# Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=94 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 95 --- ## [Straight lines on the Earth](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-lines-on-the-earth/517971)
**Author:** [@replying](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/replying)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-lines-on-the-earth/517971 "2010-01-25T21:03:13Z")
Cecil said that the straight line that surveyors measure by sighting between aligned landmarks, a line known as a “great circle”, isn’ t a straight line. Wrong. A great circle is universally agreed to be what a “straight… --- ## [On consciousness after beheading](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-consciousness-after-beheading/525322)
**Author:** [@fishhead410](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishhead410)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-consciousness-after-beheading/525322 "2010-01-25T20:49:56Z")
It took me a while but I finally realized (I think) that there is no way a person could remain conscious for more than a few seconds after being beheaded. The reason is loss of perfusion pressure. I am not a doctor, but… --- ## [Corporate personhood](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-personhood/526159)
**Author:** [@maxh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maxh)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2010, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/corporate-personhood/526159 "2010-01-25T09:07:18Z")
Crap. --- ## [Can I legally publish posts made by someone on a message board?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-legally-publish-posts-made-by-someone-on-a-message-board/505454)
**Author:** [@Level3Navigator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Level3Navigator)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [January 22, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-legally-publish-posts-made-by-someone-on-a-message-board/505454 "2010-01-22T21:15:45Z")
This is an update to the question originally answered by Cecil here Can you legally publish a letter someone wrote to you in which he states that you would need the author’s permission to publish a letter they wrote to y… --- ## [On the origins of QWERTY](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-origins-of-qwerty/525526)
**Author:** [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 21, 2010, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-the-origins-of-qwerty/525526 "2010-01-21T20:54:18Z")
(In reference to this column .) My boss once told me (\*) that one factor in laying out the QWERTY keyboard was that one manufacturer of typewriters (he said “Remington”) wanted their salesmen to be able to easily demons… --- ## [To save energy, should you turn lights off or leave them on?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-save-energy-should-you-turn-lights-off-or-leave-them-on/525055)
**Author:** [@Earthlyreason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthlyreason)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 21, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-save-energy-should-you-turn-lights-off-or-leave-them-on/525055 "2010-01-21T14:51:29Z")
Sorry to puncture your upholding of an old wives’ tale, but that yarn about fluorescent light bulbs taking more energy to turn off and on again than running for 15 minutes was put to the sword by our friends at Mythbuste… --- ## [Has anybody's question been published in Cecil's column?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybodys-question-been-published-in-cecils-column/525179)
**Author:** [@PokerAKQJT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PokerAKQJT)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 21, 2010, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anybodys-question-been-published-in-cecils-column/525179 "2010-01-21T05:49:45Z")
If so, what question did you ask and do you want to post the link? What great questions have you asked Cecil that did not end up in the column? --- ## [Boys and Girls, there's lies, damn lies, and statistics. From the Monty Hall Problem olumn](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-and-girls-theres-lies-damn-lies-and-statistics-from-the-monty-hall-problem-olumn/525295)
**Author:** [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [January 21, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boys-and-girls-theres-lies-damn-lies-and-statistics-from-the-monty-hall-problem-olumn/525295 "2010-01-21T02:45:22Z")
Okay so in a discussion with a friend both Monty Hall problem and the two siblings with a specified gender of one came up. Specifically discussed in: On “Let’s Make a Deal,” you pick Door #1. Monty opens Door #2 — no pr… --- ## [Why do men have nipples?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/525517)
**Author:** [@Fatal\_Finality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatal_Finality)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 20, 2010, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-have-nipples/525517 "2010-01-20T02:27:14Z")
I actually did read before that men could feed their young if they were determined enough to manually stimulate lactation! Whether this is true, I do not know. However, there ARE medications that can cause men to lacta… --- ## [About Cats rescued by Fire Brigade](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-cats-rescued-by-fire-brigade/524148)
**Author:** [@NigelWaring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NigelWaring)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [January 19, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-cats-rescued-by-fire-brigade/524148 "2010-01-19T01:44:05Z")
About 20-25 years ago in UK the firemen were on strike and army personnel took over their duties. One crew of soldiers rescued a cat, the little old lady was so pleased that she gave them tea and scones. As they left t… --- ## [Firefighter Variety](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighter-variety/525377)
