# Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=34 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 35 --- ## [How are shrunken heads made?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-shrunken-heads-made/697369)
**Author:** [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-shrunken-heads-made/697369 "2014-09-05T16:00:39Z")
A Cecil column from 1998: How are shrunken heads made? - The Straight Dope And a related discussion: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=389400&highlight=jivaro Not much Wiki info on the Jivaro: Jivaro… --- ## [losing hymen on roller coaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-hymen-on-roller-coaster/696884)
**Author:** [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/losing-hymen-on-roller-coaster/696884 "2014-09-01T15:50:56Z")
In this week’s column about a girl losing her hymen on a roller coaster, Cecil states: Newer roller coasters may have smoother rides, but older wooden frame roller coasters can be very bumpy. I friend of mine injured … --- ## [Stress during pregnancy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-during-pregnancy/696195)
**Author:** [@mlewitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlewitt)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stress-during-pregnancy/696195 "2014-09-01T18:45:35Z")
Association doesn’t mean causation. If you studied stressors in pregnancy (natural disasters, death of family members, etc.), and looked for 20 possible outcomes (IQ less than 100, autism (however defined), being short,… --- ## [8/15/2014 column: Does advertising work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-15-2014-column-does-advertising-work/695600)
**Author:** [@2nd\_Law](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2nd_Law)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-15-2014-column-does-advertising-work/695600 "2014-08-31T03:31:18Z")
First, a link to the column: I don’t know if it’s just me or my browser (chrome), but I’m not seeing Slug’s artwork. What’s up with that? --- ## [Can a Cloud Weigh as much as a 747?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cloud-weigh-as-much-as-a-747/696489)
**Author:** [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2014, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cloud-weigh-as-much-as-a-747/696489 "2014-08-30T06:33:30Z")
linky linky I believe what the master is trying to say is density. A cloud contains a lot of mass, and weighs a lot, but it’s not very dense. A cloud falling on you isn’t going to hurt all that much. There is a differe… --- ## [Aging More Slowly at Pole or Equator?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aging-more-slowly-at-pole-or-equator/696037)
**Author:** [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 29, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aging-more-slowly-at-pole-or-equator/696037 "2014-08-29T19:04:48Z")
The Master said, “(9) The special relativistic effect in #4 exactly cancels the general relativistic effect in #8. In other words, people at the pole and at the equator age at the same rate.” Exactly? The two are gover… --- ## [Maybe the warm smell of calichhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-the-warm-smell-of-calichhe/696802)
**Author:** [@twdollars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twdollars)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 29, 2014, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/maybe-the-warm-smell-of-calichhe/696802 "2014-08-29T00:10:21Z")
Caliche -crusted calcium carbonate formed on certain soils in dry regions by evaporation or rising solutions… warm smell of caliche rising up in the air :slight\_smile: --- ## [Re: Why can't you buy turkey eggs in stores?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-cant-you-buy-turkey-eggs-in-stores/696123)
**Author:** [@Little\_Brother\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Brother_1)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [August 24, 2014, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-why-cant-you-buy-turkey-eggs-in-stores/696123 "2014-08-24T23:27:55Z")
This may have been a burning question in March, 1998, but I have a newer burning question of my own. Admittedly this is off the top of my head, but it seems to me that there’s been a “boom” in turkey-based products in r… --- ## [Re: Is Time Travel Possible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-is-time-travel-possible/694627)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [August 22, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-is-time-travel-possible/694627 "2014-08-22T19:52:11Z")
Here. I just wanted to point out, that I have at least three nitpicks about this article:). One, and this one is perhaps the more lighthearted of the three, Mr. Adams says that apparently time travelers have never ven… --- ## [Space Travel](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-travel/695898)
**Author:** [@familyman207](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/familyman207)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [August 22, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-travel/695898 "2014-08-22T05:43:25Z")
On Oct 26, 2000 a guest - Coulter, UCLA asked about rocket propulsion and how it works…. Sighting that, “as there is no atmosphere in space for the rocket to push against, what does it push against?” This is a question … --- ## [GMO Foods: No one can seriously dispute what?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmo-foods-no-one-can-seriously-dispute-what/694571)
