query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1 value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
What musical instruments were there in 0CE? | [
"The [bagpipe](_URL_9_) had apparently diffused into the Empire by the time of Nero. The double reed instruments of the Middle East had two periods of diffusion into Europe. The first was the Roman-era introduction of the double-bladed chanter linked to a bag; the second was the bagless shawm introduced during the Middle Ages. It resulted in a number of European instruments with a few survivors including the oboe and the bassoon."
] | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
I would search myself online but there is just too much noise. What is the goal of freemasonry today? | [
"I actually know a Freemason! Essentially, Freemason lodges are gentleman's clubs, where old men get together, drink and complain about their wives. Aside from that, Freemason lodges are often very active in local charities, raising money for things like children's hospitals, homeless shelters and soup kitchens, though individual lodges decide on their own policies. That's about it, it's not really that big of a mystery. If you live in a big enough city you can find your local Mason lodge on google and go ask for yourself. Lots of Masonic lodges rent out their buildings for wedding receptions and charity events."
] | [
"It is public, by request. Nothing is seeing anyone from getting it aside from simply asking for it. At least, that's my understanding"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Was Neville Chamberlain's reputation as an appeaser justified? | [
"This is a classic question for many exams because it requires that the answerer historicize the situation completely without any presentist memory. It's obviously quite easy to say that signing treaties with Hitler was a stupid thing to do; heck, just look at how it turned out, right? What's quite difficult is to put yourself in Chamberlain's shoes at the time. The UK was in bad shape. Financial ruin was not impossible. Many hundreds of thousands had been killed. Many more wounded. To say that the Brits (and many others) were leery of another war is to understate the issue by orders of magnitude. Chamberlain made a calculated decision to stave off war. Some argue that he really believed Hitler would honor the various treaties; others argue that C. was just intentionally delaying the inevitable. I don't think that anyone will ever be able to concretely say one way or another, so it remains a question for debate."
] | [
"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_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How accurate is this recently viral video on the history of Japan? | [
"Honestly, most of this information can be found through a cursory read of the wikipedia article on the history of Japan - it's not factually incorrect/inaccurate to a fault, but yes it does simplify a lot of issues and systems (as would any video that tries to condense the history of *an entire country* into nine minutes). So yes, it traded accuracy, information, and depth, all for simplification and convenience. For a summary, it's, as a friend said (paraphrasing here) \"several minutes of waffle leading up to the nukes\" - take that as you will."
] | [
"The main reason is because of the religious background of the United States."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Was the perceived "Golden Age" of the US during the 1950s merely a product of a war-ravaged world economy in which all other advanced nations had their production capacities crippled? | [
"Paul Krugman has addressed this question on his blog a few times. _URL_0_ The basic answer is that because Europe served as both an economic competitor AND as a customer for much of our export goods in the postwar era, the destruction wrought by WW2 was not beneficial to our growth. They couldn't compete with us but they also couldn't buy from us, so it was a wash. Our growth was mostly a function of rising domestic consumption, the causes of which can be argued, but which have nothing to do with Europe's devastation. Edit: Bad link; changed it to mobile."
] | [
"It's not an American trait, it's a human trait, but after WWII America was the only one who could afford it because of abundant farming land, effective transportation, post-War wealth, and (unlike Europe, which had most of those) no need to spend that wealth to rebuild the shattered infrastructure from a destructive war."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What is the origin of "Caroline" or "Carolina"? | [
"The Latin form of \"Charles\" is \"Carolus.\" The name [\"Carolina\" is based on the Latin form of his name.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Because for a while in Medieval Europe, rhyming nicknames were popular. William > Willy > Billy. Richard > Rick > Dick."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Announcing the 'Best of January' Winners | [
"...Aw hell. Thank you, everyone. And congratulations to /u/kookingpot (and the unidentified runners-up)! I learned so much last month!"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Announcements:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about Announcements:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Did the ancients really not use spaces? | [
"Imagine you're an ancient scribe. You write either by carving into clay, writing on papyrus, or something similar. These media you'd write on were very precious and expensive, so you'd want to put as much as possible on one slab/page. That's why you'd put your text there without spaces. You'd usually also in allcaps SOYOUWOULDWRITETHINGSLIKETHISANDTHENHOPEPEOPLECOULDREADITPROPERLY. Obviously reading that is a pain in the neck, so reading was considered a difficult skill. Caesar for instance was renowned for his ability to read quickly. You have to note though that the classical languages used very regular grammatical forms, so you'd often be able to see where a space needed to go by seeing stuff like -US or -ERE, etc."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
My CLST Roman Army professor claims that ancient Roman soldiers employed slingshots as missile weapons. I have never seen a source which references this, despite searching. Is there any evidence for this that I'm missing? | [
"Do you mean slingshot, or a sling? I would bet your professor is conflating the terms and is referencing the \"sling\", not a slingshot. Slingers were a powerful auxiliary ranged addition to Mediterranean warfare for long, long time. Slingshot, like the modern type we imagine a child would have, are very different and lack the killing potential of an actual sling (for the most part). I can source later, I'm on mobile at the moment and it's not very practical. Apologies to mods."
] | [
"It's my understanding that it may have never happened. There's a legend that Scipio Africanus did this to Carthage, but I'm not aware of any reliable documentation that it's true. I think there are also some later medieval legends that early medieval Italian warlords did this to each other, but still no concrete history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What happened to the orphan children and widowed wives of the Donner Party? Were they on their own in California? Were they pariahs once tales of cannibalism got out? | [
"I was able to find little detail about most of the orphans. * Mary Murphy, age 13 (orphan): Went on to California and married 3 months later. She later divorced and remarried, settling in Marysville, California, which her second husband founded and named for her. * William Murphy, 11, (orphan): returned to Missouri (presumably to live with family) and went to law school, then settled in Marysville, California. * Mary Graves, 20, (orphan/adult): went on to California and married 3 months later. Her husband was murdered a year later and his murderer was the first person executed under California law. * Mary Donner, 7, (orphan): was adopted by a couple in California * Eliza Donner, 3, (orphan): lived with her married older sisters * Georgia Donner, 4, (orphan):was adopted by a couple in California * William Hook, 12, (orphan): died from overeating shortly after rescue _URL_0_ _URL_1_ _URL_2_"
] | [
"In the late nineteenth century, coal miners went on strike in Pennsylvania and shut the mines down. Many mules who lived and worked in the coal mines were brought up to the surface for the first time in years. And that's why I found a newspaper story claiming the mules were so happy to be dancing in sunshine again that they refused to go back down when the mine reopened."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Henry Kissinger writes in his book "World Order" that during the Civil War "the United States built up by far the world's largest and most formidable army" how accurate is this claim? | [
"Fairly accurate. By 1865, if you count all Union forces, the north could field over half a million men at arms. Remember, though, the British had an arguably stronger navy at the time (so unless the U.S. marched rather than sailed to their next conflict, those troops wouldn't have been worth much in an offensive international conflict). Still, it can be fairly stated that the U.S. in 1865 had the largest **professional** (big distinction there) army in the world. If you consider the fact that the U.S. had a converted wartime economy and industrial infrastructure, not to mention hundreds of coastal and inland forts (all of them well-staffed), you could make a case for the fact that the U.S. was probably the most un-conquerable country in the world at that particular moment in time. [Sources: Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant; James McPherson, 'Battle Cry of Freedom']"
] | [
"People will expand on this in much greater detail than I, but the very short answer is that the United States came out of WWII with virtually all of its population and industrial capacity entirely unharmed, while the rest of the industrialized world in Europe and Asia had been devastated to varying degrees by the war. It was far from the only factor, but this made the U.S. uniquely positioned to become the economic and geopolitical superpower it became in the latter half of the 20th century."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why did Spain nor France ever try to invade/Conquer Ireland? had they ever planned to? | [
"The Spanish landed at Kinsale in 1601 , Mountjoy besieged them. O'Donnell tried to relieve them but fucked it up and the Gaelic armies were soundly beaten. The French landed in Killalla in 1798 under General Humbert. They won most of their initial battles but the British beat them soundly when they tried to land reinforcement. Wolfe Tone was captured and later killed himself."
] | [
"Well, there was a period of 60 years (1580-1640) were Spain did control Portugal. The Spanish invasion of 1580 was brought about by extraordinary circumstances- the near complete extermination of the Joanine dynasty in Morocco, a strong Spanish military presence, a fear that other dynastic heads would step in the vacuum- that Spain to successfully invade Portugal. The country itself is fairly hard to invade and conquer quickly as there is a limited window for operations and the terrain lends itself to defensive warfare. You might want to check out the answers to this question- [Why Spain has never invaded/kept Portugal under its reign?](_URL_0_) which has some good links to answers in the faqs."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Is there an average decay time for states/civilizations? | [
"Peter Turchin has tried to discover this kind of general rules (and actually to found a new field, “cliodynamics”) in his book *Historical Dynamics: Why States Rise and Fall*. I must admit that I am quite sceptical towards this kind of attempts, but this is probably the closest thing you will find to an actual statistic survey of an empire's life cycle. Like many similar new/fringe (I am using this word without any pejorative connotations) theories, cliodynamics rely a lot on the Internet for their diffusion, so you will probably be able to find pdf articles that summarize Turchin's main ideas on the topic."