**Author:** [@peedekk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedekk)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 18, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/firefighter-variety/525377 "2010-01-18T01:26:07Z")
Triggered from the column on Firefighter cat savings: Do fire departments actually rescue cats from trees? - The Straight Dope This happened recently in New Zealand, a tourist became stuck in a public toilet and had the… --- ## [What altitude = triple point of H20 on Earth?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-altitude-triple-point-of-h20-on-earth/525117)
**Author:** [@Cfidel99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cfidel99)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-altitude-triple-point-of-h20-on-earth/525117 "2010-01-16T11:48:57Z")
Just curious about this one: Since we understand h20’s “triple point” to be 0.006 atmospheres, and the fact that elevation has an effect on atmospheric pressure, at what elevation on Earth(if any) would h20’s triple poi… --- ## [Penile Fracture](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penile-fracture/525126)
**Author:** [@General\_Derangement](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/General_Derangement)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penile-fracture/525126 "2010-01-15T21:43:34Z")
A classic example of things you don’t want to know, but by the time you realize you don’t want to know, it’s too late because you already know. I know this is the way the Straight Dope rolls, but seriously… this makes … --- ## [Police Psychics](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-psychics/525060)
**Author:** [@Ebee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ebee)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/police-psychics/525060 "2010-01-15T17:23:40Z")
Following on from an article about physics who assist the police, if the physics are so capable, how come non of them have found Madeline McCann. I was so angry to have bought a magazine where a physic claimed to have a… --- ## [What do Scotsmen wear under their kilts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-scotsmen-wear-under-their-kilts/524912)
**Author:** [@Scotadrift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scotadrift)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-scotsmen-wear-under-their-kilts/524912 "2010-01-14T14:39:31Z")
I feel obliged, as I live in Scotland and am Scottish, to dispell any lingering doubt as to the validity of the claim made on “What do Scotsmen wear under their kilts?”. The answer, for any self respecting Scot anyway, i… --- ## [Year Zero](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-zero/522934)
**Author:** [@JoeDeRose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeDeRose)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/year-zero/522934 "2010-01-14T01:16:53Z")
C’mon Cecil, I feel certain that you know the details. Why withhold them from your readers? An argument can certainly be made that decades, centuries, millennia begin in the year ending with “1” (1991, 1901, 2001) just… --- ## [On Stolen Kidneys, & something lower down](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-stolen-kidneys-something-lower-down/524443)
**Author:** [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [January 13, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-stolen-kidneys-something-lower-down/524443 "2010-01-13T20:35:28Z")
In Unca Cecil’s classic column We discuss modern kidney thieving. But something analogous happened much, much earlier. Just a little more important to most men than their kidneys. This link leads to a website that p… --- ## [Recycling](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling/523766)
**Author:** [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling/523766 "2010-01-11T18:18:57Z")
A while ago, I watched an episode of P&T’s BS about recycling. It was one of their first episodes and it stuck with me. I did my own research, found that although they do go for entertainment, this was well researched.… --- ## [best place to avoid getting killed in a nuclear war](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-to-avoid-getting-killed-in-a-nuclear-war/523285)
**Author:** [@elsurexiste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elsurexiste)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [January 11, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-to-avoid-getting-killed-in-a-nuclear-war/523285 "2010-01-11T16:54:30Z")
Tierra del Fuego is not godforsaken! Having been there myself, I can say that Tierra del Fuego is a cool place to wait for your almost certain demise: there’s natural gas, forests, sea, rivers, mountains, lots of beavers… --- ## [bobbing pigeon heads...more theory](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbing-pigeon-heads-more-theory/203277)
**Author:** [@lungewhipqueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lungewhipqueen)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2010, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bobbing-pigeon-heads-more-theory/203277 "2010-01-10T21:25:55Z")
Was reading some of the archived articles and found the discussion on ‘why do pigeons bob their heads’ question rather interesting. Our dear Cecil maintains that it is a means to maintain balance. Others are opposed to t… --- ## [penny dropped from Empire state building](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-dropped-from-empire-state-building/521628)
