# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1072 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1073 --- ## [HVAC compressor doesn't stop](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hvac-compressor-doesnt-stop/726058)
**Author:** [@untel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/untel)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 29, 2015, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hvac-compressor-doesnt-stop/726058 "2015-07-29T00:33:39Z")
Hello, I’ve a central HVAC and recently, compressor started to not stop with thermostat indicating a temp lower than setting. Thermostat was also showing that compressor was stopped. At the beginning, it was happening … --- ## [Electrical safety statistics USA vs UK](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-safety-statistics-usa-vs-uk/228649)
**Author:** [@levsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levsb)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-safety-statistics-usa-vs-uk/228649 "2015-07-28T23:58:09Z")
Household electrical regulations and conventions are very different between the US and the UK. First there is the 240V@50Hz vs 120V@60Hz thing. I know Cecil did a column on the historical reasons for this difference. T… --- ## [Astronomy question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astronomy-question/726270)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/astronomy-question/726270 "2015-07-28T23:52:45Z")
Planets have been found around stars that are very far away. Based on the star dimming. That makes sense. But I wonder how they figure out the planet size ? That would seem to be very hard. Also the same proble… --- ## [Blackberries and Thorns](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberries-and-thorns/726205)
**Author:** [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blackberries-and-thorns/726205 "2015-07-28T23:01:43Z")
From an evolutionary point of view you would think blackberries are so sweet to attract predators that would spread the seed far and wide. So why the thorns ? --- ## [Right turn on red from second lane. Legal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-turn-on-red-from-second-lane-legal/397136)
**Author:** [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/right-turn-on-red-from-second-lane-legal/397136 "2015-07-28T22:46:43Z")
In California, is it legal to turn right on red from the second lane from the curb? --- ## [Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Policies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-jacksons-indian-removal-policies/726357)
**Author:** [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-jacksons-indian-removal-policies/726357 "2015-07-28T22:21:21Z")
I am interested in historians estimates in the number of Amerindians who probably died as a result of Andrew Jackson’s actions, wars, treaties, and such. --- ## [Why do people bite their cheeks/tongue/lip?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-bite-their-cheeks-tongue-lip/726319)
**Author:** [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-bite-their-cheeks-tongue-lip/726319 "2015-07-28T22:01:22Z")
I turn 62 later this year, so I’ve had teeth for about 60 years. Every once in a while I bite the inside of my cheek, often hard enough to draw blood. Since this is painful, I would think that classic operant condition… --- ## [Getting error message from Google.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-error-message-from-google/726412)
**Author:** [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-error-message-from-google/726412 "2015-07-28T20:55:07Z")
Every time I try to use Chrome (Google) I’m getting this error message. \*Your connection is not private Attackers might be trying to steal your information from www.youtube.com (for example, passwords, messages, or cre… --- ## [Three-minute showers in military boot camp](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-showers-in-military-boot-camp/721235)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-minute-showers-in-military-boot-camp/721235 "2015-07-28T20:17:24Z")
Is it true that in boot camp in the Army, etc., trainees are limited to daily hot showers of just three minutes, or is that an exaggeration? --- ## [Lingering affects of air bag deployment](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lingering-affects-of-air-bag-deployment/726410)
**Author:** [@alfinway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alfinway)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lingering-affects-of-air-bag-deployment/726410 "2015-07-28T19:03:15Z")
I was in a head on collision 5 days ago and due to the seatbeat and airbag, came away bruised and shaken. Chest contusion, sprained wrist ect. My first thought was that the Camry that now looked like an accordian, was o… --- ## [You're supposed to obey police' lawful orders. What orders are lawful, and how do we know?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-supposed-to-obey-police-lawful-orders-what-orders-are-lawful-and-how-do-we-know/726007)
