# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=206 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 207 --- ## [Melbourne or Batmania](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melbourne-or-batmania/964989)
**Author:** [@Wood\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wood_Man)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/melbourne-or-batmania/964989 "2022-05-26T18:27:55Z")
For two years, 1835 to 1837, the capital of Victoria, Australia was called “Batmania”. Named after one of its founders, John Batman. Lots of stuff on the internet about this. Does not sound plausible to me. Why not ju… --- ## [So, my Acer Chrombook is expiring](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-my-acer-chrombook-is-expiring/964908)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-my-acer-chrombook-is-expiring/964908 "2022-05-26T17:38:17Z")
I bought a little cheapie Chromebook a couple of years ago, when we were all sent home from work. It’s now reaching the expiry date - no new updates from June onwards. What difference will it make to the way my Chromeb… --- ## [HIPAA Laws and Gun Control](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-laws-and-gun-control/965112)
**Author:** [@19USMC69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/19USMC69)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hipaa-laws-and-gun-control/965112 "2022-05-26T17:06:06Z")
I’ve heard HIPAA laws are a major stumbling block with regard to government entities looking into a person’s background when trying to determine if that person should or should not be allowed to purchase/own a firearm. T… --- ## [Pronouns in bio question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouns-in-bio-question/958704)
**Author:** [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2022, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pronouns-in-bio-question/958704 "2022-05-26T14:26:08Z")
By now I think we’re all accustomed to seeing folks who put pronouns in their bio, for whatever reason. She/her, he/him, they/them, etc. I understand what motivates people to designate “he” or “she” or “they”, but I … --- ## [Engineering for different countries / cultures - examples](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653)
**Author:** [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Replies:** 107\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2022, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engineering-for-different-countries-cultures-examples/964653 "2022-05-26T11:59:04Z")
I’m about two weeks away from defending my PhD dissertation, and my mind is wandering a bit today, but hopefully in a therapeutic manner. I’ve had a couple of thoughts over the years that, when merged together, might ma… --- ## [Can sleep prevent me from feeling head trauma?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sleep-prevent-me-from-feeling-head-trauma/965107)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2022, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-sleep-prevent-me-from-feeling-head-trauma/965107 "2022-05-26T10:14:04Z")
As described in the MMP thread, I dreamed that I rolled off of bed, and woke up to find that I’d actually done it. But I wasn’t in any pain (except for scraping my elbow on the carpet when I landed), so I apparently didn… --- ## [How does Jupiter not pull earth way out of its orbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-jupiter-not-pull-earth-way-out-of-its-orbit/964949)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [May 26, 2022, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-jupiter-not-pull-earth-way-out-of-its-orbit/964949 "2022-05-26T09:59:44Z")
Fight my ignorance, please. So I recently read that Jupiter does not orbit the sun. In fact, it orbits a spot outside of the sun called a barycenter. This blows me away. Things that don’t make sense to me about this are… --- ## [Buying Digital Copies of Movies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-digital-copies-of-movies/964812)
**Author:** [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\ **Replies:** 54\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-digital-copies-of-movies/964812 "2022-05-25T21:12:56Z")
I use Plex, which is a media server that allows me to watch movies and listen to music that I own (which is to say, I have the associated files stored on my computer) from anywhere. I use it almost exclusively for music,… --- ## [What is a "combination" in train lingo speak?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-combination-in-train-lingo-speak/965040)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2022, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-combination-in-train-lingo-speak/965040 "2022-05-25T20:41:55Z")
I listened to The Wabash Cannonball yesterday. It includes these words: What is a “combination”, as used in this context? --- ## [Is name, rank and serial number really something only given by POW in movies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-name-rank-and-serial-number-really-something-only-given-by-pow-in-movies/964548)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-name-rank-and-serial-number-really-something-only-given-by-pow-in-movies/964548 "2022-05-25T19:06:14Z")
This guy on Quora who appears to have been a German Army conscript and later a mercenary in the various Balkan wars says. I saw my share of captured enemy soldiers, but I never saw anyone reciting his name, rank or num… --- ## [What is a mutual fund?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mutual-fund/236272)
