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When Uranus was named at 18th century, did anyone notice the rather unfortunate spelling of that name? Or did Uranus sounded differently during that period and the jokes on the name were recent inventions? | [
"Uranus was not coined to name the planet, it is the name of the Greek god of the sky, the father of all titans and grand father to the major gods of Greek mythology. At the time of the discovery of Uranus most educated people in the west would have studied the Greek language, culture, and mythology as a core compo... | [
"Because back in the day most constellations and celestial bodies were believed to be the embodiment of God's. For example planets like Mars, Venus, and Jupiter were all named after Roman gods because they beleived they represented them. This tradition persisted to the modern day, mostly because the names are iconi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post about Astronomy:"
} |
Was there ever jetlag/people having problems adjusting to new time zones before the days of airplanes? | [
"The first report of what we would call jet lag - i.e. one's internal clock not matching daylight because of crossing time zones - seems to have dated from [Alcock and Brown's](_URL_1_) first non-stop aeroplane flight across the Atlantic in 1919."
] | [
"Jetlag has nothing to do with space and is just a function of whether your internal clock is different than the local time of day. The ISS is on GMT so yes, most astronauts going home will be quickly arriving at a different time zone, but a few hours of jetlag is probably the least of their concern when dealing wi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Pulp Studies: In the grimoire thread it was mentioned that some books were bound in human flesh. Why would this have been done and would these books have carried the same taboo connotations that they would today? | [
"Two threads were made with this question, and I posted [my answer](_URL_0_) in the oldest one."
] | [
"I have heard about mandragora and belladona extracts being used to dilate pupils for matters of beauty, but that might have been for Roman ladies. I wonder what kind of products and materials would they use, if some of it was dangerous and what kind of tools they used to apply it (for example I do know that some f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
How did one become a citizen of the United States of America before the 14th Amendment? | [
"As a follow up question, how did one prove he was a citizen before the passage of the 14th amendment?"
] | [
"Senators were not always elected. Prior to the 17th amendment which came about in 1912, they were appointed by governors."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
When was the earliest that an image could be transmitted from Europe to America without physically having to be carried? | [
"The first transatlantic image transmission seems to have been between London and Nova Scotia in 1921 using the Bartlane system, followed the next year by the first wireless image from Rome to Maine using the Korn system ([1](_URL_0_)). Voice had made it in 1915, and wirelessly."
] | [
"Because the distance from Earth to other planets is immense. It takes so long for light to travel there, only the light from our distant past has had the time to make it there."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How profitable was slavery for the American South and its slaveholders? Is there economic data available to measure this? | [
"Robert Fogel's [Time on the Cross](_URL_0_) seems to be a book you might want to read if you want a comprehensive overview. Here's a bit of [the Wikipedia entry](_URL_1_). \"The book directly challenged the long-held conclusions that American slavery was unprofitable, a moribund institution, inefficient, a... | [
"Clarification: when you ask for a per capita comparison do you mean to include the enslaved population as well or to not consider them? This choice will likely have a huge effect on the conclusion as well as implying moral judgments."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
All things considered, who did better? The Americans in Vietnam or the Soviets in Afghanistan? | [
"To answer this question, I am going to need some clarification from you: Who did *what* better? South Vietnam in the 1960's and Afghanistan in the 1980's are two very separate places and time periods with conditions that were so exclusive to their particular time frame. While a layman might look at these two confl... | [
"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:"
} |
Would crowds of medieval spectators really enjoy spectating someone being drawn and quartered? | [
"hi! there's lots of room for more information here, but you may be interested in these earlier related posts, which focus particularly on your question about public attitudes * [Why did we used to be so fine with such brutal and public executions?](_URL_1_) * [During medieval times public torture and execution was... | [
"It could be because they didn't have much else to do. If I lived in a farmhouse with sixteen of my siblings (whom I also work with), and I wasn't able to read nor write, and I also didn't have a two inch by four inch computer in my pocket with limitless entertainment, and someone ran down the road and said someone... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Recessions in the past(pre 1900) - Did they exist? | [
"Yes. Not only they existed, some were full-blown depressions. At some point in 1800s they became global too (I may be wrong on this timing). I found [this list of US recessions](_URL_1_); many of them in second half of 1800s were global. [Long Depression](_URL_0_) of 1873-79 is particularly notable."
] | [
"I will put it as simply as possible, Financial cotastrophe. Most likely a global recession that will be worse than what we experienced in 2008."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
Can we talk about podcasts for a minute, or other audio mediums for the history hobbyist | [
"Its finished now, but I recommend [A History of the World in 100 Objects](_URL_0_) it was written and presented by British Museum director Neil MacGregor. He takes 100 objects currently housed in the Museum, and uses them to tell the history of the world."
] | [
"Creating content other people enjoy? Why are movies a thing? What do the creators get out of it? Why is youtube a thing? What do the creators get out it? Why (was) vine a thing? That's probably the more direct western analogue."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
How did people on the dole pass their days in ancient Rome? | [
"The Roman grain dole was not really a \"poor relief\"--[this paper](_URL_0_) does a really good job covering the basics. Furthermore, I don't believe that the dole would be able to cover the full subsistence of a family. So, that said, they would probably be working. The idea of a slave based urban economy has rap... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the argument:",
"neg": "Represent the argument:"
} |
Did the 60s television series Batman seem as ridiculous to the contemporary viewer as it does today? | [
"I think Josh Ozersky explains it best in \"Archie Bunker's America: TV in an Era of Change, 1968-1978\": _URL_1_ Basically, the 60s Batman is supposed to be funny, but a sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that plays against the predictable superhero/crime stories that came before it. The Man from UNCLE and I Spy had a ... | [
"We watch movies with a certain suspension of disbelief. 10 years ago we were in awe of the special effects based on history. Some older movies didn't age as well like that. Look at movies from the 40s and 50s, they look like crap to us. They were cutting edge technology back then though, and a marvel to behold."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What would medieval knights or soldiers eat while on patrol or when out fighting? | [
"Going to keep this simple. A lot of people imagine this to be a time of hardship but armies were usually well fed, a very high priority as it is now a days. They had wheat, rye, oats and barley for breads and beer production; beans and peas for soups; apples and berries for fruits; asparagus, beets, carrots, celer... | [
"Almost none. As a general rule, cowboys mostly spent their days sweaty in the heat and sun, rarely bathing, rarely changing their clothes, and spending all day with huge herds of cattle. Most of them did carry a gun, but usually a hunting rifle that they used to hunt, of course, keep coyotes and wolves away from t... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Why don't fish get plate names? | [
"You may find /r/etymology a more suitable place for this question. The Online Etymology Dictionary states the origins of the words beef, mutton, and poultry to be around the 13th century, which does not contradict the popular Norman origin story. Edit: OP also posted this to /r/linguistics"
] | [
"Why do you have so many lips and chins?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument about Biology:"
} |
Was the USA necessary for a victory against the axis powers in WW2 | [
"I'm not sure exactly what the question means -- maybe you mean, could Germany have been defeated anyway, even if the US had not contributed troops but had kept up the same level of supply? And there's not a clear thing to search for in previous responses anyway. Does this discussion help you at all? In [\"In WW2, ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
What does it mean to be "Western" | [
"Is this a homework or essay question? If so, please flag it as such."
