# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1117 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1118 --- ## [Respected journalist that claimed a missile was used during 9/11 some years ago?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/respected-journalist-that-claimed-a-missile-was-used-during-9-11-some-years-ago/719776)
**Author:** [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/respected-journalist-that-claimed-a-missile-was-used-during-9-11-some-years-ago/719776 "2015-05-11T17:42:54Z")
I seem to recall that some years ago a journalist that was respected (at least before) was claiming that a missile was using during 9/11. I cannot recall if he was talking about the Pentagon or one of the WTC towers. A… --- ## [The Physics of Infinity Stones.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-physics-of-infinity-stones/719755)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-physics-of-infinity-stones/719755 "2015-05-11T17:35:34Z")
If the MCU is right, then the Infinity stonesare remnants of primeval star systems. They vary from being the size of a biscuit to a soccer ball. Its possible to have small volume super dense matter (neutron stars for in… --- ## [Military History of Formation](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-history-of-formation/719457)
**Author:** [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-history-of-formation/719457 "2015-05-11T14:40:29Z")
Hi everyone, I’d like to know when and why we as a civilization evolved into military formations and battlefields with well defined phalanxes and troop regiments (armies with divisions). Isn’t urban/guerilla warfare mo… --- ## [Can the word "bond" be used to mean cash or money?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-word-bond-be-used-to-mean-cash-or-money/719549)
**Author:** [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-word-bond-be-used-to-mean-cash-or-money/719549 "2015-05-11T12:45:07Z")
I was reading this news story of a polite bank robber. He walked into a bank and gave the teller a note saying: “I need 150,000 bonds right NOW!! Please. Police take 3 to 4 minutes to get here. I would appreciate if you … --- ## [Are There Rhymes in Sign Language?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-rhymes-in-sign-language/719678)
**Author:** [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-rhymes-in-sign-language/719678 "2015-05-11T10:36:15Z")
And for that matter, do the deaf have poetry? And if so, would it have to do with the fluidity of the hand movements? --- ## [Origin and pronunciation of the name "Beckx"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-pronunciation-of-the-name-beckx/719714 "2015-05-11T06:58:54Z")
P.-J. Beckx was the leader of the Jesuits from 1853 until 1887 (though in name only for the last four years). His surname features what is (to me) an unusual consonant cluster—where does this name come from and how is i… --- ## [ceiling fan hook up](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-hook-up/719744)
**Author:** [@jc1966](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jc1966)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ceiling-fan-hook-up/719744 "2015-05-11T03:53:12Z")
Hi guys first time here. I bought a ceiling fan with light with remote. I hooked up receiver like it shows in manual w+w b+b blue+blue. Out the other side of receiver is is just white and black. Also i have one switch wa… --- ## [Things most experts falsely believe about their field](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-most-experts-falsely-believe-about-their-field/719596)
**Author:** [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-most-experts-falsely-believe-about-their-field/719596 "2015-05-11T03:01:05Z")
In the past there have been “facts” that almost all experts in the field didn’t believe in. Are there any current examples? Though the problem is that a majority of the relevant experts would disagree… --- ## [I want my Android phone to sound like an old touch tone landline](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-android-phone-to-sound-like-an-old-touch-tone-landline/719450)
**Author:** [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-want-my-android-phone-to-sound-like-an-old-touch-tone-landline/719450 "2015-05-11T01:26:00Z")
I have a rooted Galaxy S3 with Nova launcher, and it’s mostly fine, but I hate the “water drip” when I’m dialing. I’ve seen ways to replace that with various sounds, but they’re static with the same sound for each numbe… --- ## [Is it common for non-Catholics to show up at confession?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-common-for-non-catholics-to-show-up-at-confession/719432)
**Author:** [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-common-for-non-catholics-to-show-up-at-confession/719432 "2015-05-10T23:29:59Z")
I mean because of the way Confession is used in so many TV shows and movies. This might not be a GQ but then again maybe there’s been a survey or something - do priests sitting for confession (I’m not Catholic but I gat… --- ## [What do you call a stove range hood that you can set a microwave upon?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-stove-range-hood-that-you-can-set-a-microwave-upon/719692)
