# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=181 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 182 --- ## [What happens to a lawyers case files after they retire and/or die?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-a-lawyers-case-files-after-they-retire-and-or-die/972428)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2022, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-a-lawyers-case-files-after-they-retire-and-or-die/972428 "2022-10-04T04:50:03Z")
I don’t feel like spending $450 asking my lawyer this question as it does not pertain to me. An aquaintence has a realative who died. They know he had a will made out but can’t find it. They looked up the attorney they … --- ## [Apache web server treats two identical files differently - specifically all the images break on one of them](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apache-web-server-treats-two-identical-files-differently-specifically-all-the-images-break-on-one-of-them/972619)
**Author:** [@guero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guero)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apache-web-server-treats-two-identical-files-differently-specifically-all-the-images-break-on-one-of-them/972619 "2022-10-04T03:21:44Z")
Quick description: I have a home network with a Linux box running an Apache server, and a Windows 10 box without a web server. both machines have similar directory structures for .html files and images, etc. When I dis… --- ## [Why did my science experiment involving electricity explode? (decades ago)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-science-experiment-involving-electricity-explode-decades-ago/972322)
**Author:** [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2022, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-my-science-experiment-involving-electricity-explode-decades-ago/972322 "2022-10-04T01:58:50Z")
Hi all Back in college I did an experiment where I needed a temperature gradient in a moving stream of air. My first attempt was to use Ni-chrome wire (the type used in some space heaters) and non-galvanized steal thre… --- ## [Which computer has made the most calculations?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-computer-has-made-the-most-calculations/972571)
**Author:** [@Celtic\_Kitsune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celtic_Kitsune)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-computer-has-made-the-most-calculations/972571 "2022-10-03T22:14:03Z")
I guess I mean individual supercomputers but I don’t really know that much about the topic. Basically computers are getting faster all the time however some slower computers have been running continuously for decades. S… --- ## [How does the Earth's magnetic field protect us from Gamma rays](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-earths-magnetic-field-protect-us-from-gamma-rays/972651)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-earths-magnetic-field-protect-us-from-gamma-rays/972651 "2022-10-03T21:46:45Z")
…since as far as I remember Gamma rays being neutrally charged are unaffected by magnetic fields. --- ## [Most SCOTUS opinions from one case](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-scotus-opinions-from-one-case/972558)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-scotus-opinions-from-one-case/972558 "2022-10-03T17:00:21Z")
Reading up on the Baker v Carr Supreme Court case, I was struck by how many opinions were issued in that case. The decision was 6-2 (one Justice recused himself due to health). Besides the official opinion, there were th… --- ## [Are there states where something is uniquely illegal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 270\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195 "2022-10-03T14:30:19Z")
Everywhere you go, it’s illegal to kill somebody with malice. It’s going to be illegal to steal or punch somebody without consent, too. No surprises there. But people are presumed to know all of the laws. So, my ques… --- ## [Which classical goddess was the bustiest?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-classical-goddess-was-the-bustiest/763027)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2022, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-classical-goddess-was-the-bustiest/763027 "2022-10-03T13:56:13Z")
Going by descriptions of her in literature, I would have thought Hera/Juno (hence the adjective “Junoesque”); but all the classical statues of her are b-cups at most. In fact none of the Greco-Roman goddesses seem to be … --- ## [What is this fruit/seed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-fruit-seed/972538)
**Author:** [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [October 3, 2022, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-fruit-seed/972538 "2022-10-03T08:48:37Z")
Moved to Nashville, TN, and found a few of these in the backyard; they’re a bit bigger than a tennis ball (foot for scale) - it even has weird “seams” that seem to resemble a tennis ball’s construction. They’re presumabl… --- ## [What is the worst thing that could have happened to a Socialist-minded person in the McCarthy era?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-a-socialist-minded-person-in-the-mccarthy-era/972492)