] | [
"Could you clarify what about Schultz you found to be \"Prussian\" as opposed to more generally \"German\"?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the comment:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Literacy among Roman soldiers. How was it taught? (And several other questions about Roman soldiers.) | [
"Those are a lot of questions that a lot of Roman military specialists would love to know the answer to. To start off with, if you want a good, readable and well regarded history of the Roman military you should try the books by Adrian Goldsworthy--I think his big book is *The Complete Roman Army*. I can only reall... | [
"Caesar wrote a book about his campaigns in Gaul (the title is usually translated as Commentaries on the Gallic War). It was intended to promote his victories (and defend the legitimacy of his campaign) with the Roman public, to check the influence of his numerous elite critics. It's a good read, but you have to ke... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document about Education:"
} |
Infantry Formations. Adding ranks/depth to add mass/weight. How did this not crush or at least prevent soldiers from fighting properly. | [
"Mostly because that's generally not how premodern armies approached infantry combat; you kept your shield between you and the enemy, relied on the men next to you to cover you from attacks from the side, and thrust with your sword or spear. For hoplites, there's no point in having a spear if you're going to be fig... | [
"You had limited communication, limited mobility, limited range to your weapons. Good discipline and volleys made it harder for your enemy to advance while broken ranks, charging or retreating left you more vulnerable. Pikes had made calvary charges a bit less efdective than they used to be while guns were not at ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Did ancient monarchs ever realise that their kids were idiots and worry about that? | [
"Monarchs often have several options in designating a successor. Their evaluation of their progeny's talents played into this. My area is SE Asia, so to give you one example, Emperor Gia Long (r.1802-1820) of Vietnam did not follow the assumed route of succession which would have meant naming his grandson to the th... | [
"They still have all these prestigious things. But the truth of the matter is, that most of them are intelligent enough not to overdo it. The people you described fell to a common decease among rich people throughout history: Being killed for their Hybris in times of great need and social inequality. With income ga... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
I've noticed there are a great deal of questions regarding ancient Rome. While this is the perfect subreddit to pose your questions, I'd like to either inform you or remind you of /r/AncientRome, which is also a good subreddit if you're interested in that sort of thing. | [
"Yeah, but ... balkanization. Sometimes it's nice to have special-area questions in a general-interest sub. Otherwise we all end up subscribing to a million different subs."
] | [
"I've deleted this post. \"Throughout history\" questions, as stated in our rules, [are too broad for this subreddit](/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules#wiki_no_.22in_your_era.22_or_.22throughout_history.22_questions). Moreover you're obviously trying to make a point about the way this subreddit is run which makes me doub... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did minor arguments really make people kill each other in the Ancient World? | [
"I'll just point out that this isn't limited to the Ancient World. People kill each other over \"not something to kill someone over\" all the time, though. There's an example of this exact same thing (two people not giving way on a single track road) from 19th century Corsica in Roger V. Gould's *Collision of Wills... | [
"Going back in time and preventing the Libyan Revolution is probably the only way to create peace within the next decade."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
I am an American WWII bomber crew member... my plane just got mortally wounded... what are the chances I survive? (How likely am I to be able to bail out?) | [
"Depends entirely on how badly the plane is damaged. If it breaks up in midair your chances are much worse than if it's descending slowly but in more or less one piece and the pilot can keep it fairly steady. Depending on how the plane was damaged you might not be able to make it to your closest escape hatch. Als... | [
"No parachutes on airplanes. And even if there were, no one onboard is parachute jump certified. Training you on how to put a parachute rig on while we're crashing at 600mph isn't going to go well."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Is there any link between Jesus' whipping of the money changers in temple, and his trial/execution soon(?) after? | [
"The difficulty with answering this question is that we have no outside sources from the Gospels themselves pertaining to this story. What further frustrates the matter is that Matthew and Luke don't necessarily provide alternate accounts of the event, seeing as how most scholars agree that they used Mark as the ba... | [
"Some Jews will avoid walking on the Temple Mount at all to avoid entering where the Holy of Holies used to be, which is where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. According to tradition/religious law only the High Priest on Yom Kippur was allowed to enter. The Judeo-Christian god has a track record of being unforgivi... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Was catapulting dead bodies more for the psychological effects on a seiged enemy or was it a viable biological warfare tactic? | [
"It was successful in transmitting the Black Death to the inhabitants of Caffa during the siege of 1347."
