# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1151 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 1152 --- ## [Earliest Languages question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-languages-question/714804)
**Author:** [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earliest-languages-question/714804 "2015-03-15T23:06:09Z")
Hi Dopers, I’m big on etymology and finding connections with words. This time I’d like to ask a question regarding the earliest languages. Logically, is it true that the first “language” that actually had syntax and w… --- ## [Fair coin. Why is it surprising to flip 99 heads in a row?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-coin-why-is-it-surprising-to-flip-99-heads-in-a-row/714888)
**Author:** [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fair-coin-why-is-it-surprising-to-flip-99-heads-in-a-row/714888 "2015-03-15T23:01:49Z")
I feel like I should know this. Indeed I feel like I have known it. In fact I probably will know it again soon. But right now I find myself perplexed. Often I think that a measure of how surprising something should be i… --- ## [How effective were helicopter door gunners in Vietnam?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-were-helicopter-door-gunners-in-vietnam/672273)
**Author:** [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-effective-were-helicopter-door-gunners-in-vietnam/672273 "2015-03-15T19:41:34Z")
It seems impossible that they could hit anything, did they? --- ## [Why we know certain inventors, and not others?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-know-certain-inventors-and-not-others/711529)
**Author:** [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-we-know-certain-inventors-and-not-others/711529 "2015-03-15T17:40:28Z")
For some history changing inventions, the inventor is well known: Samuel Morse for the telegraph, Alexander Bell for the telephone, the Wright Brothers for the airplane. But for inventions like radio, TV, or the compute… --- ## [Carbon Footprint](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbon-footprint/714997)
**Author:** [@Botch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Botch)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbon-footprint/714997 "2015-03-15T15:31:30Z")
Hello, FNG here. :slight\_smile: What has a larger carbon footprint, a gasoline automobile with reasonable mileage, or an all-electric car that’s charged in an area where the grid is powered by coal (as it is here in Ut… --- ## [Blood clotting in Outer Space](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-clotting-in-outer-space/714398)
**Author:** [@Doctor\_Why\_Bother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Why_Bother)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-clotting-in-outer-space/714398 "2015-03-15T12:23:21Z")
Hi all, I’m writing a little sci-fi story and need help on a plot point. Without going into the gory details, I need to know if zero gravity has any effect on blood clotting. Like, if someone cuts themselves in space w… --- ## [McDonalds monopoly game](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-monopoly-game/715024)
**Author:** [@surfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/surfer)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mcdonalds-monopoly-game/715024 "2015-03-15T02:25:10Z")
Does anyone ever win the million dollars in McDonalds monopoly game for getting the park place and boardwalk pieces? And if so, why don’t they promote the names of the winners? --- ## [Dietary Fiber Supplements - again!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-fiber-supplements-again/714787)
**Author:** [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dietary-fiber-supplements-again/714787 "2015-03-15T01:21:40Z")
TL: DR - What are the best dietary fiber supplements for reaching at least 75% of the USRDA? Prefer to have both soluble and insoluble with at least 45% soluble fiber, so may need to combine two products. I’m thinking… --- ## [BOA keep the change match](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boa-keep-the-change-match/715019)
**Author:** [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boa-keep-the-change-match/715019 "2015-03-15T00:49:51Z")
I’ve just found that my savings have doubled. Not much as I keep my money in the checking acct. and have the “keep the change” option. Just looked at it and it states that my savings have gone from $75.38 to $149.86. B… --- ## [Cash register question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-register-question/714543)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cash-register-question/714543 "2015-03-14T19:46:21Z")
Why do many cash registers open the cash drawer for no reason when you pay with a credit or debit card? Is it just outdated software that nobody cares to update? In many of the cases I see the cashier close the drawer … --- ## [Urgent: Windows Update caused computer screen to go blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urgent-windows-update-caused-computer-screen-to-go-blank/714938)
