query stringlengths 19 300 | pos list | neg list | task stringclasses 1
value | instruction dict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Japanese Victory march | [
"That doesn't look like a victory march per se. [Here's footage of a victory march in the Philippines](_URL_1_) which looks far more like the Western sort of victory parade. Further digging revealed a clip of the actual [Nanking victory parade](_URL_0_). (I suggest ignoring the comments as the uploader appears to ... | [
"Yes to both your questions. See: Spy satellites."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Any reliable websites/YT channels for learning about history? | [
"Honestly? If you are looking for online materials for learning history, then you might as well look for the good stuff. And to that end, it's worth finding actual history course lectures. There are actually a bunch of free lectures available online through various institutions of higher education. For example, Ya... | [
"Hey there! Would you be able to provide some examples of the texts your're talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Have regional weather patterns been known to affect culture? (e.g., gloominess in Britain is why deadpan humor is so popular) | [
"I am skeptical as to whether one could clearly show climate having a demonstrable effect on humour. The United Kingdom [is not the only place in the world which receives a lot of rain](_URL_0_), and it seems to me that it would be very difficult to substantiate anything more than a weak causation between climate a... | [
"Some nursery rhymes are meant to teach moral lessons, others were a product of a society that was much more prone to morbid events and therefore psychologically influenced and drawn to them. Ring around the rosie for example as you mention was made during a time when people were fixated on death. It was not just i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage about Education:"
} |
History of letter writing | [
"The history of letter writing is a very broad topic on a very large time frame. For example: [This is a letter and envelope from around 2037 BCE.](_URL_1_) To generalize, writing was more or less restricted to the upper/middle class; think merchants, scribes, scholars, etc. Those that knew how to write were likely... | [
"Same difference between color and colour. Continent-based spelling differences."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why would letters in World War I ask friends to "Write to a bank"? | [
"Could you post the full transcript / who wrote it / when / where it was posted from? Cheers."
] | [
"For love of Queen and Country, do not dare jump the queue."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why are the Chinese "Seven Household Necessities" (开门七件事）called the "Open Door Seven Items" and what is known of the list's origins? | [
"Generally believed to originate in the Song Dynasty where the book you referenced came from. Although the Song Dynasty text mentions eight including Alcohol but you know isn't that necessarily so it was removed during the short lived Yuan Dynasty. Opening the door just means start of a day whether it is entering ... | [
"What you have said is partly true, yet partly untrue. It was the army of the Chinese King Goujian of Yue who lived circa 500 BCE, ruler of the Chinese State of Yue during the Spring and Autumn Period (which spawned from 8th Century BCE-5th Century BCE) > King Goujian's army was known for scaring its enemies befor... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Were there any bars or something similar in Rome around the year 1 BCE? | [
"Afaik there were thermopolias and cauponas where you could get some food and drink. A thermopolium was a restaurant/snack bar with some tables and a street counter for to-go orders. Often they also had brothels on the upper floor. The caupona was a smaller establishment more wine inclined, so closer to a modern b... | [
"Are there any books on Berlin during 1920s?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer about Literature:"
} |
Before the industrial revaluation craftsmen and artisans got up with the sun rise and stopped when it got dark, or when they felt like it to eat or drink. I was told that in school sevral times, is it an exaggeration? | [
"This is not an exaggeration. Before the industrial revolution, with the exception of groups of women stitching clothes at night in front of a fireplace, all craft work stopped shortly after sundown. This was because, contrary to the movies, candles among the artisanal class were not exactly cheap, nor were they p... | [
"I love that question. Back when we were quite primitive, those people who would seek out different things and not be content with what they had, would go ahead and explore, possibly outrunning their competitors in the evolutionary race once ingenuity had been included into the important assets. It is really simple... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Did people send prank or intentionally misleading telegrams? | [
"This has been asked before, with articles and a documentary listed in the answers: _URL_0_ NY Times article is here: _URL_1_ courtesy of /u/DrunkDylanThomas in the abovelisted thread Snopes discussion is here: _URL_4_ Thanks to u/bookwench in the thread /u/IAmAHat_AMAA listed this documentary: _URL_2_ Also, see \"... | [
"Looks like she started sending out Cease & Desist notices and possibly also DMCA takedowns to sites using her image."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query about Telecommunications:",
"pos": "Represent the document about Telecommunications:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
A "dragon" skull was displayed in the Island of Rhodes until the 1800s. Where is it? | [
"I think the mods in this subreddit are typically great, but this page is terrible. If a mod is deleting posts that have multiple sources, they owe us an explanation. I understand that it takes time to write these out, but why do joke posts get an explanation and an entire thread doesn't? Edit: spelling fix."
] | [
"Not exactly the Basilica cannon, but another massive Turkish super-gun, the Dardanelles Gun which was constructed in 1464 was still in service more than three hundred years later during the Dardanelles Operation in 1807. It was used to bombard British ships during that operation. Sultan Abdulaziz gave the gun to ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
The Apple II, TRS-80, and ZX Spectrum were all widely cloned. The Commodore 64 wasn't. Why not? | [
"The original Apple II was built entirely out of standard, off-the-shelf components: a 6502 CPU, RAM, ROM, and 7400-series logic chips. I'm not familiar with the TRS-80 or Spectrum, but I know that the IBM PC and XT, which were also widely cloned, were also built out of off-the-shelf parts. The Commodore 64, on the... | [
"IBM/AT is a good choice. It was the era of the IBM PC so it matches the era. They were pretty expensive though. The original PC was about $1400 in 1981. That's about $4000 now. That's more than I would spend in a teenage job. You could use the IBM PCjr or the Commodore 64. They were a lot less powerful but a lot ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Could the aeolipile Hero of Alexandria invented have been put to more practical use at that time period? | [
"Sure he could have but there was no cultural or industrial pressure to. For an invention to truly change a culture and be put to use it has to: 1) Fit an obvious economic need. 2) Have an obvious cultural need. 3) Improve the perceived quality of life. 4) Be relatively easy to manufacture, be safely used by most p... | [
"Every device has its own history in that regard, but I'll give you some general thoughts. Some things are lost due to social change or upheaval. The loss of the form of society that produced these devices will cause the loss of the devices. If a device only is useful in an urban context and the society loses it ma... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How frequent were deaths during jousts? | [
"While dying in combat was seen as honorable, dying in a tournament was definitely not. As such, tournament armor was notably stronger than combat armor and frequently of different design like the frog mouth helm that would have been next to worthless in a battle. The overengineering of tourney armor has led to myt... | [
"Kinda related question: What are the first records of a last meal being offered to those about to be executed?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Any primary sources from the transatlantic slaves or even movies? The triangular trade | [
"[_URL_0_](_URL_0_) (I cannot resist the teacherly aside that it takes but a second of the most obvious Google search ever to find this. It's waiting right there for someone in your situation. It wants to be found!)"
