# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1061 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1062 --- ## [How tall would a 630 foot object appear from 3 miles away?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-would-a-630-foot-object-appear-from-3-miles-away/727786)
**Author:** [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-would-a-630-foot-object-appear-from-3-miles-away/727786 "2015-08-16T16:04:09Z")
So if you’re standing 3 miles from a 630 foot tall object. What is it’s apparent height? What is the general formula for this? --- ## [Exterior Painting Question: Topcoat times](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-painting-question-topcoat-times/727888)
**Author:** [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exterior-painting-question-topcoat-times/727888 "2015-08-16T12:51:09Z")
I’m wondering what the consensus wisdom on this is. Today I painted the front door. Due to a miscommunication, I painted the door and the trim (which is substantial, as the door has full sidelites left and right). Using… --- ## [Homemade suicide helmet, how did this work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-suicide-helmet-how-did-this-work/727923)
**Author:** [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homemade-suicide-helmet-how-did-this-work/727923 "2015-08-16T06:16:22Z")
\[Album\] Suicide Helmet Pics have no gore, just pictures of a 40 ye… --- ## [How do you volunteer for jury duty?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376)
**Author:** [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Replies:** 97\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-volunteer-for-jury-duty/549376 "2015-08-16T06:07:14Z")
I have some off time coming up and I was thinking one way I could use it was to finally do jury duty. Like most Americans, I’ve been avoiding it my whole life. Now, since I have time, it seems like a good idea. Who woul… --- ## [How many attempts through the Chunnel are successful i.e. no arrests? Are there any statistics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-attempts-through-the-chunnel-are-successful-i-e-no-arrests-are-there-any-statistics/727917)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-attempts-through-the-chunnel-are-successful-i-e-no-arrests-are-there-any-statistics/727917 "2015-08-16T05:59:15Z")
Hi According to the following article from “Der Spiegel” “seven out of 10 migrants made it through the tunnel within four months.” Are are of these people arrested? Are all those arrested returned to France? I look for… --- ## [Question regarding à and de verbs in French](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-a-and-de-verbs-in-french/727915)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-a-and-de-verbs-in-french/727915 "2015-08-16T03:17:29Z")
Hi I’ve made some lists of verbs followed by à and de. I always come across new ones and I’m just wondering: Will a) good French dictionaries give me all the variations of meanings of verbs followed by" à" or “de” or … --- ## [What items of current technology are in a “primitive” state?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-items-of-current-technology-are-in-a-primitive-state/727774)
**Author:** [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-items-of-current-technology-are-in-a-primitive-state/727774 "2015-08-16T01:18:06Z")
I work with the design of heavy equipment and I’m interested in the history of technology. Sometimes I see antique equipment of various types and often wonder, “How was this thing EVER good enough to be sold and sustai… --- ## [Help! My shirts are bleaching/fading around the neckline.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-shirts-are-bleaching-fading-around-the-neckline/58958)
**Author:** [@galyean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galyean)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 16, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-my-shirts-are-bleaching-fading-around-the-neckline/58958 "2015-08-16T00:02:35Z")
This is not ring around the collar. Apparently my sweat reacts with the dye in the shirts and causes the colors to fade. These are not cheap shirts. As a matter of fact, typically the more expensive the shirt, the more l… --- ## [Spark Plug Mistery](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spark-plug-mistery/727499)
**Author:** [@Simple\_Mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Mind)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spark-plug-mistery/727499 "2015-08-15T23:56:22Z")
Hi all, I own a 110ccm Honda Scooter, 4 stroke, carburetor and CDI for ignition, over the time I owned the bike, I had to replace the spark plug 3 times because they failed. I have 40 years of 4 and 2 stroke experience … --- ## [Chicago Cubs - No beer ads. WTF?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-cubs-no-beer-ads-wtf/727902)
