# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1140 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1141 --- ## [Why did I have horrible allergies last year and none this year??](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-have-horrible-allergies-last-year-and-none-this-year/716400)
**Author:** [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-i-have-horrible-allergies-last-year-and-none-this-year/716400 "2015-04-02T18:49:46Z")
Hey all, So… here’s a mystery that I can’t find the answer to. Maybe there isn’t one, but SURELY all the smart people on here have some theories. Last spring, I had the worst allergies ever. Just a nightmare. Weeks and… --- ## [Musical glasses: Is there a way to change the pitch without water?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-glasses-is-there-a-way-to-change-the-pitch-without-water/716057)
**Author:** [@EdwardLost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardLost)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/musical-glasses-is-there-a-way-to-change-the-pitch-without-water/716057 "2015-04-02T18:46:18Z")
My student is making a musical instrument using a set of wine glasses, but he wants to mount them upside-down. So using water to adjust the pitches is out – he’ll have to use something that will stick to the glasses and … --- ## [How to use a stethoscope](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-stethoscope/716623)
**Author:** [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-use-a-stethoscope/716623 "2015-04-02T18:22:04Z")
tl;dr: We bought a new diaphragm-style stethoscope, but it doesn’t seem to reproduce/transmit sound—the older bell-style stethoscopeseemed to work much better. Is this technique or an aspect of the modern design (e.g. to… --- ## [Purpose of Nitrogen](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-nitrogen/716441)
**Author:** [@steveocc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steveocc)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-nitrogen/716441 "2015-04-02T16:54:04Z")
What does nitrogen in air do for us? --- ## [Legality of this (TV) Police trick](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-this-tv-police-trick/716291)
**Author:** [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legality-of-this-tv-police-trick/716291 "2015-04-02T15:59:14Z")
A trick I’ve seen in several police detective TV shows. A murder has occurred. The detective has a suspect. The detective gets a warrant and searches the suspect’s car. The detective “finds” the victim’s cufflink in the … --- ## [Autopilot: how large of a deviation can it recover from?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autopilot-how-large-of-a-deviation-can-it-recover-from/716489)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autopilot-how-large-of-a-deviation-can-it-recover-from/716489 "2015-04-02T15:16:29Z")
This concerns the peculiar case of Aeroflot Flight 593, which crashed in March 1994 after the pilot let his kids take the controls. The pilot intended to let his kids think they were controlling the plane, surreptitious… --- ## [Safe to book a trip one month after scheduled jury duty?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-to-book-a-trip-one-month-after-scheduled-jury-duty/716541)
**Author:** [@Kylepevin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kylepevin)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-to-book-a-trip-one-month-after-scheduled-jury-duty/716541 "2015-04-02T14:36:42Z")
I’ve never been sent a summons for jury service before. It’s for petit juror, and is scheduled for May 28. I was hoping to take a trip for research to Europe from June 21 - about July 21. Then I start school again as … --- ## [Will a lost ID still scan?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-lost-id-still-scan/716598)
**Author:** [@hman24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hman24)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-lost-id-still-scan/716598 "2015-04-02T14:18:58Z")
I found an Alberta ID on the ground by my house and it kinda looks like me. But in Alberta they scan IDs at the bar, so will barcode still scan at a club if the person reported it lost? Does the ID connect to a database … --- ## [Why Doesn't the BMI Formula Use Height Cubed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-bmi-formula-use-height-cubed/716353)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-bmi-formula-use-height-cubed/716353 "2015-04-02T04:06:42Z")
People are 3-dimensional, so it would seem to make sense to cube the height in order to remain proportional. I looked at the Wiki entry, and this is included as one of the criticisms of the formula. But why would formul… --- ## [Car Diagnostics - Need Answers Fast](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-diagnostics-need-answers-fast/715166)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-diagnostics-need-answers-fast/715166 "2015-04-02T02:46:33Z")
Yesterday the Jeep Commander died at a stop light. No dummy lights, no noises, no rough idle just died. This Jeep had a new starter put in about six weeks ago. Now for the symptoms: Click, click. Just like a bad sta… --- ## [iPad - Deleting Photos Without Deleting Them](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-deleting-photos-without-deleting-them/716518)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-deleting-photos-without-deleting-them/716518 "2015-04-02T02:37:36Z")