**Author:** [@hblask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hblask)\ **Replies:** 221\ **Last updated:** [August 21, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gmo-foods-no-one-can-seriously-dispute-what/694571 "2014-08-21T00:06:42Z")
In the post on GMO foods, one of the lines is: No one can seriously dispute the public’s right to know the GMO content of consumer products The rest of the article is devoted to pointing out that there is no evidence o… --- ## [Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-ben-and-aunt-jemima/695309)
**Author:** [@rasil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rasil)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2014, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uncle-ben-and-aunt-jemima/695309 "2014-08-11T16:35:49Z")
You are incorrect in stating that Aunt Jemima never existed. Both she and Uncle Ben were reality. Check the lawsuit posted today regarding Aunt Jemima. --- ## [tangled in knots](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tangled-in-knots/695144)
**Author:** [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 9, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tangled-in-knots/695144 "2014-08-09T17:24:29Z")
Today’s column discusses why things like ropes and strings tend to get tangled in knots. Some observations from handling extension cords - the process of coiling a rope, cord, etc induces twists along the length of the … --- ## [European Domination](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-domination/182644)
**Author:** [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-domination/182644 "2014-08-07T06:14:49Z")
I read with interest the article here: How come Europeans dominated the rest of the world and not vice versa? http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a970620.html That topic is one I’ve wondered about, too, and I’ve come… --- ## [Falling bullets, a danger or not? Mythbusters says...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets-a-danger-or-not-mythbusters-says/692707)
**Author:** [@ClaytonDelaney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ClaytonDelaney)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [August 5, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/falling-bullets-a-danger-or-not-mythbusters-says/692707 "2014-08-05T16:15:23Z")
According to the Mythbusters Results webpage, the verdict is- “In the case of a bullet fired at a precisely vertical angle (something extremely difficult for a human being to duplicate), the bullet would tumble, lose it… --- ## [Response: Is chiropractic for real or just quackery?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/response-is-chiropractic-for-real-or-just-quackery/692742)
**Author:** [@chirodrivencare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chirodrivencare)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [July 30, 2014, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/response-is-chiropractic-for-real-or-just-quackery/692742 "2014-07-30T13:48:03Z")
Hi Cecil: I would like to clear up some old wives tales about chiropractic that many people still believe to be true. Perhaps, after the clarification you will have a better understanding about the profession of chirop… --- ## [The accuracy of 'accuracywise'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-accuracy-of-accuracywise/694217)
**Author:** [@Occa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Occa)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-accuracy-of-accuracywise/694217 "2014-07-28T15:47:42Z")
I notice that the all caps disclaimer at the bottom of each post written by people other than Cecil uses the ‘word’ “accuracywise”. I’m surprised no one’s picked up on this. --- ## [droit du seigneur](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/droit-du-seigneur/684216)
**Author:** [@yehudaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yehudaz)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [July 27, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/droit-du-seigneur/684216 "2014-07-27T19:39:48Z")
Well, in the Book of Maccabees (which was written shortly after the events recorded occurred), it says that the Greek ruler of the Modi’in area in Israel did insist on droit du seigneur, which was one of the triggers to … --- ## [Meditation - Buddha - Hotei](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meditation-buddha-hotei/694155)
**Author:** [@doncunnion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doncunnion)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 27, 2014, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meditation-buddha-hotei/694155 "2014-07-27T12:15:25Z")
Hotei was a Zen monk (per Zen Flesh/Zen Bones) who traveled around and demanded a penny from anyone he met. He then purchased food and candy which he distributed to the children. --- ## [What's the Likelihood of Suffocating a Child Sleeping in your Bed](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-likelihood-of-suffocating-a-child-sleeping-in-your-bed/693421)
**Author:** [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-likelihood-of-suffocating-a-child-sleeping-in-your-bed/693421 "2014-07-26T19:21:00Z")
In the column What’s the Likelihood of Suffocating a Child Sleeping in your Bed, Cecil poo-pooed the idea it was dangerous: A recent news article in the Daily Mail has just reported a case in Great Britain. According t… --- ## [What happens if the Earth stops spinning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-the-earth-stops-spinning/693217)
