# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=153 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 154 --- ## [Of what use was Hadrian's Wall?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-what-use-was-hadrians-wall/981353)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/of-what-use-was-hadrians-wall/981353 "2023-03-20T17:25:45Z")
Hadrian’s Wall is the famous wall the Romans built across Great Britain starting in AD 122. What I do not understand is how it was useful at all. It was a massive construction project (73 miles long) and it was about 8… --- ## [French name ending in è - how to pronounce?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-name-ending-in-e-how-to-pronounce/981358)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2023, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-name-ending-in-e-how-to-pronounce/981358 "2023-03-20T17:01:43Z")
I’ve recently come across a French name ending with an e grave: Jettè How is it pronounced, and why is it there? I don’t recall ever seeing a French name (or word) ending with è ? --- ## [Hypersensitive smoke detectors](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypersensitive-smoke-detectors/981136)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hypersensitive-smoke-detectors/981136 "2023-03-20T13:23:43Z")
I have 6 smoke detectors in our house that are wired together so that if one goes off, they all go off. That would be useful if there was an actual fire but they go off with alarming regularity. Turning on the fireplace,… --- ## [Who voted for the specially elected state conventions to ratify the constitution?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-voted-for-the-specially-elected-state-conventions-to-ratify-the-constitution/981335)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 20, 2023, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-voted-for-the-specially-elected-state-conventions-to-ratify-the-constitution/981335 "2023-03-20T04:18:15Z")
Ratification began when the proposed constitution was presented to each state’s specially elected conventions to vote on. How were these conventions populated? I have found reference to “conventions of the people” but … --- ## [How does SETI@Home work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-seti-home-work/519703)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [March 19, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-seti-home-work/519703 "2023-03-19T19:39:56Z")
Isn’t it akin to a screen saver, i.e. a program that runs at the lowest priority and swaps out as soon as anything else comes up in the queue? I ask because a school district tech supervisor was lost his job over instal… --- ## [Is there a reason the industrial/information revolution could not have happened thousands of years earlier?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-reason-the-industrial-information-revolution-could-not-have-happened-thousands-of-years-earlier/980951)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 111\ **Last updated:** [March 19, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-reason-the-industrial-information-revolution-could-not-have-happened-thousands-of-years-earlier/980951 "2023-03-19T18:05:27Z")
Not sure if FQ or IMHO, mods can decide: For millennia, humans basically lived an agrarian lifestyle, until the past few hundred years when suddenly things skyrocketed upwards exponentially. There was very little differ… --- ## [Why were some British prices once quoted in Guineas instead of Pounds and Shillings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-some-british-prices-once-quoted-in-guineas-instead-of-pounds-and-shillings/981239)
**Author:** [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2023, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-some-british-prices-once-quoted-in-guineas-instead-of-pounds-and-shillings/981239 "2023-03-18T07:15:10Z")
In pre-decimal British currency, a pound was worth 20 shillings (and a shilling was worth 12 pence). There was a coin called a Guinea, which was originally worth 1 pound in silver, but with the price of silver changing, … --- ## [In olden days, how common was it for people to enter marriage with literally no clue what sex was?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-olden-days-how-common-was-it-for-people-to-enter-marriage-with-literally-no-clue-what-sex-was/980395)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 269\ **Last updated:** [March 18, 2023, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-olden-days-how-common-was-it-for-people-to-enter-marriage-with-literally-no-clue-what-sex-was/980395 "2023-03-18T05:44:20Z")
In one of the Laura Ingalls books, Laura’s daughter, Rose Wilder, asked her (Laura) how babies are made. And Laura stammered and got flustered, before eventually saying, “You’ll find out when you get married.” How commo… --- ## [Haven’t used hot water in a month](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haven-t-used-hot-water-in-a-month/981272)
**Author:** [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 17, 2023, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/haven-t-used-hot-water-in-a-month/981272 "2023-03-17T15:23:13Z")
I found myself having to leave my house and move in to mom’s to take care of her after surgery. I don’t live too far away so I’ve stopped by my house a few times to get stuff and I’ve made a point of running the kitchen… --- ## [If you owe money to a bank that collapses](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-owe-money-to-a-bank-that-collapses/981002)
