# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=187 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 188 --- ## [Discoveries and inventions the Chinese made long before Europeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discoveries-and-inventions-the-chinese-made-long-before-europeans/970785)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2022, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discoveries-and-inventions-the-chinese-made-long-before-europeans/970785 "2022-09-04T23:05:22Z")
Having grown up in the US I really feel I only learned US and to a lesser degree european history. Its interesting to learn that some discoveries and inventions that were hailed as groundbreaking in europe had been disco… --- ## [Delorean tape](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delorean-tape/970606)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2022, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delorean-tape/970606 "2022-09-04T14:35:18Z")
Did they ever determine where Larry Flynt got the Delorean tape or did he take that secret with him to the grave? I’m not finding a specific answer on the web. --- ## [What is this flexible plastic material](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-flexible-plastic-material/970751)
**Author:** [@Mr.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.E)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2022, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-flexible-plastic-material/970751 "2022-09-04T04:02:53Z")
At my work, there are scraps of clear plastic sheet that was once used as a machine guard at my workplace. It’s flexible and tough and is about 7.25mm (or .28 inches) thick. I’d guess it’s vinyl but I can find its like n… --- ## [Probability formula for number of rolls to get a particular result](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-formula-for-number-of-rolls-to-get-a-particular-result/970042)
**Author:** [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-formula-for-number-of-rolls-to-get-a-particular-result/970042 "2022-09-04T03:22:00Z")
If I have an N-sided die and I want to hit a particular number in that range 1-N, what is the formula for the average or expected number of times I’ll have to roll it before I get the one I want? --- ## [What could I theoretically do with Steak Scraps?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-i-theoretically-do-with-steak-scraps/970878)
**Author:** [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2022, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-i-theoretically-do-with-steak-scraps/970878 "2022-09-04T01:31:25Z")
Last night we had ribeyes for dinner. It was nice. The streaks were well-marbled with hunks of fat and what I suppose you would call gristle. I put all this stuff on the patter and threw it away. That got me thinking, t… --- ## [Why is lie detector technology not considered viable in a USA court of law?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-lie-detector-technology-not-considered-viable-in-a-usa-court-of-law/968764)
**Author:** [@SmartBulbInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartBulbInc)\ **Replies:** 134\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2022, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-lie-detector-technology-not-considered-viable-in-a-usa-court-of-law/968764 "2022-09-03T22:44:55Z")
It honestly doesn’t make much sense to me. Here we have this awesome technology that is able to literally tell whether a defendant is lying or not. Why aren’t using it for anything? The only two arguments in support of b… --- ## [Another "What is this thing?" - USB Edition](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-usb-edition/970841)
**Author:** [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-what-is-this-thing-usb-edition/970841 "2022-09-03T17:29:59Z")
Hi folks. In digging through my new wife’s box of increasingly obsolete electronic cables we came across this oddball 6-foot USB cable. Beyond the USB logo on the ordinary USB-A connector there is no branding or sym… --- ## [Don Imus and His Ranch](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-imus-and-his-ranch/970855)
**Author:** [@19USMC69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/19USMC69)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2022, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/don-imus-and-his-ranch/970855 "2022-09-03T06:28:25Z")
Prior to his death Don Imus and his wife operated a ranch in New Mexico. Memory serves it was for kids with cancer. Anyone know if his wife kept it going? And speaking of his wife, what became of her? --- ## [How do "click here if you're not a robot" buttons from ReCaptcha work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-click-here-if-youre-not-a-robot-buttons-from-recaptcha-work/970770)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2022, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-click-here-if-youre-not-a-robot-buttons-from-recaptcha-work/970770 "2022-09-03T04:22:56Z")
We’ve all seen them. “Click here if you’re not a robot”. How do they work, exactly? We really can’t train a computer to click a button that says they’re not a robot? --- ## [What causes certain plastics to get gummier over time?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-certain-plastics-to-get-gummier-over-time/970736)
