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What is the oldest dated book?

Q&A What is the oldest dated book? • SHORT ANSWER A 1,150-year-old copy of the Diamond Sutra is our shining example • LONG ANSWER In 1900, tens of thousands of preserved ancient manuscripts were discovered in the Mogoa Caves, or the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas, in northwest China. Among them was a copy of […]

Who were the White House Plumbers?

Q&A Who were the White House Plumbers? • SHORT ANSWER The Watergate scandal broke thanks, in part, to a bunch of ‘plumbers’ who could not fix leaks • LONG ANSWER When five burglars were caught in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters at Washington DC’s Watergate complex on the night of 17 June 1972, it […]

What were the origins of the ninja?

• Q&A: YOU ASK, WE ANSWER HISTORY’S GREATEST CONUNDRUMS AND MYSTERIES SOLVED What were the origins of the ninja? • SHORT ANSWER The ongoing wars of feudal Japan needed fighters willing to do things the samurai wouldn’t • LONG ANSWER There are some elements of the typical movie ninja that have to be discarded. The […]