] | [
"Do you mean a contemporary society to themselves, or can they include past societies?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How much closer (or further away) to war during the Cold War were the US and USSR than South Korea and North Korea are today? | [
"Though this question has been reported, probably because it touches on current events, I'm going to allow it because: * it features a historical component * we have an excellent North Korea expert whose responses are always a joy to read"
] | [
"It was just a gimmick to illustrate cold war tensions. It went up or down depending on how mad the US and the USSR were at each other that week."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did the average day of an emperor (Roman, Ottoman, etc.) of a large empire look like? | [
"Your first question is a great question that I will do some follow-up research about; however I will attempt to answer your bonus question with an example from the Carolingian empire. Granted the Carolingian's were not the greatest or largest empire, but they still had the problems that most empires face: revolts.... | [
"A country is any sovereign political entity. Typical factors for being a country are being independent of foreign nations, having a standing army, and having a government, but the Vatican, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Somalia all push the boundaries of that definition. A kingdom is a country ruled by a king. The name d... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
there's an alternate history series I like, that's set in a world where aliens invade mid way through WW2. 75 years ago was sci-fi popular enough outside the anglosphere, that most people on Earth would have already been aware of concept of extraterrestrial life? | [
"Can I ask what Sci Fi book that is it sounds like an interesting premise."
] | [
"I'm sure there are older occurrences, but i know in 1835 there was a hoax printed in news papers (The Great Moon Hoax) claiming that there were bat-men living on the moon along with other animals. Also take this with a grain of salt, but there are even stories about a pastor convincing his church to donate money t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
In the White House, what's with the doors that look like walls? | [
"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure it's just an aesthetic choice. The oval office used to have regular doors there, by the way. They changed it sometime in the 1930s. Here's what it used to look like: _URL_0_ And here's the same view after the renovation, with the \"hidden\" doors: _URL_1_ Given that during the ren... | [
"No one knows who did it, so they just stopped discussing it. The media can only ride out a mystery for so long, then it's time to move on to the next thing. Edit: Yes, I know there are exceptions such as a certain airplane."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Who wrote on the atomic bombs, and what did they write? | [
"They wrote their names, mostly. [One photo](_URL_1_) (guy writing in front is Norman Ramsey, future Nobel Prize winner and part of the assembly team), [another](_URL_0_), [another](_URL_2_) (\"A Second Kiss for Hirohito! W.R. Purnell, Rear Admiral, US Navy\"). Similar things were done to the Hiroshima bomb but mos... | [
"Because why he was killed depends on who killed him."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Whats the deal with the French Slave trade? | [
"There was no *reason* for the French to trade slaves in the period you mention. Their overseas colonies were few and far between in this time period, and they weren't plantations. In other words, they didn't need slaves. The blip you identified is a single ship, the ship *Fleur-de-Lys*, which was apparently trying... | [
"What country? USA = End of the world Somalia = They won't even realize the power stopped working."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Do cultures tend to develop musical instruments which imitate the sounds of their language? | [
"Your question intrigues me greatly, but I confess I don't quite understand what makes you ask it. Could you give me an example of an instrument that sounds like the phonetics of the language of the culture that originated it?"
] | [
"It activates the same neurological pathways that are activated through speech. That's why only some music has this effect. The music that has an effect on us tends to have a certain cadence and tone much like speech. Sad music is a lot like someone who is sad speaking; e.g. Gestures descending in pitch, nasal timb... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Science:"
} |
Deciphering Renaissance Script | [
"Do you have a picture with less glare?"
