazis weren't to be trusted. Chamberlain was hailed as a great statesman for getting the agreement signed and \"taming\" Hitler. It all relied on Hitler keeping his word, which of course didn't happen. In hindsight it was naive to believe he would, but given the aversion to war (for leaders and the general public alike) I guess every possible avenue had to be tried before war became inevitable. if you can find it you might be interested in reading this: _URL_0_"
] | [
"Start of WWII. He was trying to get support for increasing the build up of war materiel, training, weapons, manpower, etc. Chamberlain's government was playing the part of the appeaser at this time and Churchill did not like it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Russia has a huge territory just in front of Japan and not far from South Korea. Why is it that this region is not super developed/integrated with these economies? | [
"Vladivostok is the main port city on Russia's Pacific coast, and indeed does receive a lot of trade from Japan. A lot of Japanese cars are imported into the city, and most people driving use Japanese-style right-side drive, despite Russian roads being designed for left-side driving (meaning the Japanese drive on the left, like the UK, while Russia drives on the right, like the US). It is also a popular destination for tourists from China, Korea, and Japan, as it is the closest \"European\" city for them to visit. Though honestly this type of question isn't really history-based, and more geopolitical or economic. Though looking back, trade between Russia and the Far East in the region dates back centuries, especially before the Trans-Siberian Railway was finished in 1916, finally connecting Vladivostok to Moscow."
] | [
"While very large and rich in resources, it has fewer people than Argentina, Poland, or Sudan. There are cities in China with almost as many people as Canada. In addition, culturally, politically, and diplomatically, they are similar to their close allies the US and the UK, and don't have much to add to what those countries are saying on the world stage."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Did people ever actually dress like they do on Game of Thrones? | [
"Related question: where did leather studs get associated with medieval times? GOT actually avoids this, but B and C level movies set in medieval times everybody and their hut mate seems to be wearing leather studs as part of their leather armor."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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"neg": "Represent the document:"
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Why has this painting been mis-attributed to the French Revolution? | [
"[This podcast] (_URL_0_) from the BBC's *[In Our Time](_URL_0_)* dedicated to the historical background of Delacroix's painting might be of interest."
] | [
"I'm afraid I don't know the painter, but that's George I of Great Britain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
In light of the new debates on who to cast for another Cleopatra movie, what mightve her skin color look like in real life? | [
"Not to preclude additional answers, but u/cleopatra_philopater answered this in [What is the most plausible theory on Cleopatras’ skin color?](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"To be a little less specific, what did people think the future in general would be like before the Industrial Revolution?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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} |
When was the barbell invented? | [
"How strict is your definition? Do you mean the modern, fixed and known weight bar and labeled weight plates, or would you accept things like using balls of varying diameter filled with different materials attached to a wooden bar?"
] | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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} |
[META] What other subreddits are like /r/AskHistorians?l | [
"The quality of the moderation can vary, and not everyone has exactly our philosophy about it, but there's a variety of other R-slash-Ask subreddits that we will redirect questions to where appropriate - /r/askscience, /r/asksocialscience, /r/askphilosophy, /r/askliterarystudies, /r/askeconomics - and we'll redirect some other questions to some other more focused subs like /r/credibledefense, /r/geneaology, /r/academicbiblical, /r/museumpros or /r/linguistics. Additionally, it can be worth looking at /r/depthhub to get a sense of where good answers might be, while I gather there's some fairly strict rule enforcement in places like /r/changemyview, /r/politicaldiscussion, or /r/explainbothsides."
] | [
"You might want to crosspost this to /r/AskScience."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why do most North Koreans seem to believe that the South (backed by the US) invaded the North first? | [
"I believe that some scholars, such as [Bruce Cummings](_URL_0_), argue that South Korean troops were first to fire. North Korean veterans would probably be unable to know if their country fired first. And, in any case, they viewed it as a war to liberate their fellow Koreans and unify the country - not as an invasion of a foreign country."
] | [
"Each side wants reunification on their own terms. North Korea wants all of Korea to worship the Kim family, which isn't going to happen. South Korea wants all of Korea to be a modern country, which won't happen as long as the Kim family remains in power."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In 775, the radioactive CO2 in the atmosphere jumped 1.2%. What does this coincide with, historically? Any unusual trends? | [
"You may want to consider posting this in Askscience as well."
