query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
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|---|---|---|---|---|
Why / when were * and # added to the phone? | [
"They had 8 tones in a grid. 4 x 4 Each button was a combination of a row tone and a column tone. So from 8 tone generators you got 16 unique tones. Civilian phones were 4 x 3 for 12 unique tones. The bottom row only had the number 0, but the phones were capable of 2 extra unused tones. Early phones had no but... | [
"See this post: _URL_0_ It has a definition for basically every type of road."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
How did Hollywood become *the* place for pretty much all things movies and mainstream entertainment? What about that location made it more of a magnet for that instead of somewhere else? | [
"Edison had a lot of patents that covered nearly all aspect of motion pictures. Because of this movie makers started setting up shop on the west coast where Edison's patents weren't easily enforced. The time it would take for agents of Edison to travel from New Jersey to California was excessive and gave the stu... | [
"When it comes to getting to other markets, it's all about, well, marketing. Be it word of mouth or organized advertising. I suppose part of it might be the fact that India (and the immediate region) is a huge market in and of itself so there's less incentive to try and push outwards."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Spelling in 18th century English | [
"This refers to the \"long s\" of 18th century typeface. The \"long s\" was used when the letter \"s\" was used in the middle of the word as it is Boston and Charlestown. The \"long s\" dates back to Roman times and derives from the [cursive depiction of the letter \"s\"](_URL_0_) in the middle of the word. The \"... | [
"Would you like a list starting in 1867 or including pre-1867 British Canada?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Are any of the Founding Fathers' farmland in the U.S. still being farmed today? | [
"Washington's Mount Vernon estate is a historical landmark and museum, with a living history component. I know that at least some of the farm land there is cultivated, although from what digging around I just did, it doesn't seem to have been continually in operation since Washington himself was in charge of the pl... | [
"Such as? I'm sure there are explanations but I can't think of any cities in the Western US that weren't at one point part of Mexico or explored by Spain."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Were there any "end of civilization" type wars, or fear of them, before nuclear weapons/WW2? | [
"It depends on what you mean by fear of the \"end of civilization.\" Various large conflicts have caused certain people to think the world was ending, usually through religious interpretation of the conflict, but these beliefs weren't necessarily popular or common. An example: Some people, particularly in the more ... | [
"People believe many things, only some of which are true. Since WW3 doesn't have an unambiguous definition, more possible interpretations exist, both true and false. In general, historians apply these labels after things are over. WW2 involved active combat between peer powers including the use of weapons of mass d... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Meta Question. What systems do historians use to organize their notes and materials? | [
"Just found this on Robert Caro: [_URL_0_](_URL_0_) & #x200B;"
] | [
"It's to make it more legible when you have a lot of sources. While for school papers you might have 3-10 sources, a larger academic work or book can easily have hundreds or thousands of sources. The Harvard and APA styles just make them easier to find and reference when you have that many. So it's good to get into... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Alchemy, Secret Orders, and the Occult in history (without the conspiracy theories which usually follow.) | [
"Also, some parts of this (if you're curious) I've answered elsewhere. Just take a look at: _URL_1_ and scroll down to the AMA's and Alchemy sections."
] | [
"Undoubtedly it is as a result of mystic, grand, powerful, and secret forces and conspiracies at work. These can only be deciphered by extremely clever Harvard Professors of Symbology like that guy in \"The DaVinci Code\"."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What historical figures do laypeople have the completely wrong impression about? | [
"Joseph Stalin was often displayed as larger than life and depicted as over 6 feet tall in most occurrences. In reality he was shorter than Napoleon, coming in at only 5'5\" to 5'6\""
] | [
"So please correct me if I'm wrong here, but I've read on other threads here that getting the opinions of the general public was difficult because very few of the read and even fewer wrote things that survived to today. So I guess my follow up question is this: how can we even begin to understand how the commonfol... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Britain just refinanced debt from 1720. What is the oldest debt the US is still paying off? | [
"The US has been servicing debt since 1837, and since the US national debt have never been fully paid off since then, I suppose there could be some debt that have been continiously serviced since then. National debt is a complex issue (and outside of my expertise) and simply paying off the debt have rarely been an ... | [
"The way government debt is issued is through bonds. The Treasury issues bonds all of the time. Anyone can buy those bonds. Some American people will buy them. Some institutional investors will buy them and roll them up into mutual funds or keep them as investments. Some foreign governments will buy them. The US de... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Where can I find a FULL chronology list of ALL the treaties, agreements which were made with the Native American tribes in the USA? | [
"I see several versions available online. [This](_URL_0_) one looks pretty comprehensive, though I haven't used it myself. That link is part of a [larger project](_URL_1_) that put Charles Keppler's *Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties* online."