] | [
"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 sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Has a submarine ever gone down and not been able to be recovered with people inside? | [
"I think you may need to clarify this question. The US lost 52 submarines just during WW2. Many of these were sunk by enemy fire, but many were also lost to \"storm or perils of the sea.\" It seems your question is specifically whether a submarine has lost its mobility and hit bottom while its crew was still large... | [
"It was believed to have partially split, but to have been still in one piece. You'd have to be underwater to see that it completely split in two. Any passengers who would have been in a position to see that would not have been among the survivors."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
What is the story behind Australia’s government shutdown in 1975 and subsequent elections? | [
"u/PantsTime has posted a reasonable background summary of what happened. The issue was complicated but what happened was nothing like a coup in that there were Australian Constitutional rules to be followed and they were followed. It is also nothing like Watergate, although there were both sexual and financial s... | [
"How would the president conduct a hostile takeover without the military? Also a takeover of what?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Historical Analysis as a Method | [
"Honestly, I would ask your teacher for some guidance first of all. What I personally would do with no other instructions is talk about what kinds of things I could use that source for/what questions I could answer with it. That would involve talking a little bit about the background of the source, whether we can t... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I'm not sure if im in the right place but: What kind of sword is this? | [
"The whole thing looks to have been cast in one go, blade, hilt, and all. In addition, the hilt itself has no covering. This is certainly a non-combat reproduction, although it could still be an 'antique' in the sense that reproductions like this have been made for quite some time. As for the type of sword this is ... | [
"I dont exactly know what your talking about do you have a photo of a reference of this ?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What makes a "good" history book? | [
"A good history book is: * Well researched and well written * Clearly places itself in respect to existing literature on the topic. * Uses primary sources to create an engaging narrative. * Is well grounded in historical theory(ies). * Has a strong introduction and conclusion which make the scholar's point and argu... | [
"Why did you think this was the right sub?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Did Victorians have a term for "a collection of beautiful and unique objects"? | [
"You may be thinking of the term [bric-à-brac ](_URL_1_). Is that the word you seek? It appears to have entered the language in the [1830s or 1840s](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"Because it's rare, it's portable, it's easily identifiable, and rich people like to dangle it from their bodies and fashion their belongings out of it, all of which makes it a perfect candidate for a kind of unbacked universal currency."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Economics:"
} |
What was the typical University application/admissions process between the 16th and 19th centuries? | [
"hi! not discouraging other responses, but fyi, you can get started in this FAQ section - there are a few posts on admissions specifically, and there may be related comments sprinkled in the other posts * [Life at university](_URL_0_)"
] | [
"College and universities are both post-secondary education in the US. However, Universities tend to be larger institutions and more research-oriented than college with more advanced degrees offered, but the words are mostly interchangeable in everyday language. EDIT: In the US, it generally goes (and this is flexi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What are some good sources on the lead up to World War one. | [
"Hi, you might find [this section](_URL_0_) of the /r/AskHistorians book list helpful."
] | [
"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 title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Literature:"
} |
Would an ancient Roman be able to read and understand the Latin Wikipedia? | [
"Post this to r/latin--I think they'd get a kick out of it. :)"
] | [
"I think one question I have to ask before trying to give a stab at explaining this. Do you speak Spanish and have you consulted Spanish-language books on this subject?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
We know about Soviets like Petrov and Arkhipov whose decisions help avert nuclear war. Are there any such individuals from the American side? Would we know about them if there were? | [
"_URL_0_ Kinda a different story but there was a u-2 spy plane pilot who was shot down during the cuban missle crisis that put the whole cold War into perspective for Kennedy and khrushchev. Rudolf Anderson was the only direct casualty of the cuban missle crisis, but his death represented the closest to war the us ... | [
"They are - or have been - involved in most of the same wars as the U.S. Further, if you'd had your countries virtually destroyed twice in the last hundred years, you might believe that it's important to maintain a strong military even in times of peace."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What factors gave Japan the ability to quickly Westernize while China could not? | [
"Adding to /u/tiredstars link (not sure if any overlap) - there's a decent section in the FAQ (which more people should check too) [here](_URL_0_)."
] | [
"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:"
} |
Who is Captain Jack from WW2? | [
"That's Jack Churchill. Here are a couple posts to get you started: * [Did Jack Churchill really kill a man with a longbow during WWII?](_URL_1_) - featuring /u/estherke. This post has been archived, so if you have follow-up questions for any of the users, just ask them here & mention the relevant user's name to no... | [
"I was wondering this when watching the new Dexter. :O"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How would a real-life Arthur Dent be informed about eminent domain in England in 79? | [
"As a follow up question. Is there a reference to “beware of leopard” that I, an early 40 something American am missing?"
] | [
"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 Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
"From 1 million BC to 1800 there was no economic growth." How accurate is this statement? | [
"Your professor may be confusing two things. If the human population grew, (and it did) then the economy certainly grew. More people means more production (unless of course everyone got much poorer, but that would have been hard, as they started out at pretty much a subsistence level). Also, there was at least one ... | [
"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 Reddit query about history:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text about history:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Was does so much of academic classical studies books consist of looking at the same old material and asking new questions? (also sometimes they use modern arachelogical discoveries or just ask the same questions) | [
"What are you suggesting as an alternative? There aren't exactly any new Classical works being written. It's the same as any literary study. If you study the Victorian English novel, you'll be looking at the same old material that everyone else is. Charles Dickens isn't going to rise from the grave to write an Oliv... | [
"there is also _URL_9_ that was a big coup for the development of epicurean philosophy _URL_8_ anyone know of a place online that reports new findings? i find it very interesting but whenever i hear of something to that effect it is just by random luck."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I have a referencing question, using the Chicago style, hopefully this is the right place to ask it... | [
"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."
] | [
"Is it against the rules to ask for book recommendations on this topic? if not I would like to do so."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | March 29, 2014 | [
"Are there any good books on the structural evolution of the baroque to the early romantic guitar out there? Or at least a book comparing the two?"
] | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Did classical actors get paid alot, or at all? | [
"In ancient Rome (which I took to mean that we are speaking of republic and early empire) actors enjoyed a status equal to prostitutes, gladiators, etc. That is to say, they were the very bottom of society. Still, this status was mixed with a sort of guilty pleasure adoration as they were also symbols of virility a... | [
"Actors, Directors, Editors, Janitorial Staff, paying for stage time, cameras, effects etc. So many people are involved who arent cheap to pay and then you have lots of expensive equipment that it all adds up very quickly. I mean the three main actors on the Big Bang Theory each make 1 million dollars an episode."
... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Why are shields of ancient Greece always portrayed having the letter Lambda on them? | [
"They aren't at all. The Lambda motif is unique only to the Spartiate Similars, who adopted the blazon sometime around 425, B.C. during the Peloponnesian War. It stands for Lacedaemon and was a method to identify Spartiates on the battlefield. Your ordinary hoplite would have had a personal blazon on his shield."