] | [
"No, not every weather event will be considered to be caused by climate change. Weather events far above or far below the average will be considered to be caused by climate change. ***What proof is there?*** Ice caps are used to find out CO2 concentrations thousands of years in the past. CO2 is known to cause a greenhouse effect. There are many charts that point to correlation between temperature increase to the CO2 concentration increase. Here's a chart showing temperature increase: _URL_0_ Here's a chart that shows CO2 concentration (notice that temperature increased with CO2): _URL_4_ You can also see that the warmest years on record are most recent: _URL_2_ and that droughts are getting worse: _URL_5_ While winters get worse: _URL_3_ So...weather is getting extreme There's also the fact that arctic sea ice is decreasing: _URL_1_ Any questions I'll answer..."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about Climate science:"
} |
Was it true that the Soviet Army didn't use any ranks at the beginning? | [
"The Red Army did get rid of 'ranks' in a more superficial sense in that someone commanding a division would be called a 'division commander', rather than 'general' (Or whichever rank commands a division, I'm not sure). There was a broad push to do away, even if just superficially, with symbols of the old order (not just in the military) - this is why there were commanders instead of officers and commissars instead of ministers, for example. So basically, no. They renamed (and often reorganised) the ranks and structures that existed. There were still definite chains of command once the Red Army was organised. I can't speak to the PLA or Albanian army, but I would imagine it would be a similar story. Someone with more of a background in the Soviets could give you some info on why they did this. It's an interesting way of looking at the new regime after the Russian Revolution (in my opinion)."
] | [
"Also, would her military experience be any useful in finding a job? Did women serve in the British military during World War 1 and if so, did they go back into the workforce afterwards?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was anti-war sentiment like at the beginning of WWI ("The Great War") | [
"Hi, Regarding Canada, I just thought I'd leave this [post](_URL_0_) here. It's actually about quebec Independence movement, but there is also something about the conscription and it shows how Canada was divided. Guess what, the French Canadians were not eager to save the Queen."
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
A while ago, I was speaking to a woman who grew up in West Germany, and she claimed that every time you made a phone call, "You could actually hear the tape recorder click on" at whatever location you were being recorded at. Is this true? | [
"West Germany had and has very strict laws for the defense of your private sphere. Secrecy of correspondence is warranted in the 10th article of the German constituion (literally: basic law) and a breach thereof is punished with up to 5 years in jail according to §206 of the StGB. So it might have been [a tongue in cheek reference to the NSA scandal](_URL_0_) or she is from a communist family, since, in 1968, the [West German government decided that this law does not apply to folks suspicious to the state security service.](_URL_1_[%40attr_id%3D%27bgbl168s0949.pdf%27]__1451618948623)"
] | [
"After the connection is established, they would go silent. And they could be configured to be completely silent. But the nice thing about having the noise at the beginning was that you could tell when the connection had been established. There was an easily distinguished change in the noise that said \"everything is working now.\" You listened to make sure the connection succeeded, and wasn't interrupted by something, like someone on another extension picking up the phone and yelling \"oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were using the phone for the computer.\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Why was the movie "Citizen Kane" booed at the Academy Awards? | [
"Welles' film was based on William Randolph Hearst, and not in a flattering manner. Hearst used his wealth and influence to do all he could to shut down the film and discredit Welles, and succeeded in having the release of the film delayed for quite some time. Among his friends and cronies, Hearst counted many of Hollywood's elite, and they, loyal to Hearst - or his wealth - booed Citizen Kane at the Academy Awards. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Avatar would probably still win because there are more people on the planet now from when Gone With the Wind was originally in theaters."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What happened to the Academy Award for Best Actor that Marlon Brando refused to accept in 1973? Is it on display anywhere? | [
"The answer is in dispute. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Roger Moore (who was to present Brando with the Best Actor award) took it home with him that night but later returned it to the Academy. It was then relabeled and given to Charlie Chaplin to replace a damaged award. Comedian, actor, and talent agent [Marty Ingels](_URL_1_) asserts that one of his clients (who he refuses to identify) walked away with the award that night and still has it to this day. See this [2004 article in Entertainment Weekly](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"He is considered to be one of the funniest comedians in America and he hasn't done nearly anything on TV since his show was cancelled 10 years ago."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Is there any historical significance or meaning to talking like a pirate? | [
"It originated from a Disney adaptation of Treasure Island, where Robert Newton who played Long John Silver, exaggerated his own west country accent, giving us the now distinct 'pirate voice'. I may be wrong here, because I'm really just making an assumption, but I figure that 'Arr' stemmed from that, and was never part of the pirate lexicon."
] | [
"Native Floridian, never heard a word about this. Any sources?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are there any interesting stories about a person's handedness (right vs. left) shaping major events? | [
"Spiral staircases in castle towers always go up clockwise. This gives a defenser upstairs a massive advantage over an attacker comingfrom downstairs because the defender will have his right hand ready to swing, while the attacker will have his right hand at the column supporting the staircase."
