# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1141 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1142 --- ## [Prostitution for desperate women...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostitution-for-desperate-women/715261)
**Author:** [@Umbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbridge)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prostitution-for-desperate-women/715261 "2015-04-01T15:37:25Z")
I observe that desperate women throughout history have opted for prostitution as a way to survive. Prostitution for them may not be a respectable job title, but at least it feeds them or provides them with what they need… --- ## [How do prescription tiers of antibiotics work](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-prescription-tiers-of-antibiotics-work/716461)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-prescription-tiers-of-antibiotics-work/716461 "2015-04-01T15:27:30Z")
With antibiotic resistance growing I’m going to assume that medicine has various antibiotics they rarely use so the bugs do not get a chance to get adjusted to them. Is that a valid assumption? You have a pyramid of drug… --- ## [What is a religion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-religion/716082)
**Author:** [@Lubricious\_Integument](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lubricious_Integument)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-religion/716082 "2015-04-01T09:33:00Z")
Please keep the answers factual. What exactly does the first amendment mean by “religion”? Can I declare myself a member of a religion of my own creation? How does tax-exempt status work? If a certain state passes a … --- ## [Do hit-and-run (minor damage) baddies actually get in any trouble?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-hit-and-run-minor-damage-baddies-actually-get-in-any-trouble/212412)
**Author:** [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-hit-and-run-minor-damage-baddies-actually-get-in-any-trouble/212412 "2015-04-01T13:49:50Z")
So, yesterday I witnessed a minor-damage hit-and-run. Two women in a big, black SUV (:smack: does it really have to conform to a bad stereotype?) tried to parallel park, and their front end tore off the rear light, red-p… --- ## [Angle degree and movement in human copulation](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/angle-degree-and-movement-in-human-copulation/713983)
**Author:** [@Umbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbridge)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/angle-degree-and-movement-in-human-copulation/713983 "2015-04-01T12:31:05Z")
Sexual intercourse in humans is usually a private matter. However, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to ask a factual question about human sexual intercourse from a purely biological perspective, does it? It may supplement my kn… --- ## [Chem 101 - exo & endothermic reactions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-101-exo-endothermic-reactions/716107)
**Author:** [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chem-101-exo-endothermic-reactions/716107 "2015-04-01T08:20:11Z")
I was watching this Chemical Curiosities video which is full of some of the basic chemistry demonstrations that most of us probably saw in high school or college. It started me thinking about exothermic reactions and tr… --- ## [Question on a foreclosure](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-a-foreclosure/716372)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-a-foreclosure/716372 "2015-04-01T05:55:12Z")
When a bank forecloses, they have a fiduciary duty to the debtor to sell the house for the most amount of money and theoretically the debtor could end up making money off the sale. This question deals with the situation… --- ## [I am not I: The fastest biochemical event and the speed of light, or, The Bathroom Mirror phenomenon](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-i-the-fastest-biochemical-event-and-the-speed-of-light-or-the-bathroom-mirror-phenomenon/598757)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-not-i-the-fastest-biochemical-event-and-the-speed-of-light-or-the-bathroom-mirror-phenomenon/598757 "2015-04-01T04:37:49Z")
Stumbling to my bathroom in the morning and surveying my beard in the mirror one foot away from me, it occurred to me that who I was seeing was actually the person who I was 23.6 nanoseconds ago: one light beam out, one … --- ## [Is there ANY realistic mode of interstellar travel?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-realistic-mode-of-interstellar-travel/362818)
**Author:** [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Replies:** 68\ **Last updated:** [April 1, 2015, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-realistic-mode-of-interstellar-travel/362818 "2015-04-01T03:22:03Z")
Right now we can’t travel between stars without it taking years and years and years and a few more years, and we won’t be able to for quite some time, it seems. But surely there must be some way suggested by current phys… --- ## [Devaluation of "nimrod"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devaluation-of-nimrod/716203)
