The "world turtle" was a common belief that the land people lived on was on the back of a giant turtle. It's seen everywhere from Eastern cultures and even Native American ones across the Americas. Why is this? (old.reddit.com)
Are NFTs like beanie babies where it's something that a large collective of people have decided it has value and scarcity but actually it doesnt? (old.reddit.com)
How do we know "cave men" lived poor lives, almost entirely focused on subsistence and survival, if pre-Columbian hunter gatherers contacted with in the 16th century didn't? (old.reddit.com)
If the conditions of the city and Industrial Revolution were so terrible, what drove people from the countryside to the factories? Why didn't they just stay in the countryside? (old.reddit.com)
Rome famously conquered Egypt and used its vast and consistent grain harvest to feed Rome and other major cities at a level far beyond what their hinterlands could support. What did Egypt do with its excess grain before then? Where was it exported to, and were the Egyptians making a lot of money? (old.reddit.com)
Martin Luther writes the 95 theses in 1517. Less than 100 years later the gunpowder plot is planned by rebel Catholics in a majority Protestant England. How can there be such a huge religious shift across Europe in only a few lifetimes? (old.reddit.com)
"In the Japanese navy, sailors reacted to additions of Western food (meat and bread) by sneaking their bread out of the galley and throwing it over." Why did sailors in the early Meiji era react so negatively to these rations? (old.reddit.com)
During school, I was taught that the U.S. saw World War Two as a total war effort, with citizens working together to support the war effort. Were there any instances of people refusing to abide by rations, not help out, etc., and if so, how were they viewed? (old.reddit.com)
If your father dies, and your mother dates someone else.. Then she dies, and your stepfather dates someone else, what does that make you? (old.reddit.com)
Adultery changed from being one of the most serious crimes in the past to being non-prosecutable in the vast majority of nations around the world. What caused this shift? (old.reddit.com)
The Catholic Church’s reaction to Galileo’s heliocentric model is now famous, but how did other religions like Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam react to heliocentricism? (old.reddit.com)
Whenever I watch a cartoon or movie that has a psychic or fortune teller, they’re using a crystal ball. Why is that? Was this ever a real practice? (old.reddit.com)
The Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty lasted 275 years, or more than the entire lifespan of the United States. Is it uncommon to see such long dynastic runs in Egypt or among other civilizations? What made the Ptolemies so successful? (old.reddit.com)
Why are personal injury lawyers are often called greedy ambulance chasers, while private ambulance companies are rarely vilified? Ambulance companies charge astronomical rates while paying their own drivers insulting wages. At least lawyers help people recoup some ridiculous healthcare costs. (old.reddit.com)
Did Caesar have some sort of endgame in mind? Were there any specific policy goals he wished to enact as dictator? Did he want to restore the monarchy and declare himself King of Rome? Or was he just kind of winging it the whole time? (old.reddit.com)
I'm a merchant in ancient Rome, and a thief just ran off with some of my goods. Is the legal system good enough to get me justice? Is it worth my while, as a plebian merchant, to report the crime to a magistrate? (old.reddit.com)
Teeth are the most durable part of a long dead person, dead teeth can survive multiple fires, then why do the teeth seem to rot so quickly in a living person just by eating "normal" food? (old.reddit.com)
A friend told me that she prefers cuddling with other women than men because women are "softer" and men are more "stiff". What your opinion on this? Also, how can someone make cuddling more comfortable for you? (old.reddit.com)
Is it weird to feel mentally younger than you actually are? I'm 29, but mentally I've felt like I'm somewhere between 16-21 my entire adult life. (old.reddit.com)
Can excessive stress straight up make you dumber and perform poorly at every single daily task where the bare minimum of thinking and consideration is needed? (old.reddit.com)
Why is the US seemingly the only country that uses hyphens to distinguish ethnic groups (ex: Asian-American, African-American, Italian-American, Irish-American)? Are there any other countries that do this? (old.reddit.com)
We are scientists from the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology coming to you from our annual meeting — which is virtual this year! We study fossils. Ask Us Anything! (old.reddit.com)
In WW2, did anti-aircraft weaponry fire so many shots because of the difficulty hitting targets, or also because aircraft could withstand many hits? (old.reddit.com)
How did Jewish and Muslim Americans address prohibited foods (salt pork, lard, bacon) included in Great Depression food aid? Was this a permissible time to break religious dietary rules? Were alternative groceries or kosher/halal aid groups available, or might they just go without? (old.reddit.com)
The First World War was a politically radicalizing event for many German soldiers. Has there ever been a demonstrated link between the kind of combat experienced and the direction of political radicalization? (e.g., Right-wing Freikorps from the frontlines, or Communists from Eastern Front POWs) (old.reddit.com)
"Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad" What is your example of knowledge vs wisdom? (old.reddit.com)
A popular meme states that Nazi Germany and the USSR had trouble figuring out how to prepare for US military doctrine because the US forces themselves where not good at following it. To what extent is any of this true? (old.reddit.com)
When I was a student in a private religious school as a child, my teacher told us that continental drift was a lie dreamed up by godless scientists to destroy America. Was there controversy surrounding continental drift in the late 1980s/early 1990s, or was that a fairly fringe opinion? (old.reddit.com)
You just got kidnapped and started talking to your kidnapper, and he stops and just releases you, what did you say that made him do that? (old.reddit.com)
After WW2, the US occupied Japan and within a few years managed to turn it into a democratic country on course for stable economic growth and a close ally. What made this occupation so successful when later occupations of countries like Afghanistan and Iraq have failed miserably? (old.reddit.com)