] | [
"Copy+paste from my reply from the last time this was asked, about a month ago: We don't know, is the only real answer. In fact, scientists don't even have a scientific definition of what it means to be left-handed. (Is it the hand which can perform a task better? Or the hand you prefer to use for a task?) There are several theories, and it's probably a combination of all of them. They include: - correlation with the way the brain is organised (in right-handed people, the left side of the brain deals with speech as well as with controlling the right hand, and the theory is that speech and fine motor skills are related, whereas the brains of left-handed people are often organised differently) - the position of the foetus in the womb, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy - a complex tie-in with genetics (two left-handed parents have a 24% chance of having a left-handed baby, compared to the general population which is 10% left-handed)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How effective were Molotov cocktails as AT grenades in WW2? | [
"The original Finnish recipe for Molotov cocktail (ethanol, tar and gasoline mixture) was effective against Russian tanks during the Winter War (before WWII started). T-28 was the biggest Russian tank during the war. The original intent of the cocktail was to blind the vision ports of the tank. It was quickly discovered that if the cocktail was thrown close to the engine air intake, it would suck the the flames inside and the engine would catch a fire. The Red Army lost 1 919 tanks in the winter war battles, of which 436 due to a fire (most of the fires were caused by Molotov cocktail). In the WWII (continuation war for the Finns) all parties had better weapons and usually better tanks and tank tactics. I have no information of the use of Molotov cocktails against tanks in any scale during the WWII. source: Mannerheim-linja — talvisodan legenda, Antero Uitto ja Carl-Fredrik Geust, 2006. ISBN 951-20-7042-1."
] | [
"Follow up question: What other types of bootcamp training strategies would drill instructors use? Also what were training structures like when there was a massive influx of troops who needed to be trained quickly, such as when the US joined WWII after Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Is there any benefit to reading a textbook from a general survey course (US, world, European etc..) for somebody looking to start reading history for personal enjoyment? | [
"Textbooks tend to be dry, quite surface level and often present dubious versions of historical events very mater of factly. I would recomend looking into either a textbook that has high remarks for accessibility or into a general audience book with a broad scope (in my field the standard is Ian Shaw's \"Oxford History of Ancient Egypt\")."
] | [
"I would really like to know a good book on the philosophy of history, or a place where I could learn more to contribute about the philosophy of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Are there any known examples of royal incest scandals such as in "A Game of Thrones"? | [
"One of the most famous cases of incest was in Medieval England was [Queen Anne Boleyn being charged of incest with her brother, George](_URL_2_). Of course, incest was against the church and often led to similar arrests or executions [(source)](_URL_3_). The Royal English bloodline had many cases of incest. If you observe Asia, Japan and Korea had many cases of Royal incest, much like the Targaryens, in order to maintain the royal bloodline pure. [(Source)](_URL_0_). For example, [Emperor Bidatsu of Japan married his half sister](_URL_4_), and in Korea we saw [Gwangjong, monach of the Goryeo dynasty, marry his half sister as well](_URL_1_)."
] | [
"Generally high fantasy involves worlds where magic and fantastical creatures are common. Example: LOTR Low fantasy is when there are subtle fantastical elements in a more realistic world. Example: Game of Thrones (at least so far in the first half of book 1)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did the USA, Mexico or any other territory in the Americas pay a compensation to their former colonizer after declaring independence the way Brazil did to Portugal? | [
"Haiti was forced to pay reparations to France in exchange for diplomatic recognition (and the removal of the threat of re-invasion). The demand was actually delivered twenty years after independence with a convoy of warships rather than the Brazilian-Portuguese method of agreeing to reparations for lost property during a treaty at the end of the war. Brazil's relationship with Portugal after independence was very different from the relationship between Spain and its former colonies due to the fact that the new emperor of Brazil was the son of the king of Portugal. After the war, the two countries were very motivated to remain on good terms to terms with each other, and providing reparations to the elites who had lost property during the war was an important part of that process."
] | [
"> What sides were taken? The short version is that most of the area was colonized by France, England, Italy, and Spain. They did not really take side as much as go along with the colonizing powers. > How were they affected? After WWII, the colonial power had neither the strength nor the will to hold to their colonies. The lead to a massive wave of decolonization in the latter half of the 20^th century that independence in the region and throughout the world."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What actually happened during the "Golem of Prague" incident? | [
"Absolutely nothing. The idea of a Golem of Prague was an invention of several authors beginning no earlier than the 19th century. The idea that it was an instrument of rescue of the Jews of Prague from persecution originated with Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg, who in the late 19th century wrote Niflaos HaMaharal, the most influential book of stories about the (again, mythical) Golem. He was projecting the insecurities of his own time, in which there was absolutely persecution of Jews, onto the Prague of the 16th century, which could be considered something of a golden age and which had no significant persecution of the Jews which had to be stopped. I wrote a post about the Golem, with special focus on Rabbi Rosenberg's role in the story, [here.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"...Tell us more about the New England vampire scare. Where and when?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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What are some good topic ideas for any historical subject within the theme of "religion in American politics and society" ? *HELP* | [
"William Jennings Bryan would be a really great character for you to focus on there."