] | [
"I'm going to ask this as a question: Are there not still legacy treaties in place between USA and Holy Roman Empire? Stemming from Revolutionary War mercenaries that performed well?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Can you recommend me a decently readable and neutral biography of Oliver Cromwell? | [
"Coward. Barry., The Cromwellian Protectorate, (Manchester: Manchester UP, 2002) Durston. Christopher., Cromwell's Major-Generals, Godly Government During The English Revolution, (Manchester: Manchester UP, 2001) Gaunt. Peter., Oliver Cromwell, (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996) Hill. Christopher., God's Englishman: Oliver ... | [
"How well regarded are the writings of Joseph Campbell by historians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Why does New Year's Day fall when it does? Why not on a solstice or Equinox? | [
"hi! not to discourage further discussion, but fyi, the first two posts in this FAQ section will get you started * [The year and months](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"It all depends on your calendar. For example, Passover is always the 15th of Nisan. If you follow the Hebrew calendar, you would complain that Christmas is on a different day every year."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are some works of art by political figures? | [
"Benjamin Disraeli, two time PM of the UK, was a notable writer in his time, practically inventing the \"political novel.\" While the bulk of his work was published before he took a position in the government, almost all of his work has a political edge to it, and he continued writing up until his death. His most f... | [
"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 Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Literature:"
} |
How many democracies did the British Empire leave after its collapse? | [
"Almost every country they left was either a democracy or a constitutional monarchy at the time of independence. Many in Africa or the Middle East collapsed into dictatorships or extremely corrupt \"democracies\" later on. All in all, though, the British empire has the best track record for post-colonial success. F... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How did the inventors of the atom bomb feel when Japan was nuked? | [
"Richard Feynman, a nobel prize winning physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project, noted in his book semi-biographical book \"Surely you're joking Mr. Feynman\" that after the bombs were dropped he went into a sort of depression. He describes feeling like nothing mattered because it was only a matter of time be... | [
"Sorry, but the atomic bombs in no way matched the magnitude of the Holocaust. Approximately 200,000 people died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the roughly 11 million exterminated in Hitler's concentration camps. That's a factor of fifty-five times more, in case you're interested. Moreover, most historians estimate ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In Herodotus, it mentions the Otanes family "submit[s] to the rule of the king only so far as they themselves choose.". Does this still apply to modern day? | [
"When you say \"Does this apply to modern day\", do you mean to ask whether it is still the case that the family of Otanes \"submit[s] to the rule of the king only so far as they themselves choose [and] continues to be the only free family\" in modern-day Iran (or Afghanistan, or Iraq, etc.)? If that's really what ... | [
"At the very least 380 BC since that this is one of the major topics discussed in the first parts of Plato's Republic. It is hard think of a Western period where it was not accepted. What else would be the point of rulership? Even when people believed in divine rights, they believed God told kings to rule the peopl... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Did people in ancient/medieval times work out? If so how? | [
"Which people and for what purpose? Do you mean like professional soldiers and fighters? Or just average people."
] | [
"I'm not able to give a full response at the moment, leaving this here to remind me. Very quickly, this is a popular myth started by the fact that people did not \"bathe\" before running water made the process easy to fill a large tub with warm/hot water. However, this does not mean, as you mentioned, that the did ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Why did Portugal receive help from the Marshall plan but Spain didn't? | [
"Because the Salazar regime in portugal while being autocratic was also virulently anti hitler and anti communist at the same time The portugeuse had played ball with the allies during ww2 providing significant naval and air base facilities to them while publicly denouncing both hitler and stalin On the other han... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I'm a minor knight/noble under Richard the Lionheart, how much do I actually know about what a lion is? | [
"hi! you can get some idea of lion awareness from these posts * [Who named the lion \"King of the Jungle\"?](_URL_0_) * [How come the lion has become a symbol for so many european countries/dynasties, even though there are no lions in Europe?](_URL_2_) - also links to the FAQ * [Why is a lion so commonly depicted i... | [
"It means you’re a knight if the realm; there are various degrees of this, most involving gifts of land deeded by the monarchy. It also means the person is sworn to defend the monarchy with their life, and their ancestors have a shot at becoming part of the peerage. But that’s really simplified explanation, and mos... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Sounds really stupid and probably is | [
"Hi there, Holocaust deniers almost invariably deny the Holocaust as part of a broader agenda of bigotry, antisemitism, and the political rehabilitation of fascism. I discuss both the methodology and motivation of Holocaust deniers in a [past piece](_URL_7_) on Holocaust denialism, which may interest. For a far mo... | [
"(Just read the description, didn't bother to watch) The court has a run-in with a mentally ill individual. Bits are funny but overall it's just sad."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Medieval city court - How did it look like? | [
"Hiya, it would be really helpful if you could tell us where and when do you plan to set the story, so that our wonderful medievalists can have a rough idea where to start."
] | [
"What does the Pope handle on a day to day basis?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why so many cartoon characters from the old used to wear gloves? | [
"Toon gloves, as they are known, have yet to be explicitly explained in any literature. No interviews with any lead designers have produced any definitive answers, either. The usage of gloves is occasionally pointed out by the toon characters themselves, like how the character Bobby Zimmeruski asks \"Do you ever w... | [
"What color is the skin of most of the people who make and utilize those drawings? Theres your answer"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
[META] A quick reminder: yes, you are absolutely allowed to ask a question again if it doesn't get a satisfactory answer the first time around | [
"Especially if your question gets lots of upvotes but few comments, it means there are many other people out there who would love a good answer."
] | [
"Hey OP, Just a quick FYI: all requests on ELI5 are treated as serious ones, so the [serious] tag isn't really needed! Hope you get the explanations you're looking for! Happy redditing!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Mathematics:"
} |
What are some examples from history that seem to support or refute the effectiveness of libertarianism? | [
"Libertarianism evolves into feudalism. Once an individual amasses enough resources an underclass forms- dependent on the upper-class for resources, work, and favors. Look at the Medici, feudal Japan, or the middle ages in general."
] | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I have a question about the history of Computers. | [
"Several things. First the Lisa was released in the early 1980s (30 years later). Also the Lisa was hardly cheap at the time, and IIRC, was one of the reason it never really got popular. So the size difference is simply engineering and better technological advances. One of the biggest was the transistor which was d... | [
"I need an ELI5 for whatever this question means."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When the Romans were using the Aqueduct system, how did they deal with potential contaminants in the water? | [
"The water was made to flow continuously without stagnation. There were sedimentation tanks located periodically along the length of the aqueducts to remove impurities. There were also access points for maintenance workers. _URL_0_"
] | [
"It serves several purposes. First and foremost, it supplies water pressure (called hydrostatic pressure) to our pipes. Second, it puts the water up high where it's less likely to face intentional contamination from outside sources. Third, the pressure means that unintentional contamination can't get in. If there's... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When did humans first become aware of the nutritional value of food rather than it simply being something that ended hunger? | [
"When you say nutritional value do you mean, when did we start putting on those labels and knowing what everything is in there or how when did we understand you can't just live off carbs? and things like that?"