**Author:** [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-certain-plastics-to-get-gummier-over-time/970736 "2022-09-02T18:53:19Z")
I’ve had three products where rubbery plastic used for grip got a lot softer over a period of years. One was on a set of tongs in which the plastic was just pressed into a metal frame. One was a coating applied to the … --- ## [Legal consequences of resisting corporal punishment?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-consequences-of-resisting-corporal-punishment/970622)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legal-consequences-of-resisting-corporal-punishment/970622 "2022-09-02T18:49:20Z")
This article got me thinking, what happens if/when a student physically resists or even violently fights back? Can the student be arrested and charged with a crime? What about the staff member; if they have to use more f… --- ## [Did Anyone Go Directly From The Streets To Alcatraz?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-go-directly-from-the-streets-to-alcatraz/970746)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-go-directly-from-the-streets-to-alcatraz/970746 "2022-09-02T15:18:17Z")
Alcatraz was a sort of prison-within-a-prison, in a manner of speaking, in that it was reserved for “incorrigible” inmates who couldn’t do their time elsewhere because they were too violent, an escape risk, yada yada. Di… --- ## [Mic/amp feedback: Why the screechy tone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mic-amp-feedback-why-the-screechy-tone/970784)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mic-amp-feedback-why-the-screechy-tone/970784 "2022-09-02T14:36:33Z")
I have been around mics and amps for 50 years and am well acquainted with the unintentional feedback from a mic to an amp/speaker. The mechanism seems simple enough: The mic picks up a sound, the amp amplifies it and sen… --- ## [Traffic engineers: Traffic light sequencing with dedicated left turn](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-engineers-traffic-light-sequencing-with-dedicated-left-turn/970783)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-engineers-traffic-light-sequencing-with-dedicated-left-turn/970783 "2022-09-02T14:27:07Z")
At most intersection with dedicated left-turn lights the sequence for who gets green goes: North-South Left Turns N-S Straight East-West left turns E-W straight But there is one near me that goes: North straight an… --- ## [Can I get a gift card that can't buy alcohol or tobacco?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-gift-card-that-cant-buy-alcohol-or-tobacco/606204)
**Author:** [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-get-a-gift-card-that-cant-buy-alcohol-or-tobacco/606204 "2022-09-02T13:20:06Z")
Everyone knows them - those poor/poor-ish people who you just want to help out at this time of year, but you’re afraid that if you give them a Visa (or other network) gift card, or even a gift card to a grocery store, th… --- ## [Let's talk about the science of leaving the fridge door open](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-science-of-leaving-the-fridge-door-open/970682)
**Author:** [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-about-the-science-of-leaving-the-fridge-door-open/970682 "2022-09-02T09:36:08Z")
We’ve all probably heard it before as children from our parents: “Close the door son. You’re letting all the cold air out”! So, this is basically nonsense right? The real investment is getting items from room temp to co… --- ## [Apollo 13 Design Change](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-13-design-change/970722)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2022, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apollo-13-design-change/970722 "2022-09-02T07:48:34Z")
This is a two-part question: a) We know Apollo 1 burned up on the launch pad during a live test, but was there a full, unmanned test like Artemis 1 will undergo? b) Whatever tests Apollo endured, wouldn’t the Apollo desi… --- ## [Whale tails vs. Fish tails](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-tails-vs-fish-tails/970257)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whale-tails-vs-fish-tails/970257 "2022-09-01T17:29:29Z")
Why did sea mammals evolve horizontal tails while most fish evolved vertical tails? They both have the same function. Is it related to swimming mechanics as a consequence of the rest of the anatomy? --- ## [Very basic Microsoft Word question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-basic-microsoft-word-question/970727)
**Author:** [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2022, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-basic-microsoft-word-question/970727 "2022-09-01T14:31:23Z")
This has been bothering me for years. Maybe it’s time to ask for help. Suppose I want to make a simple list of things in Word. Not a bulleted list, just a plain text list. Most of the items are short, but there is one v… --- ## [Do linguists specializing in ancient Germanic languages know enough to reconstruct a basic dialogue in any of the ancient Germanic languages?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-linguists-specializing-in-ancient-germanic-languages-know-enough-to-reconstruct-a-basic-dialogue-in-any-of-the-ancient-germanic-languages/970153)
**Author:** [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-linguists-specializing-in-ancient-germanic-languages-know-enough-to-reconstruct-a-basic-dialogue-in-any-of-the-ancient-germanic-languages/970153 "2022-09-01T13:21:19Z")
Do linguists specializing in ancient Germanic languages know enough to reconstruct a basic dialogue in any of the ancient Germanic languages? If so it was disappointing to hear only modern German being used in the series… --- ## [What exaxctly are we getting (in terms of content and quantity) with a Google scanned book?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exaxctly-are-we-getting-in-terms-of-content-and-quantity-with-a-google-scanned-book/970709)
