/u/Obversa's posts
How did "James" become such a common name for pirates in history, literature, TV, and film? Is there any link between King James I/VI of England, the Stuart dynasty, or the Jacobites to pirate mythology, or is the name common simply because "James" happens to be a popular name?
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The champion show jumping Thoroughbred horse, Gem Twist, stood at 16.3 hands high. However, two identical clones of Gem Twist - Gemini CL and Murka's Gem - both stand at 15.2 hands high. Is it common for clones to be smaller than their DNA donor?
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In "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse", Jasper Hale - born Jasper Whitlock in Houston, Texas, in 1844 - is stated to have "joined the Confederate Army before he turned 17", and became "the youngest Confederate major in Texas" by the time he turned 19 in 1863. How historically accurate is this backstory?
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How historically accurate is the TV show "Bonfire of Destiny", also known in French as "Le Bazar de la Charité" (2019), in its depiction of the 1897 Bazar de la Charité fire in Paris, which claimed 126 lives, and the political aftermath of the fire in France?
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With scientists speculating that the Amazon rainforest will transition back to "grassland or plains" in the future, do you think will we see the re-evolution of terror birds?
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The phrase "being a guinea pig" means to be a test subject. Per some sources, this is due to guinea pigs being used in scientific experiments as early as the 18th century (1700s). However, multiple animal species were also used in experiments. Why did "guinea pig" become the preferred term?
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Modern day-passenger ships are required to have layout maps of the ship displayed on-board for safety reasons, including evacuation routes. Did the RMS Titanic have any publicly available maps of the ship on-board for passengers? If not, when were these maps first implemented?
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In the United States (US), a 'diary' refers to a journal, or a private record of events, thoughts, and feelings. However, in the United Kingdom (UK), a 'diary' refers to a day planner or datebook for keeping track of events. How, when, and why did this divergence in definition arise?
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In the "Harry Potter" series, the castle fortress of Hogwarts is noted to have been built sometime around 990 AD in the Highlands of Scotland, with co-founder Rowena Ravenclaw being based on the Anglo-Saxon princess Rowena. What would Scotland and England have been like around this time period?
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Augustin Vérot (1804 – 1876), the first Catholic Bishop of St. Augustine in Florida, publicly defended slavery and the Confederacy in widely-distributed pamphlets during the Civil War, earning him the title the "Rebel Bishop" as a result. How did Vérot's sermons on slavery influence Southerners?
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