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Posted by /u/Impressive_Jello_909

When was 'Space' first called 'Space ', and what was it called before?

Who actually coined the term 'Space'? I find it weird to think that there was a time when people looked at the sky and would call it something other than space. I assume that in different cultures it was called different things, but when did it become more universally known as '…

Posted by /u/PneumaticFizz

If someone died in 1905 at 65 of 'exhaustion,' is that diagnosis likely accurate? Or is it potentially a euphemism or a misdiagnosis?

I have an ancestor who died under the title's circumstances and was curious if this was an antiquated term. There was a great deal of stress and generational trauma in his life, so it seems entirely plausible that he died from exhaustion, but was curious if there was any precede…

Posted by /u/morbihann

Was "the beach" ever used recreationally i the middle ages?

So beaches obviously have always been useful for various activities scavange of washed out cargo, easy place to go in and with boats, etc.) but I got curious, is there any evidence of medieval people ever going to the beach for leisure. I cant imagine tanning was that needed, gi…

Posted by /u/ShotFromGuns

What do we know about how enslaved people in the U.S. dealt with hot weather?

As I'm sitting here during yet another 90°F+ heatwave, it occurs to me that if it sucks this much to be doing white-collar work in a dark room with fans, cold water, and the knowledge I can go somewhere air conditioned at any time, it must have been unimaginably worse for people…

Posted by /u/Reebok_MF_classics

Why are Māoris considered indigenous but Falklanders aren’t?

As I understand it, the Māori were originally a people from across the sea who sailed to New Zealand, an uninhabited island at the time, and then began settling it. They formed a bond with the land when it was empty, and, as such, are correctly and universally considered the ind…

Posted by /u/screwyoushadowban

The idea of Catholic politicians being controlled by the Pope has long been a favorite conspiracy theory of Protestants well into the 20th century. How much did the heads of state of Catholic-majority countries from 1850-1950 *actually* ca…

This is a period of time where the Papal States are being (or about to be) gobbled up by Italian Nationalism and Europe is hurtling into modernity. So a long ways away from the heydey of Papal influence it seems. How much did secular leaders of Catholic countries, especially if…

Posted by /u/sciguy11

During the partition of India, many Muslims opted to remain Indians. For the non-wealthy ones, what were their reasons?

Common views are that the very poor remained (as they couldn't afford to make the journey), as well as some of the elite (who had land and other assets). Were there any other perspectives on staying in India?

Posted by /u/CalendarAncient4230

Does Trump have an heir to take over MAGA when he's gone?

Do you think Trump has an heir apparent, or is it one of those things where no one in Washington dares talk about it for fear of reminding Trump of his mortality/term limits? I know the obvious answer is Vance, but Vance does not wield the same kind of fear and influence that Tr…

Posted by /u/Strelochka

Why is space conceptualized as a sea?

It's spaceships, star sailors, fleets and so on, even though space is 3D for navigational purposes and the sea is effectively 2D for everything but submersibles, rockets obviously fly and have to go through the sky first to get to space, and the first astronauts were all trained…

Posted by /u/Bn_scarpia

Prior to Einstein, who have been the idiomatic "geniuses" in American/English culture?

What prompted this question was listening to the Scarecrow's song "If I Only Had a Brain" in 'The Wizard of Oz': "With the thoughts that you'll be thinkin' You could be another Lincoln If you only had a brain." It seems that Lincoln was used here as an example of extreme smarts.…

Posted by /u/NewMaleperduis

How did one-room schoolhouses work?

I know one-room schoolhouses (where one teacher taught multiple grades at once) were the norm in many rural areas for much of the 19th and early 20th centuries. But as a city slicker, I can't imagine how that would actually work since the teacher can only do one thing at a time.…

Posted by /u/Tatem1961

Why were History classes replaced with Social Studies in America?

Posted by /u/optiplex9000

How were Chinese Americans treated during WW2?

Posted by /u/slasher_dib

[ Removed by Reddit ]

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Posted by /u/grzybeczek

Did peasants ever go away on holiday?

In today's day and age travelling abroad, or at least to a seaside town is more accessible than ever (at least in Europe where I'm posting from). While not absolutely everyone can afford it, a vast majority of the working class is able to travel away from home at least occasiona…

Posted by /u/demureape

thinking of leaving islam for orthodoxy

for context i converted to islam April 2023. nothing really specifically has shaken my faith. it’s not like all of a sudden the religion or its history doesn’t make sense anymore, nor am i unhappy with any of the rules. it’s just that i don’t feel like i belong in islam and can…

Posted by /u/LionTiger3

Did Chinese scholars come to any of the same conclusions as the Greeks on axioms of geometry? If they came to different conclusions, what was the reasoning?

I hear about the Greek development of geometry, but not Chinese geometry. Chinese scholars worked on geometry around the same time as the Greeks, but independently from the Greeks. Euclid developed basic ideas. Did Chinese scholars come to the same conclusions as the Greeks? If…