] | [
"These symbols have been used since the 17th century. I'm not sure how far back exactly their origins lie, but they were used in alchemy. Basically: The male symbol is that for Mars, the god of war. It's said to represent a shield and a spear. The female symbol is for Venus, the goddess of love. It supposedly repre... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
In his 2014 commencement speech at West Point, President Obama absolved all cadets "on restriction for minor conduct offenses". Is this tradition at West Point? If so, for how long? | [
"It is somewhat a tradition but not for very long. Usually, a foreign head of state or the US president does it, for example, Richard Nixon in 1971 and the queen of Thailand in 1980. [Queen](_URL_1_) [Nixon](_URL_0_) I'm not sure about the very first instance of it, but it's been going on for at least several deca... | [
"I think what you ran into was the difference between patriotism and jingoism. A lot of people are proud of what America has accomplished, and continues to accomplish, while also fully cognizant of the many weaknesses and failings of the American government. They are the sort of people who are more interested in wh... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
In the United States many poorer States tend to be "Red States" while wealthier States tend to "Blue States". Is there any specific reason why this is the case? | [
"Hi there -- your submission is fine here, but I wanted to drop in a note to let people know that, as always, we do not allow discussion of [modern politics](_URL_2_) on this subreddit. So folks who are thinking about responding, you can compare and contrast up to 1997, but no further. Thanks!"
] | [
"First of all, take this [quiz](_URL_0_) to determine who agrees with you this year. In general, 'Liberals' support the Democrats, and 'Conservatives' support the Republicans. The two parties routinely change their stances on various issues, but in general since the 1960s the Democrats represent views that are comm... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What is going on in this American WW2 Propaganda video about Japan? [Possibly NSFW] | [
"It looks sinister in the movie perhaps, but it is simply UV light therapy. It was common to do it like this in Scandinavia too, but now tanning salons serve the same purpose. Vitamin D production is dependent on sun, and during dark winters of the north, it is necessary to supplement the UV radiation from natural ... | [
"I would recommend \"The World at War\" for an excellent documentary on WW2."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Education:"
} |
I've read that for all their lamentations over the evils of slavery, only George Washington among the southern Founding Fathers bothered to free his slaves in his will. Was this true? How unusual an act would this have been for the time? | [
"Side question: Any examples of the other founding fathers “lamentations over the evils of slavery”? I know they signed the document that said all men are created equal when they obviously didn’t mean all men, but are there any times they lambasted slavery and it’s evils specifically? I feel like the title is refer... | [
"Franklin acknowledged one illegitimate son, William Franklin, who later stayed loyal to the British during the Revolution and was appointed royal governor of New Jersey. As far as I know, he didn't have any more extramarital liaisons, or at least none that became known. Much later, when posted to the French court ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why is it that when Leif Erikson discovered America there was no great attempt to colonize it? | [
"hi! you may be interested in the following posts * [Why didn't the Vikings establish a permanent colony on Greenland or North America?](_URL_0_) * [What stopped the viking colonization of america?](_URL_2_) * [Why didn't the Vikings colonise America?](_URL_3_) * [When the Vikings settled in Greenland & Vinland, th... | [
"Iceland was discovered by Europeans (and settled) almost 500 years prior to the discovery of North America. For those 500 years it was part of Europe. When America was discovered Island had already been a part of Europe for such a long time it made no sense to treat it differently."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Was belladonna ever used in wax seals on letters in order to detect tampering by the messengers delivering them? | [
"Smoking belladonna is often advised for novice high-seekers because it seriously limits the amount of drug injested. [This guide to the plant says much the same - temperatures above 100F tend to destroy the active ingredients.](_URL_0_) Waxes differ, but most are solid below 100F; sealing wax is heated slowly so t... | [
"The bad taste is intentional in many medications, in order to discourage kids from drinking the medicine accidentally."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | March 14, 2015 | [
"Does anyone know of any good texts on Sassanid Persian culture?"
] | [
"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 Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the text about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
May-December marriages are a common trope, but were they really as common as implied? | [
"There's always more to be said, and that's particularly true when it comes to questions about social trends across wide periods of time, but some time ago I wrote an answer to [Why did large age gaps in marriage go from being common to being unpopular?](_URL_0_) that might be helpful to you."
] | [
"I have to disagree with the premise that this is common. I've never met anyone who actually had an imaginary friend, but that's just anecdotal. I only know this is a 'thing' because of American TV, so I would presume that the reason it's perceived to be common is because it's something of a popular trope on TV."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
When was the last time two or more Western nations were at war with each other? | [
"It probably depends upon your definition of 'war' and 'western nation', but the Yugoslav Wars would be a candidate. These started in 1991 with the breakup of Yugoslavia."
] | [
"They are - or have been - involved in most of the same wars as the U.S. Further, if you'd had your countries virtually destroyed twice in the last hundred years, you might believe that it's important to maintain a strong military even in times of peace."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about history:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about history:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Did the Taino have symbols used to depict different parts of life? | [
"Taino petroglyphs (Greek: \"stone drawings\") certainly exist, but I can't seem to find a reputable guide to them. Good luck, man!"