**Author:** [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-worst-thing-that-could-have-happened-to-a-socialist-minded-person-in-the-mccarthy-era/972492 "2022-10-01T20:16:55Z")
The McCarthy era with its witch hunts of suspected “Communists” in the United States is a topic about which I have a general idea but about which I don’t have detailed knowledge. In general, I understand that during this… --- ## [Did Obama show favortism to NY vs NJ after Hurricane Sandy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-show-favortism-to-ny-vs-nj-after-hurricane-sandy/972525)
**Author:** [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-obama-show-favortism-to-ny-vs-nj-after-hurricane-sandy/972525 "2022-10-01T18:30:56Z")
This question is prompted because of a discussion of the current hurricane on another board. I’ve tried to find the details of what actually went down in 2012 but my searches just seem to lead me to overtly partisan si… --- ## [Objects seem to get heavier as you carry them](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/objects-seem-to-get-heavier-as-you-carry-them/972419)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2022, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/objects-seem-to-get-heavier-as-you-carry-them/972419 "2022-10-01T18:01:52Z")
Is this just me or is this common? --- ## [An American Language Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-language-question/972522)
**Author:** [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2022, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-language-question/972522 "2022-10-01T16:42:06Z")
In some Country songs, “Coat of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton is one example, she sings about the kids at school “a makin fun of me”. I’ve also heard the phrase “I’m a fixin to go to town”. I’m wondering where that use o… --- ## [Why is Advil candy coated?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-advil-candy-coated/560997)
**Author:** [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [October 1, 2022, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-advil-candy-coated/560997 "2022-10-01T04:14:30Z")
It seems to be generally accepted that kids shouldn’t ingest medicine like candy but Advil tablets are candy coated and shaped just like M&M’s. Is there a reason for sweetening the coating of Advil? Don’t get me wrong,… --- ## [Weather map question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2022, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467 "2022-09-30T11:28:55Z")
I’m looking at the predicted winds for Saturday at 3:00 PM on windy.com. In particular the northeast of the U.S. Usually, winds follow surface isolines, more or less. From the Delaware Bay to Cape Cod the winds are perpe… --- ## [Is it possible to create a hydrogen fusion bomb without a fission stage?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-hydrogen-fusion-bomb-without-a-fission-stage/972188)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2022, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-create-a-hydrogen-fusion-bomb-without-a-fission-stage/972188 "2022-09-30T02:44:02Z")
Maybe just using conventional explosives. Would such a bomb have much radioactive fallout? --- ## [Very short term pain?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-term-pain/972420)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [September 30, 2022, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-short-term-pain/972420 "2022-09-30T02:13:02Z")
Like maybe a few seconds. Is this a nerve misfiring? --- ## [Commercials on You Tube live streams](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-on-you-tube-live-streams/972415)
**Author:** [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-on-you-tube-live-streams/972415 "2022-09-29T19:19:47Z")
I don’t have cable and the OTA services are unreliable\* so when there’s breaking news, like hurricane Ian today, I go to YouTube and look for a live stream there. When I pick a heritage broadcaster or cable service like … --- ## [Yet another odds question (simulating two dice rolls with a deck of cards)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-odds-question-simulating-two-dice-rolls-with-a-deck-of-cards/972087)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Replies:** 70\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yet-another-odds-question-simulating-two-dice-rolls-with-a-deck-of-cards/972087 "2022-09-29T16:57:11Z")
I want to simulate rolling a 20-sided die twice using a deck of cards numbered 1-20, where each card is removed from the deck and put aside once drawn. I can think of two ways which should preserve the 1/400 odds of gett… --- ## [Coca-Cola contains dye made from ants/insects?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-contains-dye-made-from-ants-insects/592717)
**Author:** [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-contains-dye-made-from-ants-insects/592717 "2022-09-29T16:04:13Z")
Is this true? I read it on the internet, so it must be, right? --- ## [Is more known about Julius Caesar than William the Conqueror?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-more-known-about-julius-caesar-than-william-the-conqueror/971008)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-more-known-about-julius-caesar-than-william-the-conqueror/971008 "2022-09-29T12:56:42Z")