**Author:** [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urgent-windows-update-caused-computer-screen-to-go-blank/714938 "2015-03-14T19:03:38Z")
My friend’s Asus G75vx laptop installed an update to Windows 8 & then needed a reboot. Once it loaded, it seemed fine with the loading screen & admin lock screen, but once she clicks on it to go into the computer, it jus… --- ## [How do they shoot live-audience TV sitcoms?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-shoot-live-audience-tv-sitcoms/714992)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-shoot-live-audience-tv-sitcoms/714992 "2015-03-14T17:30:59Z")
It is my understanding (but maybe I’m naive here, so correct me if I’m wrong) that in some TV sitcoms like Seinfeld or Two and a Half Men, the laughter that you hear in the background is not canned, but is actual laughte… --- ## [What are my rights? UK tenancy law](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-rights-uk-tenancy-law/714913)
**Author:** [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-my-rights-uk-tenancy-law/714913 "2015-03-14T17:09:28Z")
So, Londoner here. Landlord is generally ok (it’s a housing association), but a saga has been written. So we moved in last May, and we were told then to pay a month’s rent up front, as we were told, to pay for our first… --- ## [Touch screens](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touch-screens/714904)
**Author:** [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/touch-screens/714904 "2015-03-14T16:41:01Z")
Ever notice how sometimes you touch a link or control on a touch screen and the item registers your touch by, say, blinking or changing color, but the link or control is not activated? WTF’s up with that? If your touch i… --- ## [What is wrong with this Amazon review ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-this-amazon-review/714907)
**Author:** [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-wrong-with-this-amazon-review/714907 "2015-03-14T15:50:14Z")
I recently bought a blood glucose monitor and test strips through Amazon Prime.Both the products received had the marking “Not for Retail Sale” - although on the strips - white tape was used to cover up the marking. I w… --- ## [Dire (And Seemingly Silly) Predictions Of The Past: Did Anyone Take Them Seriously?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dire-and-seemingly-silly-predictions-of-the-past-did-anyone-take-them-seriously/714764)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dire-and-seemingly-silly-predictions-of-the-past-did-anyone-take-them-seriously/714764 "2015-03-14T13:53:13Z")
This Cracked article tells of hilarious predictions made about mundane things that we take for granted; for example, that train travel would disintegrate your face. My concern is that these types of articles don’t alway… --- ## [How much CO2 produced is actually used for something?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-co2-produced-is-actually-used-for-something/714908)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-co2-produced-is-actually-used-for-something/714908 "2015-03-14T13:46:50Z")
The vast majority of CO2 from burning fossil fuels goes straight into the air. But what percentage of produced CO2 is actually used for something? It is used in many different applications including paintball, fire sup… --- ## [Dollar Tree's Source(s)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-trees-source-s/714933)
**Author:** [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dollar-trees-source-s/714933 "2015-03-14T13:21:55Z")
Every item is 1.00 (or less) at Dollar Tree. I frequent one that has refrigeration, and, hence, frozen foods and foods that need refrigeration. I assume these items are things that are not moving - but from where? I as… --- ## [Is laptop sleep mode safe for transporting?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laptop-sleep-mode-safe-for-transporting/714537)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-laptop-sleep-mode-safe-for-transporting/714537 "2015-03-14T05:57:05Z")
Back in the dark ages you were warned to shut down your laptop if you were planning to move it since the disks might crash as a result of jostling. (We were told that shutting them down meant parking the disk drive heads… --- ## [Looking at 3 dimensions as a sphere](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-at-3-dimensions-as-a-sphere/714763)
**Author:** [@dunkleosteus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dunkleosteus)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-at-3-dimensions-as-a-sphere/714763 "2015-03-14T04:48:22Z")
This may be dumb, but I’m wondering what are possible advantages and disadvantages of calculations in space as a sphere around a point. Instead of x,y,z being straight axes, you could imagine x and y as latitude and long… --- ## [Questions about bribery at the federal level](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-bribery-at-the-federal-level/714948)
