# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=141 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 142 --- ## [Could a World-Class Card Counter Win Big in a Single Evening at a Casino Before Being Thrown Out?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-world-class-card-counter-win-big-in-a-single-evening-at-a-casino-before-being-thrown-out/984681)
**Author:** [@Caribbean\_cruiser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caribbean_cruiser)\ **Replies:** 68\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2023, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-world-class-card-counter-win-big-in-a-single-evening-at-a-casino-before-being-thrown-out/984681 "2023-05-30T17:21:11Z")
We all know casinos reserve the right to eject card-counters, as they (a) upend the rules of any game of chance (b) scare off honest gamblers, and (c) imperil the casino’s revenue stream, but if one were a spectacular ca… --- ## [Do casinos ever ban sports bettors who win too much?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-casinos-ever-ban-sports-bettors-who-win-too-much/984706)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2023, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-casinos-ever-ban-sports-bettors-who-win-too-much/984706 "2023-05-30T07:40:32Z")
A companion to the blackjack thread. Let’s say someone is really good at finding lines that are off, and over time they win consistently. Would a sports book ban such a person from betting? Would it make a difference … --- ## [Siphoning gas](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2023, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/siphoning-gas/976922 "2023-05-30T01:54:48Z")
I have a gasoline generator and a plug on the electronics of the gas furnace so that I can run the furnace when the electricity goes out. Carrying jerricans back and worth from the gas station is a pain. There is somethi… --- ## [When travelling: What food can I bring back with me?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-travelling-what-food-can-i-bring-back-with-me/984645)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2023, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-travelling-what-food-can-i-bring-back-with-me/984645 "2023-05-30T00:25:53Z")
In my case, it would be from Italy to the US. But this question can apply to anywhere to the US (or your country). I know bringing some food back when travelling is a no-no. But, can I bring something like olive oil (… --- ## [How does US military keep records if there is a name change?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-us-military-keep-records-if-there-is-a-name-change/984689)
**Author:** [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-us-military-keep-records-if-there-is-a-name-change/984689 "2023-05-29T14:37:11Z")
Some background - I requested information about someone’s military service from the National Archives. The information I received back indicates he was on active duty for a little less than two months. This is inconsiste… --- ## [Sickle Cell Treatment for African Americans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sickle-cell-treatment-for-african-americans/984536)
**Author:** [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2023, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sickle-cell-treatment-for-african-americans/984536 "2023-05-29T12:31:26Z")
There was a report yesterday on a new treatment for people with sickle cell disease - an affliction that occurs mostly in people of African descent. One of the first patients to access a ground-breaking treatment for s… --- ## [What do do when someone dies in Japan (need answer fast)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-do-when-someone-dies-in-japan-need-answer-fast/984680)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2023, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-do-when-someone-dies-in-japan-need-answer-fast/984680 "2023-05-29T11:18:03Z")
When I google “what to do when someone dies in Japan” (and variations of it), I get guides about funeral etiquette/customs. That’s not what I need. I need to know what legal steps the child of a recently deceased Japan… --- ## [Research into inherited characteristics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/research-into-inherited-characteristics/983415)
**Author:** [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2023, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/research-into-inherited-characteristics/983415 "2023-05-29T00:54:04Z")
Just spitballing here, but can someone more scientifically inclined than I am (i.e., everyone) please tell me about any controlled studies of inheritable characteristics in humans that would support Darwinian theories of… --- ## [Help me understand headphones for phone and music on a Mac?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-headphones-for-phone-and-music-on-a-mac/984700)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-headphones-for-phone-and-music-on-a-mac/984700 "2023-05-29T00:36:40Z")
I’m actually looking for the factual side here. I understand the simple old form of headphones which are passive little loudspeakers for the ears, having a simple three termination plug for left, right, and common curren… --- ## [The role of a moon in promoting extraterrestrial life?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-role-of-a-moon-in-promoting-extraterrestrial-life/984643)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2023, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-role-of-a-moon-in-promoting-extraterrestrial-life/984643 "2023-05-28T16:39:40Z")