] | [
"Bombs can leave people in agony if they are just wounded, but that is effectively the weapon failing to perform and shrapnel wounds are relatively simple to treat and its possible to recover from them. Chemical weapons rarely kill quickly and are pretty much designed to cause agony over an extended period of time.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Recommendation for sources on Early Modern Somalia (esp. the 18th century) | [
"Online? You won't find much. I. M. Lewis's *A Modern History of the Somali* (\"revised, updated, expanded\") is still the standing work, with the newest edition in 2003--but a lot of the material hasn't changed since first publication over 50 years ago. I'll see if there are any newer works on parts of the country... | [
"\"ancient times\" is very broad. Are there any specific cultures you're interested in (e.g., Republican Rome, Old Kingdom Egypt, etc.)?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
What are some massive ancient machines of war? | [
"You might be interested in this forum, _URL_0_"
] | [
"What kinda of medieval maps? There are so many types of medieval maps."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
The Huns were related somehow to the molgols | [
"sorry for the bad english i am not a natural speaker."
] | [
"It isn't really taken seriously anymore. From what we can tell about them the cultures seem to have been quite different, and the historical link sare simply too weak. The term \"Hun\" may be etymologically linked to the Xiongnu, but the Xiongnu were extremely heterogeneous, and anyways the term may have simply ev... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
What inventions can 100% be attributed to Thomas Edison? | [
"One of the reasons you likely aren't seeing a lot of answers here is because the use of the phrase \"beyond a shadow of a doubt\". While many inventions were attributed to Thomas Edison there is considerable controversy about other influence and input into that work. His earliest inventions took place while he was... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
I keep hearing that we are currently in the most peaceful era in human history. Do we know when human history was the most violent? | [
"Steven Pinker addresses this in his book \"The Better Angels of Our Nature\". Anthropological data from contemporary hunter-gatherer societies and archeological data from ancient ones indicates that they are by far the most violent societies to live in. In some cases, as many 25% of males could expect to die viole... | [
"More instances on what sort of timeline? The world is probably the least violent it has been since the beginning of written history. However, over the last year or so there has been a slight uptick in violent behavior. We're still nowhere near the levels we were at 100 years ago. With regard to ww3. Personally I ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Which technologies owe their invention and/or diffusion to the porn industry? | [
"The best source I know of is Jonathan Coopersmith's \"[Pornography, Technology, and Progress](_URL_0_),\" which covers the diffusion of many technologies, from photography to the internet. His main point is that porn consumers are willing to pay a premium for these services, so they allow the technology to mature ... | [
"> 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... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Did any South American cultures use llamas for transportation? | [
"Your wife is correct that Llamas are docile animals that can easily carry packs, but they are to small to be ridden by adult humans. A typical adult llama may be 5 feet to 6 feet five inches tall at the head, but they have long necks and are only three to four feet tall at the shoulder. They can carry up to 25 per... | [
"I understand the question you're asking, but it's not a very good one. There isn't one timeline of human culture, where some communities are closer to \"advanced\" than others. Native communities had the technology they needed to cook and communicate, and the knowledge to travel by boat and use plants as medicine.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When and why did the "corporation" become the dominant business entity in America, when all of the great gilded age companies were organized as "trusts?" | [
"I'm not sure I agree with the premise. The corporation's popularity spread with the growth of railroads: large undertakings, needing lots of investors, operating over large areas, usually with some years before any dividends would accrue—and most importantly, whose operations were inherently dangerous. Investors n... | [
"They were not corporations but we're owned by their policyholders. More commonly known these days as mutual companies."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Would the Surprise Attack at the End Of "Master and Command: The Far Side of the World" Be Considered Legal by the Articles of War of the Time? | [
"Yep, it would absolutely have been considered legal. Disguising one's ship or approaching under a false flag was a legitimate *ruse de guerre*, as long as you would display your own flag/identity before firing on another ship. Not doing so might result in being considered a pirate, though if you were a commissione... | [
"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:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
My grandfather, a WWII veteran from the 101st Airborne, recently passed away and I inherited this belt, which he took off of a Nazi soldier. Could anyone give me any more information on what it is? (x/post from rhistory) | [
"Interesting belt you've got there. The belt buckle is that of the Reichsarbeitsdienst, a compulsory organisation for all men before their military service. Focusing on labour with military influences (uniform, drills etc.), it was vital in preparing young German men for what would come during military service."
] | [
"Well, I can tell you this: The patch on the left is the US Navy rank of a Petty Officer First Class. The screw propeller symbol in the middle shows that this Petty Officer's rating (job) was a Machinists Mate. This particular patch (white background with blue details) would've been worn with a white dress uniform.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post about history:",
"pos": "Represent the document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why do some wars in Africa have such bizarre twists? | [
"- Cannibalism was noted in some South Pacific, north/south American and Caribean cultures. - There were child soldiers used in various roles in [Colombia](_URL_2_), and in [Chechnya](_URL_2_), among many other non-african nations. - I would be surprised if there was any culture on earth where cross-dressing or str... | [
"Have you heard of 'The Middle East'? Ever notice certain atrocities are corrected if there is some profit to be had there? While similar and sometimes worse go unnoticed in areas that wouldn't be as profitable?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
When in human history did the concept of the office take hold? How did it develop? | [
"The Uffizi Palace in Florence (now an art museum) was built in 1560 as the offices for the Florentine magistrates. That is why it was named the Uffizi. _URL_1_ Coincidentally or not, the 1560s is also given as the date when the word \"office\" in English was first used to refer to \"a place for conducting business... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why is upstate Maine so thinly populated despite being almost surrounded by densely populated areas? | [
"Follow up Question: Is this due to the northern boundary of Maine being disputed with Canada well into the 19th century? Or was it disputed *because* it wasn't heavily populated?"
