# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=135 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 136 --- ## [Car tailpipe in the snow](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-tailpipe-in-the-snow/986320)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 3, 2023, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-tailpipe-in-the-snow/986320 "2023-07-03T00:05:47Z")
My wife is reading a book wherein the entire plot basically revolves around the notion that a car’s tail pipe buried in snow caused the occupants to die of carbon monoxide poisoning (leading to a suspected murder plot). … --- ## [Can I hot-link my Acer to my iPhone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hot-link-my-acer-to-my-iphone/986458)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2023, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-hot-link-my-acer-to-my-iphone/986458 "2023-07-02T20:19:12Z")
I like to sit out on my front porch and surf using my Acer Chromebook. Problem is that my router is down in the basement, at the opposite corner of my house from the porch, so the signal keeps getting dropped. I know I… --- ## [Once upon a time when I would trash a gmail message](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-when-i-would-trash-a-gmail-message/986452)
**Author:** [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-when-i-would-trash-a-gmail-message/986452 "2023-07-02T17:25:51Z")
Once upon a time when I would trash a gmail message on my iPhone it would be gone from my inbox on any other device. At some point in the past year or so that stopped happening and now they only disappear when “trashed”… --- ## [Do UK cops "read 'em their rights"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-uk-cops-read-em-their-rights/986382)
**Author:** [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2023, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-uk-cops-read-em-their-rights/986382 "2023-07-02T15:22:20Z")
On US TV cop shows, when an arrest is made, you know the cop will say “You have the right to remain silent,” and so on, the Miranda rights. I don’t remember UK cops doing it, until now. On Ridley, a PBS cop show set in t… --- ## [Atari 2600, what are the actual limits?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atari-2600-what-are-the-actual-limits/986172)
**Author:** [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2023, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/atari-2600-what-are-the-actual-limits/986172 "2023-07-02T14:20:30Z")
I mean how far can the original console be pushed given a cartridge input, where the cartridge would take over as much as possible? I know the video output is limited to what it can do on an old TV, and sound is likewis… --- ## [Are Epsom salts good for minor infections/injuries?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-epsom-salts-good-for-minor-infections-injuries/986346)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2023, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-epsom-salts-good-for-minor-infections-injuries/986346 "2023-07-02T02:33:12Z")
I’ve been doing a little research due to a minor injury and have come across competing claims that soaking in Epsom is good for a minor infection or that they’re not beneficial and may even inhibit healing. I’m under th… --- ## [8 month old rec gas- still good for a zero turn mower? (need answer fast)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-month-old-rec-gas-still-good-for-a-zero-turn-mower-need-answer-fast/986414)
**Author:** [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2023, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-month-old-rec-gas-still-good-for-a-zero-turn-mower-need-answer-fast/986414 "2023-07-02T00:49:07Z")
I bought some rec gas about 8 months ago for another thing I didn’t use it for, and I’m pretty sure I stupidly did not add any stabilizer to it. Now I want to cut the grass and I’m low on regular 89 octane. Would the re… --- ## [Is there any evidence of John Paul Jones burning any towns on the British coast during the Revolutionary War?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-john-paul-jones-burning-any-towns-on-the-british-coast-during-the-revolutionary-war/986322)
**Author:** [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-evidence-of-john-paul-jones-burning-any-towns-on-the-british-coast-during-the-revolutionary-war/986322 "2023-07-01T22:21:01Z")
I had read that British towns were burned by the Patriots during their Revolutionary War. I couldn’t find any mention of that online. Did John Paul Jones burn any towns on the British coast? --- ## [Physics behind a billiard shot](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-behind-a-billiard-shot/984678)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 87\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physics-behind-a-billiard-shot/984678 "2023-07-01T22:15:41Z")
Anyone who has ever played pool knows the dramatic difference in the action of a cue ball when hit by a pro as opposed to a novice. A novice can hit the cue ball in exactly the same place at exactly the same speed as the… --- ## [Why does that train horn sound for over an hour some nights?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-that-train-horn-sound-for-over-an-hour-some-nights/767026)