] | [
"Pretty difficult task since 6th graders usually have not encountered the concept of revolution and the transition of monarchal to popular government yet. How about juxtaposing pre- and post-revolutionary Russia by listing the most important structures of both systems and the problems they faced. out of curiosity: what kind of school includes the Russian Revolution in its curriculum for 6th graders? (I'll be a teacher myself)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Education:"
} |
Do off-the-grid communities still experience segmented sleep? | [
"I'd say this question is better suited to r/AskAnthropology since it's about current human behaviour rather than a question about history."
] | [
"It provides a higher quality of service and keeps them safe from frivolous lawsuits. Their job is to identify the source and severity of the condition and redirect as necessary. That way they can see more patients throughout the day."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Cartoons and children's toys often portray circus trains as having a giraffe car where the giraffe's neck sticks out through the roof. Did circuses ever actually transport giraffes like that? | [
"Not in the way that the whimsical toys would lead you to believe. Starting around the turn of the century circuses around the US had special livestock cars built to handle exotic animals. The Ringling Brothers' current fleet are built from ex Union Pacific railway post office cars with special quarters for each animal type. Older cars used in the early 20th century were outside braced wooden livestock cars with side and end doors to unload animals. You couldn't have giraffe heads poking out of the top of the car for numerous reasons, not least because transporting them in that fashion would cause them to suffocate from exhaust in tunnels and get injured by debris or low clearance obstacles. They were most likely trained to lay down, which would provide at least 8-10 feet of ceiling height. You can learn more here: _URL_0_"
] | [
"I had to do a little research for this, but apparently it has always been a circus act. It originated from the \"Cole Bros. Circus\" in the 1950s. According to circus performers, the average car can fit between 14 and 20 clowns when all the interior is stripped out, there is no use of trapdoors or the like, and the cars are actually drivable."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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} |
Question about the Americas | [
"There's a ton to unpack here, but I think a great start is /u/anthropology_nerd's [Myths of Conquest](_URL_1_) series over on r/badhistory. Also, see /u/Snapshot52 on [American Indian Genocide Denial](_URL_0_). There's also some useful information in the [FAQ](_URL_2_)."
] | [
"Arbitrary, likely measured from FPOC with the surface."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Science:"
} |
Was there an idea of career mobility in the middle ages? | [
"Working in the Royal Household in England could be similar to what you are describing. While the loftiest positions (Treasurer, Steward, Captain of the Guard, etc.) were royal appointments, many of the people in lower positions (clerks, cooks, grooms, and other servants) worked their way up the ladder of promotions. Many people started as nonsalaried servants, paid in food and lodging, and were promoted based on their skills, aptitude and seniority. Eventually they could achieve quite lucrative positions like the head cook (who had rights to use/sell certain items that came through the kitchens, like lambskins). The highest position that one could be promoted into was the cashier/cofferer of the household - they were, effectively, responsible for the running of the royal household (especially in financial matters) and sat on the Board of the Greencloth - the board that determined all financial matters for the royal household - alongside nobles who were appointed to the board."
] | [
"Are you considering the 18th century to be in conjunction with the great divergence?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
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How accurate is the portrayal of Scandinavian culture/religion in the show "Vikings"? | [
"While waiting for a new answer I recommend checking out [the How accurate is the Vikings show](_URL_0_) section in the FAQ. It has lots of flaired user comments on the show that you might find enlightening."
] | [
"Generally high fantasy involves worlds where magic and fantastical creatures are common. Example: LOTR Low fantasy is when there are subtle fantastical elements in a more realistic world. Example: Game of Thrones (at least so far in the first half of book 1)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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HISTORIANS! I humbly call upon ye to help with this quest so dire. | [
"One minor point, using human body measurements, either for research data or identification purposes, is called [anthropometry](_URL_0_), not anthropology. Anthropology is just the study of humanity and is too broad a term for your purposes. Also, you might want to add a tiny bit about [tattoos as an identification tool](_URL_2_), but take or leave that as a side note to the overall discussion. Forensic anthropology is another fairly important aspect of the history of forensic science (though I'm biased). If you want a story about one of the first identifications of a murder victim from human remains maybe mention the [Parkman-Webster Murder](_URL_1_). Students might also be interested in the important ongoing research into factors influencing human decomposition at the [UT Body Farm](_URL_3_)."