**Author:** [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-cubs-no-beer-ads-wtf/727902 "2015-08-15T21:51:39Z")
Baseball and beer. Inseparable, right? All my life I’ve watched ballgames on TV and seen beer commercials. “Hey, get your cold beer. Hey get your Ballentine!”, “Born in the land of the sky blue waters”, “This Bud’s fo… --- ## [When do you drop the "pas" in French?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-drop-the-pas-in-french/727821)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-drop-the-pas-in-french/727821 "2015-08-15T21:06:00Z")
Hi, When do you drop the “pas” in French? Or when is “pas” not required in French? I know the French often drop “ne” in conversational French. When do they not use “pas” in formal French/informal French. I don’t see an… --- ## [PC PSU question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-psu-question/727933)
**Author:** [@bauble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bauble)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-psu-question/727933 "2015-08-15T19:01:09Z")
I’m pretty sure I’ve got a bad PSU on my hands, but I thought that, since I won’t be able to return it until tomorrow, I’d see if more knowledgeable people had any input. To begin with, I work in IT (support) and I buil… --- ## [French question: has the verb "falloir" always been incomplete?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-question-has-the-verb-falloir-always-been-incomplete/727839)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-question-has-the-verb-falloir-always-been-incomplete/727839 "2015-08-15T17:02:53Z")
Falloir only has one conjugation: “il faut”, meaning “it is necessary” then followed by another verb in the subjonctif. Has falloir always been incomplete in this way, or in the past was it a normal verb with a regular… --- ## [Marine Herbivores & Carnivores (compared to land)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-herbivores-carnivores-compared-to-land/727836)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marine-herbivores-carnivores-compared-to-land/727836 "2015-08-15T15:40:43Z")
I could be wrong, but it seems to me that among marine creatures 1) the vast majority of species are carnivorous, and 2) those species which are herbivorous tend to be considerably smaller on average than the carnivorous… --- ## [Black Balls in Los Angeles Reservoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-balls-in-los-angeles-reservoir/727699)
**Author:** [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-balls-in-los-angeles-reservoir/727699 "2015-08-15T12:24:15Z")
Los Angeles has dumped something like 90 million black balls in a reservoir to reduce evaporation. Why would they use black which absorbs light and gets warm, and not white which does less so? --- ## [European town names - which came first, family or place?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-town-names-which-came-first-family-or-place/727834)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/european-town-names-which-came-first-family-or-place/727834 "2015-08-15T10:03:30Z")
Lots of families here trace their heritage to towns in Europe that are the same as the family name. Which usually came first - the family name or the town’s name? I believe that last names often derived from the town … --- ## [Air Conditioner "Energy Saver" Mode](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-energy-saver-mode/727840)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-conditioner-energy-saver-mode/727840 "2015-08-15T08:40:21Z")
I have an air conditioner for a midsized room (10000 BTU) with regular “cool” mode, “fan only” mode, and “energy saver” mode. My inclination would be to stick it on “energy saver” but it has rather annoying behavior. \*… --- ## [is there any resources on earth that you can't get elsewhere in the solar system?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-resources-on-earth-that-you-cant-get-elsewhere-in-the-solar-system/727455)
**Author:** [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-resources-on-earth-that-you-cant-get-elsewhere-in-the-solar-system/727455 "2015-08-15T08:20:26Z")
Let’s say an Alien race arrives in the solar system, they’re on a mission to obtain resources for their interstellar war effort. They note the existence of intelligent life on earth and decide they’ll try and get their … --- ## [Paresthesia, some questions on](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paresthesia-some-questions-on/727898)
**Author:** [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paresthesia-some-questions-on/727898 "2015-08-15T03:08:36Z")
I am not looking for medical advice, however my curiosity was aroused by my personal experience and what I read: When I cross my legs, I don’t get paresthesia until I uncross them or stop squeezing the nerve. I understa… --- ## [Can Scholars Speak PIE Now?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 15, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-scholars-speak-pie-now/727814 "2015-08-15T03:05:46Z")