With Earth’s moon around to absorb asteroid impacts and control the tides, is it safe to say life on Earth depends on it? And therefore any extrasolar planet, you’d stand to reason, must also have a moon if it’s to suppo… --- ## [Radiation: Why all the different units? What does each tell us?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-why-all-the-different-units-what-does-each-tell-us/984550)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2023, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiation-why-all-the-different-units-what-does-each-tell-us/984550 "2023-05-28T13:31:49Z")
I was watching something on the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and noted they were using Sieverts to measure exposure. But I have seen more units used to measure radiation. I am not sure this is a complete list but I can t… --- ## [Please explain how my vertical fan works](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-how-my-vertical-fan-works/984692)
**Author:** [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2023, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-how-my-vertical-fan-works/984692 "2023-05-28T11:54:37Z")
I just got a fan for the den. It’s a cheap Honeywell-brand vertical fan. It works correctly, but I’ve been struggling to understand how it works. I don’t want to open the housing, so what I can gather from looking in thr… --- ## [Cost of boiling water](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-boiling-water/984321)
**Author:** [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Replies:** 88\ **Last updated:** [May 27, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-boiling-water/984321 "2023-05-27T13:18:40Z")
Inflation being what it is, there are regular reports on TV of people’s efforts to save energy. A recent one featured a lady who had stopped using her electric kettle and now boils water for tea in her microwave. At fir… --- ## [What will bond woven nylon to nylon?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-bond-woven-nylon-to-nylon/984549)
**Author:** [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 27, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-will-bond-woven-nylon-to-nylon/984549 "2023-05-27T12:52:08Z")
Think pet collar material. I’m looking for the right glue to create a permanent bond – maybe something of a solvent-like nature? After seeing a recommendation on YouTube I tried Gorilla Glue, the clear liquid kind, which… --- ## [Cheap shipping to Australia](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-shipping-to-australia/984603)
**Author:** [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2023, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cheap-shipping-to-australia/984603 "2023-05-26T08:25:25Z")
I want to ship/mail a beanie (aka knit cap) to someone in Australia. The USPS appears to only have fairly expensive options that exceed the value of the item - a flat rate padded envelope is $43, or a small box is $20. … --- ## [Volcanoes: how close is too close?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volcanoes-how-close-is-too-close/455187)
**Author:** [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2023, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/volcanoes-how-close-is-too-close/455187 "2023-05-26T06:23:06Z")
I’ve just read this MSNBC article. At a distance of 40 miles, is Popocatépetl really close enough to devastate Mexico City? Sure there might be ashfall, but surely it’s too far away to directly affect the city with mudsl… --- ## [Stopping sneezes the old fashioned way](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stopping-sneezes-the-old-fashioned-way/984527)
**Author:** [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2023, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stopping-sneezes-the-old-fashioned-way/984527 "2023-05-26T02:14:45Z")
I grew up in the late 60s/ early 70s watching Three Stooges and Little Rascals reruns. One character was always trying to stifle another’s sneeze by placing a finger horizontally underneath their nose. Is that something … --- ## [Separating co-conspirators while in prison](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separating-co-conspirators-while-in-prison/984594)
**Author:** [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/separating-co-conspirators-while-in-prison/984594 "2023-05-25T23:37:10Z")
Specifically regarding those convicted of seditious conspiracy for January 6, but also more generally: Can co-conspirators be confined in such a way that they are separated from each other (different prisons) and prevent… --- ## [Question on civil asset forfeiture](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-civil-asset-forfeiture/975648)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2023, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-civil-asset-forfeiture/975648 "2023-05-25T22:26:29Z")
This is not to debate the fairness or constitutionality of CAF. I have a very specific question. Civil asset forfeiture is a case against the property itself (because the owner wasn’t known although that it no longer r… --- ## [Is the F-14 Tomcat considered a delta wing aircraft?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-f-14-tomcat-considered-a-delta-wing-aircraft/984597)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-f-14-tomcat-considered-a-delta-wing-aircraft/984597 "2023-05-25T21:46:48Z")