**Author:** [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-stove-range-hood-that-you-can-set-a-microwave-upon/719692 "2015-05-10T20:09:28Z")
I’m looking to put in a wet bar with a gas stove top. I’d like to install a hood with an external fan to the outside of the house upon which I can set a microwave. In other words, a standard microwave over stove arrangem… --- ## [How do you express these lines of dialogue in fiction in more natural-sounding English?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-these-lines-of-dialogue-in-fiction-in-more-natural-sounding-english/719470)
**Author:** [@Melia\_Antiqua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melia_Antiqua)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-express-these-lines-of-dialogue-in-fiction-in-more-natural-sounding-english/719470 "2015-05-10T19:51:57Z")
I’ve translated some lines of dialogue in fiction from Japanese into English, which is one of my greatest passions. Any corrections or suggestions – no matter how small – would be appreciated. Incidentally, I might post … --- ## [3 D website for imaging a storage unit made of pipe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-website-for-imaging-a-storage-unit-made-of-pipe/719670)
**Author:** [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-d-website-for-imaging-a-storage-unit-made-of-pipe/719670 "2015-05-10T16:12:26Z")
I’m building a storage unit. The framing will be made of heavy duty (schedule 80) PVC pipe. In order to know exactly how many pipes and the kinds of fittings I’ll need, I’d like to made a 3 D model of it. Are there any … --- ## [EmDrive - why is it being tested?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emdrive-why-is-it-being-tested/719180)
**Author:** [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emdrive-why-is-it-being-tested/719180 "2015-05-10T15:03:05Z")
It is a bit technical to understand stuff about the EmDrive. But my question is how it came to be tested by the likes of NASA and others, and in layman’s terms. Yes I am all for setting aside laws, including physical l… --- ## [Cannot get Windows 7 SP 1 to install.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-get-windows-7-sp-1-to-install/719693)
**Author:** [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cannot-get-windows-7-sp-1-to-install/719693 "2015-05-10T13:59:24Z")
I have a log update log of failed installation attempts going back at least 6 months. I never really took notice until recently when I attempted to upgrade my browser and it wouldn’t let me without SP 1. I tried to insta… --- ## [White noise and distant music](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-noise-and-distant-music/719472)
**Author:** [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-noise-and-distant-music/719472 "2015-05-10T13:57:19Z")
For years I have used a white noise sound machine along with a fan at night to sleep, however recently I have noticed something strange. I seem to hear distant music, as if there is a distant radio station that is not qu… --- ## [What happened to the Wright Brothers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-wright-brothers/708990)
**Author:** [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-wright-brothers/708990 "2015-05-10T13:04:08Z")
Hello Everyone, What ever happened to the Weight Brothers? Why isn’t there a major aircraft company with the Wright name? One would think that hey would have emerged as the leader in aviation. --- ## [How universal is the sexualization of female breasts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-sexualization-of-female-breasts/719347)
**Author:** [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-universal-is-the-sexualization-of-female-breasts/719347 "2015-05-10T12:42:34Z")
I know there are tribal cultures where women go around topless, I’m curious how universal the covering and sexualization of female breasts are among humanity. Aside from special circumstances like nude beaches, it seems… --- ## [Unique pipe project](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unique-pipe-project/719674)
**Author:** [@SharpTJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SharpTJ)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unique-pipe-project/719674 "2015-05-10T03:34:59Z")
I am attempting to create a 100’ long or so “slip-n-slide” using some very thick plastic sheeting. My 1st attempt was a partial success, but I am looking to do better. For the 1st attempt, I used PVC 1/2" pipe to make … --- ## [What is the mercury in vaccinations for?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mercury-in-vaccinations-for/719478)