] | [
"We can see how long it takes for, say, .01% of the material to decay, and extrapolate from that."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Astronomy:"
} |
What is responsible for the massive drop in popularity of musical films? | [
"I wouldn't say their popularity has declined so much as movies have varied the types of story they tell and genre over the years. pitch perfect grossed over $60 million nationally, jersey boys grossed $40 million. these movies are still doing well, they just have become more focused studio efforts. 60 years ago, musical movies were part of the popular style because in many ways movies were attempting to imitate the theatre. since then, realism has proliferated in our entertainment."
] | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Why is the Republic of Venice seemingly forgotten in history? | [
"I don't know about you but I celebrate the Battle of Lepanto every year."
] | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What was life like for lumberjacks in the upper Midwest around the late 19th century? | [
"There is a missionary story titled \"The Last of the Giants\" by Henry Rimmer that purports to use primary sources. Being a missionary story the narrative is naturally problematic and the scholarship is poor but it is the best I can think off in terms of a primary source. My family has worked as lumber jacks in Northern MN for 5 generations. I could provide some anecdotes and a good amount of artifacts but that isn't allowed."
] | [
"Because American schools are designed to suit the work schedules of kids who worked in steel mills back in the late 1800s and early 1900s."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Education:"
} |
Is there any record in the myths and legends of Northern Europeans of Doggerland? | [
"[This is an article](_URL_0_) concerning the recent Australian research. I know of no attempt to conduct similar work on Doggerland sites - but it's a great idea. I also know of no stories that might be used for this sort of research. Perhaps someone else will have some suggestions."
] | [
"The Duncan Idaho is a folktale's character of the last Fremen, it was developed using early Fremen figures from Zensunni mythology. He's the Ultimate Hero of Fremen mythology, a kind of messianic figure. So the numerous sightings of Duncan Idaho can be compared to the apparitions of the Virgin Mary on the Earth of origins."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did Henry Ford really promote the Square Dance to destroy Jazz? | [
"This is tangential but why wasn't there a boycott of Ford Motors after 1945?"
] | [
"Why aren’t Americans trying to speak the Native American language?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What Countries Have Based Their Constitution on the U.S. Constitution? What Changes Did They Make? How Did it Go/How is it Going? | [
"I'm not sure if it was *based* on the US Constitution, but the Nigerian Constitution has some similarities (been a while since I took the class where I studied Nigeria, sorry). See *[Nigeria and the United States: Some Constitutional Comparisons](_URL_0_)* by Albert E. Utton for a comparison between the two."
] | [
"Being Black Does Actually Have (Relatively Minor) Health Consequences, It's Just That They're Obviated By Modern Life. There's An Energy Cost To Have Extra Melanin, Even A Small One, So If You Don't Need It It Won't Be Selected For. Melanin Reduces Vitamin-D Uptake From The Sun If Sunlight Is Lower Than You're Adapted For. Vitamin-D Deficiency Was Very Common In Black Children In The Northern US And Europe Before Modern Technology Made Nutrients More Easily Accessible. Being Black Or Brown Outside Of The Tropics Would Have Been Maladaptive For Most Of Human History Because There Would Not Have Been Enough Sunlight For Proper Nutrient Uptake. Capital Letters."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Do we have evidence to prove that the Pyramids in Bosnia were constructed 10,000 years ago to even 24,000 years ago? | [
"They *are* just ordinary mountains. A few cranks (most definitely not archaeologists) have been trying to convince people they're pyramids for years now, and unfortunately had some success within Bosnia, but there is zero support for the theory amongst actual archaeologists and never has been. There are no chambers or cut stones. The pyramidal shape is the result of a well known, natural geological process and there is no evidence of any sort that they have been artificially shaped. It's pure, unadulterated pseudoscience and unfortunately in their quest to \"prove\" their theory (by digging ridiculously deep holes every year and misinterpreting natural fissures in the bedrock as \"cut stone\") the pyramidists have damaged genuine archaeology on the mountains. So if your dad is interested in Bosnia's heritage you'd do well to warn him against supporting these people."
] | [
"When specifically is the story set, ancient Egypt existed for over 3000 years?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is there any factual basis to the 'palm to palm' medieval dance style we see in modern movies and TV? | [
"Factual basis yes. Absolute proof no. We start to have a very good idea of how people danced and dance's from about 1500 on. The documentation from the medieval period is mostly based around court dances, so it's hard to say how the common people danced, but we can trace the steps of the nobility much better then one would expect. It should also be said that \"Palm to Palm\" is not a feature of every courtly dance, but a specific move in dances that are more about making complicated shapes then dancing in two rows. I've been taking a historical dancing class for the last year and a half in England for my MA."
] | [
"I can't answer all of your questions, but nuns performing choreographed seduction were pretty commonly used by the Catholic church during the counter-reformation in areas that were rapidly converting to Protestantism. Synchronized swimming was a favorite tactic in Mediterranean regions but some form of seductive dance was done by nuns in every country in western Europe. A remnant of this movement is Irish step dance; historically the nuns dressed in skirts revealing the ankle and lower leg to attract converts. This movement alone is thought to have saved Irish Catholicism. Of course Brooks takes some liberties by placing these events during the Spanish Inquisition, while no record of this practice exists before the counter-reformation in the 16th century. It is important to remember that this work is pulp-history, like the Da Vinci code. Don't rely on it as a historical source, but I'm glad it's inspiring you to further inquire about history!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about movie accuracy:"
} |
By modern standards, how much math did Isaac Newton know? | [
"Considering even parts of single-variable calculus were only referenced as late as the 1800's, it's unlikely Newton would have passed those exams. But he probably would have been a quick learner."
] | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Any good documentaries or online articles about the history of space programs? | [
"Here's a few [In the Shadow of the Moon](_URL_7_) - 1:36:06 [Moon Machines - The Saturn V Rocket](_URL_10_) - 44:24 [Moon Machines - The Command Module](_URL_8_) - 44:24 [Moon Machines - The Navigation Computer](_URL_11_) - 44:23 [Moon Machines - The Lunar Module](_URL_14_) - 44:08 [Moon Machines - The Space Suit](_URL_12_) - 44:10 [Moon Machines - The Lunar Rover](_URL_9_) - 44:00 [When We Left Earth - Ordinary Supermen](_URL_3_) - 48:17 [When We Left Earth - Friends and Rivals](_URL_13_) - 49:12 [When We Left Earth - Landing the Eagle](_URL_4_) - 51:22 [When We Left Earth - The Explorers](_URL_15_) - 49:16 [When We Left Earth - The Shuttle](_URL_1_) - 48:06 [When We Left Earth - A Home in Space](_URL_5_) - 48:32 [Failure Is Not An Option - A Flight Control History of NASA](_URL_0_) - 1:29:46 [Soviet N1 Moon Rocket Engines - The Engines that came in from the Cold](_URL_6_) - 49:33 Use [Expatshield](_URL_2_) if any are blocked in your area."
] | [
"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?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
Out of all the wars America has been involved in, which war would give me the lowest odds of survival? (In terms of the total number of military personnel who served throughout the war, and the percentage of those who were killed in action) | [
"You are thinking of it in the wrong way. The worst in terms of statistics would be the Mexican Wars due to the low numbers of soldiers with a relatively large number of casualties. Here are the numbers that explain this situation. There were around 80,000 american soldiers in that war of which 1,733 died in battle and another 11,550 died during the war from other causes. Adding those numbers up lead to a result saying as a soldier in the Mexican War you had a 17% chance of dying which just beats out the American Civil War in terms of number of soldiers killed in a war as a percentage of serving soldiers."
] | [
"There are a couple of things to consider that has not been brought up yet. On average, an American soldier fighting in the Pacific during WWII saw 40 days of combat in four years. In Vietnam, soldiers on average saw 240 days of combat in one year. During the earlier wars, it took a while for soldiers to get to the battlefield. Once a battle was finished, it could takes months before the next operation. In Vietnam, soldiers were shuffled back and forth between battles by helicopter. Although the scale of the battle was smaller, the fighting was more constant. Secondly, although the percentage of deaths is similar between the wars, amputations and crippling injuries in Vietnam were 300% higher than in WWII. Due to helicopters transporting wounded soldiers faster to more modern hospitals, more soldiers survived serious injuries. A greater number of injury survivors allowed for a greater number PTSD cases; the dead don't suffer from PTSD."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about history:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about history:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Mystery woman from the 1600s | [
"For what it's worth, the [Book of Snuff and Snuff Boxes](_URL_0_) has the earliest dated box as from 1655. To my eyes, the hair style and dress look closer to 1850s."
] | [
"One sunny Friday afternoon 38156 BC. No, really, we have no idea. Oldest things with no practical purpose (\"art\") are some 40000 years old."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Biology:"
} |
When electricity was first invented, what did electrical outlets look like? | [
"Here's what a 106+ year-old light fixture looks like with a 106 year old light [bulb](_URL_1_). Looks pretty much the same, basically, as current fixtures."