**Author:** [@Octagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octagon)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2022, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exaxctly-are-we-getting-in-terms-of-content-and-quantity-with-a-google-scanned-book/970709 "2022-09-01T06:41:52Z")
I’m curious to know how the Google algorithm searches for Google book content and quantity. I think I remember reading that a result offers the reader 10% of an entire book but in my experience the content will often hav… --- ## [Pink buoy in Washington State](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-buoy-in-washington-state/970489)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2022, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-buoy-in-washington-state/970489 "2022-08-31T23:58:59Z")
My wife got a couple of free fishing buoys (that she wants to use for decorations on the house) from a neighbour; one red and white for crabbing, and the other one pink. For some reason, I can’t find what the pink buoy … --- ## [Capacitor question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capacitor-question/970486)
**Author:** [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capacitor-question/970486 "2022-08-31T14:53:54Z")
Mods: I’m not sure if this is an IMHO question 'cause it seems like simple facts that I just don’t happen to know. Feel free to move it if necessary. I got brave enough to pull apart my ancient stereo receiver (Yamaha … --- ## [Student loan forgiveness question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loan-forgiveness-question/970637)
**Author:** [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-loan-forgiveness-question/970637 "2022-08-31T03:07:02Z")
Does the recently announced student loan forgiveness have any effect on people just starting college this fall? Do they get a free $10k right off the bat? Or is the program just for those who had outstanding loans befor… --- ## [How comparatively big is 7,103 square miles?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparatively-big-is-7-103-square-miles/970414)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2022, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-comparatively-big-is-7-103-square-miles/970414 "2022-08-30T23:34:52Z")
In a fantasy game I’m playing, a friend of mine is being promoted to the nobility and given dominion over a 7,103-square-mile island. How big is that in comparison to real-world analogues? --- ## [What causes this parking phenomenon?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-this-parking-phenomenon/970433)
**Author:** [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Replies:** 65\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2022, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-causes-this-parking-phenomenon/970433 "2022-08-30T18:56:37Z")
By way of background: The parking lot at my apartment consists of a single long east-west aisle, connected to the street at the east end. There are perpendicular parking spots along the north and south sides of this ai… --- ## [How long does it take to search a house?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-search-a-house/970329)
**Author:** [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2022, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-to-search-a-house/970329 "2022-08-30T14:44:26Z")
Partly inspired by recent events in Florida… On TV, detectives will search a suspect’s house and find what they are looking for in a few minutes, or quickly realize that there is nothing to see. But how does it work in… --- ## [What is the possibility: You’ve peed a molecule of Titanic’s iceberg i](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-possibility-you-ve-peed-a-molecule-of-titanic-s-iceberg-i/950471)
**Author:** [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-possibility-you-ve-peed-a-molecule-of-titanic-s-iceberg-i/950471 "2022-08-30T13:07:56Z")
Assuming you live in eastern N America or western Europe and are over 30 years old? --- ## [What is the point of this web forum spam?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-this-web-forum-spam/939393)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2022, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-point-of-this-web-forum-spam/939393 "2022-08-30T12:54:29Z")
I am a moderator on an Excel web forum. Lately we are getting a lot of spam posts that all look like this: Subject: Where is Administration excelforum.com? Can I contact Administration? I’ts important. Regards. They… --- ## [is the district attorney considered a law enforcement agency in NY or CA?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-district-attorney-considered-a-law-enforcement-agency-in-ny-or-ca/588722)
**Author:** [@akimbo\_gait](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akimbo_gait)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [August 30, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-district-attorney-considered-a-law-enforcement-agency-in-ny-or-ca/588722 "2022-08-30T12:45:42Z")
or generally in other places. How do states define “law enforcement agency?” Can anyone cite any NY or CA statutes defining the term? Would any government agency qualify as a law enforcement agency, since most presumably… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=186) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=188)