**Author:** [@mkmkmk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkmkmk)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [January 10, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penny-dropped-from-empire-state-building/521628 "2010-01-10T17:54:16Z")
see Mythbusters. They did this experiment and the terminal velocity of a falling penny precludes it being dangeerous --- ## [Are there twice as many terrorist incidents in the U.S. as in Italy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-twice-as-many-terrorist-incidents-in-the-u-s-as-in-italy/521654)
**Author:** [@Pascal666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pascal666)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2010, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-twice-as-many-terrorist-incidents-in-the-u-s-as-in-italy/521654 "2010-01-09T08:51:57Z")
Are there twice as many terrorist incidents in the U.S. as in Italy? Anyone know the name of the ex-CIA agent? --- ## [Once undesireable fish served in fine restaurants.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-undesireable-fish-served-in-fine-restaurants/522549)
**Author:** [@enmity01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enmity01)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2010, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-undesireable-fish-served-in-fine-restaurants/522549 "2010-01-09T02:14:08Z")
Regarding this week’s column: Are upscale restaurants serving ugly fish?, Cecil missed an opportunity to answer that in ways that would befuddle and bemuse many a seafood snob. Lobsters were once caught almost exclusive… --- ## [Anti Radiation Pills](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-radiation-pills/524102)
**Author:** [@robertkillen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robertkillen)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-radiation-pills/524102 "2010-01-08T23:48:15Z")
Here is part of an article about real anti radiation pills. The first series of tests included experiments on more than 650 monkeys. Each test featured two groups of monkeys exposed to radiation, but only one group was … --- ## [Do ptocopy machines emit radiationh](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ptocopy-machines-emit-radiationh/524150)
**Author:** [@feenberg\_nber.org](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/feenberg_nber.org)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ptocopy-machines-emit-radiationh/524150 "2010-01-08T16:00:46Z")
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/213/do-photocopy-machines-emit-radiation The interlock on high speed Xerox machines had another purpose. The per copy charge was higher for single copies than multiple copies of … --- ## [Why no blue human hair?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-blue-human-hair/522812)
**Author:** [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2010, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-blue-human-hair/522812 "2010-01-08T14:22:02Z")
Blue is actually a big deal in the animal world. Apparently blue is a hard color combination to come by. Male bower birds are always on the lookout for blue objects when building their bowers. The biggest problem is tha… --- ## [Is my household smoke detector emitting radioactive rays?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-household-smoke-detector-emitting-radioactive-rays/523657)
**Author:** [@MTCDaveO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCDaveO)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [January 6, 2010, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-my-household-smoke-detector-emitting-radioactive-rays/523657 "2010-01-06T04:14:51Z")
In the '70s when I worked with radioactive sources, we were told that the allowable annual radiation exposure (set by the NRC) was 5,000 millirems. Cecil mentioned in this column that the normal background radiation in … --- ## [Cecil omits the main environmental problem with farmed salmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-omits-the-main-environmental-problem-with-farmed-salmon/523103)
**Author:** [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [January 4, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-omits-the-main-environmental-problem-with-farmed-salmon/523103 "2010-01-04T02:01:12Z")
Column in question, in which he says: Sure, but worse than that is that the farmed salmon are fed on wild fish. As it takes 2-4kg of fish to make 1kg of salmon, farmed salmon are actually worse for fish stocks than wil… --- ## [Slug and Smokey Stover](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slug-and-smokey-stover/523452)
**Author:** [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 3, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slug-and-smokey-stover/523452 "2010-01-03T19:14:42Z")
This week’s column by Cecil, What’s up with compostable plastics?, has an illustration by the illustrious slug. If I’m not mistaken, the front of the Zamboni-like machine says “Stover/2010.” Is this a silent nod to the… --- ## [What's up with compostable plastics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-compostable-plastics/523476)
**Author:** [@sethsnyder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sethsnyder)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 3, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-compostable-plastics/523476 "2010-01-03T04:02:34Z")
Cecil: A couple of points about you column :“What’s up with compostable plastics?”. Dow sold its have of the joint venture to Cargill several years ago. Cargill-Dow is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill called "N… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=93) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/comments-on-cecils-columns-staff-reports/7.md?page=95)