] | [
"Emeritus, we who are about to post salute you! *fistbumps* If you ever need someone to poke about anything, shoot me a PM. Best of luck with all of your endeavours, and remember! If you can't find a way....make one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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} |
Salt as a factor in the Whisky Rebellion? | [
"Kurlansky is vastly overstating the importance of salt in the Whiskey Rebellion. Back-country farmers were using whiskey as a barter medium and a sale item. They may have traded whiskey for salt, but salt was not the only item--nor the most important one--for which farmers traded whiskey. And the revolt was absolultey not prompted by denying back-country farmers access to NaCl. To read more about the real reasons for the Whiskey Rebellion, I recommend Tom Slaughter's *The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution* (Oxford University Press, 1986). I hope Kurlansky is worth his salt as a historian in other areas. His argument here is rather tasteless."
] | [
"Reason # 1 : Food spoils more quickly in hot climates. Spices are preservatives. Reason #2 : Not many edible and spicy plants in colder climates."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Did Nathan Rothschild really say this? | [
"There appears to be no primary source for this quote. It also makes no sense. At the time, there was no Rothschild sitting on the board of the Bank of England. BoE appeared to have borrowed money from the Rothschilds at some point, but this does not give the Rothschilds control of the money supply any more than I am in control of the US monetary policy because I owe a few treasury bonds. Finally, as an economic matter, even if the Rothschilds owned 100% of BoE's debt, that would make them slaves to the BoE rather than the other way around."
] | [
"We shouldn't be reassured by anything they say. Full stop."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
When first coming to the New World did people have solid grasp of timezones? Or did the long sea voyage distort their sense of time enough that they didn't notice? | [
"Hi there, so people didn't have a concept of \"timezones\" because timezones are an arbitrary invention. But people did understand that local time varied in different parts of the world, dating back to classical antiquity. Here is a similar question I answered awhile back: _URL_0_ Specific to ships and timing, you may be interested in this comment further down: _URL_1_ Hope this helps!"
] | [
"They don't \"have different time zones\". We created time zones. Once we realized how the earth moves around the sun we knew that noon was going to be at different points at different places on earth. Time zones are a way for us to make more sense out of time when we became able to move faster between different areas (when trains developed)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Could ancient relics depicting what looks like astronauts , spaceships and star systems be enough to prove extra-terrestrial contact? | [
"The thing with that post is that the artistic style is nothing like anything produced in the Maya region in any time period. A continuity of art style is helpful when talking about a piece and possible interpretations it may hold. That being said, the lack of similar art style coupled with the poor quality of the photo leads me to believe that these are fake. Anyone with some sheet metal or stone and tools could produce this and claim it was real. There is also no official report, just a series of self referential claims across the internet."
] | [
"The actual reason for this phenomenon is roughly understood. One of the leading theories for this behavior is that it imitates their spaceships. The ones they used over 2000 years ago to make contact with the ancient Egyptians and enslaved them to create beautiful statues."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
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} |
What caused the rapid expansion of Great Powers during the 1700s and 1800s? | [
"No it was NOT imperialism. Imperialism is as old as civilisation and is not a good explaination. Instead, check out Dr Niall Fergusons \"six killer apps of prosperity\" to understand why these specific empires became so powerful: _URL_0_ The culture and institutions was way more important to explain where all that power came from."
] | [
"Yes. Slavery in Rome was not tied to race/skin color like it was in the United States during the 1700-1800s"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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How big was the Noah's Ark compared to the actual ships at the time the story was written? | [
"I don't know anything about ship to ship comparisons, but I can help with the matter of cubits. A cubit is an archaic measurement roughly equal to the length of a man's forearm. There have been a number of \"standardized\" cubit rods to survive until modern times, many of them Egyptian. In 1865, A German archeologist by the name of Richard Lepsius did a study of fourteen of these Egyptian cubit rods, and their range was between 523-529 millimeters (.523m-.529m)."
] | [
"I don't know if it has been scientifically proven, but several other cultures have stories referring to a great flood that happened at around the same time period as Noah's."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
Snow shovels, snow blowers, window ice scrapers--when and how were they invented? | [
"There's a difference between commercial/industrial snow removal and consumer products. On the consumer front, the first snow blower designed for residential use that I am aware of was the Toro Snow Hound in 1951. Toro, a Minneapolis company founded to build tractor engines, had moved into mowers by the 1920s. After switching to armaments during WWII, they expanded their line rapidly in the 1950s as rising affluence and suburbanization drove demand for walk-behind mowers and ultimately snow blowers as well. The Snow Hound, Snow Boy, and Snow Pup were among the early consumer snow blowers of that era, and show up in magazine ads in snowbelt states quite frequently. Toro has a [brief company history](_URL_0_) on its website (.pfd) that offers a bit more detail. There are photos of these and many other early residential snowblowers at [this enthusiast's site. ](_URL_1_) Technology for clearing railroads (and highways) developed much earlier."