**Author:** [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-mercury-in-vaccinations-for/719478 "2015-05-10T01:44:29Z")
Note: Vaccinations are fine with me; this is not a political debate. I was reading about the Kennedy testimony in Vermont since a friend was one of the “silent majority” moms there. “Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, … --- ## [World War I aircraft](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-war-i-aircraft/719521)
**Author:** [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 10, 2015, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/world-war-i-aircraft/719521 "2015-05-10T01:29:20Z")
Why were so many WWI aircraft made from wood and biplanes? A few monoplanes existed but they were rare --- ## [When do you think the 20th century really ended?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-think-the-20th-century-really-ended/719646)
**Author:** [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-do-you-think-the-20th-century-really-ended/719646 "2015-05-09T20:36:22Z")
I know it ended on January 1, 2001, but historians often talk about a “Short Twentieth Century” that started in 1914 and ended either in 1989 or 1991 with the fall of the Soviet sphere. Personally I think you could pick… --- ## [Seeking a Legal Analysis of "Dirty Harry" (movie spoilers)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-legal-analysis-of-dirty-harry-movie-spoilers/719395)
**Author:** [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-a-legal-analysis-of-dirty-harry-movie-spoilers/719395 "2015-05-09T20:33:42Z")
In the movie, Inspector “Dirty” Harry Callahan enters premises of a suspect without a warrant and then later tortures the suspect. In the premises he finds a rifle which is the murder weapon used in earlier murders. The … --- ## [Am I creating a flock of lazy moochers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-creating-a-flock-of-lazy-moochers/719566)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-creating-a-flock-of-lazy-moochers/719566 "2015-05-09T19:22:56Z")
Over the last few months I have been very conscientious about keeping our hummingbird feeder filled. This is a big (quart-sized) feeder with three stations. Recently, we have recentyl been getting alarming numbers of bir… --- ## [Can I pay 1.5% commission directly to the buyer's Realtor?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pay-1-5-commission-directly-to-the-buyers-realtor/719606)
**Author:** [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-pay-1-5-commission-directly-to-the-buyers-realtor/719606 "2015-05-09T15:29:28Z")
I’ve had a Realtor tell me how their commission works. For a 6% total sales commission on the sale of a home, 3% goes to the listing agent, and 3% goes to the buyer’s agent. Each of them split they with the broker. So th… --- ## [What does "GOES" mean in this link? (Rain and water related)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-goes-mean-in-this-link-rain-and-water-related/719620 "2015-05-09T14:32:59Z")
On this page from the Corp of Engineers, rainfall and lake level use “GOES”, which I assume is an acronym for something. Any ideas? “GOES” is not Google friendly. http://www.swt-wc.usace.army.mil/webdata/gagedata/FTCO2… --- ## [Home LAN is slow](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-lan-is-slow/719585)
**Author:** [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-lan-is-slow/719585 "2015-05-09T14:13:45Z")
I’m hoping someone can help me out with this. I’m guessing it’s a configuration setting somewhere, but I can’t figure it out. When transferring files between PCs on my home LAN, the transfer rate is really slow. Aroun… --- ## [how do models of gravity on the galactic scale compensate for time?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-models-of-gravity-on-the-galactic-scale-compensate-for-time/719602)
**Author:** [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-models-of-gravity-on-the-galactic-scale-compensate-for-time/719602 "2015-05-09T13:58:30Z")
Ok, I get that one of the main arguments for dark matter is that observed gravitational interactions on the scale of the size of galaxies just don’t work without it being included. However, the stars positions we see ar… --- ## [Painting a bicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-a-bicycle/719556)
**Author:** [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/painting-a-bicycle/719556 "2015-05-09T12:31:56Z")
My son has a slight coordination problem, and still hasn’t learned to ride a bicycle, so I’m building a tandem for us to ride with him. I figure we get him used to riding on the back, then we can let him try the pilot se… --- ## [An impossible bet](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-bet/719487)
**Author:** [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [May 9, 2015, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-impossible-bet/719487 "2015-05-09T09:13:59Z")
Is there anyone who can help me understand this? It is a video about a so called impossible bet, but then he does the solution. I can’t understand the solution. In the solution, is he still saying I only have a 30 per… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1116) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1118)