] | [
"There was no need to develop an international standard. In the early days of electricity it was used first for generating power for lights (streetlights and later house lighting) and then next for producing power for machinery in factories. Neither streetlights nor factory equipment are the sort of things that people regularly move from country to country, so there was no incentive to build things to one global standard. It wasn't until well into the second half of the 20th century that there many portable electrical goods, and people regularly travelling internationally who might want to move them around."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Came across some periodical cover artwork from the Russian Revolution of 1906. Can you fine folks help describe what some of the images are mocking/criticizing and explain/discuss the revolution of 1906? | [
"Starting at Image 6 as requested, but will do the rest tomorrow: The title says \"Zanoza\", which means 'splinter'. Smaller type underneath says \"magazine (journal) of artistic satire; edited by R. L Antropov. The caption of the illustration is Sacrifice to the God Baal. It's hard to see what the victims have on their backs, but it looks like it might be other magazine covers. Might be a censorship reference."
] | [
"Do you have a period you specifically want to know about? This is ranges from slightly different to totally different if we're talking about Asia Minor and Syria circa 333 B.C., Italy in 216 B.C., Gaul 500 A.D., Palestine 1066 A.D., Brandenburg in 1630/31 A.D., Silesia in 1740 A.D. or Sedan in 1870. I'm sure we could whip up some kind of generalized answer but I feel by better knowing what you're thinking about when you ask this question I (or someone else) could provide a more in depth, specific answer tailored to you."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
How much did the loss of the American colonies affect the economy of the British Empire? | [
"Follow up. If the American colonies were so upset by the raised taxes from the French and Indian war how did other British colonies view the war of independence?"
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Is the word vikings roman numerals for 6 kings? | [
"VI is the number 6 in Roman numerals, but 'king' in latin is 'rex'. The word 'king' is from Old English. The word for 'king' in Old Norse is 'konungr.' It has no connection to the word viking, the derives from which is 'vikingr' whose true origin is unknown. Its the 'vik' part that is the root, and likely means either a raider, or a maritime connection, or a place name."
] | [
"Because the pronunciation of 5 is \" ha \" in thai its the equivolent to lol in english I assume that you saw this in online games Source : I'm Thai"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Considering that the US was still the only nuclear power at the time, what led to China's willingness to contribute men and materiel to North Korea during the Korean War? Were they never worried that men like MacArthur would get their way and launch a nuclear war in retaliation? | [
"In *\"We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History\"*, Gaddis says that Mao acknowledged that Americans might use the atomic bomb against the Chinese, but he thought that China's huge manpower reserves would compensate for that. On the other hand, he also seemed to rely on Soviet nuclear capabilities (which were limited at the time of Chinese intervention in the Korean War, with the Soviets having tested their first atomic bomb in August 1949) as a deterrent against American nuclear use, although this might have been just a tactic intended to downplay the risks in front of his subordinates. In any case, Mao openly admitted before the Politburo that the USA might use nuclear weapons, but that \"we are not afraid, and we just have to get prepared\". The Chinese press also ran articles downplaying the capabilities of American atomic weapons and reinforcing the idea of Soviet retaliation. Source: *We Now Know: Rethinking Cold War History*, John Lewis Gaddis"
] | [
"Volume Two of Pres. Truman's memoir *Years of Trial and Hope* is pretty illuminating about the no-win decisions at hand. The United Nations was in a very tricky situation with Mainland China. The US could not risk all-out war with a nation that could muster almost unlimited numbers of troops. There was great concern that Russia would enter the war in support of Red China. The loss of Formosa, a possible consequence of all-out war, would be a serious problem for defensive bases in the Pacific, and there was worry that China would next attempt to take Indo-China or even Japan."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
South Korea and Japan are probably the wealthiest countries outside of the European sphere. Neither of them were colonized by Europe. Is that just coincidence? | [
"I am not sure about the subject/title of your post, but as for the question about were Korea and Japan better off in 1800? For the most part no. Japan westernized very quickly but that wasn't until after 1860s so it was not better off to any significant extent in 1800. Korea is probably even less likely, because when it was divided after WWII the north and the south weren't that different. In fact until the first Sino-Japanese War Korea was a tributary state to China, and after that it was in the Japanese sphere of influence."
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Did Roman armies usually pay for supplies from the friendly areas they were passing through, or just seize/demand them? | [
"Followup: what happened to the farmers when they did \"forage\"? Starve to death?"
] | [
"A few ways. Requisitioning. For an army on their own territory, they will have legal authority to demand supplies, food, shelter, etc. from any nearby residents. This can be extremely difficult for the peasants and some even starve to death. If they refuse bad things can happen. Pillaging. Invading armies basically do the same thing as requisitioning... but without legal authority. They come in with their weapons and steal everything. Often they also rape and kill everyone, burn down the structures, etc. If the town leader is *real lucky* perhaps he can just give them everything they have and be left alone. Foraging. Armies have to travel great distances and may not be near towns, or nearby towns don't have enough to feed the whole army. The army will send out teams to collect fruit and hunt animals, and then they cook it at camp. All in all, peasant life sucked ass."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Did a 'City Watch' such as is common in Medieval Fantasy ever really exist in Medieval Europe? | [
"Always more to be said, but do check out [this answer](_URL_0_) from a similar question, done by /u/gadarn."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did cities manage large spectator events without modern plumbing? | [
"Followup: and what was available for toilet paper, especially in someplace like Rome?"
] | [
"Richer countries are likely to have all the infrastructure needed to host such huge crowds: airports, hotels, mass transit, roads, police, electric supply. Poor countries often have to build all that up."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
"TIL Joseph Stalin had a webbed left foot, a sign of the devil in Russian folklore." Did Joseph Stalin have a webbed left foot? Was this a sign of the devil in Russian folklore? | [
"Simon Sebag Montefiore and Sheila Fitzpatrick at least both mention Stalin's webbed feet. Montefiore says that he was so embarassed by them that when doctors would examine them at the Kremlin, he would cover the rest of his body and head with a blanket. As far as it being \"a sign of the devil in Russian folklore\", this particular quote comes from Anne Applebaum's review of Kotkin's biography in The Atlantic. I can't find any evidence of such a superstition, beyond a mention in Elizabeth Warner's *Russian Myths* of *rusalki* (which are something like a cross between river mermaids and vampires) having webbed feet. It's all a little academic since Stalin was Georgian and grew up in Georgia, so he would have grown up with different folklore traditions from Russian ones. Sources: Simon Sebag Montefiore. *Young Stalin* Elizabeth Warner. *Russian Myths*"
] | [
"South Park popularized the image in an episode parodying bigotry, and the phenomenon was further popularized by the viral \"GINGERS HAVE SOULS\" kid. Redheads were persecuted a bit in history, sometimes related to witches, and often stereotyped by the Irish hating Englishmen, but I don't think that the \"no souls\" joke came before South Park. Some people think that red hair was an \"evil mark\" put on Cain in the bible, but I've never seen definite confirmation of this."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia | Lost and Forgotten Foods | [
"Not exactly lost or forgotten these days, but Dogfish Head Brewing Co. and Dr. Patrick McGovern have for many years been resurrecting ancient malt beverages from all over the world. [The Beer Archaeologist](_URL_2_) [The Funerary Feast of King Midas: Remains of a Feast](_URL_3_)"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
How were the dead, enemy and friendly, dealt with after a battle(s) in your area of study/research/expertise? | [
"During the Siege of Tobruk (North Africa, 1941. Australia plus some Commonwealth and Poles vs Germans and Italians) it wasn't uncommon, in fact it was somewhat common, for a truce to be declared after a battle to clear the battlefield of the dead and wounded. Medics and doctors from both sides would treat any wounded soldier they came across regardless of which side they were on. As Rommel said about the war in North Africa, \"Krieg ohne Hass,\" which means, \"War without hate.\""
] | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Any British pejorative terms for the colonists? | [
"Ever heard of the song \"Yankee Doodle\"? That started as a British song sung to mock the colonists- Yankee itself was a derogatory term, and Yankee Doodle even more so. The first verse (omitting the horse bit) basically says \"That stupid hick American put a feather in his cap and thought it was the fanciest thing around.\" It was co-opted in the revolutionary period as a patriotic song, and remains so to this day. P.S. 'Redcoats' is a good one, but an even better one is 'lobsterbacks'"
] | [
"To my knowledge, these are not terms we actually use in Britain, I always thought they were more of an American phenomenon."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
When did the royals in Britian stop having power as in deciding what the country does, etc? | [
"This isn't to stop any further discussion or more side questions but /u/grumblingduke gave a great answer to a similar question about a year ago. _URL_0_ There's a discussion about what constitutes as power as since the Norman invasion, kings had constitutionally absolute power in law but they had to have political power/capital to back it up or a powerful group of barons lords uppercrust types would take over to dilute the powers the monarchy had or place themselves at the top. After the Glorious Revolution, the many powers of British monarchy were moved to Parliament in the bill of rights the newly installed monarchs signed. This marked the end of the right to absolute rule (but still had vast estates and powers of patronage to influence policy). Technically you could say James the 2nd who was deposed was the last absolute ruler but later kings still had power of patronage and could influence decisions in how the state was run."