] | [
"There are tons of seasonal companies out there. They typically only hire the bulk of their staff in the summer months and let them go when the season is over. Labor costs are by and large the biggest expense that company has. They don't keep inventory over the winter, so costs during the down season are minimal. As to how it came to be, well street vending wasn't invented with ice cream. Carts sold lots of things prior to ice cream. When portable refrigeration became possible someone simply decided to sell it off a 'cart' too."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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Thursday Reading & Research | July 05, 2018 | [
"Just asked this in the other sticky, but maybe this is the better place for it: Does anyone have any good book recommendations about the Nigerian Civil War or about Biafra as a country?"
] | [
"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 title about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Was the power-producing potential of Nuclear technology discovered/explored when the first atomic bombs were invented? | [
"Hyman Rickover started the program to develop a nuclear power plant for ship propulsion in 1948. There was theoretical work before that, but the practical engineering program to develop a nuclear power plant wasn't started until after the atomic bomb was detonated."
] | [
"Aside from Fat Man and Little Boy being the only two nuclear weapons that existed at the time, it really wasn't that powerful compared to modern nukes."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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Do you know of any good resources about Russia between the Middle Ages and the First World War? | [
"How much depth do you want? Initially, I'd recommend Riasonovsky's A History of Russia, because it covers the entirety of Russian history in fairly good depth, but I can recommend more specific books for certain areas, which might be more useful."
] | [
"Are you asking about the Empire (16th century to later 20th) or just about the relations of wars and the Empire. I am a bit confused to exactly what you are asking."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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What conspiracies had the largest number of members? | [
"This would appear to be a \"poll type question.\" You might want to read the rules of the sub: _URL_0_ But the basic reason why it's a rule is because no one with a specialty in a particular area is going to be able to reasonably provide an answer for a question that would require knowledge about the size of every conspiracy in human history. In my own field, the Middle East, the largest in terms of the number of men deployed that I'm aware of would probably be the Suez Crisis, but that depends in large part on how you define the size of a conspiracy. If two men conspire to do something but have the power to mobilize ignorant millions is that a conspiracy of two or of millions?"
] | [
"There were many theories discussed, in response to many reports sent into the FBI. The \"What should we do if this turns out to be real?\" question is a reasonable one, without there ever needing to be aliens."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
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Do we know 1 member of firing squads actually received a blank round? Or is that a convenient lie told by commanding officers? | [
"As a follow up to that reply - Why did all of the riflemen miss?"
] | [
"I'm pretty sure it's so that nobody actually knows who fired the kill shot so no individual needs to feel guilty. I would assume at the very least"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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What can you tell me about Middle Tennessee during the Civil War. Specifically Humphreys County. | [
"I can point you to sources but I know nothing of that area particularly. Check out these: _URL_2_ _URL_0_ _URL_1_ However, if you really want to know, the only way would be to go to Humphreys County and check out the local archives, courthouse records (see what people were being arrested for [Also a great way to put some real local historical events for added drama!]), check out the museums and see what their reading rooms have, etc..... That would be your best bet for finding information. Also check out local universities and see if their archives have any letters or newspapers. The Appalachian area was rife with pro-unionist sentiment. It was like a Civil War within a Civil War. Hope this helps some."
] | [
"...Tell us more about the New England vampire scare. Where and when?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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How are historians able to piece together battle diagrams of ancient/historical battles? | [
"They draw pictures based on multiple accounts. For example, I recently researched John Barbour's epic poem \"The Bruce\" which includes an account of the Battle of Bannockburn (June 24, 1314). One of my sources (Barrie Goedhals, \"John Barbour, 'The Bruce,' and Bannockburn,\" 1968) includes a map of the battle that he says is \"reconstructed from Barbour's account and those of other chroniclers.\" I assume that this is a fairly common method creating diagrams of any historical battle. There are often multiple accounts - at least one from each side - that talk about what happened, what the battlefield looked like from their perspective, who stood where, etc."
