# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=147 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 148 --- ## [Today's Electrical Question: 'Fridge Tripping Breaker--Options](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-electrical-question-fridge-tripping-breaker-options/982724)
**Author:** [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [April 25, 2023, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-electrical-question-fridge-tripping-breaker-options/982724 "2023-04-25T09:10:54Z")
Here’s the background: A friend has a mountain cabin that is a 7-hour drive away. As such he visits it infrequently. There is power to the cabin but said power gets interrupted at random times. When the power is resto… --- ## [Would a pedal-driven propeller move a ship more efficiently than a bank of oars?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-pedal-driven-propeller-move-a-ship-more-efficiently-than-a-bank-of-oars/406885)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [April 25, 2023, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-pedal-driven-propeller-move-a-ship-more-efficiently-than-a-bank-of-oars/406885 "2023-04-25T00:48:22Z")
Suppose you have two ancient Greek triremes. One carries 170 men to pull the oars, in the traditional fashion. The other also has 170 men but has been modified: Instead of pulling an oar, each man pumps a pair of peda… --- ## [Has anyone ever tried to mount a 2nd Amendment defense for explosives possession?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-tried-to-mount-a-2nd-amendment-defense-for-explosives-possession/981837)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [April 25, 2023, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-anyone-ever-tried-to-mount-a-2nd-amendment-defense-for-explosives-possession/981837 "2023-04-25T00:06:33Z")
Certainly people have fought laws concerning firearms, but has anyone ever tried to claim that their possession of, I don’t know, a pipe bomb was legal under the 2nd Amendment? --- ## [Teenagers solve centuries-old math problem. What exactly did they do?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-solve-centuries-old-math-problem-what-exactly-did-they-do/981750)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 86\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teenagers-solve-centuries-old-math-problem-what-exactly-did-they-do/981750 "2023-04-24T23:46:03Z")
One source with video of the students: The assertion is that it is impossible to prove the Pythagorean theorem using trigonometry and they proved that this assertion is false by developing such a proof. This assertion … --- ## [Computer problem RE: sound recorder](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-re-sound-recorder/983102)
**Author:** [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-re-sound-recorder/983102 "2023-04-24T23:20:09Z")
I don’t know whether this is a problem with the sound recorder of microphone, but since no one I Zoom with has said anything about my voice sounding odd, I’m thinking it’s with sound recorder. I could get Geek Squad to … --- ## [Do major carriers allow a person to connect a homemade mobile phone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-major-carriers-allow-a-person-to-connect-a-homemade-mobile-phone/981545)
**Author:** [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-major-carriers-allow-a-person-to-connect-a-homemade-mobile-phone/981545 "2023-04-24T20:33:35Z")
Suppose a person purchases all the chips and components and has the know-how to solder up a homemade roll-your-own working mobile phone. Would the major mobile service carries allow you to purchase their service and con… --- ## [Do tire pressure monitoring system show tire pressure for each tire these days?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-tire-pressure-monitoring-system-show-tire-pressure-for-each-tire-these-days/982978)
**Author:** [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-tire-pressure-monitoring-system-show-tire-pressure-for-each-tire-these-days/982978 "2023-04-24T16:34:11Z")
A couple cars ago, my car had a display that would show the pressure in each tire. My most recent car (bought used) had warning light, but didn’t even tell you which tire, nevermind the pressure - or else it was buried … --- ## [When does historical chronology break down?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-historical-chronology-break-down/982580)
**Author:** [@brutus44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brutus44)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-does-historical-chronology-break-down/982580 "2023-04-24T15:59:21Z")
If something happened 10 or 20 years ago, I can easily do some simple math and find out exactly how many days ago it was. I assume the same applies for events in the 20th century. However, can this be applied to dates th… --- ## [Is this horror film scene plausible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-horror-film-scene-plausible/983064)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-horror-film-scene-plausible/983064 "2023-04-24T14:25:55Z")
In the film Wolf Creek the villain stabs someone in the spine and turns them into a “head on a stick” rendering them unable to move but still alive. He uses the same method in the sequel. The real life killer the film wa… --- ## [Modern engine innovations](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-engine-innovations/980823)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 103\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-engine-innovations/980823 "2023-04-24T07:40:05Z")
