# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=118 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 119 --- ## [Best Order to Board an Airplane?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244)
**Author:** [@Steven\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Maven)\ **Replies:** 129\ **Last updated:** [October 25, 2023, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-order-to-board-an-airplane/984244 "2023-10-25T02:06:21Z")
Here’s something I don’t understand. Why do airlines board passengers from the front to the rear? I think it would be vastly more efficient and convenient to board from the rear to the front. For this thread I’ll ignor… --- ## [Why only 217 votes needed to elect a Speaker of the House?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-only-217-votes-needed-to-elect-a-speaker-of-the-house/991726)
**Author:** [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [October 25, 2023, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-only-217-votes-needed-to-elect-a-speaker-of-the-house/991726 "2023-10-25T00:40:00Z")
There are 435 members of the House, so it would seem a majority would be 218 votes. Everything I hear is that only 217 votes are needed. That would be a 217-218 minority. What is the story? --- ## [British law dopers: Why the "Statute" of Westminster?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-law-dopers-why-the-statute-of-westminster/991812)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-law-dopers-why-the-statute-of-westminster/991812 "2023-10-24T18:22:59Z")
One of the most important documents in the creation of the British Commonwealth is the Statute of Westminster 1931, which gave the parliaments of the dominions (Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc.) unlimited legislative … --- ## [Bridges close to each other](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridges-close-to-each-other/991328)
**Author:** [@stosh1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stosh1)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bridges-close-to-each-other/991328 "2023-10-24T16:09:47Z")
On I road I drive on there are two bridges within a mile. One has a paved roadway and the other is an open grate type. They are both about the same length. Can anybody tell my who decides which type and why? --- ## [Best way to determine radon level](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-determine-radon-level/991930)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2023, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-determine-radon-level/991930 "2023-10-24T06:34:32Z")
Is it better to get a test kit where you collect a sample then send it in for analysis? Or buy a detector that works like a CO detector? The detector will cost a lot more but gives an ongoing level as opposed to a one-an… --- ## [Can you sue someone who simply retweeted something?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sue-someone-who-simply-retweeted-something/991485)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2023, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-sue-someone-who-simply-retweeted-something/991485 "2023-10-23T21:04:41Z")
Complicated threatened lawsuit here (not for me fortunately), but basically Person A tweeted a picture of Person B’s kids with some very offensive remarks attached to it. Then Person C retweets it. Person B makes up wit… --- ## [Etymological link between toll and troll?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymological-link-between-toll-and-troll/78230)
**Author:** [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2023, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymological-link-between-toll-and-troll/78230 "2023-10-23T16:17:06Z")
I have heard it suggested that the name of a “toll bridge” refers to the idea of a “troll” lying in wait under a bridge, demanding “protection money”, as in fairy stories. I understand that the English word “toll” is ul… --- ## [What's the holdup on green hydrogen?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-holdup-on-green-hydrogen/948018)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 71\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2023, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-holdup-on-green-hydrogen/948018 "2023-10-23T00:31:12Z")
Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water, where the electricity comes from renewable sources such as solar panels or wind turbines. While there may be some being produced now, it’s just small potatoes… --- ## [Any case where MM-DD-YY dating has cost money?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-case-where-mm-dd-yy-dating-has-cost-money/990594)
**Author:** [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Replies:** 128\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2023, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-case-where-mm-dd-yy-dating-has-cost-money/990594 "2023-10-22T23:03:20Z")
Americans use MM-DD-YY as a shortform, the rest of the world uses the much more sensible DD-MM-YY. Is there a good example of a case where an American firm in good faith sloppily used MM-DD-YY in their international prom… --- ## [What would a completely NON-gerrymandered House of Representatives look like?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-completely-non-gerrymandered-house-of-representatives-look-like/991766)
**Author:** [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2023, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-a-completely-non-gerrymandered-house-of-representatives-look-like/991766 "2023-10-22T16:33:40Z")
Imagine if we were to draw up a House on the principles of near-total objective fairness, as close as we can. How would we do it? Feel free to suggest appointing people as non-partisan as we could to be in charge of re-… --- ## [Software that can listen for specific sounds and alert those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-that-can-listen-for-specific-sounds-and-alert-those-who-are-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing/991895)
