# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1075 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1076 --- ## [Are there any truly "forgotten" civilizations?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-truly-forgotten-civilizations/725342)
**Author:** [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2015, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-truly-forgotten-civilizations/725342 "2015-07-24T00:30:45Z")
Forgotten as in: Here is an ancient building (or city!) that is far older than any known civilizations in this region. We have no idea who could have done this. Like, how about evidence of civilization in North America… --- ## [Genetic tests can tell which meds will work best for you?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genetic-tests-can-tell-which-meds-will-work-best-for-you/725974)
**Author:** [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genetic-tests-can-tell-which-meds-will-work-best-for-you/725974 "2015-07-23T22:48:26Z")
I came across a website that claims their genetic tests can tell which medications will work best for you. They have a test for Psychotropic medicines. From the website: Does anyone know if this is legitimate or a sca… --- ## [Two time dimensions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-time-dimensions/114939)
**Author:** [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-time-dimensions/114939 "2015-07-23T18:32:04Z")
I read an artilce a few months ago (I think in Discover) where they talked about the possibility of universes with two time dimensions. I would assume, like our one, that they would both be moving “forward” and picture … --- ## [Paradigm shift to JavaScript?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paradigm-shift-to-javascript/725967)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paradigm-shift-to-javascript/725967 "2015-07-23T17:55:30Z")
I have been noticing a lot of attention being paid to JavaScript lately. Technologies like Node, Angular, Backbone, MongoDB, etc. seem to be all the rage lately. Additionally, various workflow tools like Bower and Gru… --- ## [Plant ID: wild melon or squash](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-wild-melon-or-squash/725970)
**Author:** [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-wild-melon-or-squash/725970 "2015-07-23T17:49:36Z")
This odd plant was growing by the side of the road in No-Man’s-Land (western OK). Its leaves were sticky, as in having many tiny prickly things. Anyone know what this is? --- ## [Are sheep's brains still contained in cattle feed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sheeps-brains-still-contained-in-cattle-feed/725932)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sheeps-brains-still-contained-in-cattle-feed/725932 "2015-07-23T17:21:13Z")
Hi, I haven’t been able to verify if sheep’s brains are still contained in cattle feed? I look forward to your feedback. davidmich --- ## [Power outage/electric clock oddity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-outage-electric-clock-oddity/674530)
**Author:** [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/power-outage-electric-clock-oddity/674530 "2015-07-23T15:43:46Z")
Our electricity was out last night for about four hours. The clock on our stove this morning showed a time which was about four hours slow (behind the current time), which would be correct. However, we have two electri… --- ## [Are there still Hotel Detectives?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-hotel-detectives/363329)
**Author:** [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-still-hotel-detectives/363329 "2015-07-23T15:22:02Z")
In mystery novels and movies of a certain vintage, you’ll often come across hotel detectives – people who were, as far as I can tell, literally what they sounded like: private eyes hired full time by hotels to solve myst… --- ## [Wondering about Apollo...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-apollo/725735)
**Author:** [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wondering-about-apollo/725735 "2015-07-23T11:35:01Z")
After the Lunar Module docked with the Command Module, and the Command Module Pilot re-aired the docking tunnel, opened his hatch, removed the docking probe, and knocked on the LM hatch, are there any reports of the crew… --- ## [Twitter and similar sites "seizing" well-known user handles](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-and-similar-sites-seizing-well-known-user-handles/725797)
**Author:** [@gracefulfatsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracefulfatsheba)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-and-similar-sites-seizing-well-known-user-handles/725797 "2015-07-23T10:38:34Z")
I have noticed that on websites like Twitter, celebrities like Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) and Bill Gates (@BillGates) always seem to be in control of their most obvious Twitter handle. Jennifer Lopez isn’t forced to post und… --- ## [can You Really Reduce Your Chances of Being a Crime Victim?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-really-reduce-your-chances-of-being-a-crime-victim/725799)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-really-reduce-your-chances-of-being-a-crime-victim/725799 "2015-07-23T09:51:06Z")