] | [
"Much of the northern part of Canada is inhospitable and arctic. It's similar to asking why hardly anyone lives in Greenland. It's because there is no economic reason to live in conditions like that. If you look at a population map of Canada, almost all of the population lives within several hundred miles of the US... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Economics:"
} |
Why is the song, "Entrance of the Gladiators" so commonly associated with the circus? | [
"This genre of march was known as a \"screamer.\" Screamers were lively marches (typically at a much faster tempo than would be practical for actual marching, around 130-150 beats per minute) which would get the crowd excited for the spectacle. Frederick Fennell and the Eastman Wind Ensemble put together a recordin... | [
"The song is told from the perspective of a Soviet citizen, who is glad to return to his country after a trip abroad. It's a parody of \"Back in the U.S.A.\" and Beach Boys songs like \"California Girls\"."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Can anyone suggest some good YouTube channels that cover Roman history? | [
"This sort of question is fine! Because you didn't specify what sort of \"Roman history\" you like... [Janet Stephens](_URL_0_) does beautiful Roman hair recreation videos on Youtube, they are based on archeology, period art, and her professional knowledge of hair. She does other historic hair but mostly Roman stu... | [
"What are some of the primary sources that you have found? This sounds interesting. Would you recommend any books for a fun read?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
I have a WWII puzzle. A 1940 German military map of the UK has a 1945 British military map of Germany printed on its reverse. Do any historians have any hard information about what is going on? Links to pictures in text. | [
"I can translate the text on the german map for you At the top it seems to say \"Deutsche Heereskarte Nur für den Dienstgebrauch!\" Which translates to \"German Armymap Only for official use\" So it's definetely a military map. \"Grundkartenwerk\" Means source maps."
] | [
"I enjoy this kind of detective work a great deal, however, if you could provide a little more information it would make things a great deal easier. Perhaps you could provide a clearer picture of the text around the rim and some additional information on which region we're talking about?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Question for my new favorite subreddit, Was there a reason behind drawing the straight line borders of the states west of the Mississippi River? | [
"Here's a clip from the History Channel's \"How the States Got Their Shapes\" talking about the boxy western states. _URL_0_"
] | [
"In a related question, what are the odds of surviving being stabbed in the belly and falling into the river which runs through a major city in the same time period?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
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Saturday Reading and Research | October 04, 2014 | [
"Where can I find books about travelers or explorers throughout history? I've read and enjoyed primary accounts, The Journals of Lewis and Clark, a little bit from Richard Burton, Marco Polo, John Mandeville (I realize the author probably didn't travel farther than his local library), and I plan on reading Ibn Batt... | [
"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 post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Do the 4 B's in the Roman Flag flag stand for "Basileus Basileon, Basileuon Basileuononton" ? | [
"Just for clarification, do you mean [this flag](_URL_0_), the flag of the Palaiologos dynasty?"
] | [
"X does make that sound in the word Xylophone. Also: Xavier Xander Xenophobia Xanthum Xanadu *Xenon thanks /u/bovfem"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Government control over individual behaviour | [
"I think we should make a difference between social and governmental control. While the governmental control of individual behaviour may not have bieen as strict, you can´t forget about the social normas surrounding everyone and everything basicly eveywhere in history. Think of the idea of premarital sex for women,... | [
"Stable government that protected individual rights which encouraged wealth creation."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
In the Soviet film "Come and See", Nazis lock Belarussian children inside a church and then light it on fire. Did such a practice ever actually happen? | [
"I can't think of an example quite like that, but something similar happened in Lidice in the Czech Republic. As revenge for the murder of top level nazi Heinrich Heydrich by resistance fighters in the Czech Republic the nazi Ordnungspolizei was ordered to surround and kill of the entire village of Lidice (men, wom... | [
"I'm on mobile so I can't type out in length, but here's an article referencing the inaccuracies: _URL_2_ Essentially, the main criticism of the scene is the fear of death the prisoners have when they are brought into the showers. They believe to have been brought into a gas chamber, and the audience, with their kn... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
Do we have any record of what Caesar's plan was were he to capture Pompey? | [
"Nope. Unfortunately. However, what we *do* have is 2,000 years of people musing about it....and modern historians agree (Well, at least the ones I've read. I haven't read a dissenting opinion) that Caesar would almost certainly have pardoned Pompey. His previous pardons were all well and good, but think of how fan... | [
"Thank you for taking the time to answer. Interesting stuff. One thing though. Can we really assume that Livy and especially Polybius could be wrong/lying on a subject? Polybius was almost contemporary to the event. One might think that at a time he wrote his Histories everyone still knew quite definitely who was i... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Thursday Reading & Recommendations | July 26, 2018 | [
"Is there a book that does what Horse Wheel Language does for Indo-European languages, except for Algoniquian/other Native American languages?"
] | [
"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 query about Literature:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about Literature:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
How cross-compatible were military supplies from opposing armies during WW2? | [
"The Germans used pretty much anything they could get their hands on. Small arms were typically issued to rear-area troops, where regular supply with ammunition would be less of an issue. The Soviet PPsh submachine gun was a favorite piece of loot for the Germans, they even adapted it for the use of their own 9mm a... | [
"Follow up question: What other types of bootcamp training strategies would drill instructors use? Also what were training structures like when there was a massive influx of troops who needed to be trained quickly, such as when the US joined WWII after Pearl Harbor?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit argument:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit argument:"
} |
Is it fair to say that Britain won the Intelligence and Espionage aspect of WW2 from the outset? | [
"piggybacking: has anyone written on just WHY British intelligence was so much better than German? I asked the question before but got no response: > The Wikipedia article on m15 says that they caught all but one of the ~115 German spies sent into England, converting many to double agents. Another thread from this ... | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
How and why man became more privileged than woman? | [
"This is probably more of a question for /r/ASKAnthropology/ as patriarchal societies predate written history. Edit: corrected the subreddit"
] | [