**Author:** [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2023, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/software-that-can-listen-for-specific-sounds-and-alert-those-who-are-deaf-or-hard-of-hearing/991895 "2023-10-22T14:26:58Z")
I’m not deaf or hard of hearing, but I might as well be when I’ve got my headphones on and I’m listening to music or watching video. I’m looking for some software for Win11 or android that can listen for certain noises a… --- ## [Determine all ways to group 49 into groups of 7 such that](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determine-all-ways-to-group-49-into-groups-of-7-such-that/991820)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [October 21, 2023, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/determine-all-ways-to-group-49-into-groups-of-7-such-that/991820 "2023-10-21T18:24:15Z")
…no item appears more than once in the same group with any other item. I am trying to solve this in Excel for someone. I could write a VBA program to do it but I cannot imagine what the algorithm would be. The real-worl… --- ## [Bluetooth 101](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813)
**Author:** [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [October 21, 2023, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bluetooth-101/991813 "2023-10-21T03:02:32Z")
I’ve never had occasion to use Bluetooth before. Now I want to transfer all my apps and settings from my old Android tablet to my new Android tablet. A step requires that on my old tablet I select new tablet’s nam… --- ## [Why wouldn't cruise ship casino pay me by check?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wouldnt-cruise-ship-casino-pay-me-by-check/991811)
**Author:** [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wouldnt-cruise-ship-casino-pay-me-by-check/991811 "2023-10-20T23:22:03Z")
A couple of months ago I won $18K on a cruise. I asked to be paid by check . I was told that they would see how much I had gambled over the whole cruise, subtract my losses from the $18K and if that number came to less … --- ## [How many people actually get the reward money?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-actually-get-the-reward-money/991849)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-people-actually-get-the-reward-money/991849 "2023-10-20T21:43:51Z")
I don’t seem to hear much about people getting the reward for information leading to the capture or conviction of someone. I wonder how many technicalities there are that lead to them not meeting certain requirements. --- ## [Do some people just have strong sperm?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-have-strong-sperm/991035)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-some-people-just-have-strong-sperm/991035 "2023-10-20T19:50:18Z")
I understand you can have damaged or defective sperm from all sorts of medical problems, but I’m curious if the actual opposite happens. If some people actually have sperm that’s stronger/more virile than normal. Becaus… --- ## [How good are the “Prove that you’re a human” tests?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-the-prove-that-you-re-a-human-tests/991730)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2023, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-good-are-the-prove-that-you-re-a-human-tests/991730 "2023-10-20T15:09:59Z")
Many websites make you prove that you’re a human by “Clicking here”, “Select all images with a forklift in them”, Captchas, or similar things. How good are these at actually confirming that I’m a human? I’m just curious… --- ## [What's the point of "early check-in" for a flight?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-early-check-in-for-a-flight/991744)
**Author:** [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Replies:** 67\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2023, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-early-check-in-for-a-flight/991744 "2023-10-20T07:55:51Z")
I got an e-mail, within the last hour, urging me to check in for the flight I’m taking tomorrow night. Ummm … why? My departing airport is about 180 miles away from where I am right now. To me, “checking-in for a flig… --- ## [What does it mean to "grade on a curve" in school?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-to-grade-on-a-curve-in-school/991124)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2023, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-it-mean-to-grade-on-a-curve-in-school/991124 "2023-10-20T03:50:59Z")
I see a similar question was asked 23 years ago. I hope it is ok to ask again (maybe an ATMB question here). In this thread @Saint\_Cad asked a question about bell curves. I mentioned test scores in school are likely a… --- ## [Demonstrating the Law of Large Numbers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonstrating-the-law-of-large-numbers/991720)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [October 20, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/demonstrating-the-law-of-large-numbers/991720 "2023-10-20T01:31:17Z")
My students are doing an experiment showing the LLN and I want to make sure I have it set up correctly. Let’s say the students are rolling a die and counting the number of times a 6 comes up. p(6) = 1/6 and if I have t… --- ## [What are the exceptions, if any, to government shutdown?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-exceptions-if-any-to-government-shutdown/990917)