I would say that staying out of dangerous areas is most of it. Other than that, avoiding dark , badly lit areas at night, staying within groups of people, and not opening the door without verification are 90% of it. Is … --- ## [Japanese translation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-translation/715234)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-translation/715234 "2015-07-23T07:17:25Z")
1940s cartoon Spider and Tulip. Looking for translations of the songs and dialog between the spider and the ladybug. There used to be a version on youtube with the translation, but I can’t find it now. (I get the gist… --- ## [Premonition and Plane Crashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premonition-and-plane-crashes/708425)
**Author:** [@banjopatterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/banjopatterson)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/premonition-and-plane-crashes/708425 "2015-07-23T05:42:54Z")
I have a personal interest in the recent Air Asia flight QZ8501 disappearance as I use them regularly and live in the region they largely cover. While looking for news stories I came across a report that a large number … --- ## ["All life on Earth depends on the Sun for survival"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-life-on-earth-depends-on-the-sun-for-survival/725846)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-life-on-earth-depends-on-the-sun-for-survival/725846 "2015-07-23T05:05:16Z")
It’s been said before that all life on Earth ultimately depends on the Sun for survival, but would, say, some bacteria in undersea volcanic vents manage to get by, or would they just run out of organic matter to eat sinc… --- ## [Did most college students in the early 90s have email?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-college-students-in-the-early-90s-have-email/725666)
**Author:** [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-most-college-students-in-the-early-90s-have-email/725666 "2015-07-23T04:11:14Z")
Would you say if you were in college in 1992 in the US or Canada, there was more than a 50 percent chance you would have had a student email address and Internet/Web access on campus? --- ## [How far south does the SoCal climate reach?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-south-does-the-socal-climate-reach/725852)
**Author:** [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-south-does-the-socal-climate-reach/725852 "2015-07-23T03:50:43Z")
I was looking on Google maps at the Baja peninsula when I idly wondered how far the Southern California climate (dry, temperate, and sunny) reaches. Does the entire coast of the peninsula have the same climate? --- ## [A Question For Historians: Anything New About WWII?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-historians-anything-new-about-wwii/720370)
**Author:** [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [July 23, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-historians-anything-new-about-wwii/720370 "2015-07-23T01:45:50Z")
I have read a lot of books about the war. It seems to me, that just about every topic relevant to WWII has been endlessly examined (and re-examined). I am sure that when the old Soviet Union fell (and its archives were o… --- ## [Equation for probability of time traveler?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equation-for-probability-of-time-traveler/725734)
**Author:** [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equation-for-probability-of-time-traveler/725734 "2015-07-22T22:28:16Z")
Can there be an equation for the likelihood of a time traveler in our time? Something akin to Fermi’s Paradox? --- ## [Meaning of naval (?) terms "whiteside" and "greenside"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-naval-terms-whiteside-and-greenside/722996)
**Author:** [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meaning-of-naval-terms-whiteside-and-greenside/722996 "2015-07-22T22:22:47Z")
In the movie “American Sniper,” the terms “whiteside” and “greenside” are used, apparently in reference to a building. I haven’t been able to find or figure out what they mean. The best I’ve come up with is that they see… --- ## [Best place to get credit report and auto loan options](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-to-get-credit-report-and-auto-loan-options/725863)
**Author:** [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-place-to-get-credit-report-and-auto-loan-options/725863 "2015-07-22T20:21:17Z")
I am looking for a place I can request my credit report for free, without giving any credit card info or signing up for some monthly service. I know about CreditKarma, but was wondering if there were any other options?… --- ## [what is the basis for scientific predictions about the future of the sun?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-basis-for-scientific-predictions-about-the-future-of-the-sun/725798)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-basis-for-scientific-predictions-about-the-future-of-the-sun/725798 "2015-07-22T19:04:13Z")