**Author:** [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/devaluation-of-nimrod/716203 "2015-03-31T23:53:52Z")
Thanks to Keegan-Michael Key (of “Key & Peele” fame) I heard a while back that “Nimrod” is a figure of strength in the Bible. So does anybody know how the word “nimrod” came to be a less-than-flattering one? --- ## [Remembering passwords](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remembering-passwords/716346)
**Author:** [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remembering-passwords/716346 "2015-03-31T21:01:25Z")
It seems like every time I log into a site that requires a password the option is presented to have the site remember the password so that it doesn’t ever need to be typed in again. (Whew! I’d hate to have to diagram th… --- ## [Don't mix Ibuprophen + Alcohol... How long?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-mix-ibuprophen-alcohol-how-long/716273)
**Author:** [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-mix-ibuprophen-alcohol-how-long/716273 "2015-03-31T19:13:53Z")
Let’s say I had a 400mg Ibuprophen tablet earlier today, and now I’m going out to a party. At what point is it safe to have a few drinks? How long should I wait? What are the potential consequences? Like, I saw issues ab… --- ## [Non-American equivalents of militia, etc.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-equivalents-of-militia-etc/716392)
**Author:** [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-american-equivalents-of-militia-etc/716392 "2015-03-31T18:01:54Z")
I know that several countries have strong federal systems. However, I am not aware of any country that has anything like the American tradition of military forces at the sub-national level. I know that Switzerland has … --- ## [How did the IRS know what your income was in pre-electronic days?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-irs-know-what-your-income-was-in-pre-electronic-days/716318)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-irs-know-what-your-income-was-in-pre-electronic-days/716318 "2015-03-31T17:47:33Z")
Today the vast majority of peoples’ incomes is easily traceable in the form of checks, bank accounts, business records of wages and dividends paid, etc. But back in the days when much or most income was received in cash,… --- ## [Employer pays for my tuition (income tax question)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-pays-for-my-tuition-income-tax-question/716397)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/employer-pays-for-my-tuition-income-tax-question/716397 "2015-03-31T16:09:19Z")
If I understand correctly, you can receive up to $5,000 in employer-paid-for school tuition but may have to pay taxes on anything beyond $5,000. And then there’s something about whether it’s a “qualified” education reim… --- ## [Christianity and Ghosts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-and-ghosts/715981)
**Author:** [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianity-and-ghosts/715981 "2015-03-31T15:55:57Z")
So there are all these ghost shows on TV. People go investigating haunted sites, they find ghosts, and often, combat the ghostly infestation with prayer, exorcism, or some other Christian rite or practice. Now, my relig… --- ## [Can lead be absorbed through pierced earlobe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lead-be-absorbed-through-pierced-earlobe/716340)
**Author:** [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-lead-be-absorbed-through-pierced-earlobe/716340 "2015-03-31T15:13:07Z")
My daughter recently had her ears pierced (just through the lobe in the usual place. Nothing crazy.) and, being 8, is naturally drawn to the cute, cheap earrings at Claires, etc. But reading up online about cheap jewe… --- ## [Is Tanzanite Viable In An Engagement Ring?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tanzanite-viable-in-an-engagement-ring/618388)
**Author:** [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-tanzanite-viable-in-an-engagement-ring/618388 "2015-03-31T13:16:30Z")
I’m looking at a tanzanite ring at my local Jared’s jewelry store. The intention is to use it as an engagement ring… perhaps, someday. Is that a poor idea in terms of the hardness of the gem? --- ## [Irrigation/sprinkler problem (need answer soon-ish)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irrigation-sprinkler-problem-need-answer-soon-ish/716308)
**Author:** [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irrigation-sprinkler-problem-need-answer-soon-ish/716308 "2015-03-31T05:46:10Z")
This isn’t really an emergency, but I’d like to take care of it next weekend, so I’m hoping I can gather some wisdom before then. I have a sprinkler system under my lawn. I have taken out the grass and landscaped with … --- ## [Cops and school buses](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-and-school-buses/716361)
**Author:** [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cops-and-school-buses/716361 "2015-03-31T02:19:35Z")
A question for the cops on the board: Say you’re zooming down the road, flashing lights on and siren wailing, responding to an emergency. You go around a corner, and there, 100 yards ahead of you, in the other lane, is … --- ## [Why was Meigs Field the default location for MS Flight Simulator?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-meigs-field-the-default-location-for-ms-flight-simulator/716339 "2015-03-31T01:46:49Z")