] | [
"Very Short Version: They are, they've just agreed with everything Parliament has done for the past ~200ish years. Actual Version: King George III started renting the country to it's people. The monarch get's money in exchange for giving parliament control. The King/Queen then *bless* everything parliament does, and boom its a law. The British Government proper doesn't have a schedule, technically the Monarch starts/ends each Parliamentry season. They can dissolve Parliament early if they decide too, then start enacting draconian royal laws and taxes if they decide to. But why would they? Clearly that won't fly in the 20th century. And the current system works so why change it? This is also *technically* how Australia's government works as well. New Zealand and Canada negotiated their way out of this arrangement. When you are dealing with a 700 year old theocracy which used to rule 1/4 of the world's land things get messy quickly."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Did any of the founding fathers consider the US to be a capitalist country? | [
"As the etymology in the link you provided also points out, the 18th century understanding of the word capitalism derived from \"capitalist\", a person living off of the interest of his capital. Basically the literal description of the idle rich. It was not used as the term for an economic system until the mid 19th century. As such none of the founding fathers would have thought of the US as a capitalist country."
] | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What kind of punishment would I had got if I was on trial for having consensual gay sex in Texas before Lawrence Vs. Texas in 2003? | [
"Technically this is still on the books. The legislature never got around to removing it [Texas penal code 21.06](_URL_0_) Basically to quote > Sec. 21.06. HOMOSEXUAL CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex. > (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. > Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994. A class c misdemeanor in Texas is a fine of up to $500 and no possible jail time. Many misdemeanors have more specific ranges. This one doesn't seem to, that means probably up to the court. A funny thing about the case is they actually had to ask the court to raise the fine from the initial $100 + costs, to $125. The fine needed to be over $100 to appeal, the JP and DA signed off knowing they were planning a challenge...... Shit it's a fun case but the details of it break the 20 year rule."
] | [
"When were homosexuals given rights? They still lack the right to marry, to file jointly on taxes, to visit each other in the hospital... We've stopped killing them and chemically castrating them, but we certainly haven't given them equal rights. Gay sex wasn't even legally protected until 2003 when the supreme court ruled Texas's ban on sodomy was illegal. That case (Lawrence V Texas) actually overruled a 1986 case, Bowers v. Hardwick, in which the court ruled sex was not protected by a right to privacy and upheld Georgia's ban on sodomy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
You know those sci-fi stripbooks about the year 2000, with flying cars and stuff. But are there more sources in history on what people thought how the year 2000 would look like? | [
"[Here is a cute series of illustrations from 1910.](_URL_1_) What is particularly charming about these illustrations (and common to many others of the type) is how they can be so prescient about certain advancements, yet so blind to others. For example, [here are the soldiers of 2000, heading off to war](_URL_2_). As you can see, the futurist has correctly deduced that the military of the future will be highly mechanized and mobile. But they will still be using sabers and crested helms, and the roads will still be unpaved country lanes. [Here you have the architect of 2000, making buildings using a computer.](_URL_4_) But the computer will still be hammering and chiseling blocks of stone. [This futurist even predicted e-learning!](_URL_3_) Except, for some reason the teaching machine has to be hand-cranked by one unfortunate student. Perhaps the resemblance to a meat grinder was a sly commentary... Thankfully, [this nightmarish barbershop contraption](_URL_0_) never came to pass."
] | [
"Science Fiction (or Futurism in general) is always about taking what is on our minds today and expanding it. In the 1960's, society thought we'd have a manned moon base by 2000. And we easily could have, but priorities change (and not necessarily for the better)."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Occasionally I see projections of the year 2000 that were written at the turn of the twentieth century. What did projections of the future look like before the Industrial Revolution? | [
"Ah, I love the history of the future! Here's an [earlier answer of mine](_URL_0_) that looks at literary visions of a futuristic world from the Middle Ages through the 18th century, with a strong focus on the technological rather than social side of things. Outside of religious prophecy, it actually took Western writers a surprising amount of time to turn the nascent ideology of progress into visions of the actual future. Instead, they spend a couple of centuries primarily projecting their idealized or futuristic technologies onto alternate worlds--parallel universes (Margaret Cavendish), the moon (Johannes Kepler), faraway islands (Francis Bacon)."
] | [
"I honestly don't think that society's fascination with the future has disappeared. It's mostly just not as in your face because the things that we imagine about the future look a whole lot like the technologies we use currently. Which is the same reason all of the past projections of the future look so retro to begin with."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I have a mundane, yet maddening, question about medieval doors (details inside). | [
"A wicket gate or Judas Gate \"Doors were generally wooden, nailed together and not particularly well fitting. They were hung on iron pintels set into the stonework. A wicket gate is a small gate or door, particularly one built into a larger one. The cricket term \"wicket\" comes from this term.\" _URL_1_ _URL_0_ _URL_2_ When referring to the little pass-through on a prison door, usually it's called a food hatch or some variation of that. It's for observing the prisoner and passing them food and items."
] | [
"Seriously, I hope someone with some knowledge here provides a profound answer - this is a very interesting question."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
the history of the concept of nuclear deterrence. Is it still relevant? why? | [
"A nuclear deterrent is, on a basic level, something that prevents one country from using nuclear weapons on other countries. For the most part, the only nuclear deterrent that has existed in the modern world is simply the existence of nuclear weapons. Counties are scared that if they launched a nuclear weapon the response would be a launch back at them. This is pretty much the capacity in which nuclear weapons are used now. Take North Korea for example, they won't launch their nukes because they will be attacked by pretty much everyone. This therefore makes all the US missiles pointed at Korea nuclear deterrents."
] | [
"The Russians and Americans attitude to economics due to their different histories are fundamental to their approaches to the world in general and their attitude to each other at the start of the cold war in particular. For more information on this - _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
In the USSR, 30 years ago, was possible to become wealthy by being a professional sportsman/athlete (like by being a football player or something like that), like it was in the west by that point? | [
"I can't speak about USSR but in Czechoslovakia there were many ''professional'' athletes and sportsmen , for example hokey players or even some soccer players. Problem is that the government didn't officialy approve something like this. They had to go to work or at least fake that they are going to work because everybody had to be working. In many cases officials closed eyes so they could easily practice during working week. The rewards for winning competitions weren't as big as in the west but they could live from it. There are players (hockey) who emigrated during they time abroad for example Peter Stastny. His sons play hockey now for USA national team."
] | [
"The way I heard it is Russian society has gone a very long way in a very short time. From feudal peasantry in 1900 to an industrialized nation in 1960. This fast transition in exterior circumstances was not matched by an equal transition in the way Russian people reflect on life, the Universe and everything. Most notably drinking yourself into a coma is viewed as manly behaviour, as is starting a fist fight for no good reason (well, perhaps because you are drunk. That would be a good reason). Amongst other highlights of popular culture are driving like an asshole, having no respect whatsoever for women and the attitude on gay people is approximately what it used to be in England in the first half of the previous century (*vide the treatment of Oscar Wilde and of Alan Turing, amongst others*). Putin is not a gay basher, he is a political animal. When he bashes gays he is not acting against gays, he is acting in his own best political interests."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How did a US soldier get to use a Thompson? | [
"I've addressed elements of this question in earlier answers; * [\"Who got what weapons in ww2?\"](_URL_1_) * [\"Why did some US infantry in WW2 have Thompsons or BARs and not M1 Garands?\"](_URL_4_) * [\"Who got what gear in ww2 (U.S Army, European theater)\"](_URL_5_) * [\"How much rifle ammunition was the average infantry soldier issued during WWI & WWII?\"](_URL_2_) [Here](_URL_3_) is the table of organization and equipment of a U.S. airborne rifle company from February 17, 1942. This basic TO & E was in effect until [August 1, 1944](_URL_0_), and would have been used during the D-Day landings."
] | [
"In the real world why would anyone want to be a politician?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
[META] A warm hello and a reminder to any new readers | [
"This is the only thread in this sub that I am able to comment in, and thats exactly why I love it here."
] | [
"If you don't get a good answer here, try asking this again in the Thursday Sources thread in a couple days. people are more likely to give you a quick steer towards a good work in that thread."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Appreciation:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Appreciation:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What society was the first to develop a financial market (stocks, securities, bonds, etc)? | [
"The first center of modern banking and commerce as you recognize it was Amsterdam around the 16th century. I don't know enough about it off hand to give you a detailed answer, but you can do some bibliography mining on wiki to get you started. [Link](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"In economic terms a market is just a place where goods and services are bought and sold. With trading; i.e. NYSE, stocks, bonds, and futures are traded. A stock is part ownership of a company. A bond is a guaranteed loan. A future is a promise to buy a product; a guess that prices will go up. Markets can be anything: craigslist, prostitutes, farmer's market, etc."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Tuesday Trivia: Out of Context Quotes | [
"> I will stop you fucking my sea. -- Kallikratidas, Spartan admiral (Xenophon, *Hellenika* 1.6.15)"
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
How much of the legends of "Vlad the Imapler" is actually true? | [
"FYI, you'll find some previous responses in these posts [How much of the legends surrounding Vlad the Impaler's atrocities true?](_URL_0_) [What is it that we know about Vlad the Impaler?](_URL_1_) and you'll find a few more casual responses if you search the sub for \"vlad\""
] | [
"Simon Sebag Montefiore and Sheila Fitzpatrick at least both mention Stalin's webbed feet. Montefiore says that he was so embarassed by them that when doctors would examine them at the Kremlin, he would cover the rest of his body and head with a blanket. As far as it being \"a sign of the devil in Russian folklore\", this particular quote comes from Anne Applebaum's review of Kotkin's biography in The Atlantic. I can't find any evidence of such a superstition, beyond a mention in Elizabeth Warner's *Russian Myths* of *rusalki* (which are something like a cross between river mermaids and vampires) having webbed feet. It's all a little academic since Stalin was Georgian and grew up in Georgia, so he would have grown up with different folklore traditions from Russian ones. Sources: Simon Sebag Montefiore. *Young Stalin* Elizabeth Warner. *Russian Myths*"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Was there ever a serious attempt to domesticate rhinos? | [
"Historically, no one ever has. But some people have recently been talking about farming them for their horns, the idea being that a rhino farm could undercut poacher prices. The problem with domesticating rhinos without modern technology is that to domesticate an animal you have to be able to selectively breed it. To selectively breed an animal, you have to control who is around who....basically, you usually have to fence them in. Building a fence that can stop an amorous rhino from going where it wants is a massive undertaking for anyone. Not to mention that it takes a long time for rhinos to grow up and mature, which makes the whole endeavor less cost effective. So yeah, it never really got done."