I recently saw an add for a 1978 Camaro with a 5.7 litre engine. I was surprised to see it only produces 170 hp. Similarly sized naturally aspirated engines today are closer to 450 hp. What are the main innovations in mo… --- ## [Is that Jupiter and the moon](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-jupiter-and-the-moon/983067)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-jupiter-and-the-moon/983067 "2023-04-24T05:45:39Z")
Is that Jupiter and the moon lined up right now ?( Setting in the western sky) --- ## [What does testing someone for phobias actually involve? (for jobs)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-testing-someone-for-phobias-actually-involve-for-jobs/982857)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-testing-someone-for-phobias-actually-involve-for-jobs/982857 "2023-04-24T02:44:28Z")
A number of jobs, such as submarine positions, state that personnel are rigorously screened for claustrophobic tendencies before being given the job. What does this testing actually look like? Putting someone in a small … --- ## [When we die, where does our blood go?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-we-die-where-does-our-blood-go/982609)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-we-die-where-does-our-blood-go/982609 "2023-04-24T02:18:26Z")
Does our blood go back into our heart when we die? Does it stay where it is? Assume it was a natural death. --- ## [What does F.A.F. mean after a price?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-f-a-f-mean-after-a-price/982931)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2023, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-f-a-f-mean-after-a-price/982931 "2023-04-24T00:27:54Z")
This 1937 Taylorcraft ad has a price listed as ‘$1495 F.A.F.’ What does ‘F.A.F.’ mean? --- ## [Would accelerating the launch platform boost a missiles range?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-accelerating-the-launch-platform-boost-a-missiles-range/983025)
**Author:** [@Celtic\_Kitsune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celtic_Kitsune)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-accelerating-the-launch-platform-boost-a-missiles-range/983025 "2023-04-23T22:36:48Z")
I’ve started watching ‘movies of the games’ downloaded from Youtube and some of them are actually good. At the moment I’m watching one of the Metal Gear\* game-movies and at one point there is a discussion of a fictional … --- ## [What would cause a coffee cup to give off sparks when smashed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cause-a-coffee-cup-to-give-off-sparks-when-smashed/983004)
**Author:** [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-cause-a-coffee-cup-to-give-off-sparks-when-smashed/983004 "2023-04-23T19:40:22Z")
This evening, I went to a rage room in Seattle. For those unfamiliar with this relatively new business model, it’s an establishment where they give you a milk crate full of old bottles and plates and home furnishings and… --- ## [Was WWII ever called "the Six Years' War"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-wwii-ever-called-the-six-years-war/982922)
**Author:** [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2023, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-wwii-ever-called-the-six-years-war/982922 "2023-04-23T17:06:00Z")
I’m reading The Notion Club Papers, an unfinished novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. It was probably written around 1945 or 1946. It has a rather complicated setting, but the book’s introduction is feigned to be written in 2014. I… --- ## [How do these monitor replacement glasses present a virtual image that is 6m away?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-monitor-replacement-glasses-present-a-virtual-image-that-is-6m-away/983030)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-monitor-replacement-glasses-present-a-virtual-image-that-is-6m-away/983030 "2023-04-22T18:35:08Z")
There is a new product called Rokid Max that is a pair of glasses which presents a screen image, replacing a monitor. They claim it is equivalent to a 215" screen at 6 meters. I asked about this, and got a response. I ha… --- ## [Life forming on earth](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-forming-on-earth/973136)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-forming-on-earth/973136 "2023-04-22T16:15:41Z")
I was listening to a talk by Stephen Webb where he briefly ran through what he says is the current understanding of how life originated on our planet. I realize he is a popularizer, not a scientist, but he says that life… --- ## [Electrical wiring help please - GFCI wiring related](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-wiring-help-please-gfci-wiring-related/982749)
**Author:** [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Replies:** 69\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-wiring-help-please-gfci-wiring-related/982749 "2023-04-22T14:33:22Z")
I need to replace a standard outlet located in a garage with a GFCI. I thought it would be straightforward but I cannot get the wiring right. The old outlet is in a box with a switch. I cannot visualize the cables so it… --- ## [NYC Parking Structure](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-parking-structure/982871)