] | [
"Although obviously in a different style, most Roman primary sources that cover battles will give a play-by-play of the battle, although if you're not familiar with the style of writing can be hard to understand and probably the closest to an actual after-action style report would probably come from Caesar's conquest of Gaul as it is written by the man himself about, surprisingly, his conquest of Gaul and the battles that took place there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Education:"
} |
Before the World War I, US was considered isolationist but the country entered the war enthusiastically. Why? Did propaganda play a big role in this? | [
"There was in fact a gradual shift in US public opinion away from isolationism prior to 1917. The central issue was Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare policy, which often indiscriminately destroyed both British and neutral shipping that resulted in the death of American citizens; demonstrated most prominently by the sinking of the _Lusitania_. While Germany - rightly - noted that this was simply in response to British blockade, Germany failed to realize that there was a gulf of difference between the German and British methods. For the Americans, their quarrel with the British blockade was merely a question of commerce. By contrast their quarrel with the Germans was a matter of life-and-death for American citizens traveling on ships plying the North Atlantic. What really tipped the scales moreover was the Zimmerman Telegram, wherein Germany promised to support Mexico if it went to war against the United States. This pretty much solidified support for the war."
] | [
"In terms of economics, Japan had spent roughly 30 years industrializing since the Meiji Restoration. An industrial economy has a huge edge over a rural economy during war time, as seen during the Civil War. Corruption had little to do with it."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Which civilization is technically the first to invent paper? | [
"The surfaces for writing on in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East were papyrus, clay (where papyrus was unavailable), wax on wood (for short-term notes), and parchment. Paper didn't arrive in the Mediterranean until the 8th century CE, at which point the idea was imported from China. European paper at that time was made of linen or hemp rather than wood. Put another way, paper was invented once (in Han China) and from that one-time invention it eventually spread over the world. I don't have access to Bauer's book, but it would be easier to assess the exact nature of the claim if you could tell us her exact wording and context when she makes this implication, and/or what evidence she cites. If, for example, she claims only that the Egyptians invented the first paper-*like* writing material, that would be more defensible."
] | [
"What color is the skin of most of the people who make and utilize those drawings? Theres your answer"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Japanese history - book recommendation | [
"I can recommend this series by John Hall which I read when I first started studying Japanese history. Hall, John Whitney et al. The Cambridge history of Japan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1993 Volume I. Ancient Japan. 1995 Volume II. Heian Japan. 1999 Volume III. Medieval Japan. 1994 Volume IV. Early modern Japan. 1993 Volume V. The nineteenth century. 1991 Volume VI. The twentieth century. Here is also a book that gives you a broad overview: Totman, Conrad 2000 A history of Japan. Malden, Mass. and Oxford: Blackwell I also enjoyed this book about modern Japan: Jansen, Marius B. 2000 The making of modern Japan. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard Univ. Press You could also check out this bibliography at Cambridge University: Peter Kornicki, Cambridge Univ: “Bibliography of Japanese History up to 1912” _URL_0_ Be aware that all of these are scientific. If you want I can also recommend a few books that might be easier to digest."
] | [
"hi! until one of the Rome specialists drops by with something specific, you may be interested in checking out this sub's Book List, which includes a section on [Ancient Rome](_URL_0_)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer about Education:"
} |
Empress Theodora and Procopius | [
"Oh, just found a great review showing the discrepancies between Procopius' works that I was talking about: _URL_0_ Great read!"
] | [
"Sleep - Shake Unconscious - Splash Coma - Wait and Hope Vegetative State - Wait and Bury"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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I'm having a hard time seeing the comedy elements in Ovid's Metamorpheses? | [
"My favorite bit is Perseus' wedding. Perseus rescues Andromeda, and gets to marry her. Unfortunately she's already betrothed and the other suitor attacks the wedding party. The battle is like a Three Stooges form of the Iliad. Remember Perseus has the Gorgon's head the whole time. The battle is filled with people getting accidentally killed, slipping and falling over, all kinds of errors. It's only at the end of the battle Perseus remembers he has the Gorgon's head and turns everyone to stone. The whole thing is a complete farce of a Homeric battle."
] | [
"Is this question prompted because of Phillip Seymour Hoffman and the Hunger Games movies? Because I really want to see how they finish the third one now..."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Wikipedia claims that there were concrete structures in Finland in the 16th century, centuries before the invention of modern concrete. There is no source though. Does anybody know more about this? | [
"Fyi from a concrete mix background, the Romans were using concrete a long time before this. Modern concrete.just means using Portland cement in the concrete there are other types of concrete that existed earlier (and later). For example Asphalt (or Bitumen) is concrete using bitumen binder instead of cement binder. This it's probably a simple disconnect between common usage if the word concrete and the technical definition"
] | [
"It's much much much older than a few decades. The best guess is 1475, although it could be older. There's a lot of competing theories as to its origin."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
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Whatever happened to the study of rhetoric? | [
"I studied rhetoric at University during my English degree, the module was called 'the literature of argument' but essentially it was a module on rhetoric. So, it is still being studied, at least in English departments in the U.K. It involved critical analysis of persuasive writing and recorded debates from Cicero to the Putney debates to modern Newspaper columns and Hansard and composing extended essays on controversial subjects such as 'is terrorism ever justified?'"