**Author:** [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [March 17, 2023, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-owe-money-to-a-bank-that-collapses/981002 "2023-03-17T13:02:38Z")
Now obviously having money in a bank that collapses is bad as insurance will only protect so much. However, what if you owe money to the bank that collapses? --- ## [Bootleg RX: Are there private pharmas worldwide that will manufacture a drug without government approval?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bootleg-rx-are-there-private-pharmas-worldwide-that-will-manufacture-a-drug-without-government-approval/979214)
**Author:** [@Caribbean\_cruiser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caribbean_cruiser)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [March 17, 2023, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bootleg-rx-are-there-private-pharmas-worldwide-that-will-manufacture-a-drug-without-government-approval/979214 "2023-03-17T12:39:07Z")
Let’s say an armchair biochemist who has done exhaustive research on a serious health condition has finally found what looks like a major breakthrough – but instead of submitting his drug to years and years of exhaustive… --- ## [Those yachts belonging to Russian oligarchs-what happened to them?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-yachts-belonging-to-russian-oligarchs-what-happened-to-them/981124)
**Author:** [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [March 17, 2023, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-yachts-belonging-to-russian-oligarchs-what-happened-to-them/981124 "2023-03-17T02:32:09Z")
Within the first weeks of the war in Ukraine, the news was full of stories about how all those luxury yachts were going to be impounded by Western governments… (And that would sure teach Putin a tough lesson, right? He’… --- ## [How many countries are named after rivers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-named-after-rivers/981179)
**Author:** [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [March 17, 2023, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-countries-are-named-after-rivers/981179 "2023-03-17T00:41:49Z")
I saw a claim that 15 countries were named after rivers, but I couldn’t find a good site that listed them. Some poking around did give me 15. Belize - Belize Bosnia – Bosna Cameroon – Rio dos Camaroes Democr… --- ## [How much do thieves get for catalytic converters?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-thieves-get-for-catalytic-converters/959369)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 68\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2023, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-thieves-get-for-catalytic-converters/959369 "2023-03-16T23:58:52Z")
Recently, the local news has been having stories about the increase in thefts of catalytic converters in Washington State, and proposed laws to make it illegal for shops and recycling companies to buy them from individua… --- ## [When did the restaurant become a thing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-restaurant-become-a-thing/980487)
**Author:** [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2023, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-restaurant-become-a-thing/980487 "2023-03-16T22:16:40Z")
Obviously, people have cooked and sold food since time immemorial, but I am curious as to how far back I could go in my time machine and be served in a restaurant as we currently define one. By this I mean A business … --- ## [Can a donkey safely eat a human finger?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-donkey-safely-eat-a-human-finger/981222)
**Author:** [@2\_More\_Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2_More_Bits)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-donkey-safely-eat-a-human-finger/981222 "2023-03-16T18:07:31Z")
Is it a given that a donkey will choke to death if it attempts to eat a human finger? Would a donkey even have any interest in eating a human finger? --- ## [How do I get targeted ads in my podcasts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-targeted-ads-in-my-podcasts/981184)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2023, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-get-targeted-ads-in-my-podcasts/981184 "2023-03-16T12:12:11Z")
So I listen to podcasts a lot, and they have started to have ads in the middle of the podcast more often. As the number of ads has increased the targeted nature of them has too. e.g. I’m listening to a British history … --- ## [Carbon to Carbon Bonds on the Surface of a Diamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbon-to-carbon-bonds-on-the-surface-of-a-diamond/981175)
**Author:** [@Ynnad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ynnad)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 16, 2023, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carbon-to-carbon-bonds-on-the-surface-of-a-diamond/981175 "2023-03-16T04:55:37Z")
I have another question about diamonds that might have a factual answer. In a diamond crystal, each of the carbon atoms it covalently bonded to four other carbon atoms in a tetrahedral shape. But what about carbon atom… --- ## [Old USPS ads saying you can keep misdelivered mail](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-usps-ads-saying-you-can-keep-misdelivered-mail/954674)
**Author:** [@Zarquon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zarquon)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2023, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-usps-ads-saying-you-can-keep-misdelivered-mail/954674 "2023-03-15T21:17:49Z")
There were a bunch of Postal Service ads in the '70s showing that if you got something in the mail erroneously, you can keep it. In the ads, it was always something the recipient didn’t need, such as a Eskimos getting a … --- ## [How to find declassified documents under Thatcher's rule](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-declassified-documents-under-thatchers-rule/981089)