] | [
"Humans are omnivores. That doesn't just mean we *can* eat a wide variety of foods, it means we *must* eat a variety. Every evolutionary advance, it seems, is a compromise: in return for being able to eat many foods, our bodies don't produce everything we need - the missing ingredients are vitamins and amino acids.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
The Imperial Agency is releasing the Imperial Records of the life of Emperor Showa, how does r/askhistorians think this will change the understanding of the last days of the war ? | [
"I think this is actually a temporary exhibition of some of the records in the form of a special exhibit. They will only be available until November and a person can only view the records for 50 minutes at a time. Hardly conducive to research. From my understanding someone who had wanted access to these annals coul... | [
"A tack on question: What was the Japanese perception on evolution/biology/natural sciences prior to the open door policy? How much of that perception was based around religion in particular?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Thursday Reading & Recommendations | January 31, 2019 | [
"Just finished *Odessa: Genius And Death In A City Of Dreams* by Charles King, and was very impressed. It's more a pop history book, but King is a real academic, so its credible. He wrote really well, and chronicles the foundation of the city in the 1780s until about 1945. That would really be my only critique, in ... | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where did the word "Yep" come from, and how did it become so common? | [
"The OED says *yep* developed as a colloquial alternative to *yes* in the late 19th century in the US. Used as an adverb and interjection, it is also spelled as *yip* and *yup*. *Yes* itself is quite old, originating in Old English, and has quite a few variants, including *yea*, *yaas*, *yah*, *yas*, *yeah*, *yeh*,... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What is the historical relationship between theoretical knowledge and engineering/invention? | [
"The classic study of this is by Latour and Woolgar. They argue, from anthropological observation of a science lab, that the tools scientists use shape the questions they ask just as much as their questions shape their tools. Rather than thinking of one influencing the other (science giving ideas to eingineers, or ... | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | December 21, 2013 | [
"Hi guys. I hope this is the right place to post this, I'll move it if it isn't. I'm currently writing an essay on the working class in the British Empire and wondered if anyone could give me any good sources relating to the development of the working class and the impact of the Empire on the working class 1870 and... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Help me learn more about my British Grandfather's WWII service in Jamaica? | [
"From 1939-1940, the 2nd Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry was deployed to Jamaica, which sounds like it could have been your grandfather's regiment. They were redeployed to Europe, however, and ended up taking part in Operation Overlord. They were replaced in Jamaica by the Winnipig Regiment of Grenadier... | [
"Well, MTO stands for 'Mediterranean Theater of Operations' but without more information I can't say much. Did he serve in the Navy? Army?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
What is the reason Göbekli Tepe isnt universally recognized as the worlds oldest known advanced civilization? | [
"Hi there -- \"advanced\" and \"civilization\" are pretty problematic words in any historical or anthropological context. You may gain some insight from this post from u/RioAbajo, and might also consider cross-posting this to r/AskAnthropology. (The site is old enough to predate written history.) _URL_0_"
] | [
"The Americas were settled by humans significantly later than Eurasia, let alone Africa which is the birthplace of humans."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about History:"
} |
Questions about the "Paleo" diet or: what did cavemen really eat? | [
"We've actually pumped a 5000 year old stomach: _URL_2_ \"The meal was a simple affair, consisting of a bit of unleavened bread made of einkorn wheat, one of the few domesticated grains used in the Iceman's part of the world at this time, some other plant, possibly an herb or other green, and meat.\" Lot more if yo... | [
"Humans are omnivores, which means we can eat lots of different things. That means that, unlike creatures that eat only one food (such as koalas with eucalyptus, or wolves with herbivore mammals) we must spend time thinking about what we eat. Is it healthy? Is it poisonous? How do we know? Well, we are guided by tr... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are the political/diplomatic reasons why Australia got involved in WW1 in the first place | [
"Politically, Australia was part of the British Empire, and even as a dominion was obliged to support Britain. Speaking in a geo-strategic sense, the presence of German forces in their Pacific holdings, combined with the rising power of Japan, made supporting the British militarily a sensible decision. Moreover, a ... | [
"It was hard for them to work together due to the huge geographic distances between them. There were some long range submarine cargo missions, supplying things like rubber and tungsten. And some designs for aircraft ended up in Japan too. When Japan attacked the US, Germany declared war on the US in the hope that J... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post about history:"
} |
How long has college/university been considered to a period of partying and debauchery? | [
"Basically, as long as there have been Universities. Hannah Skoda in \"Medieval Violence: Physical Brutality in Northern France, 1270-1330\" cites a 13th Century play; *Le jeu de la feuillée* by Adam de la Halle and comments: \"The sharp sarcasm of Adam's remark is effective because it engages with two polarized st... | [
"Sometimes it's not what you know, it's who you know. Lifelong connections can damn near save your life in bad times. I've helped out brothers when they've had problems and they've done the same. Beyond that college is basically your last hurrah. You're still allowed to fuck up and make mistakes in college and as l... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment about Education:"
} |
Is our general idea of life in the ancient times and medieval times pretty accurate? | [
"While feats shown in movies are embellished to make for good cinema there is no doubt that armies such as the ancient Romans and Spartans were formidable fighting forces. The success of their respective countries/city-states in warfare bears this out. Depending on the period of history we have a pretty good idea o... | [
"They didn't happen. The concept of \"the Dark Ages\" is a complete myth; people did not have particularly bad living standards in that time period."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
How did receiving telegrams work for the average user? | [
"I only know this from a British perspective. I believe it was like snail mail. A post office would receive a telegraph and have it printed out. Then a post man would deliver it. In Britain, I believe it was always in a yellow envelope. You could send then from the post office too (the sender pays). For people with... | [
"Because there is a lot of distance between us, compared to just about every other country."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about Telecommunications:",
"pos": "Represent the answer about Telecommunications:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Great Grandpa was official photographer for WW2, recently found a torture picture and POW. Anyway to find out more info? | [
"Hello there! You're right, we don't have a lot of desire to host pictures of people being tortured. As your question is related to looking for identification/information regarding military personnel, our [Guide on Military Identification](_URL_0_) may be of use to you. It provides a number of different resources,... | [
"They're still being published. I have an extra from 2003 and the invasion of Iraq, for example."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about history:",
"pos": "Represent the argument about history:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Why was seoul placed so close to the border? | [
"Seoul does in fact predate the current border dividing North and South Korea. Actually, the city was the capital of a unified Korean kingdom from 1394 onwards, and remained the colonial capital under Japanese occupation from 1910 until 1945. The reason why the border is so close to Seoul is that it is the cease-fi... | [
"more like ELI5 why is there so much tension between ethnic groups all over the world"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Has the Communist Party ever claimed the Mandate of Heaven? | [
"If you are talking about what Chinese Communist party think of the Mandate of heaven, you can find dicussion by /u/portabledavers and various other users in the [FAQ](_URL_0_) The short answer is no, they saw it as an obsolete idea that held no significant meaning whatsoever."
] | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Reconquista: Was the Spanish campaign triggered by religious zeal or was the Reconquista about dominion of the Iberian Peninsula. | [
"The Reconquista lasted nearly eight centuries. Attributing a singular motive to the whole period is never fruitful. Evidence for the dominion theory is the fact that the various Christian kingdoms within the peninsula were often at war with one another. But that just means it's true of many specific leaders; it's ... | [
"The Crusades were a series of wars fought during the Middle Ages. While officially they were religious wars called by the Pope in Vatican... really they were simple land/power grabs in the Middle East as the Muslims and Christians fought over many mutually important religious sites such as Jerusalem."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
I'm am fascinated by ancient megalithic architecture. Without the aliens and time travelers. Any suggestions for science based research on the subject? | [
"On the construction of megalithic architecture? On their use? Symbolism? If you are interested in the construction part of it, I can be of some use. I study architectural energetics and labor organization. Energetics is the quantification of labor in order to better understand how many people and how much effort w... | [
"Ley lines are usually associated with pseudoarchaeology, but I guess there's a lot of overlap with UFOs, and a few other subcultures as well. And there is no credible research, mathematics or science which supports the notion of ley lines as a real phenomena."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
JFK & LBJ seem like completely opposite personalities. How well did they get along working together? | [
"Not so well. In Robert Caro's last LBJ volume he talks about the relationship in detail. LBJ saw JFK as a lightweight in the Senate. But JFK saw the value in having Johnson on the ticket because oil-rich Texas was a crucial fundraising state for Democrats. Once in the Whitehouse JFK basically ignored Johnson and e... | [
"* Reagan was loved by the right and the middle, he won 49 states in 1984. * Reagan was able to work with the opposing party and had a legendary relationship with his chief domestic adversary, Tip O'Neil. No president since has been able to work with the other side of the aisle like he did. * Reagan formed a relati... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
I'm looking for some good resources on the USSR during Stalin's rule. Any suggestions? | [
"Hi, First please don't read \"The Whisperers.\" It is very inaccurate and has been subject to professional criticism for inventing sources. Memorial, the organization that archives the stories of Stalin's victims, has condemned it for making up sources from its archives (which is btw why the book has not been tran... | [
"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 Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Literature:"
} |
What happened to Crassus' financial empire after his death? | [
"It was likely inherited by his younger son Marcus Licinius Crassus. He don't know a lot about this Marcus Licinius Crassus, except that he apparently survived the civil wars, and was made Pontifex. His son, also Marcus Licinius Crassus, was nicknamed Dives (or the rich) as was his adopted son... also named Marcus ... | [
"What book are you reading? I've never heard of a \"Calvino\", and I am assuming \"Crasso\" and \"Varo\" refer to Crassus and Varus. Crassus was an important figure of the Late Republic, while Varus was the Roman commander responsible (in part) for the defeat at Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D. Neither feature in any sch... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about History:"
} |
Did King Charlemagne believe so strongly in the health benefits of flaxseed that he passed laws requiring people to consume it? | [
"The referred-to book can be previewed on Google Books. [Searching the book](_URL_0_) finds the following (unsourced) claim: > In the eighth century however, recognizing the sanitary value of linen garments, Charlemagne revived the flax industry. The author on that page goes into some detail about how linen is act... | [
"Trial and error, and they were often wrong. Many traditional plant remedies are total nonsense, or even actively harmful, and tomatoes were widely thought to be poison by most of Europe for hundreds of years."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Why did Roosevelt issue so many more executive orders in comparison to other presidents? | [
"First, Roosevelt was in office for 12 years, so the orange bars (number per year) is a more useful measure. And before FDR, executive orders weren't always tracked that carefully. Second, a lot of the government regulatory agencies that we now take for granted were *invented* as part of the New Deal. A number of F... | [
"The prime minister in Canada is much less powerful than the president in the United States. The U.S. president holds certain executive power which he has exclusively without oversight from Congress, and he cannot be dismissed by Congress if he loses its support. Prime ministers always have to keep the support of t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
At what point did the USA and the UK become the allies they are presently? | [
"You might be interested in this section of our Popular questions page, as this question was asked multiple times before: _URL_0_"
] | [
"The issue is not that they were communist, it is that they were allies with the USSR and are allies with Russia. Russia is still our biggest enemy and we are still having proxy wars against them. The Cold War officially ended when the USSR collapsed, but in most practical purposes it is still going."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I have read that Illinois was an especially dirty place for politics in the 1800s. Was Lincoln "clean"? Did he need to buy off party bosses to succeed? | [
"The Desire trilogy is set in Chicago of 1895, which was worlds apart from what it was when Lincoln went to Congress in 1846. It had grown from a port town of maybe 20,000 to an industrial city of of 1.3 million. Lincoln's Illinois was primarily agricultural."