] | [
"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 Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph about Social Sciences:"
} |
In this ancient Greek court speech, the defendant mentions that he and a group of men gathered torches from a nearby shop to hunt down his wife's lover. Did Ancient Athens have shops which catered specifically to the needs of angry mobs in the middle of the night? | [
"The passage you're referring to is Lysias 1.24: > καὶ δᾷδας λαβόντες ἐκ τοῦ ἐγγύτατα καπηλείου εἰσερχόμεθα, ἀνεῳγμένης τῆς θύρας καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνθρώπου παρεσκευασμένης > > And, taking torches from the nearest shop, we went in through the door which the servant girl [literally \"the human\"] had prepared. The verb ... | [
"It's purely ceremonial. You have to realize that this wasn't always the case. About a thousand years ago, most cities were protected by walls. There was usually only one or two ways of gaining entrance to any city. This was either a locked door or gate. This is because back then anyone arriving could have been a b... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
What made the Bering Straight so impassible? Did Asians really never visit Alaska after the migrations? | [
"The Russian Empire DID spread over the Bering straight. Vitius Bering was the Russian explorer who gave his name to the straight and the shallow sea to the north of the Aleutian islands. However, the Russian colony in Alaska was so remote, it was quicker to sail from St Petersburg, south to Cape Horn, then north t... | [
"They were descendents from a group of humans that crossed from what is now Russia over to what is now Alaska. This happened 16k to 11k years ago. Eventually as the ice age ended sea levels rose leading to the land they crossed to end up under water. This meant the humans being able to populate the New World withou... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What is the hidden side of the American Revolution, not usually seen in school textbooks? | [
"The international war between France, Spain, the Netherlands, and Great Britain. For example, did you know that the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War was the Siege of Gibraltar? The British had the means to put down the revolution, even after their defeat at Yorktown (which, it must be said, was pri... | [
"Many of course are teachers. If we do not remember our history we are condemned to repeat it. There are many ideas floating around, political ideas mostly, about how to run the government. Most have been tried. If we read our history we can try to avoid the mistakes of the past. History is a broad field. Genealogy... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How was the iconography of the Confederacy reframed into something that's treated as honorable/worthy of obsession? | [
"Civil War memory is something I write a lot about, so I'd point you to [this older answer of mine](_URL_0_) which focuses more on the evolution of Confederate statuary than the Lost Cause itself, but I think does speak well to your question, although I'm of course happy to do my best with any follow-ups you may ha... | [
"The flag you see on top of the Dukes' of Hazzard car, what most people call the Confederate Flag these days, was one of several battle flags used by southern forces during the Civil War. If that was the last time it was used, it would bear no more than a lingering whiff of racism and be mostly unknown to the gener... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Who are are these Turban Wearing Horse Riders with Face Paint in WWI? | [
"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be a woman. While [some bedouin women do traditionally have facial tattoos](_URL_0_) they did not take part in an fighting in WWI. T.E. Lawrence laconically observed about the bedouin preference for female camels (they were quieter) that if it weren't for the camels there would h... | [
"The same reason it's Cool Canadian, Dank Dutch, and Every Ethiopian."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How did the Vikings shield themselves from cold and rain while onboard their ships? | [
"Some good answers to your question from 3 years ago: _URL_0_ edit: should have mentioned this was posted by /u/wee_little_puppetman"
] | [
"Did sailors generally know the name of the ships they're fighting?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Did the successor governments of the former Axis powers honour the pension commitments of WWII service personnel? | [
"I can only speak to West Germany, as I am not aware of any specific pensions paid to Wehrmacht personnel in the East. I suspect this wasn't as much of an issue there as many former soldiers enlisted with the armed forces in the East. First, it's important to note that, as far as I am aware, the Wehrmacht itself on... | [
"> Is there a reason other than that germany lost the war that the flight and expulsion of germans after WWII is not labelled a crime against humanity? Not really. Many of the Germans fled from Eastern Europe as the Red Army advanced and the more organized expulsion that took place after the war was more or less ex... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
When Dutch Princess Margriet was born in an Ottawa maternity ward, it was temporarily declared international territory. How did this affect any other babies in the ward at the time? | [
"The actual proclamation, passed three months before her birth, didn't specifically declare that the maternity ward itself was international territory. It simply stated that any place where Princess Juliana \"may be confined\" would, as long as she occupied it, be considered extraterritorial. No effort was made to ... | [
"They were aware that something was happening, but they had much bigger concerns at the time. They were fighting wars on several borders, and constant bombings made them more worried about their own skins than whatever might have happened to their Jewish neighbors. Source: Grandmother who lived in Dresden during t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
Is vikings the show an accurate portrayal of how Vikings lived | [
"You may be interested in having a little scan over the FAQs - there is a special section dedicated to [The Vikings](_URL_0_), covering accuracy, Viking lifestyle, attitudes to women, warfare and human sacrifice."
] | [
"They were. Syphilis was unknown to the rest if the world until it was brought back from the New World. Im sure there were more, but I cant think of any off the top of my head."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about History:"
} |
What happened to the Populist Party in America? | [
"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... | [
"Only if the federal government let it. See: American Civil War"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Could Disney's perceptions of race in animated movies have been considered progressive for their time? | [
"This is later than the other movies you listed, but Aladdin (1992) played off of many negative stereotypes-- in particular, barbarism and backwardness--then in use, and still prevalent, about the Middle East. Case in point, the lyrics to the film's opening song: \"Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place Where ... | [
"The U.S., though secular by construction, is still a very religious nation on the level of its people. There has always been a strong religious pushback against sexual activity and pornography, which remains in religious communities to this day. On the other hand, Americans tend to be pretty pro-military compared ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
I Love Lucy showcased an interracial couple (white Lucy/Cuban Ricky) on national television. Would their marriage be legal in the United States, given that there were anti-miscegenation laws in a number of states? Did anyone ever protest the show because of miscegenation? | [
"Hi, there have been a couple of threads on this worth checking out * [Was there any backlash against Lucy and and Desi Arnaz's mixed race relationship? Was it even considered mixed? Was there any issue after the cold war began?](_URL_0_) featuring /u/EvilAnagram * [Was there any backlash when Lucille Ball married ... | [
"A couple days ago NC amended the state constitution (each state has a constitution separate from the national constitution) to define marriage within the state as \"one man + one woman\" (i.e. no homosexual marriages or polygamy.) Obviously, this has upset the people in favor of gay rights. This is reminiscent of ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Did Hitler know about the "one ball" song? Do we know his reaction to it? | [
"Biographers like Kershaw, Fest, Bullock etc does not mention Hitler and/or other high ranking nazi's knowing about the song, or their reaction to it. Speer doesn't mention it in his memoars, it's not mentioned in Hitler's tabletalks (I doubt Hitler would've monologed about the song were he aware of it though) and ... | [
"What torture method? What's the context of that quote? Who said it?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did those few who thought the world was flat think the same of the moon? | [
"hi! there's lots of room for more input on this to represent any populations who did believe the Earth was flat, but meanwhile, check these out: * FAQ background on [The flat earth myth](_URL_3_) * similar question [When people thought the Earth was flat, did they think the moon was a 2D circle in the sky?](_URL_2... | [
"Its really hard to believe nothing existed. Even with all these theories."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Following the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment, were there any cases of slave-owners attempting to continue the practice illegally? | [
"All across the South during the years following the civil war, a series of \"Black codes\" were passed into law. Their purpose was to effectively re-enslave the freed slaves by justifying their forced labor by labeling them vagrants, essentially making unemployment illegal and thereby allowing a state to force a f... | [
"Native American slaveholders were definitely a thing. This is something that happened in areas where Native Americans came closest to adopting Western customs (including chattel slavery). Most famously this occurred amongst the nations that were subject to the Trail of Tears, like the Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choc... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When judges started ruling that chattel slavery in USA was legal, what rationale did they give in their judicial opinions? | [
"Why would you suppose they would be any less subject to the prejudices of their era than anyone else? The law is little more than current thinking codified prejudices included."