**Author:** [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youre-supposed-to-obey-police-lawful-orders-what-orders-are-lawful-and-how-do-we-know/726007 "2015-07-28T17:43:40Z")
One thing that came up on an All Things Considered piece yesterday evening was that while the officer had no authority to order\* Sandra Bland to put out her cigarette, he did have the authority to order her out of her ca… --- ## [How is extremely long hair possible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-extremely-long-hair-possible/718388)
**Author:** [@Cold\_Dish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cold_Dish)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-extremely-long-hair-possible/718388 "2015-07-28T17:39:31Z")
Human hair grows, on average, six inches per year. The growth cycle can span from two to six years. This calculates to a max of 36 inches. So how do some people grow extremely long hair. Is it possibly genetics? --- ## [Okay, now what about left turns where cross street has two-way left-turn lane?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-now-what-about-left-turns-where-cross-street-has-two-way-left-turn-lane/726401)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-now-what-about-left-turns-where-cross-street-has-two-way-left-turn-lane/726401 "2015-07-28T17:02:37Z")
Okay, next question about turns and lanes. Some streets have a two-way left turn lane in the middle. When you make a left turn from such a street, you are supposed to start it from that lane. When you make a left turn… --- ## [Executor's obligation to estate's heirs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/executors-obligation-to-estates-heirs/499116)
**Author:** [@LynnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LynnM)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/executors-obligation-to-estates-heirs/499116 "2015-07-28T17:01:39Z")
Is an estate’s executor required to provide an accounting to heirs of all the activity involved in settling the estate? This particular situation involves a relatively small estate of a parent, who divided his estate eq… --- ## [Are The Recent White-on-Black Incidents Statistically Significant?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-recent-white-on-black-incidents-statistically-significant/726351)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-recent-white-on-black-incidents-statistically-significant/726351 "2015-07-28T16:58:18Z")
My question: since Obama became president, the media has focussed upon incidents in which the police have (alleged) to have used unusual or excessive force, against black people. Since I don’t have access to national st… --- ## ["Photography" and "Biography" - Not rhymes, but what?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photography-and-biography-not-rhymes-but-what/726298)
**Author:** [@HowSoonIsThen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HowSoonIsThen)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photography-and-biography-not-rhymes-but-what/726298 "2015-07-28T16:50:49Z")
These two words were listed in a online rhyming dictionary, though they’re not what I would consider a rhyme because their classification as a rhyme comes from sharing identical sound instead of a similar sound. Maybe I… --- ## [Booting up your computer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/booting-up-your-computer/726024)
**Author:** [@contradancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/contradancer)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/booting-up-your-computer/726024 "2015-07-28T16:22:19Z")
Okay. I am installing Macrium backup program and I made an emergency boot disk as part of that. I wanted to of course try to boot up with it just to be sure it works. I put it in Drive D, turned off the machine and th… --- ## [Okay, now what about two right-turn lanes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-now-what-about-two-right-turn-lanes/726332)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-now-what-about-two-right-turn-lanes/726332 "2015-07-28T16:03:19Z")
Inspired by this old zombie thread that suddenly got inexplicably re-animated: Two left-turn lanes onto a three-lane road What I’ve often wondered is this: What about making a right turn against a red light, where ther… --- ## [Why is Europe/EUs economy doing so poorly?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-europe-eus-economy-doing-so-poorly/708641)
**Author:** [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-europe-eus-economy-doing-so-poorly/708641 "2015-07-28T15:29:49Z")
Was just reading through some predictions for 2015 and reflections on 2014 and I saw a short blurb about how the lower price of gas is going to be a benefit to the US (overall…obviously our shale oil companies are going … --- ## [Positioning of penetrator in armour-piercing, high explosive, incendiary round](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/positioning-of-penetrator-in-armour-piercing-high-explosive-incendiary-round/726367)
**Author:** [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/positioning-of-penetrator-in-armour-piercing-high-explosive-incendiary-round/726367 "2015-07-28T15:17:06Z")
Here is a nice little schematic of an armour-piercing, high explosive, incendiary round (the Raufoss Mk 211). Not only is the penetrator in the back half of the round, but both the high explosive and the incendiary comp… --- ## [Can humans live without fire, tools, technology?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-humans-live-without-fire-tools-technology/725993)