**Author:** [@cannonkuo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cannonkuo)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2023, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-declassified-documents-under-thatchers-rule/981089 "2023-03-15T18:51:14Z")
I read an article at The confidential documents of Malvinas: this was the operation that ignited the spark of war - The Limited Times, in which Thatcher’s letter to a cabinet official sent on January 7, 1981, was shown b… --- ## [Did anyone actually believe a camera could steal their soul?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-actually-believe-a-camera-could-steal-their-soul/535622)
**Author:** [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-actually-believe-a-camera-could-steal-their-soul/535622 "2023-03-15T16:48:15Z")
Looking around I can only find references to people talking about the belief that a camera could steal a soul but no one who can actually point to a person who actually believes it. There are people who don’t like havin… --- ## [Settle this debate about SSI rule](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-this-debate-about-ssi-rule/981131)
**Author:** [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 15, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/settle-this-debate-about-ssi-rule/981131 "2023-03-15T14:37:35Z")
A friend in California sold her house & was told she had twelve months to find a new house, during which time her benefits would be untouched. Now she calls to report that she has not found a new house ten months later a… --- ## [How common are American neighborhoods in foreign cities?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-american-neighborhoods-in-foreign-cities/980850)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-common-are-american-neighborhoods-in-foreign-cities/980850 "2023-03-14T18:14:54Z")
Just this. I think it was more common in the past, but I do not know. --- ## [How far back does the association between the devil and fiddles go?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-does-the-association-between-the-devil-and-fiddles-go/981130)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-does-the-association-between-the-devil-and-fiddles-go/981130 "2023-03-14T17:46:11Z")
In Leonard Cohen’s posthumously released song Happens to the Heart he sings this line. “Now the angel’s got a fiddle, the devil’s got a harp” which plays against the stereotype. That got me thinking about where the ste… --- ## [Happy "PI Day"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-pi-day/981144)
**Author:** [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2023, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-pi-day/981144 "2023-03-14T09:10:15Z")
I am very familiar with the Richter Scale. It is based on a number system whose root is the square root of 1,000 or 31.6227766016838 A Richter 1 earthquake has an energy of 1,995,262.3149689 joules. Since this number … --- ## [Message app that translates?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-app-that-translates/981076)
**Author:** [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2023, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/message-app-that-translates/981076 "2023-03-14T03:01:16Z")
Does anyone know of an app (free or paid) that you can use for texting and will automatically translate from English to Spanish and vice versa? I’m texting a woman I met at work but she speaks less English than I do Spa… --- ## [Matzo balls joke](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matzo-balls-joke/981120)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 14, 2023, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matzo-balls-joke/981120 "2023-03-14T02:00:29Z")
There’s a story about Marilyn Monroe, having been fed matzo ball soup several times by her mother-in-law, asked “do you guys eat any other part of the matzo?” Is this original with her or just a variation of an older jo… --- ## [Is there a way to guarantee you get to fly on a Boeing 787?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-guarantee-you-get-to-fly-on-a-boeing-787/980742)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-guarantee-you-get-to-fly-on-a-boeing-787/980742 "2023-03-13T20:44:03Z")
I have really wanted to fly in a Boeing 787. To date, never happened. My brother who is FAR more well travelled than I am has, so far, never flown on a 787. Is there a way to choose a particular model plane to fly on? … --- ## [Do Britons (and I assume Canadians, Australians, etc.) All Have To Get New Passports Now?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britons-and-i-assume-canadians-australians-etc-all-have-to-get-new-passports-now/971269)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 99\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-britons-and-i-assume-canadians-australians-etc-all-have-to-get-new-passports-now/971269 "2023-03-13T16:43:38Z")
I read on the Dope that some U.K. professionals are already ordering new stationery that references “His Majesty The King” because of the new reality over there. Do you all need to get new passports and driver’s licenses… --- ## [I sweat bleach?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sweat-bleach/305229)
**Author:** [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 13, 2023, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sweat-bleach/305229 "2023-03-13T12:32:43Z")
Today witnessed a minor tragedy. My “Team Zissou” Tshirt was ruined (maybe). I got this shirt in the mail yesterday, and proudly sported it today. When I got home this evening and looked in the bathroom mirror, I notic… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=152) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=154)