] | [
"Common law is based on precedent. A judge trying a case will look to previous similar cases for guidance on how to rule. Statute law is based on laws in books. There's a law against doing X, and a prescribed punishment for doing X. What they mean by that amendment is that the changes now reflect decisions made by ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Opera houses are famous for having incredible acoustics such that the people on stage sing without a mic. How did people in the 1600s-1700s design these incredible buildings without modern instruments or any knowledge of quantum physics? | [
"Question clarification: can you specify how quantum physics is supposed to help? (acoustics has been a subject of study since at least 6th sec BCE, in ancient Greece)."
] | [
"You probably have not seen or heard a concert harpsichord, designed to be played alongside an orchestra. The ones you normally see in small rooms are much smaller and don't have the large raised lid like a piano that acts as an acoustic amplifier. However, concert harpsichords (and pianos for that matter) are bigg... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How oppressive was Lee Kuan Yew's government? What questionable policies did it enforce? | [
"Follow-up question: What are the best books to read to begin studying about LKY? I've watched his interviews on Charlie Rose and I find I am utterly fascinated by him. Thank you!"
] | [
"Singapore is under no obligation to release a US citizen who's committed a crime, no matter the severity or punishment. That being said, the US could do all sorts of things that might damage Singapore economically. It really depends on the exact scenario how hard the US would push. General rule, don't break laws o... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
The Yazidi 'peacock angel' Tawûsê Melek is also referred to as Shytan/Shaitan. Is this accidental or the result of religious propaganda? | [
"Just to this specific point: > I'm curious if the use of the word shaitan in Judaism/Christianity/Islam is in any way a response to the name being the chief angel of a rival belief system Within the Hebrew Bible, Satan isn't really a villain in the \"Lord of all Evil, mu-ha-ha-ha!\" sense, but functions more like... | [
"Beelzebub is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name Beelzebub is associated with the Canaanite god Baal. Baal is a horned man that resembles a steer or goat. Although not \"the devil\" Beelzebub is one of 7 Prince... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
[META] to what extent does it matter (if at all) if you put incorrect or unsourced information in a question OP (as opposed to a reply)? | [
"> phrase it in such a way that there are no assumptions implied about the subject I'm asking about This is very good practice! > If I can't source an assumption like that I consider it irresponsible of me to include it as it may be incorrect a thus mislead someone reading the OP I feel the same way!"
] | [
"Thanks for creating this META thread, it avoids off-topic discussion in a non-meta thread. Here are some details which may help an informed discussion of your proposal. You state you want to open the floor to more questions, so I went through the thread which inspired you to create this thread. Of the (at this ti... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Meta: With the ongoing opening of the Vatican Archives, what are (unobvious?) questions you historians want to have answered? | [
"> I don't know how far the archives are opened There is a standard 75 year wait to open the archives for a given pontiff. With Pius XII being elected in 1939, adding 75 years to that gives us 2014. Said archives are not yet available, and there has been no comment as to why (though this is not unusual). Francis ha... | [
"Note that this sub has a twenty-year rule that prohibits discussion of current events and politics, and that will make it a challenge to discuss this question without breaking the rules. There are some extremely hardworking historians who contribute here, but they still have limited time and may not be able to giv... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
I bought a teacup and saucer from a flea market that said "Made In Occupied Japan" on it. I figured that means it was made during the Allied occupation of Japan during WW2. Does anyone have any further information about something like this? | [
"SCAP (Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, though it is used for the occupation government as a whole rather than just MacArthur) issued [SCAPIN 1535](_URL_1_) in February 1947, which directed that all Japanese exports were required to be labeled \"Made in Occupied Japan\" in English. This was then amended in ... | [
"Do you have any more info that could be helpful? Where did you find it? Is it a family heirloom, and if so, where-ish do you think your ancestors were 100ish years ago? Anything that could help steer people in the right direction would be great."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
What did the Allied powers do with all the brain washed Hitler Youth after the war? | [
"Hi, there was a thread on this subject last week. Please check out this post * [How were the children of the Hitler Youth Denazified ? Was there any fear that, with their childhood indoctrination, try to reinstate Nazism? ](_URL_0_) featuring /u/kieslowskifan"
] | [
"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:",
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} |
What happened to property owned by Loyalists after the independence of the USA from GB? | [
"I find the assumption that the Loyalists fled \"back to Britain\" a bit problematic. The majority were not born in Britain but were rather North American colonists living in the thirteen colonies who remained loyal to and \"rendered service\" to the crown. More than 50,000 (about half of those who fled) went to th... | [
"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?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
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} |
The year is 1100, I've just captured a castle and killed all the heirs inside to eliminate rival claimants. Who gets to clean up the gore? | [
"Castles were not just the homes of the nobility. They encompassed entire cities and when an army marched toward a castle the peasants in the fields would usually retreat behind the walls. Generally sieges would end with the sieging army retreating for lack of food/water or disease or the besieged giving up for the... | [
"There was this group of knights who decided to set up a bank. They did so much business that instead of owing allegiance to a king, they made their own leader and their own castles. They were still knights so they hired out their services to make more money. Then the king of France got upset and killed a ton of th... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Are the Bosnian pyramids man-made or nature-made? | [
"None of the actual experts take it seriously. It's a natural hill, and the people who in their ignorance refuse to accept this have wrecked genuine sites of archaeological interest in their random digging. There's nothing to this claim, it is pseudo-archaeology of the rankest sort."