] | [
"They ended up siding with the Democrats for the Presidential Election of 1896. Backing William Jennings Bryant, they eventually lost to Republican William McKinley in both the '96 and 1900 elections. Afterwards I believe they just kind of petered out as their racist tactics in the south demoralized the movement. I... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Do non-Anglosphere western countries have rather different forms of BadHistory tropes? | [
"While I encourage you to leave this up here and I hope you get a lot of interesting responses, you may also wish to try asking on /r/badhistory , as they will naturally be familiar with the subject."
] | [
"Can anyone suggest respected works that deal, on a theoretical level, with the concept of elites? Specifically from the standpoint of history."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Naming practices and wording in late 1700's Somerset, England | [
"Sexey was the surname of a prominent family in Somerset. Indeed Sexeys School still exists in Bruton. If it was a first name it may have indicated a link to the family, if a surname then it is more obviously linked to the family."
] | [
"Would you like a list starting in 1867 or including pre-1867 British Canada?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
"E pluribus unum" was the motto for the United States for ~175 years until "In God We Trust" was adopted in 1956. Did the ACLU (or any other group) actively challenge the mention of "God"? | [
"Follow up question: how was this reconciled with the establishment clause in the first amendment?"
] | [
"The judge was referring to Ceremonial Deism, which means that the phrase doesn't have any specific meaning to a particular religion but is instead a more non-denominational reference to a higher power. Through repeated and regular use, it loses any special religious significance. Which means when you buy something... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What effect has religion played on economic activity in your area of specialty? | [
"> For a very long time, it was considered a sin by the Roman Catholic Church. This probably had a negative effect on economic development in Europe and the growth of banking, right? This assumes that banking and economic growth is the ineluctable conclusion of economic development - which it might not be. In my ar... | [
"I'm looking for recommendations for books to read if I want an overview of the history of the LGBT+ movement in the United States but don't have any previous background knowledge in the subject."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
Questions on the Nazi's secret weapon programs | [
"> I believe the question on a German atomic bomb has already been answered on here. I just wish to make sure the general consensus is that they were not very close to an atomic bomb. The Germans never got close to an atomic bomb at all. They had a small, exploratory nuclear fission program that spent most of its t... | [
"Just a follow-up question to the original question - what about the reverse. What was Napoleon's view of the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Thursday Reading & Recommendations | March 07, 2019 | [
"I study Mao-era China and relationships/aid with Caribbean countries in the early 1970s. I’ve been recently looking at doing some research on China and Madagascar in the same era after coming across some interesting primary source material. But I’ve had trouble finding much that zooms out and gives me a better gr... | [
"1. The First Salute by Barbara Tuchman 2. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown 3. The Civil War by Shelby Foote 4. Reconstruction by Eric Foner 5. The Proud Tower by Barbara Tuchman 6. Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch 7. Brute Force: Allied Strategy and Tactics in the Second World War by John Ellis 8. The... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is the oldest society that used meritocracy to decide who the people in charge were? | [
"What do you mean by \"meritocracy\"? One could argue that the voters in Rome would choose who was perceived as most worthy. Or you could mean very objective seeming methods like the ancient Chinese bureaucracy."
] | [
"Government is just a system of rules for people to live amongst each other and work towards common goals. Beyond that, whether it is based on the threat of force, divine right, or consent of the people varies by place."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Are their any recorded instances where an American First Lady was very influential in deciding Presidential policy? | [
"Woodrow Wilson's second wife Edith is the most common example. After his stroke, she acted as his personal emissary and filtered what reached his ears, an extremely powerful position."
] | [
"The President is the Head of State, he and his administration speak on behalf of the United States. Even if it's the Secretary of State or the Vice President doing the talking, these people were appointed by The President and carry his message and his words. The job of congress only comes into the picture when we ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
I was moving my father-in-law's items today and he showed me this sword. All he could tell me is that it was his grandmother's whose ancestry is Scotch-Irish | [
"Looks like an 1831 pattern French [Artillery sword](_URL_0_) That rust needs to be stabilized..."
] | [
"Because most people would be concerned if their mother was dug up and moved without very good reason, but wouldn't even know where their great-great-great-great grandmother was buried - or even who she was."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Anthropology:"
} |
[Meta] Should certain FAQ posts be rewritten? | [
"We're actually in a process of cleaning up the FAQ by removing old or poor answers, but it's an entirely volunteer effort (as, of course, everything here is -- moderators do not actually get paid in Amazon gift cards per person banned). The (informal) policy has generally been that we consign poor answers to the ... | [
"Mentioning previous discussions is intended to be a starting point, not to discourage further discussion. Follow-on questions, info, or disagreement is welcome. The FAQ has a section on this very subject at _URL_0_ Unfortunately, the # anchor doesn't work in the Reddit app -- it just goes to the top of the page. S... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Question concerning the term "Han" | [
"Er... the Han used for Korea and the Han used for Han people / dynasty / language are not the same word. The Chinese word for Han is 汉, pinyin han4, the word for (South) Korea is 韩, pinyin han2. The name derives from three early Korean states which shared a Korean word in their names that was transliterated into C... | [
"what do you mean by \"besides the FDA\"?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Did the Flying Tigers include non-combat planes? Grandpa says he was part of the Flying Tigers but worked primarily on cargo planes. | [
"The term \"Flying Tiger\" is specific to a small group of pilots and planes who fought in China in 1940 and 1941 as the American Volunteer Group. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, this group withered away: Its equipment was needed in the American war effort, and the pilots and ground crews were absorbed into the g... | [
"No, the aircraft that the South Vietnamese shipped and landed and on carriers were not US government property, they were South Vietnamese. Since that country ceased to exist with the Fall of Saigon, there was no sort of punishment for the pilots or aircraft carrier crews. Many South Vietnamese F-5 Freedom Fighters... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Want to know where my grandma was held during WWII | [
"You should contact the [Bund der Vertriebenen](_URL_2_) or the [Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft](_URL_0_) ([German homepage](_URL_1_))."
