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Posted by /u/Playergh

Did Italian soldiers in the Second World War consume more water than other armies because they had to boil pasta?

The notorious board/war game The Campaign for North Africa has, among its numerous small details, the rule that the Italians consume more water than the others because they use it to boil pasta. Is this increased water consumption supported by sources, and did the Italians even…

Posted by /u/Arthur-reborn

How common was it in Vietnam to avoid being drafted by the Army by joining the Navy/Air force first?

My dad came from a poor family and turned 18 right at the height of the Vietnam era drafts. He knew he was most likely going to be drafted and there wasn't much he could do about it. So him and his brother both signed onto the Navy before he could get a draft notice. He ended up…

Posted by /u/Wild0TT3R

How comfortable were people with nudity and mixed-gender settings in medieval Europe (14th–15th centuries) (Bath)?

Hi, And more specifically, during bathing time? Of course, in an era when religion and its precepts held great sway, I can easily imagine that public nudity was not well tolerated. But what about when people went to the public bathhouse, or any other place for washing the body?…

Posted by /u/optiplex9000

My father grew up in a small town in the US in the 70s. He told me a story where he was able to call home from his school by dialing just 4 numbers. When did phone calls start requiring 7 numbers like 555-5555 instead of just 5555?

Posted by /u/CatsDoingCrime

What is the current consensus on the historicity of the Trojan War?

In honor of a... certain movie that recently came out, I started to wonder: what actually is the current historical consensus on the Trojan war? I know for a while historians thought it was largely mythical, but then the actual city of Troy was found (and the guy who found it da…

Posted by /u/Courcheval_Royale

"In World War 2, city of Pittsburgh produced more steel than all of Germany/Axis" Is it a claim based on actual research,or is it another example of anecdotal evidence becoming popularized?

Posted by /u/Nice_Substance9123

Jesus’ harshest words in the gospels wasn’t towards prostitutes, other religions, or undocumented immigrants. Jesus’ harshest words were towards the rich and religious who used God’s words to justify exploitation and oppression. Yet many w…

I encourage everyone to read the bible more and learn more about what Jesus actually taught 🙏

Posted by /u/faithhopeandbread

Did most Europeans really think war was exciting and heroic before World War 1?

This is something I hear all the time regarding the first World War: Up until then wars were quick, heroic and romantic ways to earn prestige and bolster your nation's standing on the world stage; only once the horrors of trench warfare &c. were fully realized did that perceptio…

Posted by /u/peenaculada

When George Washington said ‘banditti,’ who exactly was he picturing?

Reading a book about Washington and he uses the word a lot, usually in reference to frontier warfare and Indians but it strikes me that the loan word had its own associations rooted in Italian history and geography. Wikipedia says the word bandit entered English from Italian cir…

Posted by /u/Mr_Emperor

Was there a domestic ornamental rug making tradition in Medieval Europe? What types of patterns were common and who would have access to them?

Central Asia is famous for its luxurious "Persian" rugs that are in high demand even today with cultures from Afghanistan, to Northern Africa and beyond having ornamental rugs in regular people's homes, often as replacements for furniture. And I think about Spanish New Mexico wh…

Posted by /u/haevow

Did the average slave see slavery as an inevitability?

From what I know, most slaves generally did not buy into the narrative that slavery was natural, just or “the only system that works”, unlike the many ways capitalist ideology works today. But that leads me to wonder, even if slaves did not belive that the practice of slavery wa…

Posted by /u/bileelthorkva

What was Canada's response to the AIDS crisis?

As a Canadian who's also queer, I've only ever learned about the response to the AIDS crisis that the US made, never the response my own country made. What did the Canadian government and healthcare system do? What was the response by queer people and other victims of AIDS at th…

Posted by /u/Milagaia2

My father threatens to hit me and leave marks if I keep praying, so I just hide the fact that I’m praying and pray in secret. Is it a sin to pray in secret out of fear? What should I do?

I also pray in my head without talking or closing the eyes or doing the cross sign.

Posted by /u/Owl_And_Bunny

Why do Orthodox Christians emphasize their Orthodox identity?

Hello, Sometimes, while browsing the internet, I come across conversations between people from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. There is something I have noticed. Orthodox Christians do not simply say that they are Christian; they often make a point of emphasizing tha…