] | [
"We are amazed because building massive structures without sophisticated machines and tools seems amazing to us today. We haven't \"lost\" anything though. People kept right on building amazing structures right the way through history. The pyramids, the Acropolis, the Aqueducts, hundreds of amazing Cathedrals, etc.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What clan is Kim Jong Un's family from? | [
"According to Song Beong-son in *Kim Jeongil-gwa hugye* (\"Kim Jong-il and his Successor\"), p. 15, it's the Jeonju Kim clan. Various other sources repeat this claim, so I don't see any reason to challenge it. Interestingly, Jeonju is also the ancestral seat of the Yi dynasty that ruled the country until 1910."
] | [
"Follow up- when was it determined that Kim Jong il would succeed Kim il sung and how did the country not fall into civil war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What are the limitations of archival research? | [
"I agree with Grombrindal. I would also add the modern problem of archival overload. Modern bureaucracy produces so much paperwork that no one can read it all. One of the reasons that David Irving kept going so long was that it was so much work to disprove him footnote by footnote. In the end Richard Evans was comm... | [
"Additionally, do we have documents on the public perception of electricity?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
[Meta] How best to approach economic history | [
"If you just need to understand stuff like isoquant graph just go down to the undergrad economics department and pick up course notes or a standard 2nd/3rd year microeconomics textbook. That's all you really need to know. Economic history is very different from economics which is taught almost entirely in mathemati... | [
"This sub would be the best place to ask about historical currency!"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Social Mobility and the Black Death in Asia and other non-European locations? | [
"Before asking whether the Black Death had an impact on social mobility in \"Asia and other non-European locations\", we really need to ask if the pandemic actually struck Asia and other non-European locations. The evidence is meagre (telling in itself, I think), but there is good reason to think that in fact the p... | [
"Where do you mean? Europe? The US? Middle East? Africa? Eastern Asia?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why wasn't Jefferson at the Constitutional Convention? | [
"He was ambassador to France at the time."
] | [
"Follow up: What *were* his reasons for siding with the British?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
How did the Macedonians craft such incredibly long spears (Sarissas) without them sagging under their own weight? | [
"_URL_0_ They were made from cornel wood which was incredibly dense and had a large spiked butt end that served as both a counter weight and a back up point in case the front broke. Many times they were also composed of two separate pieces of wood that would be joined together pre battle (they were not normally ass... | [
"Bronze, brass, and soft iron will all work quite well for cannon barrels as long as they're thick enough and the powder burns relatively slowly. It's the quality of the gunpowder that would make the big difference here; for example the English naval fleets once had a serious problem with cannons exploding because ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why doesn't the US have a shadow cabinet formed by the opposition party, similar to the UK or Australia? | [
"I have a follow up question: Why did America reject the parliamentary system of the British and make up a whole new system?"
] | [
"Generally, the President acts as the country's representative on a foreign level, they command the armed forces, and they have emergency powers. Like you said, it does vary from country to country. For example, the French President is almost on par with the American President while the German President is overshad... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
In Band of Brothers, an officer encourages troopers to sign a $10,000 government life insurance plan prior to deploying on D-Day. How much did this program cost the United States by war's end? | [
"Follow up question, was life insurance a common policy to have in an American home at this point in time?"
] | [
"Because the damages could end up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. You can't pay that, an insurance company can."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
What did most Americans think of the CIA's aid to the Mujahideen in the 1980s? | [
"Early in the war, CBS sent Dan Rather to Afghanistan, and showed several reports in 1980 and early 1981 from near the front lines. Dan Rather often wore Mujahideen head-dress while conducting these interviews. This earned him the nick-name Gunga Dan and got him spoofed by the Doonsberry comic strip. Yet it heighte... | [
"Some of his greatest hits: -helped orchestrate a military coup in Chile in 1973 that overthrew the democratically elected socialist president Salvador Allende and installed brutal military dictator Augusto Pinochet -in the Ford administration, approved Indonesian dictator Suharto's decision to violently invade and... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
[META] Sources, our use of them, and the need to expand upon them when necessary. | [
"I work lots. I write answers here for funzies. I provide solid sources, and I back shit up when asked (feel free to fact check the veracity of this claim by searching my reply history to this sub). That said, again, I do this for funzies, and lately real life has pushed my interaction with my favorite sub to the s... | [
"Could you add a link to the article in question so the context is included?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Did Romans wrap their columns? | [
"I'm not entirely certain what you mean by wrapped columns, could you clarify?"