"One man's mythology is another man's religion. One man's cult is another man's religious belief. One man's religion is another man's heresy. It's rather subjective."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Who really won the American revolution | [
"The Americans won the American revolution, whether the British gave up or not, since the purpose of the revolution -- the establishment of a country independent of Britain -- was achieved. Though it is true the British did not utilize their maximum possible military strength to put down the rebellion, and did rely... | [
"The question is rather misleading. Nobody won the Korean war."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text about history:"
} |
Did the ancient Greeks consider the story of Icarus a cautionary tale about hubris, or is that a more modern interpretation? | [
"Above the threshold of the oracle at Delphi were three inscriptions which are characteristically Greek. The one to focus on here would be \"nothing in excess\". The Greeks believed that people should live life on a fine line where they sought to achieve personal excellence while at the same time remembering their ... | [
"If you are a psychiatrist and diagnosing a patient, you will never be allowed to write out a prescription or institutionalize someone without ever meeting them. You would certainly never be allowed to do so if you only have what other people have written about them, *especially* if none of these people actually me... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
How did Argentina keep the invasion of the Falkland Islands a secret? | [
"Argentina was under a heavily repressive military dictatorship at the time- not only was it easy for them to cover things up, their military was essentially always at high alert. However, their preparations were anything but secret. They had \"invaded\" South Georgia and been sabre rattling in the state media for ... | [
"Argentinian desire for the Falklands is inversely proportional to how well their economy is doing."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Writing master's thesis on ties between 1940s and 1950s American anti-communists and the underlying philosophy of the Transcendentalist movement | [
"Are you working from a pre-existing thesis (hypothesis/argument)? Because to me > I am consistently hitting places where the nuance of these ideas are consistently contradicted by the authors themselves. is actually really exciting! Why try to explain that away or worry about it? Why not embrace the paradox, lik... | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
What is the oldest joke that we know of? | [
"\"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap.\" Which is bad sentence structure, but I think it's basically saying wives fart in their husband's laps a lot? Anyways, you can find a pretty interesting article about the study in which this was published... | [
"So when and where did playing cards as we know them come into being anyways?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
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"neg": "Represent the text:"
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How was the mail service conducted in medival times? | [
"There was no \"postal service\" in the European Middle Ages. Letters were individually delivered by messengers. Frequently, the physical letter itself would only convey part of the message. The sender would tell the messenger the rest of it, to be delivered in person to the intended recipient. The earliest organiz... | [
"Follow up question (please don't delete) how influential were nobility titles on economic upward mobility in the Europe of that same time?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
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"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Critical Book on the British Empire | [
"Hi there, I would particularly recommend Jon Wilson's *India Conquered: Britain's Raj and the Chaos of Empire*, which takes a consistently critical view of the British Empire in India. You might also be interested in the [South East Asia section](_URL_0_) of our booklist which contains many works on the British Em... | [
"The Art of War in the Western World - Archer Jones"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Education:"
} |
United States' view of Napoleon | [
"Just a follow-up question to the original question - what about the reverse. What was Napoleon's view of the United States?"
] | [
"Primarily China, Australia, and the US, the three wealthy countries with citizens on board."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit passage:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit passage:"
} |
Why did the shoguns keep the Yamatos in place for hundreds of years? | [
"Please see [this thread](_URL_0_) **TL;DR:** In no particular order 1. By the time of the Shogunates, the Japanese were already very much used to having the Emperor not having too much personal power and having others rule in his name. Also, not touched on in the thread, the samurai were used to working for the co... | [
"Why do we have generals when we have a President? Why did Europe have Lords when they had a King? The Emperor was the head of state, but during the Shogunate periods... he was really just a figurehead. The Shogun held real power by basically being the strongest warlord in the country. Feudal Japan (the Sengoku Ji... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Why did the British car industry collapse? | [
"There's a few factors for the decline of the British auto industry. 1. Starting in the 1950's there were many labor disputes and even factory strikes at British car factories. Obviously this caused British manufacturers to lose millions of Pounds due to lost production. 2. British cars weren't exactly good cars. T... | [
"If we stop paying the fee, the terrorists win."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
I'm interested in the international character of the Soviet armed forces during WW2, particularly on the Eastern Front. Statistics as far as the number of combatants that fought from each republic and from other nations: number of medals, number of deaths, etc. would be a good start. | [
"These are the numbers that General G. I. Krivosheev came to after the war. They are generally accepted by most historians. * Russians - 5,756,000, * Ukrainians - 1,377,400, * Belarusians - 252,900, * Tatars - 187,700, * Jews - 142,500, * Kazakhs - 125,500, * Uzbeks - 117,900, * Armenians - 8... | [
"Those are generally WWII (known to Russians as the Great Patriotic War) veterans, who fought in the largest campaign in human history, and also the one with the highest death toll. The ones who survived had often spent much more time on the line than western military vets did - years at a time in some cases. They ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit answer:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit answer:"
} |
Why didn't more freedmen take advantage of the Homestead Act? | [
"A large number of free blacks did take [advantage of the Homestead Act](_URL_0_). That WSJ article points out that many all-black townships were established by African-Americans settling in the West through the Homestead Act. In subsequent land runs, all-black townships, such as [Sanders, Mabelle, Wiley, Homer, Hu... | [
"As a follow up question, how did one prove he was a citizen before the passage of the 14th amendment?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
In the 2002 film "Windtalkers" there is a scene where The Marines are accidentally fired on by their own artillery. Many are killed. What would be the likely outcome for those men who did the firing? | [
"I think OP should add to the question if the artillery was using wrong data or the scouts/hq delivered wrong data. Just as a sidenote."