] | [
"Was there a similar attempt to recruit Japanese scientists?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Thoughts on r/Communism "Debunking Anti-Communism Masterpost"? | [
"Hi OP, just a tip: generally speaking, the flaired users here aren't too keen on sifting through hours of posts/blogs/articles/films/videos/podcasts in order to write a critique. Your post will have a better chance in getting responses if you can save potential respondents the legwork by isolating a few items you're curious about and summarizing the points made. Then people have a clear idea what you're after, and can follow the links if they want more context."
] | [
"Side 1 - For Vaccines: -Science Side 2 - Against Vaccines: -Paranoid idiocy"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Is there any evidence to support the 'secret Texas plantation' which held slaves into the 1940's? | [
"Despite that poster being quite vague, I believe what they're referring to is the existence of Peonage well into the twentieth century. A form of slavery known as *Debt Slavery* in which a person owed money to another and would work off the debt with labor. This form of slavery was legally outlawed by Congress in 1867 but lasted well into the 1940s-1960s through legal trickery and lax dispensation of the law. The best book on it is Pete Daniels *The Shadow of Slavery: Peonage in the South, 1901-1969*"
] | [
"A related question were there public figures at the time who were apologists that tried to justify for the actions of the Japanese military at Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are historic leaders typically great at running a country/ military or just good at picking people who are good in specific areas? | [
"> They are typically historically accurate (or appear to be) No. The \"Egyptians\" in Rome:TW come to mind. They are massively anachronistic. Very good game, nonetheless; I really like the \"Rome: Total Realism\" mod. To your question: You have to keep in mind that instant communication is only happening since the use of electronic telegraphs. The extremely widespread use of instant communication is very recent. Even in WW2 many units were more or less acting for itselves for days without communicating with commanders. If a feudal lord saw need to lead the troops he had to appoint someone to care for the domestic politics; if the domestic politics were more important, he had to appoint someone to lead the troops. And messengers in either directions used to take days or even weeks."
] | [
"Various reasons. Stable countries tend to have civilian control of the military(Elected President is Commander and Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces). From there you could factor in history of coups making a new one more likely, corruption of the government making the general population more likely to support a coup, a lack of history of having a stable democracy amongst others. Also, in the case of the U.S., the various branches of the military are so far removed from each other structurally that it would be difficult for the Army to launch a coup without the Navy and Marine Corps turning on them or visa versa. Most countries have a more centralized control over all their military branches, or only have 1 effective military branch anyway(Functioning Navies and Air Forces are expensive and most countries don't have them)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Have there been any new developments in the Lost Colony of Roanoke? | [
"There is a [archived post](_URL_0_) by /u/Rittermeister from a few years ago that addresses Roanoke."
] | [
"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?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Literature:"
} |
Question on historical research journals | [
"Have you identified a period or country you are especially interested in? If you are mostly interested in American history for example, I would recommend the *American Historical Review* and the *Journal of American History*. But if you want to read on Ancient Greek history, those wouldn't be the best journals. Keep in mind that these journals are usually written for experts on the respective subject matter. You might find them boring or unaccessible without having studied history at uni/college. I personally think you would be better off by reading history books, like those on the [AskHistorians Master Book List](_URL_0_). I don't want to discourage you from reading a research journal, but it might be a bit of an overkill at 17."
] | [
"There is a /r/askacademia sub that you might find useful! Are you doing the translation yourself? If not, site the book you found the translation in."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
n Scotland and/or England during the 1200s-1500s how much exposure would the common person have to music, and in what setting? | [
"In the time line you provide, we must be more comfortable with the 1500 end of the spectrum than the 1200, but the point is well taken: the ballad has the appearance of being a medieval invention. Based on nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century ethnographies in Britain and Ireland, it appears that the singing of ballads was fairly ubiquitous. Obviously song was (as it is) more prevalent in some families than others, but people sang to entertain themselves and others - from children, to adults in the family, to guests in the household, to community events and parties. Professional singers made careers of traveling about with their skill, but there were also everyday singers - again, they were ubiquitous."
] | [
"What year/grade/class are you? Was the question you posed the prompt you were given? For most of the history of Europe, 'countries' and 'nations' were seen entirely differently. For example, some of 'england' was in France. Brittany was controlled by the King of England. It's better to talk of Kingdoms than countries for that reason."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about History:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
What archaeologically-interesting sites should headline a trip to Italy today? | [
"While I don't think you should pass up Pompeii just because it's well known, Herculaneum is supposedly really neat. Also, don't pass up the chance to look around the hilariously filthy city that is Naples (and get pizza somewhere small and off the beaten path). The Castel Nuovo was basically empty when I went there to check it out. It was pretty neat. If you're going to be in Rome, the Coliseum is a must, but you can get that done pretty quickly. A lot of people then wander around the forum, but less go up on the Palatine Hill. I was definitely more impressed by the Palatine than the Forum. Also, despite being well known, the Pantheon is simply incredible. I haven't been there in 13 years, but it still sticks out in my memory."
] | [
"This is a very broad question about an enormous international event. Can you narrow it down at all? Is there a particular kind of thing that you're hoping to hear about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In WW2-era movies, I notice there is masking(?) tape on the windows of some houses in an asterisk pattern. Why is this? | [
"in Europe during the bombings, windows would sometimes shatter/be blasted in spraying the interior with glass shards. the tape was an attempt to reduce this effect. in the US during hurricane season you will see people doing the same thing for the same reason....(never commented here before, hope i did ok)"
] | [
"> You'll see someone jump behind a thin piece of cover and bullet holes appear in front of them as their surroundings come crashing down. This is achieved by using small explosive charges called \"squibs\" which are hidden within a false surface of the pictured object. They are set off to simulate the impact of bullets. Scenery collapsing can be done with hidden wires to pull over folding props. > In scenes that take places in large cities, what do civilians who are watching a gunfight be recorded see? Usually nothing as they either block off the streets or don't film in the street at all."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Are there any known sources about Chinese or Japanese acknowledging that Europeans has significantly surpassed them at some point? | [
"Chinese emperor Guangxu in 1898: _URL_0_ “Our scholars are now without solid and practical education; our artisans are without scientific instructors; when compared with other countries, we see how weak we are. Does any one think that our troops are as well-drilled or as well-led as those of the foreign armies? Or that we can successfully stand against them?” See also Tokutomi Sohō's 1886 \"the future of Japan,\" which argues for Japanese democracy on the grounds that Europe is powerful because it is democratic, and Japan needs to follow their example."
] | [
"China had a huge navy and explored greatly in the 1400s into the Indian Ocean and possibly across the Pacific Ocean: _URL_0_ However due to the isolationism policies of the next emperor, China stopped their exploration and generally kept to themselves for the next few hundred years which allowed the Europeans to surpass them in development of navigation and exploration."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Book Recommendation for Philosophy of history? | [
"You should check out the [Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article on the subject](_URL_0_). It will give you an article-length survey of the subject, along with excellent sources. The SEP is the premier tertiary source for philosophy (not just on the internet) and will help you with basically any issue in philosophy. You can also ask at /r/askphilosophy for more recommendations."
] | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How has the shopping experience progressed over history? | [
"Department stores started to become popular in the late 19th century. Before this, the buying of clothing was a pretty personal experience, because you'd go to a tailor and get measured and have control over most of the aspects of your purchase. Department stores, however, invented a new reverence for the material good. Suddenly everyone had to have *stuff*. Stores made the displays extremely attractive and someone entering a store for the first time would be bombarded from all sides by a never-before-seen amount of things to buy. The architecture of the stores was reminiscent of enormous cathedrals, and shopping became a social event. Kleptomania actually became a problem among middle-to-upper class women when they saw so many things all at once right there to buy. In response, huge mirrors were put on walls and pillars so clerks could watch customers. Glass counters also appeared to protect jewelry. ___ Sourced from undergraduate history lecture, California State University."
] | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Please point me to a derivation of the basic principles of calculus? (When I Google"derive calculus" I get stuff about derivatives!) | [
"If you're not looking for an explicitly historical look at the origins of calculus, you might try /r/askscience."