] | [
"How well regarded are the writings of Joseph Campbell by historians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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When the USSR broke up, how was the military split up? | [
"As the Soviet Union officially dissolved on December 31, 1991, the Soviet military was left in limbo. For the next year and a half various attempts to keep its unity and transform it into the military of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) failed. Steadily, the units stationed in Ukraine and some other breakaway republics swore loyalty to their new national governments, while a series of treaties between the newly independent states divided up the military's assets. The last of the old Soviet command structure were finally dissolved in June 1993. In the next few years, Russian forces withdrew from central and eastern Europe, as well as from some newly independent post-Soviet republics. Most of the nuclear stockpile was inherited by Russia. Additional weapons were acquired by Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan."
] | [
"As far as I am aware the only time something like this happened was during the fall of the USSR. Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan all returned the war heads to Russia as far as I know."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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Is there a history of foreign powers attempting to directly influence US presidential elections? | [
"In the 1892 election, a Republican operative posing as a naturalized British immigrant to the US wrote a letter to the British ambassador to the US, Lionel Sackville-West, asking which candidate would be better for British interests. Sackville-West actually fell for the trick and wrote a letter back that Democrat Grover Cleveland was better for British interests than Republican Benjamin Harrison. The GOP publicized the letter in an attempt to win over the deeply Anglophobic Irish-American vote and the letter helped Harrison reach his (very, very narrow) victory over Cleveland."
] | [
"You made the mistake of thinking that the primary intention of the US government when going to other countries is to promote freedom."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
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I am a fugitive who has, in your era of expertise, killed a man with witnesses seeing the event, but have successfully fled to a city 100 miles away. Am I captured? | [
"Someone asked a very similar question a while back. [There were some very good answers](_URL_1_)."
] | [
"His escape plan was to keep it going; used everything he could and made people around him involved as much as possible, just to make sure he himself could survive a little bit longer. He was 70 when they finally arrested him"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
What celebratory gestures did historic cultures use? Were high fives and fist bumps common? | [
"The High Five is surprisingly modern, only entering wide use in the late 70's. The first documented high five took place on October 2, 1977, during a professional baseball game. Dusty Baker and Glenn Burke of the Los Angeles Dodgers were the first known people to officially \"High-Five\". It is possible one happened before that, but they have so far eluded any known recording. Other similar gestures that you might recognize now as a low-five had existed since at least the 1920's, but would have been called \"giving skin\" or \"slapping skin\" and were more akin to a handshake that was just slapping hands."
] | [
"The gesture dates back from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, as a symbol reminiscent of sexual intercourse, and was often used towards a people as a reference to \"a male who submits to anal penetration.\" It's Latin name, *digitus impudicus* translates to the \"shameless, indecent or offensive finger.\" It is said that it came to the United States via Italian immigrants, and was first documented being used in a baseball team photo when Old Hoss Radbourn flipped off the cameraman. TL;DR: It is used to symbolize anal sex and originated in Ancient Greece."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
A question regarding the study of History at University... | [
"One of the best parts about college (apart from the booze) is the library system, and particularly a world catalog. I am not sure what school you go to, but in many cases, you can order books from technically all over the world for anything you are interested in. Myself, I wanted to study more about the Babylonian Astronomical Diaries, so I ordered a translation from this school in Texas--free of charge. It came a week later, and I could learn all about the topic on my own time. Depending on your major or what field of history you want to study, you may not get the chance to study a field of interest because there are literally no courses for it. In that case, reading literature on the topic is the best way to learn about it."
] | [
"Just a follow-up question to the original question - what about the reverse. What was Napoleon's view of the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Before 1991, has there ever been a time where there was really only one Great Power? How likely is it that the United States is to remain the only Great Power for long? | [
"The British Empire at its height probably? They controlled the seas and at that time, that meant controlling the world."
] | [
"They are - or have been - involved in most of the same wars as the U.S. Further, if you'd had your countries virtually destroyed twice in the last hundred years, you might believe that it's important to maintain a strong military even in times of peace."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Who came up with our 24 hour time system? | [
"You may be interested in the '[Hours, minutes, and seconds](_URL_0_)' section of the Popular Questions pages (as found in the sidebar)."
] | [
"Your assumption that all Europeans use military time is not accurate. Many still use the traditional 12 hour clock."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
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