**Author:** [@Kiramin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiramin)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-that-train-horn-sound-for-over-an-hour-some-nights/767026 "2023-07-01T21:12:54Z")
Ok, granted, it’s 3am & I’m a little desperate. The train is a fact of life, but why does the horn sound for 90+ minutes some nights? It’s like a phone’s busy signal (anyone remember land lines?)- it’s consistent. The tr… --- ## [Challenger II takes 70 RPG hits and survives: true?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenger-ii-takes-70-rpg-hits-and-survives-true/471043)
**Author:** [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/challenger-ii-takes-70-rpg-hits-and-survives-true/471043 "2023-07-01T18:43:25Z")
Wikipedia states a Challenger II sustained 70 RPG hits in Basra, 2003. All crew survived. Their reference is a BBC news article where a defence consultant repeats the claim (trustworthy?). Is this true or not? --- ## [Is there a term for this specific kind of non-solution?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-this-specific-kind-of-non-solution/986191)
**Author:** [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-for-this-specific-kind-of-non-solution/986191 "2023-07-01T15:27:28Z")
Imagine that we had a systemic problem, like “30% of working people in the US can’t afford to see a doctor” - yes, I’m aware of medicaid blah blah I’m just giving an easy to understand example. One person asserts that t… --- ## [What is the legal definition of a religious organization in the U.S.?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legal-definition-of-a-religious-organization-in-the-u-s/986359)
**Author:** [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legal-definition-of-a-religious-organization-in-the-u-s/986359 "2023-07-01T02:56:30Z")
And can I start my own to get all the nifty “protections?” --- ## [Why "so-called Canada" in this email I got from an environmental advocacy group?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-called-canada-in-this-email-i-got-from-an-environmental-advocacy-group/986304)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-called-canada-in-this-email-i-got-from-an-environmental-advocacy-group/986304 "2023-07-01T02:21:20Z")
I just got an email asking me to sign a petition demanding that British Columbia stop old growth logging. I’m not Canadian let alone British Columbian so I don’t know what weight my signature carries if any, but I sign… --- ## [Obsolete accounting question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-accounting-question/986368)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2023, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obsolete-accounting-question/986368 "2023-07-01T01:24:46Z")
Obsolete because now paper checks are processed by the electronic “check truncation” system (which also largely did away with check kiting). But back when checks took some days to officially clear was it the practice for… --- ## [How to refresh \*only ONE\* pivot table in an Excel workbook?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-refresh-only-one-pivot-table-in-an-excel-workbook/986353)
**Author:** [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-refresh-only-one-pivot-table-in-an-excel-workbook/986353 "2023-06-30T22:53:54Z")
Microsoft Office Standard 2016 on a Windows 10 Enterprise 64-bit PC. Excel workbook has many sheets (tabs) which each contain a copy of the original pivot table. They’re all pivoted different ways, but linked to the same… --- ## [Mixing baking soda and vinegar](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixing-baking-soda-and-vinegar/985593)
**Author:** [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mixing-baking-soda-and-vinegar/985593 "2023-06-30T18:14:14Z")
I have an ongoing need for CO2. My plan to get my fix is to mix baking soda with regular old kitchen 5% acid white vinegar. So far things are going well, but when my reaction vessel calms down there is still a good dea… --- ## [Store bought hard boiled eggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-bought-hard-boiled-eggs/981987)
**Author:** [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2023, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/store-bought-hard-boiled-eggs/981987 "2023-06-30T14:29:11Z")
I occasionally buy hard-boiled eggs at stores. They always have a distinctive, off-putting flavor but, according to the ingredient listing, are simply eggs. They are also rubbery. What’s going on? Also: The sell-buy dat… --- ## [What the heck is going on with my hard drive storage on my PC?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-my-hard-drive-storage-on-my-pc/986241)
**Author:** [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2023, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-my-hard-drive-storage-on-my-pc/986241 "2023-06-30T13:25:53Z")
I work from home using a Win10 PC with a 500GB SSID primary hard drive. Recently, say within the last month, I noticed the primary HD was getting kind of full- down to 25% capacity. I made a mental note to keep an eye o… --- ## [Question about airport terminology \[and emergency procedures\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-airport-terminology-and-emergency-procedures/986255)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2023, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-airport-terminology-and-emergency-procedures/986255 "2023-06-30T01:16:02Z")
My Beloved watches a lot of shows about true airline tragedies and (listening in the background) I notice that a majority of the time when the tower is asking how many people are on the plane they ask “How many souls on… --- ## [Heinlein and "Dr.Renshaw"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heinlein-and-dr-renshaw/40142)