] | [
"Platoon is a caricature of Vietnam. Drug and alcohol use wasn't nearly as prominent as the film makes out--that was mostly done, if at all, in rear units and not by the actual troops in the field with their lives on the line. In a book that was written by someone who served with my uncle in the war (in 1969) it me... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
What was the tipping point that caused the US States Attorney General to begin investigating and prosecuting the Tobacco Industry? | [
"This class action suit by a group of flight attendants is considered by many in the tobacco control field as a key milestone that made the master settlement agreement possible. The CDC had only indicated that second hand smoke was a hazard to nonsmokers in 1985, but the flight attendants were a perfect example of... | [
"They are being investigated by the FTC, which I don't believe has the power to prosecute criminal charges. However, it's possible the FTC could refer the case to the Justice Department or IRS for criminal prosecution, or that any State Attorney General could bring state charges against them."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
I was at Les Invalides yesterday and many of the Prussian cuirassier helmets had large "RF" emblazoned on them (some along with "Mit gott fur kaiser und vaterland"). What does RF stand for? | [
"They were actually emblazoned with [\"FR\"](_URL_1_), not \"RF\". FR stands for [\"Fredericus Rex\"](_URL_0_), the latinized version of \"King Frederick\". (7 of Prussia's 9 kings were named Frederick). \"Mit gott fur Koenig/Kaiser un Vaterland\" translates directly as \"With God for King/Emperor and Fatherland\",... | [
"Ok. First picture : 1. The one on your fingertips : [Heeresflakabzeiche](_URL_0_) : Awarded for soldiers being part of a Flak (Anti-Aircraft-Cannon) unit that shot down 5 or more allied planes. 2. The one below it saying \"D.D.A.C.\" : The DDAC was a German automobile club during the time (it's successor is the AD... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment:"
} |
I've noticed a theme in many popular history books - that dictators "encourage infighting" among their followers in order to forestall any challenge to their ultimate power. How accurate is this? It would seem to me that a dictator would not want his cronies constantly squabbling with each other. | [
"In the epic *The World at War* series there are some first hand interviews with surviving members of Hitlers staff where they talk about how he encouraged survival of the fittest and frequently had two or three groups overlapping on various tasks (planning / propaganda / etc) and rarely specifically assigned senio... | [
"Well, you could make some cynical comment about only self-serving people wanting and getting into power in the first place. A different way to look at things would involve look at just how much power a leader really has. Most people in positions of power are only there because of the people who support them. Even ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Vietnam's geography is extremely coastal. Why has it never been a maritime power? | [
"Canada [has the longest coastline in the world](_URL_0_). Why has it never been a maritime power? Naval powers are established through a multitude of factors, and geography is only one of many elements. Technology, culture, commerce, and sheer dumb luck can come into play. Columbus had no idea there was huge land... | [
"Because it's mountains too. You need to cross two major moutain ranges to get from southern China to India. The ranges aren't as high as the Himalayas, but they're high enough. You need to consult a topographic map of the region. Only Vietnam is open to China, and therefore was under heavy Chinese influence and wa... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
I want to re-create historical beers from colonial American and 16th- 18th century Europe. What resources can you point me toward? What equipment would I need? Diagrams of early brewery equipment and any help with recipes would be great! | [
"You probably want to hit up the library at _URL_0_ which has some of the resources you're looking for. I would caveat, however, that pre-modern brews differ substantially even from many craft beers today - without refrigeration or pasteurization they were often very seasonal products, and only lasted a short while... | [
"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 Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Has the US government ever come close to being overthrown? | [
"War 1812, when England occupied Washington DC, burned the White House, the Treasury, the buildings housing the Senate and House of Representatives and the Library of Congress. President James Madison and his wife, Dolley, escaped just before the invaders arrived. Earlier in the day, President Madison had been pres... | [
"The government can't go out of business or be bought out and liquidated."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Have there been any instances where a U.S. state government was overthrown? | [
"There has never been a successful overthrow of a US state government. Although you could count the 11 state governments that comprised the Confederate States of America. In addition one can argue that Lincoln's illegal suspension of habeas corpus and military martial law in Maryland as a coup of an elected state g... | [
"There is not a procedure to do so. A state could try to do so by force, and forcefully remove federal representatives from their state, the last time that happened millions of americans were killed and the southern states failed to secede, so it probably isn't a good idea."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why are there no books on China in the "Allied Countries" section of the World War II book list? | [
"The booklist has been put together by *volunteers* on a rolling basis - that is, nobody sat down and worked for eight hours straight on creating a comprehensive list of The Best and Most Important History Books. As such, each section generally represents someone with a specific area of expertise contributing the w... | [
"Out of curiosity, was this post prompted by the \"Amazing Story\" video on the front page?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
The French Revolution - good books to read? | [
"Though I'm not a historian - *The Old Regime and the Revolution* by Alexis de Tocqueville is probably the most significant secondary source to have been written about the French revolution. It doesn't tell the story of the revolution in the way a historian like Andress or Hunt does, but its a work that has left a ... | [
"Are there any good introduction books to historiography in general? JFK in particular? Thank you"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit paragraph:"
} |
British Naval Forces in the 19-20th C | [
"The size of the fleet fluctuated, rising significantly during war time and shrinking during peace. It also varied significantly over the time period because of the change in technology. The standard policy just before WWI was to maintain a fleet the size of the next 2 fleets combined. That started to become impra... | [
"The Chinese were equipped with Soviet made MiG-15 fighters. They outclassed everything that the UN could put into the air and it stayed that way largely until the introduction of the North American Sabre. While the Sabre closed the performance gap, it was by no means a superior aircraft. Source: Xiaoming Zhang, \"... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
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} |
Did Antony really wave Caesar's bloody toga? | [
"We can only be sure as far as we trust the primary sources, of course, but Shakespeare didn't make it up. This detail comes from Plutarch's *Life of Antony* 14.7: > ὁρῶν δὲ τὸν δῆμον ὑπερφυῶς ἀγόμενον καὶ κηλούμενον, ἐνέμειξε τοῖς ἐπαίνοις οἶκτον ἅμα καὶ δείνωσιν ἐπὶ τῷ πάθει, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ τελευτῶντι τοὺς χιτωνίσκ... | [
"Graffiti in ancient Rome was often very political, and if it attacked powerful families, they would act quickly to erase it and punish those who wrote it, if they could be found. In Suetonius (I believe), you can find the story of Brutus entering the Senate to find his seat tagged with references to his ancestor, ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
Saturday Reading and Research | May 09, 2015 | [
"Just sent off a book manuscript, on early Greek poetry. It's frustrating: it's a pretty short book -- shorter than my PhD thesis was -- but bugger me if it didn't take at least four times as much research. I've been feeling very stupid while finishing it: it gave me the feeling that I was only now getting to grips... | [
"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 post about News:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit post about News:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit post:"
} |
Why were flights from the US to Ireland only permitted to land at Shannon Airport? | [
"This might be a technical issue, Shannon has a ~3200m runway while the longest one at Dublin is ~2600m. Glancing at [this list of runway requirements](_URL_0_) it seems many longer ranged aircraft (such as those that cross the Atlantic) require at least 2700-2800m or so runway lengths."