AskScience AMA Series: I'm Iñigo San Millán, a researcher who trains world-class athletes, including the two-time Tour de France winner, with the goal of learning more about cancer, diabetes and other diseases. I've learned exercise is the most powerful medicine in the world. AMA! (old.reddit.com)
Medieval Christian scholars believed that each of the "three" continents were populated by the descendants of Noah's sons after the Flood (Japheth's in Europe, Shem's in Asia, Ham's in Africa). When they realized there were more populated continents, how did they modify this theory? (old.reddit.com)
I read that queen Marie Antoinette never saw the sea in her life, despite having time and money to visit any part of her kingdom when she wanted. Was it unusual for 18th century monarchs to travel or did they just preferred the comfort of their palaces and were not interested in tourism ? (old.reddit.com)
US copyright currently lasts 70 years after the death of the author, but has been expanded many times. A common trope says that these expansions were due to Disney wanting to protect Mickey Mouse's copyright. Is there any truth to that claim? (old.reddit.com)
I got both a flu shot and a covid booster yesterday, how can my immune system learn from both vaccines at once without getting confused? (old.reddit.com)
Dear Americans why do you guys call yourselfs World champions for winning a competition whereby all the teams participating are American? (old.reddit.com)
Does the character of Achilles predate the Iliad? Was he an existing mythological character that Homer incorporated in his works or could he be Homer's creation altogether? (old.reddit.com)
God I think I’ll get downvoted to hell but here I go, with all this talk about boosters, why has there been no talk about a better vaccine? (old.reddit.com)
In the show “What We Do In The Shadows”, the character Nandor, who would have been born in southern Iran in 1262, claims to believe in the World Turtle. How likely is it that someone born at that time and place would believe the world existed on the back of a giant turtle? (old.reddit.com)
Anyone here goes to take a shower even though you dont need one out of boredom just to kill like 15-20 minutes of your evening or you have another way of doing it ? (old.reddit.com)
The year is 2030. The first astronauts have landed on Mars. They find a cave with a human skeleton and words written on the wall. What are the words? (old.reddit.com)
How do I as a guy cope with not getting any compliments, not having a girlfriend or someone close to me to talk about emotional things with, and not getting any human touch at all? (old.reddit.com)
In the videogame Hearts of Iron 4 (WW2 themed strategy game) submarines are easily the cheapest and fastest naval vessel you can build. Was it really that much cheaper and faster to build submarines compared to other vessels back then? (old.reddit.com)
Why are E- books on audible amd other platforms just as expensive as buying a real book? There is no manufacturing and distribution costs involved. Is this just pure greed? (old.reddit.com)
Why do my parents pull a ‘you’re living on our money, under our roof’ and ‘do it when you have your own place’ whenever i dont agree with them? (old.reddit.com)
In 1508, an ecclesiastical court put a pack of rats on trial, and were shocked when the rats didn't show up. It seems impossible for anyone to be thia stupid. Were there some sort of political motives behind this farce? (old.reddit.com)
My fiances dad has less than 48 hours to live due to kidney/liver/heart failure from alcoholism, how can I help the next 48 hours, and the days after that (old.reddit.com)
Why did American founders direct all of their anger in the Declaration of Independence towards the king, when every decision they had a grievance with was made by the parliament? (old.reddit.com)
You're offered the ability to absorb the knowledge of any book you touch instantly, but the way it works is that time freezes and won't unfreeze until you finish reading the book cover to cover, do you accept this power/curse? Why or why not ? (old.reddit.com)
Could your typical soldier in an 18th or early 19th century firing line do anything to increase their odds of survival in battle short of running away? Standing in a rigid line, it seems like nothing except pure luck could keep you safe from a bullet or a cannonball. (old.reddit.com)
Trickster deities appear prominently in the traditions of cultures around the world. From Hermes to Kokopelli to Loki and beyond, they are both familiar in their original context and now influential in pop culture. To what degree have those entities influenced Bugs Bunny's character in Looney Tunes? (old.reddit.com)
When girls say they prefer guys who can have an intelligent conversation, what exactly are they referring to? What is meant by this 'intelligent conversation'? (old.reddit.com)
Why are conservative Christians against social policies like welfare when Jesus talked about feeding the hungry and sheltering the homless? (old.reddit.com)
Have you ever felt a need to overdress (example - put a hoodie on) in your own house because of the male members of the family? How did that make you feel? (old.reddit.com)
During the revolutionary war, both the British and Americans promised freedom to slaves who fought on their behalf. How well did each side keep this promise? (old.reddit.com)
I’ve read that feudalism is no longer the preferred term for the medieval social/economic system. Why is that? What term is used in its place? (old.reddit.com)
Are there any animals besides humans that experience sleep walking? Specifically some of the more complex behaviors people have been known to engage in while sleep walking. (old.reddit.com)
Why do Americans have storage units? Is this a Western thing? Why not just build a storage place at your house and store your belongings rather than pay a monthly fee on a storage unit? (old.reddit.com)
Historians rightly point out that Cortés' invasion of Mexico was incomplete and only possible thanks to native allies. Yet, can we explain the fact that Tlaxcala saw a relatively small force of foreigners as an opportunity to rebel without admitting military superiority on the part of the Spanish? (old.reddit.com)
Marcus Aurelius is probably the most well known ancient stoic leader, but what actual policies did he enact that reflected his stoic philosophy? (old.reddit.com)
Gary Webb famously died of two gun shot wounds to the head and his death that was ruled a suicide, is the common sense notion that this was clearly assassination true? (old.reddit.com)