**Author:** [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2023, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heinlein-and-dr-renshaw/40142 "2023-06-29T12:27:44Z")
For those of you RAH junkies the name “Renshaw” might ring a bell or two. If you read Robert Heinleins’ works this name keeps popping up all over the place (Citizen of the Galaxy, Friday, just off the top of my head). In… --- ## [Updating games apps on phone](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updating-games-apps-on-phone/986262)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2023, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/updating-games-apps-on-phone/986262 "2023-06-29T11:39:03Z")
I have a few free games on my phone that I use to kill time in waiting rooms etc. Along with the annoying ads I also get requests/demands to download the latest version of solitaire or whatever. The games themselves don’… --- ## [Aerial observers in World War Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aerial-observers-in-world-war-two/986269)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2023, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aerial-observers-in-world-war-two/986269 "2023-06-29T08:08:22Z")
With the ongoing debates about UAPs, a basic question is just how reliable reports of sightings are. And it occurs to me that we had the perfect laboratory for that question during World War Two. The airspaces of the bel… --- ## [Electric airplanes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-airplanes/844530)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 155\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2023, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-airplanes/844530 "2023-06-29T04:35:22Z")
NASA is experimenting with an electric airplane, the X-57 Maxwell. It has several changes that should make it more efficient than just replacing the engines and fuel tanks with electric motors and batteries. They’re taki… --- ## [JFK Assassination](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-assassination/649942)
**Author:** [@prolific71](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prolific71)\ **Replies:** 194\ **Last updated:** [June 28, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-assassination/649942 "2023-06-28T20:50:18Z")
What’s the official US government stance on the JFK assassination? Are they still saying there was a single shooter from the TSBD as the Warren Commission said? Was the Zapruder film available to the public at the time … --- ## [Every single breath we take, we get at least one atom from Julius Caesar's last breath?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-single-breath-we-take-we-get-at-least-one-atom-from-julius-caesars-last-breath/973691)
**Author:** [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [June 28, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/every-single-breath-we-take-we-get-at-least-one-atom-from-julius-caesars-last-breath/973691 "2023-06-28T18:43:17Z")
I’ve heard this touted as a fact a few times. Is it true? --- ## [Why would any portion of a classified doc need to be revealed at trial?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-portion-of-a-classified-doc-need-to-be-revealed-at-trial/986149)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [June 28, 2023, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-any-portion-of-a-classified-doc-need-to-be-revealed-at-trial/986149 "2023-06-28T18:39:47Z")
Why does there need to be a Classified Information Procedures Act? If it’s a crime to take national defense information knowingly and attempt to conceal it from the government, wouldn’t it be enough for the defendant, t… --- ## [How is abusive treatment in the military is reported or underlings protected](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-abusive-treatment-in-the-military-is-reported-or-underlings-protected/986132)
**Author:** [@hat\_trick\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hat_trick_1)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [June 28, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-abusive-treatment-in-the-military-is-reported-or-underlings-protected/986132 "2023-06-28T14:33:17Z")
Given the hierarchy of military organizations, I assume there is enormous potential for abusive treatment. Famously, this crops up in fiction, and infamously there are well-documented cases of sexual harassment. My ques… --- ## [Ice house illumination?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-house-illumination/985584)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [June 28, 2023, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ice-house-illumination/985584 "2023-06-28T10:35:07Z")
In the nineteenth century before mechanical refrigeration, storing ice harvested in the winter was a thing. So how were they lit for people working inside? I can’t imagine that either flame or windows were particularly g… --- ## [Wish Chips](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-chips/240203)
**Author:** [@Miss\_Magic8ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Magic8ball)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 16, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wish-chips/240203 "2004-04-16T04:20:04Z")
You know wish chips… the ones that are folded over, right? Well, I was recently eating a bag of chips and there were almost 15 of them… and I was wondering, what is the correct way to eat one? One person I know chews the… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=134) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=136)