] | [
"Supply and demand. The entirety of flight pricing is based on it. I could book a flight to Hawaii for next month for cheaper than I could book a short flight to Toronto for tomorrow morning."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Where can I find more academic literature pertaining to the Dutch East Indies Company? | [
"The Dutch national archive has a lot of material. _URL_0_ And this site might be helpful as well. _URL_1_"
] | [
"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 question:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document about Literature:"
} |
What is a good documentary about the politics of WWII? | [
"The best documentary is The World at War, released in 1973. There are 26 1-hour episodes covering all your topics of interest and more. It stands as probably the most definitive documentary on the war, and includes interviews with insider participants like Albert Speer and Traudl Junge (Hitler's secretary)."
] | [
"What do you mean by downfall? This is still a dominant part of current culture."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit query about Education:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence about Education:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
How did people stay hygienic on a ship in pre-modern times? | [
"The major effect of salt as a preservative is that it withdraws water from microorganisms if the external salt concentration is high enough. Microbes shrivel and die, spores survive but are unable to germinate. Traditional sailing ships and sailors spend their lives being drenched in salt water, the raw form of... | [
"The Middle Ages is a pretty huge period that spanned centuries, so you might want to refine your question. The daily life of a monarch in the 8th century was incomparably different from that of a 16th century one."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
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} |
If we didn't start the fire, than who did? | [
"According to the scholar Billy Joel's excellent work *Storm Front* (1989) on the matter, he posits that it has in fact always been burning, ever since the world has been turning."
] | [
"...because if it wasn't you couldn't sing the song."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit text:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit text:"
} |
making a game about pirates, so the main question is, how did most pirates treat each other if they met each other at sea, or on land? | [
"[This post](_URL_0_) by /u/ETfox delves into the belief in myths and /u/DavidAOP might have something to add as well. Also, there is a section on the FAQ about pirates you should check out."
] | [
"Pirates wore eyepatches for a similar reason. Outside on the deck it was often bright (what with the sun and all) while the inside of the ship was often dark. Pirates would cover one eye with a patch, so if they had to go below deck to check something, they could swap what eye the patch was on. That way that could... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What was Karl Marx's opinion on race (If any) | [
"You might want to try asking this in /r/askphilosophy as well."
] | [
"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 document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
It's 1930: the first "talkie" has been made and we've had the use of colour in a live action film. I find myself in this time period with a copy of "Star Wars" (1978). Technologically, what's stopping me from making that film? | [
"There are a few things which would be much more difficult, if not impossible. You'd have to replicate the electronics inside R2-D2 with analog equivalents, which would be difficult at best. (Getting something workable into the mouse droid on the Death Star would be even tougher: maybe you could have somebody unde... | [
"We watch movies with a certain suspension of disbelief. 10 years ago we were in awe of the special effects based on history. Some older movies didn't age as well like that. Look at movies from the 40s and 50s, they look like crap to us. They were cutting edge technology back then though, and a marvel to behold."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Why did Dan White assasinate Harvey Milk? | [
"He ate too many Twinkies, which caused his blood sugar to spike to dangerously high levels. The excitement was too much for him to handle. He blacked out and went on a murder rampage -- you know, because of the Twinkies. At least that is what White's lawyers would [have you believe](_URL_1_)... In all seriousness,... | [
"No. Al Capone, gangster, is referred to by two names. Same goes for Jeffery Dahmer, Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Saddam Hussein, and Elizabeth Bathory. Hitler and Stalin just get one name. Sometimes people just go by three names, like Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Neil Patrick H... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
US Politics - How did "Libertarian" become associated with a right-wing pro-Capitalist party? | [
"This is actually something that has intrigued & irritated me for some time. Especially during election cycles in the U.S. when the word begins to see increased usage, often by people who neither understand what it means or care to develop a more nuanced understanding. I have come to the understanding that this mi... | [
"1) Not Electable - it would be a waste of money 2) practically speaking, what would get accomplished by Pres. Paul vetoing every bill congress passes? 3) Some of his ideas aren't so much libertarian as just Crazy (return to the gold standard) 4) he's not really a \"pure\" libertarian, he kind of mixes it with real... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the document:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
Was illegal immigration around in the US during the late 1800s and early 1900s? | [
"Immigration was first regulated on a mass scale in [1892](_URL_1_), when the requirement to be registered at Ellis Island was created. Immediately illegal immigration came into existence. The term \"wop\" for Italian-Americans derives from [\"without papers\"](_URL_0_) and dates from 1908. \"Wetback\" for Mexican-... | [
"Yes. Slavery in Rome was not tied to race/skin color like it was in the United States during the 1700-1800s"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the answer:",
"neg": "Represent the answer:"
} |
AMA: Mexico since 1920 | [
"How has Mexican food changed during your period of study? In particular, how much has food from the United States or further afield affected the diet of the average Mexican?"
] | [
"I will explain like via the medium of pictures! _URL_1_ German factory in 1945. _URL_0_ American factory in 1945."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph about World Affairs:"
} |
Did Isaac Newton really die a virgin? | [
"He died a bachelor. He was engaged once, but never married, yet had a very intense relationship with a male mathematician that ended abruptly. I don't see how we could ever truly know."
] | [
"Because only when you're passed out in a puddle of your own vomit can you silence the ennui and existential hum. Source: I'm Irish."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit post:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit comment:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit comment about Health and lifestyle:"
} |
How did the British empire come to lose the American colonies? | [
"England was also at war with the French and later the Spanish which required a lot more manpower than the war in the US. Also I don't know if they really got that much income from the American colonies?"
] | [
"Was any Asian country capable of helping the United States during the revolutionary war?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit title:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
Yuengling and their involvement in the Civil War? | [
"I can't answer, but I do know that the staff at the brewery is very helpful and would not mind helping you research this topic. Because they are family owned most of their archives are still in Pottsville."
] | [
"What do you want to hear more about? The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? The Israel vs. Palestine situation? The Arab Spring? The recent attacks on US embassies?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
Did the CIA ever investigate Native Americans for collaborating with communists during the 1950's? | [
"The CIA (despite what conspiracy theorists believe) does not investigate anything on US Soil. The FBI would be the government agency to do that."