**Author:** [@tylerrp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tylerrp)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-humans-live-without-fire-tools-technology/725993 "2015-07-28T13:59:22Z")
I know humans can live without clothes. But can humans live without all other types of stone-age technologies that we have including fire, spears, daggers, traps. Can we live without tools, hand-made shelter, clothes, … --- ## [Is Firefox’s password manager generally safe for non-critical logins?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-s-password-manager-generally-safe-for-non-critical-logins/726388)
**Author:** [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-firefox-s-password-manager-generally-safe-for-non-critical-logins/726388 "2015-07-28T13:46:52Z")
I have separate passwords for each forum I participate in, local routers and NAS devices, etc. It can be a small-scale PITA to re-enter credentials when cookies expire/get deleted/site has a hiccup. It seems that Firefox… --- ## [Two left-turn lanes onto a three-lane road](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-left-turn-lanes-onto-a-three-lane-road/609267)
**Author:** [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-left-turn-lanes-onto-a-three-lane-road/609267 "2015-07-28T07:10:35Z")
There’s a turn I make on my way to work where there are two left-turn lanes that turn onto a street with three lanes in each direction. I’m wondering who, if anyone, has right-of-way to turn directly into the middle lane… --- ## [Usage of the term "Northern Lights"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usage-of-the-term-northern-lights/726064)
**Author:** [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usage-of-the-term-northern-lights/726064 "2015-07-28T05:39:12Z")
So last night I was with a friend from North Dakota. She was born in 1931. Born, raised and lived her life in North Dakota until she moved to Florida in her retirement. We were talking about the aurora borealis which I’… --- ## [Unable to connect to Facebook via home network](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unable-to-connect-to-facebook-via-home-network/713390)
**Author:** [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unable-to-connect-to-facebook-via-home-network/713390 "2015-07-28T05:02:00Z")
For some reason, neither my wife nor I can access Facebook on our home computers. When we try, we get a message similar to “Firefox can’t establish a connection to the server at www.facebook.com”. Our ISP is Hughesnet,… --- ## [Black Hole Matter Distribution](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-matter-distribution/726352)
**Author:** [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-matter-distribution/726352 "2015-07-28T02:04:10Z")
A few black hole questions: Since Hawking Radiation causes a black hole to lose a set amount of mass per unit time as a function of radius, wouldn’t that information be sufficient to determine the distribution of matter… --- ## [Directv AT&T merger, get out of contract?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directv-at-t-merger-get-out-of-contract/726316)
**Author:** [@diskobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diskobunny)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 27, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/directv-at-t-merger-get-out-of-contract/726316 "2015-07-27T21:29:16Z")
I loathe AT&T, and now Directv is AT&T. Does this merger affect the terms of my contract? Is there any way to cancel a contract because of a company’s merger? --- ## [Sending a probe to Sedna](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-probe-to-sedna/726308)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 27, 2015, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sending-a-probe-to-sedna/726308 "2015-07-27T20:45:08Z")
Sedna is one of the most distant objects in the Solar System. Its about 3 times as far from the Sun ad Neptune is. Is there any technically feasible way to get a probe there? I suspect the mission would have a decades l… --- ## [Dredging Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dredging-question/726236)
**Author:** [@Potestas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potestas)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 27, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dredging-question/726236 "2015-07-27T20:03:14Z")
Say I own an island handed down to me over the generations and I want to dredge sand from the ocean floor to make my island a bit bigger. My question is how much would it cost on average to hire a dredge to do something… --- ## [Help with Macrium backup](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-macrium-backup/726333)
**Author:** [@contradancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/contradancer)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [July 27, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-macrium-backup/726333 "2015-07-27T18:48:33Z")
I ordered this from Amazon to create my backup using Macrium. Now I’m thinking, OMG is this the right type external disk. I guess I can return it if not. If you know, please reassure me. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1071) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1073)