] | [
"First, it has nothing to do with anything tropical. The name was a very silly attempt by a French mathematician to acknowledge the contributions of a certain Brazilian mathematician. This is a very advanced level of math. The key idea is \"transforming questions about algebraic varieties into questions about polyhedral complexes.\" [This PDF source explains more.] (_URL_1_) You might also try /r/askmath since it's quite specialized."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Mathematics:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Mathematics:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why my country have this name ? | [
"No-one knows the exact etymology (origin of the word) for \"Italia\". However, the historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus reports two possible origins (see section 35 [here](_URL_0_)): 1) There was a great king of the Oenotrians (early inhabitants of southern Italy) called Italus, who eventually gave his name to his people. 2) Dionysius tells a story about Hercules and a calf; while this is probably made up, the important thing is that one of the words for \"calf\" in Greek - which was the predominant language of southern Italy centuries before Latin became dominant - is *italos*. Bulls were symbols of the Southern tribes of Italy - the region originally known as \"Italia\" - which would suggest that the name means something like \"land of the calves\"."
] | [
"What country? USA = End of the world Somalia = They won't even realize the power stopped working."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Media is currently reporting that University of Exeter researchers have found remnants of 81 towns that had about 1 million inhabitants, from 1000 to 1400 AC, in the centre of Amazon. Where did they go? How come the Portuguese did not find them when arriving in Brazil? | [
"> How come the Portuguese did not find them when arriving in Brazil? If you'd like to read the early colonial accounts of the various Amazonian communities, I'd recommend checking out Orellana's *entrada*, which was the first major expedition by Europeans through the Amazon. Orellana began in the Andes and traveled downriver to the Atlantic. Buddy Levy's [River of Darkness](_URL_3_) is a good summation Orellana's expedition along with some archaeological context. For the cliffnotes version, you may want to see [my older post on a related topic](_URL_4_)."
] | [
"Well, some of them did. Take a look at the Mississipian peoples, for example. They had a rather complex society with extensive trade routes and the city of Cahokia is believed to have been home to ~40,000 people in the 13th century. And just an little thing to mention, there was never any kind of Mayan Empire."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Has there ever been a country in the past that is similar to how North Korea is now? Sort of an isolated, irrational country that no one really liked? | [
"The closest I can think of offhand is Japan during the period of *sakoku* from the 1630s-1853. The Japanese shoguns deliberately instituted isolation after Christians (and foreigners in general) were suspected of fomenting unrest and rebellion. Let me emphasize that I am in no way trying to compare the political and economic oppression in modern North Korea to what happened in Edo Japan, just that both were largely closed to other countries. Edo Japan also differs from North Korea in that they actually produced stuff of value to other countries. In contemporary European writings you will see fancy lacquerware referred to as *japan* just as fancy porcelain is referred to as *china*, for example. Other countries did challenge Japan's closure, mainly through trying to trade -- sometimes with the force of guns, sometimes not. Famously, Commodore Perry of the U.S. basically forced Japan to open up through \"gunboat diplomacy\"."
] | [
"An essentially Western Liberal Democracy smack dab in a region filled with dictatorships, unfree democracies, and religious extremism. And one that has fought every country which borders it multiple times and come out on top. So if you are going to be friends with a nation in a key region which shares essentially your social values and thoughts on government you could not really do better. Seriously if we ever get into a real war we had better have them on our side with NATO. The Saudis then are just to get shit done in the meantime because after too many ass whoppings the Arab nations dont like talking to Israel."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are the barrel coverings seen on tanks in pictures/videos for? | [
"Often when travelling a tank kicks up a lot of dirt, a bit of dust would matter, small rocks could stop the projectile from clearing the barrel, thus obstructing it. The explosive force would go back into the tank, which is not great for the tank operators. A tank gunner checks for obstructions in the barrel before loading, but during transportation or when not in use it's easier to put the hood on it. Also stops rain from coming in."
] | [
"Sounds like a [German Afrika Corps Fahrzeugerkennungszeichen](_URL_0_). You described it very well. It's questionable whether the Germans used this on flags as it was used more on vehicles, etc. In the 1970s, a company started creating flags with this emblem on them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
In Western culture, 'Paradise' is often used to describe tropical islands. When (and why) did we start revering the stereotypical white sand and palm tree studded islands of the West Indies and others? | [
"An additional question: when the idea of Paradise switched from the Biblical image, to the one OP describes? Because I'm pretty sure when Europeans discovered those islands they did not say the islands resembled Paradise because of the white sand and palm trees, but because people living there seemed free of the Original sin (a.k.a. innocent, a.k.a. not ashamed of their nakedness) and lived toil free (a.k.a. without agriculture) lives in a \"garden\" (a.k.a a place with more wild flowers, colorful birds and wild edible fruit then Europe)."
] | [
"The Caribbean Islands. Their weather patterns form over the central atlantic, far from any strike areas, so you don't have to deal with radioactive elements blowing in on the wind. They're close to the equator so they'll stay relatively warm in a mild nuclear winter, and they're generally politically unimportant so unlikely to take a direct hit. They have good, fertile soils to grow crops, and a marine infrastructure to fish for meat. Same story for Easter Island or any of the islands of the South pacific."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How accurate does the movie Platoon depict the Vietnam War? | [
"Platoon is a caricature of Vietnam. Drug and alcohol use wasn't nearly as prominent as the film makes out--that was mostly done, if at all, in rear units and not by the actual troops in the field with their lives on the line. In a book that was written by someone who served with my uncle in the war (in 1969) it mentions two guys using drugs once. These guys had been falling asleep when it was their turn to watch for the night (and therefore were endangering the lives of everyone else). Instead of some huge dramatic confrontation, they were simply taken aside and spoken to privately and it never happened again. In many ways the Americans who served in Vietnam weren't a whole lot different from the guys who were in WWII, Korea, Iraq, or Afghanistan. They fought for the man next to them and were just trying to survive the whole experience."
] | [
"The Things They Carried by Tim O'brien is a great read that talks about what it was like to be a young man being drafted and sent to Vietnam from his own perspective. He continues the story in 2 more books called Going After Cacciato and If I Die In A Combat Zone."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Which US Presidents and Vice-Presidents disliked each other the most? | [
"When Adams and Jefferson were President and Vice President respectively they were in the midst of their feud and were extremely bitter towards one another. Adams and Washington also had their issues but far less so. Also Johnson and Lincoln were not so hot either. And later when Vice Presidents were selected at times to gain more political leverage or to win a key state you would have Presidents and Vice Presidents who were Luke warm towards one another. Eisenhower and Nixon being a Prime example of that. But keep in mind that originally whoever came in second in the electoral college would become Vice President; this changed however with the 12th Amendment. Just thought I'd give a quick answer until someone with more expertise can get more into depth about Presidential Relations. Sources: US Constitution Eisenhower and Nixon: Two terms but not much endearment. Tom Feran, February 19th 2013. _URL_0_"
] | [
"Someone once asked Bill Clinton this question during an interview. The exchange went something like this: Q: So, when you became President, what did you want to know? What did you find out? Clinton: The first thing I asked as President was who killed JFK and are there really aliens. Q: And...? Clinton: You'll have to become President to find out."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Girlfriends Grandparent's have negatives of Mussolini's death and post mortem body. How valuable are pictures like these to historians? | [
"This is fascinating. Do you have more details on how they came to be in her possession? The relationship between the photographer and Mussolini? What kind of \"intelligence\" were they involved in? What kind of condition are they in? A full story would really help."
] | [
"Well, when they talk about \"rare' they aren't talking about the availability of that particular image, but rather the subject of the photograph. You cannot have a \"rare\" image of Tom Cruise on the Red Carpet. It is theoretically possible to have a \"rare\" image of Tom Cruise on the toilet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
[Meta] Are there any other historians of sexuality in this sub that'd be interested in putting together an AMA? | [
"American gay and lesbian history, so yes, I suppose I count!"
] | [
"Hi guys! Apologies if this isn't the right place to post this. If so, mods - please delete! I'm a circus performer who went to grad school, and I'm in the final stages of publishing a book about the history of juggling. \"Juggling - From Antiquity to the Middle Ages: the forgotten history of throwing and catching\". I'm hoping to have some non-circus history (and social anthro) people take a look at it and give me their honest feedback. It's about 130 pages long - an entertaining read without sacrificing academic scrutiny. If any of you might be interested and taking a look at an advance copy, please drop me a line! I'm curious to hear thoughts from folks with different academic backgrounds, so if you could include a line or two about yourself, that would be a huge plus. Thanks a million! Thom"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
When/where did the concept of a person's signature as proof of identity develop? | [
"Starting around 3800 BCE, Mesopotamian merchants all had circular ceramic stamps with distinct patterns and images that they would roll in wet clay in order to make their mark. This wet clay could then be used to seal vessels of grain and acted to prevent tampering and as a proof of ownership. Google cylinder seal."