Ok, it wasn’t your typical late night bar conversation but a friend mentioned to me last night we know more about Julius Caesar than we do about William the Conqueror who was born almost exactly 1000 years after Caesar. … --- ## [How quickly could a woman start lactating?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quickly-could-a-woman-start-lactating/972331)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-quickly-could-a-woman-start-lactating/972331 "2022-09-29T08:20:14Z")
Assuming non-pregnancy. If a woman does everything to start lactating ex nihilo: taking hormones, drinking red clover tea, using a breast pump to simulating the baby sucking, etc. If all that is being done, how quickly… --- ## [Can a fetus fart?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-fetus-fart/972192)
**Author:** [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-fetus-fart/972192 "2022-09-29T06:07:11Z")
No, i don’t need an answer fast. But we were discussing this over the dinner table, and i wondered if anyone knows the factual answer. --- ## [How far back could a 'modern' shark breed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-could-a-modern-shark-breed/972389)
**Author:** [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-back-could-a-modern-shark-breed/972389 "2022-09-29T05:35:42Z")
I keep seeing that stat that sharks have been on this Earth for hundreds of millions of years pretty much unchanged and are one of the most successful animals. How far back in time could you take a currently alive shark… --- ## [Cleaning chunks of Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-chunks-of-quartz/972414)
**Author:** [@moes\_lotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moes_lotion)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-chunks-of-quartz/972414 "2022-09-29T05:29:40Z")
I have two smallish (about fist sized) chunks of white quartz that were partly submerged in a forest floor when I found them. I gave them a vigorous scrubbing with dish soap and a stiff brush but there are still dark sta… --- ## [If storm reporter dies, employer responsible/charged?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-storm-reporter-dies-employer-responsible-charged/972417)
**Author:** [@a6ka97](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a6ka97)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 29, 2022, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-storm-reporter-dies-employer-responsible-charged/972417 "2022-09-29T03:05:24Z")
In watching the evening news they featured a clip of a Weather Channel reporter reporting on hurricane Ian when a branch (or something) blows into him and knocks him over. Further in his report he could barely walk back … --- ## [Does a U.S. president have unlimited Medals of Freedom to give out?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-u-s-president-have-unlimited-medals-of-freedom-to-give-out/972228)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [September 28, 2022, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-u-s-president-have-unlimited-medals-of-freedom-to-give-out/972228 "2022-09-28T23:55:16Z")
As I understand it, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is essentially entirely up to the president’s discretion and has no Congressional oversight. Could someone like Trump or Biden really hand them out like Halloween can… --- ## [Checking Parity of Data Sets?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-parity-of-data-sets/972412)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 28, 2022, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-parity-of-data-sets/972412 "2022-09-28T23:24:25Z")
I have a complete set of data Q. From Q, we calculate a bunch of new data but, previous to doing so, we drop about 4% of all information that we’ve probabilistically determined is spam. We have developed a new set of to… --- ## [Probability of Dice Rolls Spread across Rollers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-dice-rolls-spread-across-rollers/972325)
**Author:** [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [September 28, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-dice-rolls-spread-across-rollers/972325 "2022-09-28T21:01:43Z")
There’s a coffee shop I frequent that has a game with five 6-sided dice. If you roll four of a kind, you get a free drink. If you roll five of a kind, you get 10 free drinks. (I’ve rolled four of a kind twice.) The odds… --- ## [Scientific studies on health outcomes from expensive home air filters?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-studies-on-health-outcomes-from-expensive-home-air-filters/972255)
**Author:** [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [September 28, 2022, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-studies-on-health-outcomes-from-expensive-home-air-filters/972255 "2022-09-28T13:27:10Z")
There are many different types of home air filters available on the market from HEPA filters to glasswool filters. This thread is not for discussing the particle size removal or the removing efficiency. Please start a di… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=180) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=182)