**Author:** [@ZamboniAce1000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZamboniAce1000)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [October 19, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-exceptions-if-any-to-government-shutdown/990917 "2023-10-19T22:07:18Z")
Assuming the budget impasse is not resolved what parts of the government DON’T get shutdown, and why are they excepted? The federal government includes the federal court system, the federal prisons, the FDA, the IRS, the… --- ## [The U.S.'s Atlantic ties were far more important than those with Latin America](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-s-atlantic-ties-were-far-more-important-than-those-with-latin-america/991383)
**Author:** [@cannonkuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cannonkuo)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [October 19, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-u-s-s-atlantic-ties-were-far-more-important-than-those-with-latin-america/991383 "2023-10-19T21:33:00Z")
During the Falklands Crisis in the spring of 1982, then-State Secretary Haig said that the U.S.'s Atlantic ties were far more important than those with Latin America. (Combs, Jerald A. The History of American Foreign Pol… --- ## [Rainbows: Why Not Just Three Colors?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbows-why-not-just-three-colors/828243)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 94\ **Last updated:** [October 19, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainbows-why-not-just-three-colors/828243 "2023-10-19T19:33:42Z")
This thought just hit me out of the blue today (no pun intended): If there are just three primary colors of light, then why isn’t a rainbow simply comprised of just those three colors? Have our teachers been lying to us… --- ## [This cave in Spain plays vainly on my brain ('Cueva del VAT' - what does that mean?)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cave-in-spain-plays-vainly-on-my-brain-cueva-del-vat-what-does-that-mean/991203)
**Author:** [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [October 19, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-cave-in-spain-plays-vainly-on-my-brain-cueva-del-vat-what-does-that-mean/991203 "2023-10-19T18:45:52Z")
I’ve hiked the Peñas Blancas (white cliffs) in Murcia, southeastern Spain a few times - the mountain is riddled with old mine workings and tunnels - many of which have individual names such as Cuevas Blancas (white caves… --- ## ["Abrahamic Faith" vs "Faith of Abraham"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abrahamic-faith-vs-faith-of-abraham/991743)
**Author:** [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [October 19, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abrahamic-faith-vs-faith-of-abraham/991743 "2023-10-19T13:08:51Z")
The road that I live on has two Church(s) of God of the Abrahamic Faith within a couple of thousand feet of each other, where one schismed off the other around 70 years ago. Recently the older one has covered their perma… --- ## [Do other languages have the two correct spellings for the same word?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-languages-have-the-two-correct-spellings-for-the-same-word/991558)
**Author:** [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [October 18, 2023, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-languages-have-the-two-correct-spellings-for-the-same-word/991558 "2023-10-18T20:18:31Z")
In the Spelling Bee today, (spoilered, for other SB solvers out there) are included. They are both correct spellings of the same word. I’m trying to think of something equivalent in my limited knowledge of German and … --- ## [Put foot through attic ceiling, what type of tradesperson?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/put-foot-through-attic-ceiling-what-type-of-tradesperson/991699)
**Author:** [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [October 18, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/put-foot-through-attic-ceiling-what-type-of-tradesperson/991699 "2023-10-18T15:50:47Z")
I put my foot though the floor of my attic/ceiling of my living room, creating a large hole in the plasterboard. I I needed to fix it, what would be the type of person I’d call, I’m not sure what term to look for. --- ## [Alligators in the sewer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alligators-in-the-sewer/459604)
**Author:** [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [October 17, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alligators-in-the-sewer/459604 "2023-10-17T21:02:13Z")
Realistically, what are the chances that a baby alligator flushed into a major metropolitan sewer system could survive for any reasonable length of time? --- ## [Remarriage for widows and widowers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remarriage-for-widows-and-widowers/991547)
**Author:** [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [October 17, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remarriage-for-widows-and-widowers/991547 "2023-10-17T19:49:08Z")
Someone posted to advice columnist Carolyn Hax’s chat this afternoon as follows: “The facts are the facts. 85% of men are married or in a committed relationship within 2 years after their wife dies. 5% of widows are.” I… --- ## [Can Alexa take typed instructions via the app?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alexa-take-typed-instructions-via-the-app/991688)
**Author:** [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [October 17, 2023, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-alexa-take-typed-instructions-via-the-app/991688 "2023-10-17T18:34:14Z")
Often, my Alexa Echo device can’t seem to understand my song requests, esp if the title is in a different language. This happens even whan she’s understood that same request in the past. Is there some way via the app I … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=117) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=119)