Inspired by this thread, in which posters cite predictions of the sun’s future properties, including changes in size and power output. Such changes are expected to take place billions of years from now, but we haven’t b… --- ## [VBA coding help - How do I say "If there is nothing selected"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vba-coding-help-how-do-i-say-if-there-is-nothing-selected/510122)
**Author:** [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vba-coding-help-how-do-i-say-if-there-is-nothing-selected/510122 "2015-07-22T16:29:34Z")
I was able to build the code that I asked for in thisthread. Turns out, I can just paste the webpage into Word and run the macro there. Now I’m hitting a snag. I have a document that’s a mix of tables and text. Part … --- ## [Ocean Heat Content vs. Ocean Temperature](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ocean-heat-content-vs-ocean-temperature/725805)
**Author:** [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ocean-heat-content-vs-ocean-temperature/725805 "2015-07-22T16:14:07Z")
I’m trying to understand these terms in the context of climate change and haven’t had any luck Googling my question. I see that NOAA talks a lot about ocean heat content (OHC) as opposed to ocean temperature. OHC seems… --- ## [why did my hummingbird food clear up in 4 hours](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-hummingbird-food-clear-up-in-4-hours/725806)
**Author:** [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-hummingbird-food-clear-up-in-4-hours/725806 "2015-07-22T16:08:58Z")
I’ve got a hummingbird feeder that has been out there in the sun for about 2 months. The liquid food has been red until yesterday. I turned from red to clear in a short period of time…a few hours. Prior to that I never… --- ## [why do doors at some US supermarkets have In on the left?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-doors-at-some-us-supermarkets-have-in-on-the-left/474424)
**Author:** [@audient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audient)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-doors-at-some-us-supermarkets-have-in-on-the-left/474424 "2015-07-22T16:02:42Z")
Maybe I just need to spend more time at supermarkets, but I still find myself walking out thru the in door, and vice versa. In the US, we drive on the right, commercial kitchens’ In door is on the right, but many superma… --- ## [How much damage from a WWII era atomic bomb mounted on a torpedo?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-from-a-wwii-era-atomic-bomb-mounted-on-a-torpedo/725782)
**Author:** [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-damage-from-a-wwii-era-atomic-bomb-mounted-on-a-torpedo/725782 "2015-07-22T15:58:00Z")
In this post in a thread in GD, JimSC Leaving the debate if this were actually possible to that thread, how much damage could a WWII era atomic bomb cause on a US city? Little Boy with a yield of 13 kilotons but was e… --- ## [Are radio waves red?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-radio-waves-red/725102)
**Author:** [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-radio-waves-red/725102 "2015-07-22T14:52:48Z")
Would it be accurate to say that a radio frequency is a color that is too red to be visible to humans? Is radio simply the extreme end of infrared? --- ## [When and why did diesel fuel get so cheap?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-diesel-fuel-get-so-cheap/725731)
**Author:** [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-and-why-did-diesel-fuel-get-so-cheap/725731 "2015-07-22T14:03:53Z")
I remember not so long ago that diesel fuel was marginally more expensive than regular unleaded. Now it seems to be fully $1.00 per gallon less, at least at gas stations in my area. Why the big change? --- ## [Substitute needed for graphite powder in door hinges](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-needed-for-graphite-powder-in-door-hinges/77279)
**Author:** [@Oldmaid85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oldmaid85)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [July 22, 2015, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substitute-needed-for-graphite-powder-in-door-hinges/77279 "2015-07-22T06:28:44Z")
The problem with (black) graphite powder, as commonly used to lubricate door hinges, is that it sometimes works its way out of the hinge and stains the surrounding area over time. Though I’ve been able to remove this gra… --- ## [Why are my eyelids yellow?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-eyelids-yellow/146441)
**Author:** [@Alto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alto)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 21, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-eyelids-yellow/146441 "2015-07-21T20:17:40Z")
The upper part of my eyelids have a pale yellow tint, kind of like the last stage of a bruise, only more towards the canary end of yellow. They’ve been this way as long as I can remember, so it doesn’t signal the onset o… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1074) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1076)