] | [
"Just look what happened when they let Germany annex a few countries before WW2."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about history:",
"pos": "Represent the document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What does "uttering unlawful oaths" mean in context of a convict sent to Australia? | [
"It is related to the Unlawful Oaths Act of 1797 (UK). It was a law passed by the British Parlament as a way to tackle the increasing number of mutiny incidents (See: Nore Mutiny and Spithead Mutiny). The law considered unlawful oath the ones that engaged in any mutinous or sedition purposes. The maximum punishment... | [
"Jury nullification. The concept that the Jury despite recognizing that the defendant is guilty under the law, disagrees with the specific law in question, or the Governmemt's actions, and chooses to acquit anyway. Positive uses of jury nullification in the US or the colonies prior to 1776 include Quakers acquitted... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
I recently read about Yasuke, Oda Nobunaga's african page who later became a samurai. Are there other stories of people from different parts of the world adapting to society in the pre-industrial era? | [
"Not sure if its exactly what you're looking for, but Ibn Battuta was a 14th century Moroccan (well Berber actually) scholar who traveled...everywhere. We are talking West Africa, China and everything in between. Here is the Wikipedia link _URL_0_ Also, you mentioned Othello. Sub-Saharan Africans living in Europe d... | [
"Well the Portuguese were rather well received in Japan. They landed in 1543 and brought foreign goods, most notably guns. Many of the warlords around the area where the Portuguese landed were quite responsive to European trade, and Christianity. Christian churches were set up and many of the Japanese were converte... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What's something people ate in medieval times that I could make now? I need to make food from that time period for school. Need help | [
"Try [here](_URL_5_) for some recipes too, some friends had a go at a few for a giggle a while back and they appear fairly straightforward. I think the vegetable section would probably be appropriate, if you're restricted to peasant food. Just watch out for the use of spices; like sugar, they would have been expens... | [
"It's not really sold anywhere and it isn't a cultural item either, so there aren't any parents making it for their kids or college kids getting it at a diner. I made it for the first time a couple years ago (I'm 26), just because I'd heard about it through the internet and I *absolutely love it*. I've mentioned it... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about food and cooking:",
"pos": "Represent the text about food and cooking:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Dixiecrats and the Southern Strategy | [
"You won't find it, because it didn't happen that way. The switch was more organic and drawn out, like what's been happening with the tea party. You lose senators during primaries, you have slow shifts on priorities and campaign platforms, and the old guard is driven out as new blood comes in. Your best bet is to f... | [
"If you are in the US please look up in wikipedia: 1. Barry Goldwater, 2. Richard Nixon, 3. The Southern Strategy."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Viking Age Norse perceptions of the Northern Lights? | [
"On mobile, sorry for the formatting. Based on this Norwegian text (\"The Historical Northern Lights\") _URL_0_ There is disagreement on wether northern lights are mentioned in the Edda. According to some, NL in norse mythology are explained as reflected light from the shields of the valkyries. The first certain (... | [
"Which time period? Which region of the Americas? Which culture? In 1491 there were tens of millions of Native Americans spread from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego and they all had their own views on sex."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Social Sciences:"
} |
Was there a city or cities in WWII that disguised themselves by stretching camo screening over populated and non-populated areas and switching them? | [
"Not exactly a city, but aircraft factories on U.S. west coast were camoed like that. [Article here.] (_URL_0_)"
] | [
"The world is relatively much larger than the explosions, the explosions often happen in the same few places, and far away from populated areas (or far underground)"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How could signature rings, seals and stamps be authenticated as genuine? Were there reference copies kept to compare to? | [
"Often it was very difficult to authenticate them as genuine as the following example shows. In Livy's 'The War With Hannibal' Hannibal manages to kill one of the Roman consuls and capture his signature ring. He then sent a copy of documents stamped with the ring to a nearby town with orders purporting to be from t... | [
"It wasn't always a signature, signet rings had been in heavy use before as have seals, stamps, etc. However for most individuals, signatures are more convenient and do not require any technology or expansive materials. Thumbprints, picture scanning, etc. are all reliant on relatively new technology and may well su... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
In 20th century warfare, did soldiers discard their magazines or did they attempt to keep the empty ones during combat? | [
"Although we are encouraged to retain the magazines, technically there is no obligation to do so. They are categorised, in the US military, as expendable items. Of course, someone has still got to pay for them, which is why in training in particular they are retained, and if your supply system is limited, you may w... | [
"Well with the magazine seated in a Lee-Enfield pattern rifle you can load it quickly with clips. All you have to do is open the bolt and slide a clip in, load it. And repeat for the second clip in order to fully load the Enfields 10 round magazine. Clips are also extremely cheap; heck I just bought five online fo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Has there been any modern (XX, XXI century) attempt to Dominican Republic and Haiti as a single country? | [
"Completely different countries in language and culture. Considering the massacre of around 17,000 resident Haitians by the Dominican Republic's dictator Trujillo in 1937, and the lunacy of the Papa Doc Duvalier regime of the 1950's-70's, it is surprising they have not been at war, let alone discussing unification.... | [
"Follow up. What's a territory as well in this context? How was say, Puerto Rico viewed as a territory and not a protectorate?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Which photo of Woodrow Wilson at Versailles is David McCullough referring to in this line from 'Truman'? | [
"I'm going to make a guess that McCulloch is referring to [this photo](_URL_1_) of the \"Big Four\" at Versailles (from left to right: UK Prime Minister David Lloyd George, Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando, French Premier Georges Clemenceau, and Wilson). The photo was taken by Captain Edward Jackson, and acc... | [
"I'm currently reading the *Dead Zone* by Stephen King, which is pretty good, but I'm planning on reading something more historical soon. For the past couple of years I've made a habit of reading one long presidential biography a year, and this year my in-laws gave me a crap ton of them, so I have to choose which o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
My dad talks about some strange occult things the Nazis did, and it sounds really strange to me. Can anyone verify this? | [