**Author:** [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-bribery-at-the-federal-level/714948 "2015-03-14T04:13:10Z")
OK, there’s something that confuses me. But instead of diving into it, I’m going to ask some short, simple questions first. Now this first one will seem dumb, but trust me, I’m going somewhere with this. OK, question … --- ## [Map scaling and San Francisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/map-scaling-and-san-francisco/714925)
**Author:** [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/map-scaling-and-san-francisco/714925 "2015-03-14T04:02:19Z")
Ok, I have… a stupid question about maps. They are usually a representation of an area viewed from the top. But how do they work the scaling on roads that are not plane? On this representation we can see that although n… --- ## [identifying a dead American abroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-a-dead-american-abroad/714552)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-a-dead-american-abroad/714552 "2015-03-14T03:57:22Z")
It would be pretty easy to identify my remains here. My fingerprints are on file all over the place (military, numerous law enforcement positions, state professional licenses, etc.). But what if I flew to Paris, destroy… --- ## [Sources of live XML data on the web](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sources-of-live-xml-data-on-the-web/714724)
**Author:** [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sources-of-live-xml-data-on-the-web/714724 "2015-03-14T02:35:26Z")
I teach some web and Android classes, and in these courses I’m creating a lecture and set of exercises that make use of retrieving XML data across the web to be displayed on a web page or in an app. We’ve already done a … --- ## [Why is Paradise, NV (pop. 223,167) an “unincorporated town”?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-paradise-nv-pop-223-167-an-unincorporated-town/714840)
**Author:** [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-paradise-nv-pop-223-167-an-unincorporated-town/714840 "2015-03-14T00:46:55Z")
I was reading the Wikipedia article about John Entwistle who died in 2002 while staying at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. His official place of death, however, is given as “Paradise, Nevada”. Paradise is an… --- ## [Sea sickness and cruise cabins](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-sickness-and-cruise-cabins/714786)
**Author:** [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-sickness-and-cruise-cabins/714786 "2015-03-14T00:10:31Z")
I’m planning to go on a cruise with a well-known company. The ship takes around 1,000 passengers, so it’s reasonably large… The cost for an ‘outside’ cabin (= with a view of the sea) is about £2,700 ($4,000.) The cost… --- ## [Ruptured AAA battery contents on clothing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruptured-aaa-battery-contents-on-clothing/714798)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ruptured-aaa-battery-contents-on-clothing/714798 "2015-03-13T23:29:53Z")
Is there a good way to wash off the contents of a ruptured AAA battery that got over clothing and shoes? I’m guessing there’s heavy-metal stuff that doesn’t quite wash off with water or detergent? (This is kind of a ne… --- ## [Main Water Shutoff Valve leak](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-water-shutoff-valve-leak/714935)
**Author:** [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/main-water-shutoff-valve-leak/714935 "2015-03-13T23:18:13Z")
I have an old main water shutoff valve that developed a leak a week ago. There is a small knurled knob about 1/4" in diameter extending from the valve body about 1/2", 90 degrees from the actual shutoff knob. This knob h… --- ## [Probiotics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probiotics/714821)
**Author:** [@Atomic\_Mama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Mama)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probiotics/714821 "2015-03-13T22:12:56Z")
Mods: Please move this thread if you think it should go somewhere else. What’s the lowdown on probiotics? I hear and read about 'em a LOT, but is it really necessary to supplement the average diet with them? Why or why… --- ## [What's up with Iran's population pyramid?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-irans-population-pyramid/714762)
**Author:** [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2015, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-irans-population-pyramid/714762 "2015-03-13T21:18:40Z")
Population pyramid for Iran. It looks like they had a big baby boom 20-30 years ago and then followed that with a sharp reduction in births. What caused this? The US had baby booms in the past but our baby boom was no… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1150) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=1152)