**Author:** [@sbunny8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbunny8)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-the-earth-stops-spinning/693217 "2014-07-26T13:01:43Z")
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1229/what-happens-if-the-earth-stops-spinning This was discussed in the General Questions forum recently, but I can’t find any thread about it under Comments on Cecil’s Columns. … --- ## [Certified Organic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-organic/693448)
**Author:** [@lonv166](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonv166)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certified-organic/693448 "2014-07-26T02:14:47Z")
I certainly cannot dispute your answer, but perhaps a bit more information may be of interest. We have an organic garden, but the difference is that not only have we never applied any chemicals, living memory (pre-1935) … --- ## [Smell vs kill?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smell-vs-kill/694003)
**Author:** [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2014, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smell-vs-kill/694003 "2014-07-25T12:22:52Z")
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1240/how-do-they-know-what-lethal-gases-smell-like On a similar vein. As I am a sufferer of gout I morbidly looked up the lethal dose of Colchicine vs therapeutic dose. The gap … --- ## [How many sponges do I need so I can soak up the Pacific Ocean and walk to Hawaii?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-sponges-do-i-need-so-i-can-soak-up-the-pacific-ocean-and-walk-to-hawaii/693771)
**Author:** [@dopefan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dopefan)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-sponges-do-i-need-so-i-can-soak-up-the-pacific-ocean-and-walk-to-hawaii/693771 "2014-07-24T16:20:42Z")
I guess you answered the question okay but you really only need to soak up enough Pacific Ocean water to create a land bridge, which would be way less than the whole ocean. LINK TO COLUMN: How many sponges do I need so… --- ## [Bravo, Una!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bravo-una/693462)
**Author:** [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 19, 2014, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bravo-una/693462 "2014-07-19T22:28:45Z")
In today’s otherwise meh column, I wanted to compliment this truly brilliant response: --- ## [Club Stores](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/club-stores/692947)
**Author:** [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [July 18, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/club-stores/692947 "2014-07-18T02:29:52Z")
For what it’s worth, wholesale stores that I have shopped in won’t let you join because a condition of their local permits and planning permission is that they aren’t running a retail store. Which is fair enough, beca… --- ## [Is Fibromyalgia a real disease?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fibromyalgia-a-real-disease/468437)
**Author:** [@Crosswind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crosswind)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 17, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-fibromyalgia-a-real-disease/468437 "2014-07-17T20:20:29Z")
Pardons for the typing and spelling. In my neck of the woods (eastern part of New York State), the disease discussed is usually a red flag that the individual has Lyme disease, as Lyme is such a great mimmicker of so m… --- ## [runcibility](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runcibility/356233)
**Author:** [@Creek.Feet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creek.Feet)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [July 17, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/runcibility/356233 "2014-07-17T20:02:16Z")
Cecil’s column of November 8, 1996, is a stirring defense of the nonsensicallity of the word “runcible.” Since “runcible” is pure nonsense, the people who claim that a runcible spoon is the same as a “spork” should be ru… --- ## [Why are gays attracted to members of the same sex who look like the opposite sex?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-gays-attracted-to-members-of-the-same-sex-who-look-like-the-opposite-sex/692360)
**Author:** [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [July 17, 2014, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-gays-attracted-to-members-of-the-same-sex-who-look-like-the-opposite-sex/692360 "2014-07-17T17:31:09Z")
The Great Master’s recent column on “Why are gays attracted to members of the same sex who look like the opposite sex?” could have mentioned that straight people don’t necessarily look for oppositely-gendered traits in t… --- ## [Avoiding Getting Old](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-getting-old/692919)
**Author:** [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [July 14, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-getting-old/692919 "2014-07-14T16:40:20Z")
This week’s column had a callback to a 2009 column on how to avoid getting old. While I remember the column, this time through sparks two comments. First, Cecil said: The problem with sleeping too long appears to be … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=35)