**Author:** [@Carlos619](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlos619)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2022, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-mutual-fund/236272 "2022-05-25T17:09:03Z")
All I know is that they are a pool of stocks that people invest in. I’m trying to figure out how a mutual fund is managed. Who oversees the capital coming in and out of the fund. How are taxes involved? THANKS --- ## [The Hygiene Hypothesis - Is there a deliberate treatment?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hygiene-hypothesis-is-there-a-deliberate-treatment/965026)
**Author:** [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2022, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-hygiene-hypothesis-is-there-a-deliberate-treatment/965026 "2022-05-25T15:34:03Z")
This article mentions the Hygiene Hypothesis: "There is evidence that having an overly clean environment might contribute to allergies and susceptibility to infections.: Taking this to it’s logical conclusion (I hate… --- ## [What happens when oil is release from the strategic oil reserve?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-oil-is-release-from-the-strategic-oil-reserve/964974)
**Author:** [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2022, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-oil-is-release-from-the-strategic-oil-reserve/964974 "2022-05-25T15:16:11Z")
I’ve been googling for a while and I can’t find the answer to what I want to know, so… Ok, so the president authorizes a release from the strategic oil reserve, say a million gallons a day. What happens to the oil? What… --- ## [The Excel text date to numerical date task](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-excel-text-date-to-numerical-date-task/964965)
**Author:** [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 25, 2022, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-excel-text-date-to-numerical-date-task/964965 "2022-05-25T03:16:12Z")
Calling the Excel gurus. You have been given a table of data in Excel, extracted from a text source, thousands of rows. One column is a date. It’s displayed as say dd/mm/yyy. It could be '16/10/2016 or '6/06/2016 or '6… --- ## [Is drug induced osteopenia likely to resolve if you stop the drug?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drug-induced-osteopenia-likely-to-resolve-if-you-stop-the-drug/963478)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2022, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-drug-induced-osteopenia-likely-to-resolve-if-you-stop-the-drug/963478 "2022-05-24T22:10:51Z")
A friend has osteopenia (low bone density) said to be the result of a drug she’s been taking for several years but will soon stop. I’m hopeful this will resolve once she’s off the drug, and furthermore gets specific trea… --- ## [Threshing the Stanford Prison Experiment: What really happened?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threshing-the-stanford-prison-experiment-what-really-happened/965025)
**Author:** [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2022, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/threshing-the-stanford-prison-experiment-what-really-happened/965025 "2022-05-24T21:59:27Z")
Wheat Actual experience, accurate results, and reasonable conclusions vs. Chaff False reporting, actual fraud, and what/how conclusions were arrived at. --- ## [Boarding an F4U Corsair](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boarding-an-f4u-corsair/931639)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boarding-an-f4u-corsair/931639 "2022-05-24T20:09:39Z")
This image shows a pilot about to board an F4U Corsair. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Major\_Weissenberger\_prepares\_to\_take\_off\_in\_a\_Vought\_F4U\_Corsair%2C\_WWII\_(22415511978).jpg You can see that th… --- ## [What are these deposits that ants (?) leave on my bathroom sink?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-deposits-that-ants-leave-on-my-bathroom-sink/964932)
**Author:** [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-deposits-that-ants-leave-on-my-bathroom-sink/964932 "2022-05-24T14:30:34Z")
Recently, piles of little brown flakes have started appearing on my bathroom sink I have sometimes seen an ant, occasionally two, never more than two, crawling around my sink so I assume they are depositing them. I wa… --- ## [Was the American force of the AEF the largest Army ever assembled in the UK?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-american-force-of-the-aef-the-largest-army-ever-assembled-in-the-uk/964971)
**Author:** [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 24, 2022, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-american-force-of-the-aef-the-largest-army-ever-assembled-in-the-uk/964971 "2022-05-24T10:21:42Z")
I was curious about whether or not it is possible that the American forces deployed to the United Kingdom during WW2 actually constituted the largest army ever present on Great Britain. Facts I have dredged up: Peak Si… --- ## [Yahoo email question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahoo-email-question/964963)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yahoo-email-question/964963 "2022-05-23T22:50:50Z")
So my computer was being sluggish, and I decided to restart it. When I logged back into my email, a folder I use for keeping articles was empty, even though it lists 209-odd emails in the drop down and I can find them by… --- ## [PDF question after saving a Word doc](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-question-after-saving-a-word-doc/964846)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2022, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pdf-question-after-saving-a-word-doc/964846 "2022-05-23T19:19:17Z")