OK - please explain this to me like I’m six years old. I have an iPad with a thousand-some photos on it, taking up 6GB of space. I have 20GB of Cloud storage. I do not know how to bridge the gap between the two. I want … --- ## [How to Stop A MS Word Quirk?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-a-ms-word-quirk/716219)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-stop-a-ms-word-quirk/716219 "2015-04-02T01:48:09Z")
MS Word has annoying habit of centering the line of text IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO and in addition to the desired line of text. WTF? Is there a way to stop this? If I try the obvious and “uncenter” the undesired line of tex… --- ## [Computer virus legal question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-virus-legal-question/716338)
**Author:** [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-virus-legal-question/716338 "2015-04-02T01:15:24Z")
Are computer viruses legal? I thought this would be an easy question (my first thought was “no”), but then I started wondering… Clearly, there is money to be made from these things… Malware, adware, etc aren’t all cre… --- ## [Can an aircraft reach V2 speed before V1 speed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-aircraft-reach-v2-speed-before-v1-speed/716319)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2015, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-aircraft-reach-v2-speed-before-v1-speed/716319 "2015-04-02T00:59:50Z")
If I understand correctly, V1 refers to the speed at which an airplane is committed to takeoff because there is insufficient length of runway, at that point, for the airplane to safely abort takeoff afterwards. In other … --- ## [God Hates Moore: why tornadoes hit the same place](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-hates-moore-why-tornadoes-hit-the-same-place/716478)
**Author:** [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-hates-moore-why-tornadoes-hit-the-same-place/716478 "2015-04-01T21:53:20Z")
I am from Oklahoma City, a suburb of which gets hit by tornadoes pretty much every time the metro area has one. Moore, Oklahoma. Moore was hit in 1999, 2003, 2013, and 2015–all within miles of each others pathways. The… --- ## [Are there any medical conditions that cause increased intelligence?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-medical-conditions-that-cause-increased-intelligence/716455)
**Author:** [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-medical-conditions-that-cause-increased-intelligence/716455 "2015-04-01T21:27:06Z")
I was recently reading about genetic disorders. One symptom that is common to many of them, most famously Down Syndrome (aka Trisomy 21), is decreased intelligence or cognitive functioning. It seems that a lot of conditi… --- ## [Awareness in Technological History](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awareness-in-technological-history/716493)
**Author:** [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awareness-in-technological-history/716493 "2015-04-01T21:14:42Z")
Hi again SD, Did people throughout history ever acknowledge that their technology was primitive? The obvious answer is no, because they were making the most innovative advances they could with the materials they had, a… --- ## [Canadian RRSP Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-rrsp-question/716447)
**Author:** [@ssp701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ssp701)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-rrsp-question/716447 "2015-04-01T21:01:15Z")
Ok this is a bit complicated, I am getting different answers from CRA on how this works and both my return and my wife’s is stuck in re-assessment hell because of incorrect information I received. I am trying to get this… --- ## [How can I work towards doing anaerobic exercise?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-work-towards-doing-anaerobic-exercise/716528)
**Author:** [@Mr.Insaneo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Insaneo)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-work-towards-doing-anaerobic-exercise/716528 "2015-04-01T20:49:22Z")
I’m out of shape, and my cardio is bad. When I try to run as fast as I can, I have to stop at 15 seconds because my speed begins to decrease and I’m out of breath. Is doing aerobic, cardio exercise like running, swimmin… --- ## [How do you unlock your iphone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-unlock-your-iphone/716521)
**Author:** [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-unlock-your-iphone/716521 "2015-04-01T19:31:37Z")
My wife and I have iPhone 5s’s under contract with AT&T. We have been trying for 3 weeks to get AT&T to unlock the phones, as we will be spending 6 months of this year in China, and want to use a local carrier’s SIM card… --- ## [What's the first vehicle that could travel 20000 Leagues Under the Sea?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-vehicle-that-could-travel-20000-leagues-under-the-sea/715951)