] | [
"Why were they sealed in the first place?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What are some "built-from-scratch" (Real-life Bioshock) cities that managed to survive until today? | [
"You might want to take a look at some attempts at building utopian societies, or intentional communities, or in the case of a deceptive 'show' community a 'Potemkin Village' such as Kijong-dong. There have been a number of cities built from scratch, but most were done through governments. A fair number of capital... | [
"Success in doing what? I don't think there's a metric to \"overall success\"; something like that only exists in the *Civilization* (the game) series. Even if we are to narrow it down, it's pretty hard to judge; are Roman aqueducts \"better\" than the Great Wall of China? Or the Stonehenge?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Please help me unpack a conversation I had with my Japanese grandmother on 20th century Japanese history and foreign relations. | [
"There is a *lot* here, and your grandmother is going on about quite a few different, if interrelated, issues, about Japanese conduct in the early 20th century. A good place to start would be our FAQ, which has [a section on Japan in WWII](_URL_2_) and [The Pacific War](_URL_1_) generally. Additionally, [this comme... | [
"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 query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text about Literature:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | November 25, 2017 | [
"Yesterday I received Theresa Earenfight's *Queenship in Medieval Europe* in the mail. So excited to read it!"
] | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Has there been any attempt by historians to empirically follow historical trends? | [
"For an argument for and against the measurement of history in the sense of trends I would suggest [Popper's *The Poverty of Historicism*](_URL_0_). Another example of such things might be the US using a super computer to track precedents in order to predict major events across the world. In the article (which i'l... | [
"I have a few questions for 20th century political historians: How do historians usually work with 20th century political commentators? Are they good primary sources to understand the political opinions of the general public or do they just show the commentators' opinions? Are there any works that discuss how histo... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
To what degree should Historians be expected to predict future trends? | [
"I think that the \"doomed to repeat it\" is a misrepresentation of history. There are facts, events, people, and lessons to be learned. However we should not stretch what we have learned beyond its scope. If it's applicable in presenting context for a present or future event it could be appropriate, but I don't th... | [
"I've always been fascinated by the wide variety of \"Fall of Rome\" arguments and how they're affected by historical perspective. I was wondering: **Does your historical specialty advocate a certain theory for the fall of the Roman Empire? or what's a unique argument for the fall of the Roman Empire that you've co... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Did the Devil's Brigade (1st Special Service Force) take part in D-Day? | [
"No. They were in Italy at the time, having just captured Rome. If you are particularly interested in the 1st SSF, I would highly recommend Anne Hicks' \"The Last Fighting General: The Biography of Robert Tryon Frederick\". He was the first commander of the unit and an amazing officer."
] | [
"I'd like to add that during the Normandy invasion, the Allies also landed in Southern France in September - Operation Dragoon. Also the allies were advancing in Italy, they moved north and captured Florence between June and August 1944. Interestingly the Brazilian 1st Infantry Division fought in Northern Italy dur... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I have seen European paintings from (I'm guessing) the Middle Ages, where the painting is placed in what looks like a wooden cabinet, with the subject almost always pertaining to religion. Is there a name for this practice? Is there any significance behind it? Link in text shows what I'm describing. | [
"That type of object is known as a tryptich, from the Greek to mean three-fold. They are an incredibly common phenomenon throughout the medieval period across Europe, particularly in works of devotional art, and could range in size from giant cathedral altarpieces to something the size of a matchbox that could be c... | [
"Interesting question. I wonder if Van Eyck tackled that challenge. What came to my mind was the genre of Saint Christopher paintings (_URL_0_), but those are probably based more on fantasy and aesthetics, so perhaps an extremely studied still life painter was up to the task. I would imagine that with the advent of... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was used to make boot soles before rubber? | [
"Rubber soles only became common in the mid-20th century, long after the invention of vulcanized rubber you refer to. Indeed, the US Army was the first military in the world to adopt rubber soles when it did so in 1940. All other armies at that time used leather soles, often reinforced with steel hobnails. For much... | [
"It's made of synthetic rubber. It used to be made from plant extracts - natural rubber, in effect, but these days for consistency it's synthetic."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
I have access to a full sized University library for the next month and a half and not a lot to do. What history books would be interesting to read for fun? | [
"Acquaint yourself with both the library staff and the electronic catalog for that library. Both can get way more specific about what you can actually find there than likely anyone here. Pay attention to subject headings, which are words or phrases attached to books in the library like tags, indicating what the boo... | [
"I'm in the process of trying to slightly alter what my thesis is going to be focusing on, and by that I mean making it more narrow and direct. A byproduct of that is I now am able to incorporate some theory into my work, namely relating to Soviet nationality policy. As I loathe theory, both reading and utilising i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | June 27, 2015 | [
"Would anyone here be kind enough to direct me toward good English language books on daily life in late 18th century Vienna? Especially the 1770s and 1780s, although anything post Seven Year's War and pre-Napoleon would be helpful. I've read several books such as *Mozart and Vienna*, *Antonio Salieri and Viennese O... | [
"It's a bit unclear what you're interested in. (Early US education? Mann? Cremin's perspective?) But here are some resources that may help: > Binder, Frederick M. The Age of the Common School: 1830-1865. New York: Wiley, 1974. > > Glenn, Jr., Charles Leslie. The Myth of the Common School. Amherst: University of M... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Update: Possible Resignation Letter from Antonio Perez, Secretary to Philip II, King of Spain, Found inside 17th Century Dutch Bible | [
"I do not think this is genuine for several reasons 1) the bible is from the 18th c. It was printed almost 150 years after the events you are describing. 2) the letter is written in English. Both Perez and Philip were native Spanish speakers. Why would a minister of the Spanish king write a resignation letter in En... | [
"Next Week's Theme: 'Royalty, Nobility, and the Exercise of Power' To be followed by: \"Eastern Europe\""
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When did Ouija Boards first created and why? Did people create it for the sole purpose of communicating with spirits? | [
"They were created specifically for communicating with the dead. There are tons of supposed origins, but most of them are likely apocryphal. During the spiritualist craze of the 1800's people would have \"table tipping\" seances where the table would tap out answers. While this worked well enough for yes/no answer... | [
"People believe in various different gods and goddesses and have for a very long time, ghosts are surely not as illogical as that Also, a lot of people don't like the idea that when they die, they stop existing so the belief in ghosts kind of comforts that feeling"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
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