] | [
"Follow-up question: If it is purely a modern idea, where did this idea come from, and how much validity is there to it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
What's up with the eulachon grease that was transported by Pacific Northwest coastal natives inland along "grease trails"? | [
"It was not uncommon for interior groups in the Plateau and Northern Great Basin to go through periods where fat was extremely scarce. The fat of land mammals varies dramatically by season and on a longer time scales. Interior anadromous fish have significantly less fat than coastal fish. So eulachon trade was important in moderating impacts on the diets of interior peoples. If I recall correctly, eulachon oil was traded from the coast to the Intermountain west from California to the Arctic. My reading suggests that it was routinely poured over dried or cooked fish or other meats. I have not seen any references to using the grease as an insect repellant. For more information, I would look at one of Hilary Stewart's discussions in her several books on NW natives like [this one](_URL_0_). Edit: provided link."
] | [
"the connection wasn't always and completely ice and glaciers. It was a land bridge in a very real sense...not just a glacier bridge. Also it was possible (and theorized by leading anthropologists --Carl Chapman) that travel could be by seafaring peoples, who boated along the coast"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about History:"
} |
What were the most common type of cars used for Bootlegging? | [
"Funny enough, the history of bootleggers and moonshiners also blends into the history of NASCAR. The American Historical Vehicle Association has put together a short article on the subject that basically says during the 1930s and 40s [the Ford V8 coupe was preferred for it's speed.](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"Maybe to add on to the question, was there a rise in certain types of crime that influenced whether or not someone hitchhiked?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Did the Donner party actually resort to cannibalism? | [
"[The Archaeology of the Donner Party](_URL_0_) (2005) edited by Don Hardesty is an excellent treatment of the Donner party. Every indication strongly points toward cannibalism as a final act of desperation of the group. Later, a few survivors insisted they did not engage in cannibalism. A recent limited excavation failed to find human remains and there was some publicity from that effort, suggesting that the failure to find human remains meant that cannibalism did not occur - but that was a bit of backward, flawed logic. People died and people were eaten. It is the harsh reality of the situation."
] | [
"They don't want to be known as the perpetrator of millions of deaths and ethnic cleansing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
How to summarize and generalize historical events that can't/shouldn't be summarized or generalized? | [
"In terms of cultural ideals (my personal area of interest is Japanese Bushido), I feel like it's sometimes better if you bring attention to the fact that not everyone believed exactly as the ideal dictates. So, for example, if you wanted to talk about Bushido, you might say what it is widely believed to have meant, and then disclaim that while that's the widely held view, the black-and-white definition of Bushido is hard to defend. When answering a question regarding something like this, for example, \"What did feudal Japanese samurai feel about Bushido,\" ask them to go into greater detail. Do they mean the samurai that made more money? Do they mean the samurai that were idealized? Do they mean famous samurai? I feel that, as people sorting out what really happened hundreds of years ago, historians should sometimes remind others that people were as varied and different back then as they are today, and if they want a specific answer, they need to ask a more specific question."
] | [
"We don't know. We have lots of philosophical arguments one way or another, but we can't really say for sure because concepts like free-will tend to be ill-defined and too abstract to really nail down properly."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
What is the diameter of the turret holes of the USS Iowa? | [
"From page 3 of [this paper](_URL_0_), describing the reactivation of the *Iowa*s 16in turrets, the turret barbettes (the holes they fit in) have a maximum diameter of 35ft 1in. It also gives dimensions for the turrets themselves, and for the foundation on which they sit."
] | [
"How about through that opening on the side of your head?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What plane did the USSR reverse engineer so exactly that they made a repair patch part of the design? | [
"The aircraft you're referring to is the Tupolev Tu-4 \"Bull\", which was a copy of the B-29 Superfortress. However, the story of the patch is slightly different - it wasn't because Soviet engineers thought it was a deliberate design choice, but rather the replication of the patch was a political decision. Tupolev had been told to produce an exact replica of the B-29, but wanted to make minor changes to the design to suit Soviet industry and technology. To mollify the politicians, the engineers made the aircraft cosmetically as close as possible to the American examples they had. This included matching paint samples, and buying surplus B-29 tires from the US, as well as copying the patch. They were well aware that the patch was unnecessary for the aircraft to fly. For more information on the story of the Tu-4, see [this article](_URL_0_) - the story of the patch is on page 5 and 6."
] | [
"Yes, they upgrade the planes over time. The airframe still meets the needs of the military, so there's no need to go through the long expensive process of designing a new plane. Just retro fit the old ones and make some changes to the designs for new ones being built. Edited out a fact that was wrong."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
Why did you major in history? | [
"I studied history because I love it. Studying the past is always fascinating and invigorating, it is truly mind opening. That being said, if I could I would go back and do something else. History is interesting but a history degree is not very useful in the real world. I got my job in IT due to a lucky break."
] | [
"Did you have a specific time period in mind?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about history:"
} |
Left handed people in a shield wall | [
"I wrote a little more about this a while ago [here](_URL_0_), but really there isn't much to say. The fact is that left-handedness is never discussed as a problem for hoplites in any Greek source. There is no indication that there were left-handed hoplites. In fact, a lot of tactical problems hinged on the assumption that all hoplites were right-handed and therefore more effective at protecting their left side than their right. The most likely answer to your question is that left-handed people would be forced to fight right-handed regardless of aptitude, and would perhaps not do so well."
] | [
"This isn't an explanation but newfoundland Canada also has a half hour time zone"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Does Ikurei Xerius III deserve the reputation he has as a corrupt and incompetent ruler who led the Vulgar Holy War to slaughter? | [
"In my reading of texts on the time I find that a lot of them have quite the bias against the enemies of Anasurimbor Kellhus. In fact the only one that I found that doesn't is Drusas Achamian's Compendium of the First Holy War. This one also impugns on Xerius as emperor, noting his cowardice and paranoia, focusing instead on the genius of his nephew Conphas. As the historical documents we have of that time are incredibly vague (and nothing has been recovered explaining what happened after the Aspect Emperor commanded that the Sranc be eaten) we don't know for certain. I would hazard a guess that Xerius was indeed cowardly and incompetent as a ruler, especially considering the mystery surrounding the circumstances of his death, but I wouldn't say it for any certainty."
] | [
"It was the day when the Orangered heretics attempted to usurp the power of the divinely ordained Periwinkle hegemony."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was Sargon of Akkad instrumental in the growth human civilisation, or did he stint its development? | [
"All I know is is that his contributions to the field of beard-style were monumental. edit: Not even joking, everyone copied the plaited-beard style after him. Before him, clean-shaven was the [style](_URL_0_) in Mesopotamia."
] | [
"Simply put, Greek culture was at the head of the most powerful empire in the world, and the Turks brought all of that crashing down."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In 1862 Nathaniel Hawthorne writes that the Mayflower was later involved in the slave trade. Is there truth to this claim? | [
"Wendy Warren references this at the end of *New England Bound*, literally as her closing paragraph. She quotes Hawthorne and then: > Several ships named *Mayflower* set sail from England's ports in the seventeenth century, and one of them took slaves to the Caribbean. It was not that of the famed Pilgrims, which was already on its last legs when it arrived at Plymouth. Hawthorne was mistaken in thinking they were actually the same ship. But in metaphorical terms, of course, he was absolutely right. She sources the quote, but doesn't have a citation for the facts. Damn it. I've seen confusion like that in nineteenth century sources, and fallen victim to it once or twice, so I believe her. But it's but still a dead end. Sorry."
] | [
"Most evidence points to it being a story far more than truth. While the story is said to have taken place around the end of the 17th century (some versions claim the 15th century), there's no written evidence of it until 1775. It's found then in English broadsides and newspapers. Likely it was brought up as an English story to show, again, the supposed terrible nature of the Scots. Even \"Sawney\" is considered an almost characterized Scottish name. It's easy to say that there is some basis of truth simply because people being robbed along long forest roads is definitely accurate. As for the rest, it makes for a good story!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
A simple question on nomenclature | [
"There really isn't any convention. In fact many wars go by different names in different countries. For example in Russia what I call WWII is called The Great Patriotic War. What I learned about as The French and Indian War is simply the North American part of the Seven Years War in England. Although, even having been educated in an Alabama public school, I do not refer to the Civil War as the Great War of Yankee Aggression. Which when you think about it, calling it The Civil War only makes sense in the USA."
] | [
"I would assume because it is more simplified with the most familiar characteristics being exaggerated"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In Germany in 1932, did the color of an envelope in the mail give any indication about its contents? | [
"> Was there any significance in envelope color during the 1930's in Germany? Not that I am aware of. AFAIK only the military used colored envelopes for special messages (priority/secret etc.) . Can you give more context about that letter?"
] | [
"Follow up, if this warrant a new post please tell me: How did politicians and the general public react when they found out these companies were aiding Nazi forces in WW2?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Is Jared Diamond accurate here? | [
"May I ask how well regarded is Diamond in this subreddit? I know that quite a few historians and anthropologists discredit his environmental determinalism for various reasons, and claim that *Guns, Germs, and Steel* is not a well-researches or accurate work. Personally, I very much enjoyed it because it helped me begin to think about things like that, about how people came to be where they were and not just as they are. I had an anthropology teacher, a geography professor, and an archaeology professor who all regarded GGS and Diamond highyl, though each acknowledged and discussed the flaws I mentioned plus more I can't remember. The archaeology professor even used GGS as text material for his class, along with Robert Wright's *Nonzero*, which is sort of an opposite yet parallel perspective on the same topic. I'm just curious as to how Diamond's work in general is viewed here."