**Author:** [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyc-parking-structure/982871 "2023-04-22T12:58:52Z")
57 Ann St., NYC parking structure collapse today-Do they know what the cause of it is yet? --- ## [How do apps know the current rules for DST?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-apps-know-the-current-rules-for-dst/982845)
**Author:** [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-apps-know-the-current-rules-for-dst/982845 "2023-04-22T06:42:33Z")
It’s straightforward, if perhaps a bit complex, to write a clock app that knows when DST is in effect for your current location. How do apps handle it when the government changes those dates? --- ## [Cable TV Box Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-tv-box-question/982975)
**Author:** [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cable-tv-box-question/982975 "2023-04-22T03:04:21Z")
We live in what is essentially an apartment building. All the units come with a Comcast cable box for the TV. It’s a basic box with no recording ability. It seems like I should be able to buy a DVR and install it in plac… --- ## [Starship launch: did some engines go out then come back on again?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-launch-did-some-engines-go-out-then-come-back-on-again/982974)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [April 22, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starship-launch-did-some-engines-go-out-then-come-back-on-again/982974 "2023-04-22T00:37:04Z")
I saw from the graphic that not all engines were lit at launch and then a few went out during the launch only to come back on again. Anyone have an explanation? --- ## [Breaking up gravel to install driveway -- without breaking my back](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-up-gravel-to-install-driveway-without-breaking-my-back/982915)
**Author:** [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [April 21, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-up-gravel-to-install-driveway-without-breaking-my-back/982915 "2023-04-21T15:27:49Z")
My driveway is completely paved with concrete except for the last 10 feet or so where it connects to the street, which is just compacted gravel. The gravel is a nuisance and I want to remove it and pour concrete in ther… --- ## [Post Office \[US\] Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-office-us-question/982826)
**Author:** [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [April 21, 2023, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-office-us-question/982826 "2023-04-21T05:34:01Z")
Like many folks I have added a small security camera to the outside of the barn, and absolutely RIGHT NOW, 8:28 PM the mail truck is sitting at my mailbox. Not dropping off letters, or packages, just sitting there not ev… --- ## [What is this thing? (Military equipment)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-military-equipment/982710)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 21, 2023, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing-military-equipment/982710 "2023-04-21T00:32:08Z")
I found this picture while surfing online. If I saw the items by themselves, I would have assumed they were fuel storage units. But the vehicles has its gun attached to them. So what is their purpose? … --- ## [How do the esophagus and stomach heal (of wounds) if they're constantly disrupted?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-esophagus-and-stomach-heal-of-wounds-if-theyre-constantly-disrupted/982973)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [April 20, 2023, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-esophagus-and-stomach-heal-of-wounds-if-theyre-constantly-disrupted/982973 "2023-04-20T16:27:46Z")
Say there are stomach ulcers, or Mallory-Weiss tears, etc. How do such things heal on their own if they are constantly disrupted by food and water passing down and through, stomach acid harming the healing tissue, etc.? --- ## [MS Word: turning off Reveiw Changes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-turning-off-reveiw-changes/798543)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [April 20, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-turning-off-reveiw-changes/798543 "2023-04-20T15:58:49Z")
I’ve got an irritating issue with MS Word. I’m working on a document and each time I open it, it comes up in Track Changes Mode - Final Showing Mark-Up. I don’t want it to open in mark-up version; I want it to open in… --- ## [How durable are incandescent bulbs vs LED bulbs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-durable-are-incandescent-bulbs-vs-led-bulbs/982855)
**Author:** [@Capn\_Carl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capn_Carl)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [April 20, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-durable-are-incandescent-bulbs-vs-led-bulbs/982855 "2023-04-20T13:08:14Z")
I work at a hardware store. Yesterday, a customer asked me to help him find a light bulb. Specifically, a bulb for a work light. I began showing him our selection of LED lights but he cut me off, saying he “didn’t want a… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=146) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=148)