"Heya, you might be interested in our FAQ section on [Nazis and the occult](_URL_8_). In particular: /u/commiespaceinvader provides a [great overview](_URL_6_) with reading recommendations, /u/idjet talks more specifically about [Nazism and the *medieval* occult](_URL_7_), and /u/Bernardito looks at [Atlantis in th... | [
"Unless you believe in astrology and stuff like that, none whatsoever. It has zero basis in scientific fact and can't affect anything on an individual level. Don't believe everything you read on the internet."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about History:",
"pos": "Represent the post about History:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
During American colonial times how long did a cross atlantic trip take? How often was the trip made by important people and what did they do on the boat(s)? | [
"I am currently reading David McCullough's biography of John Adams. On Adams' trip to France in 1778, the ship took six weeks and four days to sail from Boston to Bordeaux in Winter, which was the hardest time for sailing. The ship was indeed blown a hundred miles or so off course and damaged by lightening during a... | [
"Money. English explorers were incentivized to colonize the new world with the promise of land ownership. This, combined with accounts of the vast riches available in the Americas, persuaded a lot of people of means to risk the travel. Of course, they were ill prepared to deal with the hardships of colonization an... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How valuable was the German and Japanese human experiment data in WW2? | [
"Hi, not discouraging other answers here, but while you're waiting, you can get started on this post featuring /u/commiespaceinvader * [Am I, a person living in the West, currently getting any thing out of of the medical experiments performed by the Third Reich and the Japanese Army during World War 2?](_URL_0_)"
... | [
"Could the rebuilding of Japan after WWII be considered a partial colonization by the United States?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Did the U.S actually lose The War of 1812 | [
"This has came up quite a bit [Here](_URL_2_) [Some discussion here](_URL_2_) [Me some more, emphasizing the aspect of National Honor](_URL_0_) [Here I am talking about what if anything Americans achieved](_URL_3_) [Here's Purfrock451, Canadianhistorian and surprise ME](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How much responsibility does Mugabe bear for Zimbabwe's ills? | [
"I think your question trips up against the subreddit rules against discussing current events. Of course, a discussion could be had about the actions of the Zimbabwean government from 1980 to 1993, such as the violence against the Ndebele community, the economic growth(!) of the 1980s, the fraudulent election of 1... | [
"AIDS, dictatorships, civil war, horrid European colonisation, I could go on."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why did Romans use amphoras instead of barrels? | [
"There is a certain aspect of path dependence here. Barrels and amphorae aren't just different in material, they are different in a lot of ways that have direct impact in their use. For example, to carry an amphora off a ship onto a dock you would pick it up by the handles and carry it, while a barrel would be roll... | [
"Probably not what you're looking for, but I know that plastic bottles don't hold carbonation as well because of the way the molecules bond together compared to glass or aluminum cans."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Who was the highest ranking member of the British government to visit the American Colonies pre-Revolutionary War? | [
"That's kind of a tricky question because since America was a colony at that point, the governors of each colony were members of the British government, hence they were the highest ranking British government officials there. No reigning British monarch ever visited the American colonies, in fact the first reigning... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
Were personal heraldry a real thing, or something relegated to fantasy novels? | [
"Hi, it may be worth specifying which region and time period you're asking about, since customs may vary, but meanwhile you may be interested in a few posts on heraldry: * [Did noble families in the middle ages have a family sigil and/or motto like in Game of Thrones?](_URL_0_) featuring /u/QuickSpore and /u/tim_mc... | [
"That doesn't actually happen. Those stories are creations of TV shows or tabloid magazines."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Neuroscience:"
} |
Cordoba is often estimated to have been the most populous city in 1000AD. How and why did its population fall to its modest present day figure? | [
"Cordoba was most certainly not the most populous city in the world in 1000 CE, that would almost certainly be Kaifeng. Can you post where you are getting your figures?"
] | [
"Not by a long shot. After the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years War, there were three hundred independent political entities inside the very weak Holy Roman Empire. In 1492 there were at least 500 independent nations of Native Americans living in North America. The 1500 to 1650 time frame probably has t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
I'm reading Christopher Clark's 'The Sleepwalkers.' What would be a good follow up about the first world war itself? | [
"I think the best two books on the war as a whole are: 1914-1918 by David Stevenson The First World War by Hew Strachan Those are the best general histories of the entire war, if you want recommendations for a specific battle or from a certain perspective I can also recommend some good choices."
] | [
"A work not in NMW's reading list, and one of my personal favorites, is Andy Simpson's *Hot Blood and Cold Steel: Life in the British Trenches in the First World War*. It sounds just like the personal experience you want. Martin Middlebrooks' works, *The First Day on the Somme* and *The Kaisers Battle*, both focus ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
So, immediately after WW2, Europe was a mess. How did people get back to where they needed to be or contact people if they had no money, food, water or shelter? | [
"Yeah, please elaborate a little. Are you talking about POWs or people in concentration camps or just normal citizens displaced due to fighting?"
] | [
"I only know why the UK did. After WWII, the UK decided that, in an effort to unify and show solidarity, they were provide healthcare to everyone in the country. There were so many people hurt and killed, so much damage to the country, so few jobs (because so many businesses were physically destroyed). They didn't ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What was daily life like for the Vestal virgins? | [
"I'm doing two research projects this term on the Vestal Virgins. One is only relating to the death rites of the Vestals, but the other will be more general. From my research thus far, the Vestals were charged with the maintenance of the Temple of Vesta and the tasks required of them therein. Their most sacred dut... | [
"How well regarded are the writings of Joseph Campbell by historians?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
AMA - Classical Archaeology | [
"Can you describe what an \"average\" day on an archaeological dig would be like? Can you also describe what your average \"off time\" would be like during the dig? I'm really hoping you're all getting drunk, instead of just spending all your time with your notes. I've always been curious about the logistics of ho... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
Where can I learn more about the duties and life on a ship during the 1600s? | [
"You need to pick up a copy of Pablo E Perez-Mallaina's *Spain's Men of the Sea: Daily Life on the Indies Fleets in the Sixteenth Century*. Granted, its a bit earlier than you want, but it has the most well researched material on naval life for the Early Modern period."