I know it’s officially called a variable wing aircraft but with wings fully swept back would it be considered a delta wing aircraft? I googled this and apparently nobody else considers this. --- ## [Dowager's Hump?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dowagers-hump/984520)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2023, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dowagers-hump/984520 "2023-05-25T18:20:40Z")
I came across the phrase “Dowager’s Hump”, which I take to mean a hunchbacked posture. Strangely, there are a reasonably sized number of videos on the internet with advice on how to correct the issue but nothing explain… --- ## [Truckers: what's the straight dope about this warning decal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truckers-whats-the-straight-dope-about-this-warning-decal/981973)
**Author:** [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2023, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truckers-whats-the-straight-dope-about-this-warning-decal/981973 "2023-05-25T07:28:18Z")
At the grocery store I work at, I occasionally have to unload deliveries off of semi-truck trailers in our receiving dock. While I was doing so the other night, I noticed this decal just inside the trailer door, which I’… --- ## [When did cinemas stop having sing-alongs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cinemas-stop-having-sing-alongs/984454)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-cinemas-stop-having-sing-alongs/984454 "2023-05-25T04:27:11Z")
When I was little, my parents would take me to the cinema. We’re watching Hud (1963), and there was just a sing-along in the theatre; ‘Follow the bouncing ball’ style. I’ve never experienced sing-alongs in a movie thea… --- ## [Light bulb for a special purpose](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-for-a-special-purpose/984533)
**Author:** [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2023, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/light-bulb-for-a-special-purpose/984533 "2023-05-24T22:12:08Z")
Does there exist a light bulb that would power a small solar fountain inside one’s home? --- ## [Looking for help with rock identification please!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-help-with-rock-identification-please/984490)
**Author:** [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-help-with-rock-identification-please/984490 "2023-05-24T15:36:39Z")
Was out doing some rock hunting today and founds these beauties. From bottom to top is red Jasper, Dallasite, the one I don’t know and basalt with rose quartz (I think). H… --- ## [Questions left over from Sex Ed class](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-left-over-from-sex-ed-class/984332)
**Author:** [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2023, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-left-over-from-sex-ed-class/984332 "2023-05-24T02:05:37Z")
I took Sex Ed close to 40 years ago. One question that I asked the teacher, that she completely dismissed was, “Is there something about the skin around the genitals different from the rest of the body? Why do skin-rel… --- ## [Origin of "It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-its-a-dirty-job-but-somebodys-gotta-do-it/315345)
**Author:** [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2023, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-its-a-dirty-job-but-somebodys-gotta-do-it/315345 "2023-05-24T00:33:48Z")
Who first started using this phrase? --- ## [There's a huge plot hole in Airport 77, right? (Plane sinking in water like a stone)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-huge-plot-hole-in-airport-77-right-plane-sinking-in-water-like-a-stone/983771)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2023, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-a-huge-plot-hole-in-airport-77-right-plane-sinking-in-water-like-a-stone/983771 "2023-05-24T00:15:29Z")
Last night we watched Airport 77, which to my surprise I had never seen before, given the fact that I was always attracted to airline disaster movies. I must have missed it because I was finishing up my sophomore year … --- ## [Why aren't navigation apps smart enough not to try to make me turn left from a side street onto a busy four-lane road?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-navigation-apps-smart-enough-not-to-try-to-make-me-turn-left-from-a-side-street-onto-a-busy-four-lane-road/984248)
**Author:** [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2023, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-navigation-apps-smart-enough-not-to-try-to-make-me-turn-left-from-a-side-street-onto-a-busy-four-lane-road/984248 "2023-05-23T21:32:45Z")
Hopefully you all know what I’m talking about. Your navigation app routes you down a little residential side street that intersects with a busy, four-lane (i.e., two lanes in each direction) road, at an intersection wit… --- ## [Is there a nomenclature for dropping "I am" from a statement?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-nomenclature-for-dropping-i-am-from-a-statement/984460)
**Author:** [@Deflagration](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deflagration)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-nomenclature-for-dropping-i-am-from-a-statement/984460 "2023-05-23T14:56:44Z")
I’m not looking for a contraction as in this sentence. But ‘Going to the shop’ instead of ‘I’m going to the shop’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=140) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=142)