I am fascinated with the subject of ancient languages. And I have just one question about Proto-Indo-European (PIE). Can scholars speak it perfectly now? Or at least near-perfectly? I mean, how well can they “reconstruct… --- ## [Slang expression translated into Spanish](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-expression-translated-into-spanish/727746)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-expression-translated-into-spanish/727746 "2015-08-14T22:52:56Z")
In today’s “Baldo” comic strip, Baldo fancies himself a king or a sage. When I saw that I thought “You wish!” Is there an equivalent expression for this in Spanish? --- ## [Illegal Gun Purchases](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-gun-purchases/727731)
**Author:** [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illegal-gun-purchases/727731 "2015-08-14T21:46:46Z")
Does anybody have any statistics, ideally something which can be cited, on the breakdown of how black market guns get onto the black market in the USA? I’m particularly interested in two possible sources, although havin… --- ## [Dog licking paws question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-licking-paws-question/727853)
**Author:** [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-licking-paws-question/727853 "2015-08-14T20:33:39Z")
We’ve got our son’s dog for a few days. Unlike in the past he spends a lot of time licking his paws. I looked at them, but don’t see anything. Is this just something dogs do? --- ## [I got a junk mail message 'from' me, but there isn't anything in my outbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-junk-mail-message-from-me-but-there-isnt-anything-in-my-outbox/727779)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-a-junk-mail-message-from-me-but-there-isnt-anything-in-my-outbox/727779 "2015-08-14T20:07:56Z")
I got a junk mail message from someone with my email address, but looking in my sent folder there is nothing like that. Is my email account hacked or is this just some trick where they pretend to use the email address o… --- ## [What are typical plaintiff's lawyer's expenses?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-typical-plaintiffs-lawyers-expenses/727842)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-typical-plaintiffs-lawyers-expenses/727842 "2015-08-14T19:01:11Z")
For those “have you been injured in an accident?”-type cases where the attorney accepts the case on a contingency basis (they do, don’t they?), what expenses do they typically incur as a percentage of their fee? Thanks, … --- ## [lightening more dangerous/probable at high altitudes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightening-more-dangerous-probable-at-high-altitudes/727815)
**Author:** [@syl20bou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syl20bou)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lightening-more-dangerous-probable-at-high-altitudes/727815 "2015-08-14T18:37:54Z")
Not sure… 30 years ago I studied electricity and electronics and my instinct tells me that the risk/altitude equation is not linear. No later than today I experienced the frightening experience of rocks making static s… --- ## [How thick does a wall have to be to protect you from a nuke?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-thick-does-a-wall-have-to-be-to-protect-you-from-a-nuke/727749)
**Author:** [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-thick-does-a-wall-have-to-be-to-protect-you-from-a-nuke/727749 "2015-08-14T18:14:21Z")
There’s me, an infinitely high wall, and a nuke on the other side. Since I’m in Aberdeen, the Granite City, let’s assume the wall is made of granite. The nuke is detonated. How thick would the wall have to be to protect … --- ## [What are these lines on the face called?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-lines-on-the-face-called/727745)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-lines-on-the-face-called/727745 "2015-08-14T16:04:03Z")
The two lines on the face, running diagonally down from the bottom corners of the nose to the corners of the mouth, must have a name…but what is it? --- ## [How much life expectancy or qaly do military veterans lose](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-life-expectancy-or-qaly-do-military-veterans-lose/727445)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-life-expectancy-or-qaly-do-military-veterans-lose/727445 "2015-08-14T15:34:18Z")
Assume two eighteen year-olds are compared, one joins the military and one doesn’t. It would depend on the branch and job obviously, a marine special forces combat soldier loses more than an air force mechanic. What eff… --- ## [Where Do I Find the MIL\_STD Specification for Chocolate Cookies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-the-mil_std-specification-for-chocolate-cookies/727557)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [August 14, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-i-find-the-mil_std-specification-for-chocolate-cookies/727557 "2015-08-14T15:13:11Z")
I saw this document once, believe it was cancelled because of public ridicule. at any rate, does anybody know where I can find it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1060) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1062)