**Author:** [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-first-vehicle-that-could-travel-20000-leagues-under-the-sea/715951 "2015-04-01T19:27:36Z")
I’m wondering t if any current submarine has ever traveled that far without surfacing, or if no, whether any current sub could. It does not have to be a manned vehicle, any submersible traveling under its own power will… --- ## [What's up with Fed Ex tracking?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-fed-ex-tracking/716393)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-fed-ex-tracking/716393 "2015-04-01T19:14:19Z")
Bought something that was shipped via Fed Ex. Last thing on the tracking (from Texas) is Friday, 3/27/15 @ 7:30pm. Then nothing. It’s now Monday, 3/30/15 @ 10:20pm and still nothing mentioned on the tracking. I rarely g… --- ## [Why does the "pee dance" help you hold it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-pee-dance-help-you-hold-it/716504)
**Author:** [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-pee-dance-help-you-hold-it/716504 "2015-04-01T18:53:59Z")
Has there been any studies done on why dancing when you need to pee seems to allow you to hold it better than just staying still? --- ## [I can make my stomach "growl" voluntarily. Normal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-my-stomach-growl-voluntarily-normal/87994)
**Author:** [@Tiburon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiburon)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-make-my-stomach-growl-voluntarily-normal/87994 "2015-04-01T18:48:27Z")
Prompted by the eustachian tube post, I thought I’d pose this question. At certain times (not sure what makes this work one time and not others except that it is typically when my stomach is not full), I can push my sto… --- ## [Do judges accept LEO's word over the Defendent (traffic ticket)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-judges-accept-leos-word-over-the-defendent-traffic-ticket/699455)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 62\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-judges-accept-leos-word-over-the-defendent-traffic-ticket/699455 "2015-04-01T18:35:00Z")
Suppose a person gets a ticket for something unambiguous like not signaling, rolling through a stop sign, etc. LEO writes a ticket and this person decides to fight it. LEO testifies as to what they witnessed. Defendan… --- ## [What checks stop people from fraudulently writing their own prescriptions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-checks-stop-people-from-fraudulently-writing-their-own-prescriptions/716276)
**Author:** [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-checks-stop-people-from-fraudulently-writing-their-own-prescriptions/716276 "2015-04-01T18:11:24Z")
Do no need answer fast, I am not asking this because I want to do it\* or help others in doing it, it’s just that I’m wondering how this potential problem is dealt with. I’ve seen a few paper prescriptions and usually, n… --- ## [Cryogenics may be possible by the year 2050](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryogenics-may-be-possible-by-the-year-2050/714807)
**Author:** [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cryogenics-may-be-possible-by-the-year-2050/714807 "2015-04-01T17:34:37Z")
74-year-old Woman Survives After Being Found Frozen to Ground Following Ice Storm in Tennessee. What’s with all these frozen people found alive? http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/01/whats\_with\_all.php I think … --- ## [iPhone users who also use Outlook - how are you overcoming the calendar SNAFU?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-users-who-also-use-outlook-how-are-you-overcoming-the-calendar-snafu/716495)
**Author:** [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-users-who-also-use-outlook-how-are-you-overcoming-the-calendar-snafu/716495 "2015-04-01T17:26:50Z")
Old news, but I thought I’d check to see if any of you have come across a viable work around for this. For some time now, Outlook calendar has been unable to sync with iPhone calendars. I’ve googled to look for solutio… --- ## [Did Hanno the Navigator really think gorillas were people?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-hanno-the-navigator-really-think-gorillas-were-people/716506)
**Author:** [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-hanno-the-navigator-really-think-gorillas-were-people/716506 "2015-04-01T17:01:30Z")
:dubious: How accurate is this theory thought to be? I’ll admit it seems the most likely, but surely he would have thought monkey instead of hairy natives right? --- ## [Do they have statistics for how many Jewish families successfully hid during WWII?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-statistics-for-how-many-jewish-families-successfully-hid-during-wwii/716443)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-statistics-for-how-many-jewish-families-successfully-hid-during-wwii/716443 "2015-04-01T16:12:17Z")
Anne Frank’s family were discovered and arrested only a few months before the Nazis withdrew from Holland. They came so close to surviving the war by hiding. The father did survive the concentration camp. Typhus kille… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1139) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1141)