Microsoft Flight Simulator goes back to the late 1970’s, when it was first made by subLOGIC. The default airport has always been Meigs Field until FSX came out in 2006 (the real Meigs Field was bulldozed in 2003). Why … --- ## [How to know if I my mail is lost](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-know-if-i-my-mail-is-lost/716382)
**Author:** [@Patronager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patronager)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-know-if-i-my-mail-is-lost/716382 "2015-03-31T01:39:32Z")
I sent a mail a week ago with regular USPS postal service. It was supposed to be delivered on Saturday, but it has not been delivered yet. Unfortunately, I do not have a tracking number. I was wondering what are the chan… --- ## [Malware won't go away!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-wont-go-away/716303)
**Author:** [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malware-wont-go-away/716303 "2015-03-31T01:17:49Z")
Apparently, despite being extra careful, somehow I’ve ended up with the ShopGlider PUP on my computer. Fortunately it seems to be confined to Google Chrome, but it’s a major pain in the ass. I’ve followed almost all of… --- ## [Some Basic Medical-Speak...?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-basic-medical-speak/716292)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-basic-medical-speak/716292 "2015-03-31T01:04:42Z")
What is “medical speak” for the left and right sides of the body, respectively? I tried using Google translate seeking the Latin for these terms. But, maybe it’s not working correctly? It’s returning the same English … --- ## [Why isn't my Wi-Fi working?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-my-wi-fi-working/715737)
**Author:** [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-my-wi-fi-working/715737 "2015-03-31T00:36:23Z")
At home I have internet from Optimum. I replaced their “Smart Router” with a Dlink DIR-645 because I wanted to be able to manage my own network. On my network I have working without a hitch One Android Phone, One iPho… --- ## [I had a head cold and am dumb. Help me math?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-head-cold-and-am-dumb-help-me-math/716131)
**Author:** [@CastleAnthrax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastleAnthrax)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-head-cold-and-am-dumb-help-me-math/716131 "2015-03-30T23:04:56Z")
I feel silly asking this, but my head is clogged. Last year, I had some people do some sales work for me on commission. There were two people at a time, and I paid one of them 50% of the total, and one of them got 10% o… --- ## [Legal and negotiable docs in the olden days](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-negotiable-docs-in-the-olden-days/716118)
**Author:** [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-and-negotiable-docs-in-the-olden-days/716118 "2015-03-30T22:25:25Z")
A couple of different questions… Before copy machines, I would imagine that there was an established system of making “certified” copies. Who did it…lawyers…notary publics?? Were complete copies required so that pass… --- ## [Please help me rebut this NPR story on reincarnation](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-rebut-this-npr-story-on-reincarnation/678142)
**Author:** [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-rebut-this-npr-story-on-reincarnation/678142 "2015-03-30T22:08:14Z")
I have a couple friends who have long differed sharply with me for my “materialist”, “empiricist” views. I do not know if they have caught wind of this story, but I would like to be prepared if and when they do. It sur… --- ## [Do we know how Bob Jones University defined race?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-know-how-bob-jones-university-defined-race/715788)
**Author:** [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2015, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-know-how-bob-jones-university-defined-race/715788 "2015-03-30T22:08:10Z")
From about 1975 until 2000, Bob Jones University discouraged and banned interracial dating. I don’t really get it, but it did occur. How did they define race? White, Black, Asian, everything else? Or did they have an o… --- ## [In a right triangle, does a+b/c have a name, and how does it change?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-right-triangle-does-a-b-c-have-a-name-and-how-does-it-change/716336)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-a-right-triangle-does-a-b-c-have-a-name-and-how-does-it-change/716336 "2015-03-30T20:08:55Z")
I think about this constantly: rather than go west and north from the dog park, I cut across on a straight line to get to the same point. If I walk 3 blocks west and 4 blocks north, I “save” 2/5 of a block with the shor… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1140) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1142)