] | [
"What drugs were popular in 19th century Britain?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Was the genesis of the 2nd amendment fear of slave revolts and native uprisings? | [
"Keeping militia was a tradition even before US constitution came into effect. And US under articles of confederation didn't have a standing army, and instead had militias trained in states that could be deployed to defend against the enemy... I found [this act](_URL_0_) from Ma., but I'm guessing there were simila... | [
"If the failure goes too far, well, that's why it's important we have the 2nd amendment. No, I'm not kidding. That was one of the main reasons for the 2nd amendment to exist: a rogue government."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
A French peasant in the 15th century: how much would he know about the world? | [
"Ginsburg in *The Cheese and the Worms*, while a century after your question and a nation over, makes a pretty strong case for a relatively educated and intellectually lively European peasantry. The book examines the life of a miller named Menocchio in 16th century northern Italy (part of Venice) who was picked up ... | [
"Because a large part of the population was fed a string of lies about how much better life would be out of the EU."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Did the McCarthy trails genuinely uncover any communists/threats to the american government? | [
"First, Joe McCarthy was a US Senator from Wisconsin, not a judge, and therefore any actions taken by him to uncover \"Un-American\" activities were done so through congressional investigations and not trials. McCarthy originally claimed there were over 200 communists in the State Department, but that number ended ... | [
"There were a couple Red Scares based on the threat communist ideology posed to the existing order in the US. The modern animosity towards Communism was because it was the ideology of the Soviet Union, who was a rival to the US and its Allies after WW2. Due to the rivalry, the US played up the anti-freedom and anti... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Dr Watson of Sherlock Homes fame still had a "Jezail bullet" in his arm from his time in the service during the books and stories. Was this normal for Victorian era British surgery to keep the bullet and shrapnel in? Wouldn't it have been cleaner to take it out? | [
"I'm not a Victorian, but have done some surgery. Even today we don't always bother to remove bullets. They tend to do their damage in the way in, but much less harm just sitting there. On the other hand, attempts to remove them can do considerable damage. Bullets often [fragment as they enter the body](_URL_0_) sc... | [
"TV and movies have lied to us (shocking I know) in a lot of situations the bullet is left inside the person. There's little/no reason to remove it most of the time and doing so will cause undue damage. In order to remove a bullet you have to get tools inside the person to grip the bullet and then pull it back thro... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Was Korea ever part of China? | [
"I don't want to discourage further discussion, but this is at least the fourth time this has been asked today. You may find the answers in [this thread](_URL_0_) in particular to be interesting."
] | [
"Where do you mean? Europe? The US? Middle East? Africa? Eastern Asia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
If I were abroad and my country ceased to exist, would my passport still be valid? | [
"Hey there /u/Steamboatcarl! To follow up on /u/Sunagainstgold's removal, the issue here is that your title post is framed as a modern hypothetical. The way to go here is to reframe your question around the historical examples you specified. This will give the question better direction and make it much more likely ... | [
"The answer to that question depends entirely on local laws. For example in some countries, you cannot buy local property without being a local resident already. In short though, usually you owning a local property does little for your personal status. So if you needed a visa to enter that country before the purch... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
If the British had bothered, could they have won the American Revolutionary War? | [
"It should also be remembered that Britain was at war in Europe at the same time, fighting the French on essentially two fronts (on the European Continent and across the Atlantic). Also, there was very strong support for US independence already with the UK itself. It was not seen as a particularly profitable colon... | [
"It was hard for them to work together due to the huge geographic distances between them. There were some long range submarine cargo missions, supplying things like rubber and tungsten. And some designs for aircraft ended up in Japan too. When Japan attacked the US, Germany declared war on the US in the hope that J... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about history:"
} |
When did fighting bracelets come in an out of style in combat? | [
"I'm not sure what you mean-- are you talking about [gauntlets](_URL_1_) or some sort of metal wrist guards? First of all, I don't know if Boondocks or \"many old Asian movies\" really reflect anything that can be considered historical or combat effective, rather than purely stylistic. Secondly, the simple answer ... | [
"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 text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Has there ever been a truly "color-blind" society? | [
"The Mongols, wherever they went, were extremely color blind. The class structure that emerged in China, under Khubilai was four-tiered. Mongol inner-asian Northern Chinese (mostly Han) Southern Chinese (mostly Han) However, **this had nothing to do with ethnicity or color**. The mongols created the class struc... | [
"How would you define \"winning\" a presidential debate?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Thesis on American popular opinion of research gained in Nazi and Japanese Concentration Camps after WWII. Looking for some help. | [
"Have you thought about researching the reaction of the scientific community to the use of these experiments? For instance, there was a conference at the University of Minnesota in May 1989 titled \"Center for Bioethics Conference on Medical Ethics and the Holocaust\". There's audio from the conference [here](_URL_... | [
"The French Revolution in regards to the mindset of modern culture. The Industrial Revolution when it comes to technological advancements."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about medicine:",
"pos": "Represent the post about medicine:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why was Sweden under rationing in 1949? | [
"Rationing was continued after the war as an economic measure. As inflation had been held down by the issue of war bonds and intruduction of a sales tax, there was a fear that free consumption would lead to inreased imports, a trade balance deficit and a large inflation. Sweden used hydroelectric powerplants (dams)... | [
"Are there any books on Berlin during 1920s?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:"
} |
Any female explorers in the "Age of Discovery?" | [
"I hesitate to post this since i don't have much information on her but, the only one i know about is [Alexandrine Tinne](_URL_0_), a very wealthy Dutch woman turned explorer. But, she was from the 19th century and, in the end, she wasn't very succesful. She travelled in northern Africa and was the first western wo... | [
"Well, if you want general history books about the US from the right and from the left, then read *A People's History of the United States* by Howard Zinn (left) And from the right, *A Patriot's History of the United States*."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
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