] | [
"Why is the US so upset over the labeling of US treatment of Native Americans as a genocide?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the paragraph:",
"neg": "Represent the paragraph:"
} |
What's the oldest prepared drink that could still be safely consumed? What's the oldest food? | [
"The oldest food? 36,000 year old bison, if Dale Guthrie is to be believed (*Frozen Fauna of the Mammoth Steppe*, 1990). That is however an anomalous condition--fast-frozen in ice, and only a few morsels edible. [edit: and no, we have no reputable accounts of people actually eating unfrozen mammoth in recorded hist... | [
"Well to start with there are different standards of safety in each country. Most standards in western countries err heavily on the side of caution which means that food is generally safe to eat long after most experts tell you to throw it out. The time frame they use for those gauges is generally as soon as it's e... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question about food and beverage:",
"pos": "Represent the comment about food and beverage:",
"neg": "Represent the comment:"
} |
Why do we learn that the Roman number "4" is "IV" if in old books we find it like "IIII"? (Picture) | [
"You have to realise that Latin was essentially a living, developing language for much longer than merely the days of the Roman Empire. By and large, Medieval Latin is very much a different thing from the Ciceronian Latin we now learn in schools. Anyway, in Medieval documents, the IIII is commonly used instead of I... | [
"Because functionally, the Roman numeral system, like the Arabic numbering system, is base ten. (or [Decimal](_URL_1_)) You don't say 50 minus 1, you say 40 + 9. That's why 99 is XCIX instead of IC, because you first convey the tens place (XC), then the ones place. (IX) **Edit**: Many users have pointed out some f... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the post:",
"pos": "Represent the text:",
"neg": "Represent the text:"
} |
Why is the western day marked from the middle of the night? Is this universal, or was beginning the day with the normal time of sunrise more common, historically? | [
"hi, there's room for more on this one, but you may find these interesting * [Why does a new day start in the middle of the night?](_URL_2_) - featuring /u/itsallfolklore * [Why do days begin at midnight?](_URL_0_) * [What event 00:00 (or 24:00) time points to and why?](_URL_1_)"
] | [
"A year is the time it takes for the Earth to go around the sun. Long before this was known, observations had been made about the angle of the sun in the sky. In the winter solstice, the midday shadow is longest, in the summer solstice it is the shortest. The time between one summer solstice and the next is a year.... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit sentence:"
} |
Modern versions of the Spartacus tale generally portray him as fighting to free all slaves everywhere because owning a another human as property is wrong. Would his motivations have been so altruistic or is this something that has been added to appeal to our current sense of morality? | [
"The problem is we really don't have much information on Spartacus. There is very little in the way of discussion of motivation in what few historical sources we have, because all that information is focused on his Roman antagonists. He is more of a situation than a person. Pretty much the closest thing we have to ... | [
"Because killing and enslaving is what a lot of heroes did in the 15th Century. It was a very different era, and finding a technologically undeveloped nation and taking their stuff is what you did to get ahead. It was going on in Africa, it was going on in Asia, and it was even going on in Europe. To put things in ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the post:",
"neg": "Represent the post:"
} |
Question regarding early Roman triplex acies spears/javelin. | [
"The weight of throwing spears is a tradeoff, with the limiting constant being the strength of the human arm that makes the throw. Heavier spears hit with more momentum (and are, therefore, more likely to penetrate and damage what they hit), but the tradeoff is that you can't throw them as far. Lighter spears have ... | [
"It's a bit unclear whether you are talking about the traditional Greek Hoplite phalanx or the Macedonian-style pike phalanx later used by Alexander the Great. For the former I would highly recommend you take a look at [this post](_URL_0_) where u/iphikrates discusses what really defines a hoplite \"phalanx\". For ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the Reddit question about History:",
"pos": "Represent the Reddit document about History:",
"neg": "Represent the Reddit document:"
} |
How much did the average person's life change after the American Revolution? | [
"In \"The Radicalism of the American Revolution\" (Gordon Wood) he argues the opposite. He claims that the Revolution completely changed American society by establishing a sense of egalitarianism that was directly linked with the new political system. He says that the Revolution created a whole new environment in t... | [
"To be a little less specific, what did people think the future in general would be like before the Industrial Revolution?"
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the query:",
"pos": "Represent the passage:",
"neg": "Represent the passage:"
} |
What did other countries around the world think of the American Revolution? Did they enjoy watching the powerful British Empire get humiliated by the colonists? | [
"I think many historians would argue that France carried more than supported. And they weren't the only ones - to my recollection the Spanish and Dutch were also involved. I've seen people argue that the colonists had very little to do with actually winning their war and would have been comprehensively worked over ... | [
"Its a concept that is hyper ingrained into US culture. The idea was that the US founding father got sick of British oppression, picked up their muskets and declared war. Now of course the truth is more complicated and less romantic, but regardless the US was born on the back of the minuteman, the citizen with a gu... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title about history:",
"pos": "Represent the document about history:",
"neg": "Represent the document:"
} |
What was buying a gun in the US like before gun store? Could you buy them off vendors or could you only get them through individuals that were selling one? | [
"Prior to the Gun Control Act of 1968, there was no national regulation of firearms, save for automatic weapons and short-barreled weapons, and that had only been the case since 1934 (National Firearms Act). Anyone could sell one, including general stores, hardware stores, department stores, and the like."
] | [
"1. Because thousands of people are in and out of the gun show in just a single day. This makes it a pretty huge hassle to register people. On top of that, it is generally an anti-government kind of crowd that feels that they shouldn't be tracked just because they want to go browse some guns. 2. Because background ... | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the question:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence:"
} |
What did steppe nomads do to children with Down Syndrome or similar diseases? | [
"People in the ancient world generally frowned on any sort of physical disability even if it was injury from war. Exposure was a common practice not only for Spartans in the movie 300, but most ancient and many primitive societies. It's very likely that steppe nomads would have engaged in similar practices if child... | [
"Because those facial features are a symptom of Down's Syndrome."
] | eli5_question_answer | {
"query": "Represent the title:",
"pos": "Represent the sentence:",
"neg": "Represent the sentence about biology:"
} |
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