This is likely a stupid one I can’t Google because I just don’t know the right words. I saved a word document as a PDF to send out to a group (because not everyone has Word) and now it has all kinds of little formatting … --- ## [Some quick questions about traveling on the A train in New York](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-questions-about-traveling-on-the-a-train-in-new-york/964935)
**Author:** [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-questions-about-traveling-on-the-a-train-in-new-york/964935 "2022-05-23T19:08:25Z")
Hi, some quick questions about the A train in New York. I’m traveling from 181st Street to Howard Beach, then the Airtrain to JFK. Does every train (during the day) stop at Howard Beach? Approximately how long is the t… --- ## [Why are there no flywheels for home-energy storage?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-flywheels-for-home-energy-storage/964925)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2022, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-no-flywheels-for-home-energy-storage/964925 "2022-05-23T17:49:51Z")
If you want to store energy from your home energy production (turbine, solar panel, etc.) you pretty much have two choices: lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries or rarely a heat-pump. Why not a flywheel for home use? Peo… --- ## [Is there a limit to how big you can make an open ocean ship?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-limit-to-how-big-you-can-make-an-open-ocean-ship/964462)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2022, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-limit-to-how-big-you-can-make-an-open-ocean-ship/964462 "2022-05-23T11:20:10Z")
I know dock space, canals, and coastal areas have hard limits on how big you can make a modern ship, but I also heard recently that it would be impossible to make a mile long ship that wasn’t just a series of floating pl… --- ## [Why are they deducting less federal income tax from my check?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-deducting-less-federal-income-tax-from-my-check/964913)
**Author:** [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 23, 2022, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-deducting-less-federal-income-tax-from-my-check/964913 "2022-05-23T05:03:48Z")
(I assume this is a factual question, but I suppose it could also be IMHO territory) It started about a month ago but I just noticed it today. My federal tax deduction is about $100 less per check than it has been in th… --- ## [Research with obvious results](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/research-with-obvious-results/964744)
**Author:** [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2022, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/research-with-obvious-results/964744 "2022-05-22T15:41:58Z")
People often criticize scientific studies that confirm what everyone already knows, but what are some examples of the kind of studies that everyone thought had an obvious result, but it turned out not to be true after al… --- ## [Why do Lasers work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-lasers-work/964731)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2022, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-lasers-work/964731 "2022-05-21T11:57:23Z")
Not to be needlessly Kirkian, but I know how a laser works - an material is pumped with energy, putting into a metastable state, and then as the molecules return to a lower energy state, they emit radiation. This radiati… --- ## [Big airplanes--where does it end?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-airplanes-where-does-it-end/397838)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 90\ **Last updated:** [May 22, 2022, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-airplanes-where-does-it-end/397838 "2022-05-22T06:50:38Z")
There is a new world’s largest passenger airplane. Is there an engineering limit to how big you can make an airplane? My question has nothing to do with whether airports are big enough to handle it or other such practi… --- ## [Making strong magnets without electricity, or making electricity from weak magnets](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-strong-magnets-without-electricity-or-making-electricity-from-weak-magnets/964287)
**Author:** [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2022, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-strong-magnets-without-electricity-or-making-electricity-from-weak-magnets/964287 "2022-05-21T22:14:59Z")
Continuing the discussion from Could a radio detector be built with 12th century tech?: Every discussion about re-inventing technology days of yore gets around to the issue of magnets. Copper wire will be available far … --- ## [What's up with contemporary people using "V" for "U" - Is it a sovcit / freeman on the land thing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-contemporary-people-using-v-for-u-is-it-a-sovcit-freeman-on-the-land-thing/964778)
**Author:** [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [May 21, 2022, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-contemporary-people-using-v-for-u-is-it-a-sovcit-freeman-on-the-land-thing/964778 "2022-05-21T17:38:28Z")
I just came across someone who uses “V” in place of “U” in his name and in a lot of other things. I was wondering what this was about. I noticed that he also often wrote his name in SovCit style: GivenName - SecondGivenN… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=205) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=207)