] | [
"Are there any good introduction books to historiography in general? JFK in particular? Thank you"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why are the attitudes towards Evans’ reconstruction of Knossos among contemporary archaeologists rather hostile ? | [
"He made up what he thought was probably there, making it nearly impossible to uncover what was *actually* there. He took a theory and plopped it down on top of reality, covering over and changing the site. Not only does it matter the physical area, but it also makes it hard to evaluate Knossos with fresh eyes."
] | [
"I have a question/observation that is mostly addressed to /u/khosikulu and /u/profrhodes. Though if other post-colonial scholars feel moved to answer, I am all ears. In conversations with Ghanaians that I have met, they have strongly positive attitudes toward Kwame Nkrumah, both from those old enough to remember him, and people born in the 1980s. Similarly, when talking to a Tanzanian, he had very positive, nostalgic feelings towards Nyerere. Can/should these popular memories be seen as a sort of \"big man history\" for the independence generation of leaders? Western histories try to have a more nuanced treatment of these Two figures, noting failings of specific policies. Is Ghanaian and Tanzanian academic scholarship in line with this? Do historians from African countries have different attitudes and perspectives than the common man's view?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is there any truth to the revisionist belief that Robb Stark attacked Walder Frey, and not the other way around? | [
"Depends upon who you ask. Even to this day, most Northerners will completely deny any aggression on Robb Stark's part. Many inhabitants of King's Landing and the Twins (the house of the now extinct House Frey). Considering the multitude of letters sent between the three conspirators (Roose Bolton, Tywin Lannister and Walder Frey) and testimony from various witnesses, it seems highly unlikely that there is any truth to this belief, especially considering Frey testimony that involves Robb Stark \"turning into a savage and rabid wolf,\" or other ridiculous fantasies."
] | [
"The War of the Roses was a period in English history where the king died and due to factionalism two rivals ended up laying claim to the throne. Several prominent Game of Thrones characters have historical counterparts: - Joffery = Edward of Lancaster, a young boy obsessed with killing his enemies who came to power at a young age and was rumored to be illegitimate. - Robb Stark = Edward IV, all around good guy who was part of the key winning battles. - Theon Greyjoy = George Plantagenet, who was Edward IV's brother and staunch ally but betrayed him and joined the Lancaster side. A lot of strings were pulled by the dead king's wife and even the main family names are similar. The two factions were York and Lancaster while in Game of Thrones it's Stark vs. Lannister. It's not 100% faithful and George R. R. Martin but one can draw a lot of parallels between a lot of the main cast and the actions/personalities of the key figures of the War of the Roses. More Info: _URL_0_"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What tragedies have been erased from the history books? | [
"Sweden tried to assimilate Sami people by outlawing their language in schools and outlawing yoiking (traditional chanting) and drumming. Sami women were secretly sterilized by the Swedish government — and that program lasted until the 1970s. BTW secret sterilization without consent happened to Native American women at IHS hospitals in the United States through the 1970s, and in Australia to Aboriginal women as well."
] | [
"What are the must read books about the American revolution published within the last five years? What are the current arguments being discussed by historians who study the era?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about Literature:"
} |
John D. Rockefeller - man of greed or a visionary? | [
"I doubt you'll get a meaningful answer. 'Man of greed' and 'visionary' are personal judgements. So what causes some to call Rockefeller a man of greed causes others to call him a visionary. That said, I'd seriously reconsider those 'sources' you posted. The first seems to be a site about Linux, the second one is an activist group and the third one... well, it's an objectivist shill site, meaning you shouldn't trust a word it says. (I mean, \"Reason, egoism and capitalism.\"? Really?) Try to look for more academic sources and consider each one: who wrote this? Why did they write this? Is it trustworthy? etc"
] | [
"He owned a very large company. Standard Oil was the main source of his net worth."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Did any other countries in the 20th century with significant ethnic minority populations implement an equivalent of the "separated but equal" policy? | [
"Poland had something a little like this for a bit. Jews were segregated in many areas, but still had legal rights. As in the US, they weren't actually equal, but the inequality wasn't as severe as in the Jim Crow era."
] | [
"I'm curious as to the popularity of the vote among the Aboriginal peoples. Did they favor citizenship, independence or a separate status?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Naval history? These unique antique doors are from an inn in Wales, but nobody (including the owner) knows what they are. Are they gun doors? (x-post) | [
"It seems unlikely that they are from a ship at all. Those chains, assuming they're original to the \"lids\", would be an odd choice for shipboard use due to their weight. Ropes were much more the order of the day. These ropes, in turn, attached to eyebolts, which were usually integral to the metal straps, rather than in the wood of the lid."
] | [
"There has a been talk / rumors going round for years that a few decades ago the original great doors to [this church](_URL_3_) where there has been a religious site of one sort or another for nearly 1000 years (met with a local historian a few years back) were lined or contained in their make up in someway with human skin dating back to the vikings! Can't find any media on this but my Dad mentioned it all took place in the 70's or 80's. Interestingly the place is the sight of a former prime ministers family tomb (amongst other arguably famous English Graves) as well as 'the bloody acre', site of a English civil war battle. *forgot to mention that I live around a 2 minute walk away."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
When royal/aristocratic families threw balls, how late did their guests stay? Was it a giant slumber party after the festivities? | [
"What period and country are you asking about? There’s no context in your question."
] | [
"It means what it says, but no one does it anymore so it may not make sense to everyone. It is a tradition from proimarily the 19th century and earlier. When a girl (mostly from rich families, as they had time for this nonsense) reached the age of maturity (as young as 15 or 16 back then), she was formerly introduced to society (other rich folks), meaning she was available for courting. Similar to the Jewish Bat Mitzvah, latin Quinceañera, or the average Sweet 16. Some socialite clubs and circles still do the débutante thing out of tradition."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
[Meta] List of questions for the FAQ on the side bar | [
"Could we get something for *Guns, Germs and Steel*? It seems like every other post is recommending this book, despite it being widely discredited by professional historians."
] | [
"This was brought up somewhat recently, so you might enjoy the discussion in [this thread](_URL_0_) on the topic of the declassification of French Army documents."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
I just watched Spielberg's Lincoln. What's the basis of his personality? Was he really a witty, charming storyteller? | [
"In an interview with Stephen Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis, Mr. Day-Lewis said that he had read over 100 books on Lincoln and read every speech he had written aloud. Somewhere in that process, he began to hear \"Lincoln's voice.\" He said it was a subtle thing, but he began to hear a voice in his head as he would read. Through that, the personality came to life. This is all very much part of method acting. Mr. Spielberg understood this to the point of announcing that from that first day meeting on he would only be referring to the cast by their character names. He even wore and appropriate period suit everyday while on set so as to blend in with the cast and not detract from the atmosphere. They both praised the words Tony Kushner provided in his screenplay. Mr. Kushner also read hundreds of books on Lincoln and took this daunting assignment very seriously. Between the efforts taken by these men, I trust their portrail of Mr Lincoln to be as close as they could get."
] | [
"His craziness wasn't an act. He was honest in his desire to get the most out of his words by any means necessary. Also, he was a turbulent man that lived in and documented a very turbulent time. He isn't the greatest writer but he has great content."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is odin's test for unfaithful wives real? | [
"This film was well-researched. When I was pursing Nordic studies several decades ago, I was shocked when I repeatedly found things referenced in the film. But I have to say that I have read dozens of sagas, and I never saw evidence of this test. I believe we can ascribe it to Hollywood creativity - but in midst of a surprising amount of solid research. Great film."
] | [
"It's a euphemism for lack of inspiration. Source: Am a man that sometimes lacks inspiration"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
In old paintings/photos, where does the 'Hand in Jacket' thing come from? | [
"[There was a thread about this half a year ago](_URL_0_). Note /u/LadyVagrant's comment, especially."
] | [
"If I'm not mistaken it's called \"In with the good, out with the bad\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Is Buffy the first slayer to ever have died and been revived? If so, how is that possible? | [
"There's a lot of interesting debate on this topic. It was widely believed for a few years that Kendra was the first \"second\" Slayer and that Buffy was the first Slayer to die and be revived. Otherwise, there naturally would have been multiple Slayers by the time of Buffy's first death. This belief was called into question when Buffy died a second time, and a new Slayer was not called. Ultimately, the answer lies in the records kept by the Watchers, and many of those were destroyed when their headquarters was bombed by the First Evil, so we may never know."
] | [
"It basically means committing to playing a role a certain way. One of my favorite examples is from when they were casting Buffy the Vampire Slayer: One of the characters in the show is Willow, who was written as a shy, introverted geek. During casting, they had those auditioning read the following scene: WILLOW: That girl is really mean. When I was 10 she stole my doll. BUFFY: That's awful. Did you ever get it back? WILLOW: Most of it... The obvious way to interpret that scene is that Willow is depressed by the memory, right? Well, when Allison Hannigan went in to audition, she did something different: instead of sounding sad on the \"most of it\" line, she sounded happy, like she was just excited to have gotten any of it back at all. It was a *choice* the actress made, to interpret Willow's character as downtrodden by unfailingly optimistic and cheerful. This decision wound up launching the young Allison Hannigan's career."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.