# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=291 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 292 --- ## [HVAC: Natural Gas furnaces all 110v in the US?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hvac-natural-gas-furnaces-all-110v-in-the-us/938946)
**Author:** [@JR2525](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR2525)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2021, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hvac-natural-gas-furnaces-all-110v-in-the-us/938946 "2021-03-31T04:43:35Z")
Maybe someone can answer this. Why is it that all forced air gas furnaces in the united states are driven by 110v half-phase motors? It makes no seance to me, 220v motors are by their very nature more energy efficient. … --- ## [Ship stuck in the Suez](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ship-stuck-in-the-suez/938869)
**Author:** [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [March 31, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ship-stuck-in-the-suez/938869 "2021-03-31T01:01:24Z")
So, I am getting increasingly confused about the name of the ship in question. Is it Evergreen or Ever Given? If you read the bbc article it refers to the ship as the Ever Given whereas if you see the picture accompanyi… --- ## [Grammar - 'may' or 'might'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-may-or-might/938875)
**Author:** [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grammar-may-or-might/938875 "2021-03-30T22:38:45Z")
They played a track from a group called They Might be Giants on the radio today. The pedant in me immediately thought “Noo, They ‘May’ be Giants”. Then I thought, “no, ‘might’ is okay.” Then I thought “why?” Are may a… --- ## [Old C-41 (and ECN-2) film development](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-c-41-and-ecn-2-film-development/938884)
**Author:** [@leswax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leswax)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-c-41-and-ecn-2-film-development/938884 "2021-03-30T19:32:37Z")
I have six exposed rolls of C-41 process Kodak Gold Max 35mm film (5x400 speed and 1x100). I most likely shot these rolls when I was in high school sometime before graduating in 2001. I believe they’ve been stored under … --- ## [HVAC (central air/heat) systems, what voltage wiring do these typically use?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hvac-central-air-heat-systems-what-voltage-wiring-do-these-typically-use/464785)
**Author:** [@Bobalude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobalude)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hvac-central-air-heat-systems-what-voltage-wiring-do-these-typically-use/464785 "2021-03-30T19:03:38Z")
I am thinking about installing a HVAC / central heating & air system in my house. I was told by an electrician who came by that I must upgrade my wiring to 220v in order to use an HVAC system… I am a bit skeptical as to … --- ## [Who is more likely to leave for another partner, men or women?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-more-likely-to-leave-for-another-partner-men-or-women/931522)
**Author:** [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-more-likely-to-leave-for-another-partner-men-or-women/931522 "2021-03-30T18:41:27Z")
Women end most relationships but what I’m specifically asking about is situations where A is in a relationship with B then ends the relationship with B to begin a relationship with C. I mean to include situations where t… --- ## [Does a bigger brake rotor on a wheel help brake performance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-bigger-brake-rotor-on-a-wheel-help-brake-performance/938540)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-bigger-brake-rotor-on-a-wheel-help-brake-performance/938540 "2021-03-30T18:33:43Z")
I recently bought an electric scooter. One of the touted selling points was that is has a bigger brake rotor. Where most e-scooters have a 140mm rotor this one has 160mm rotor. They claim this gives it noticeably bett… --- ## [Roth IRAs: How would they know... (Not a Tax Q)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roth-iras-how-would-they-know-not-a-tax-q/938914)
**Author:** [@Ptolomy57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ptolomy57)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roth-iras-how-would-they-know-not-a-tax-q/938914 "2021-03-30T15:05:55Z")
I understand money for a Roth IRA contribution uses “after tax” dollars; hence, one does not report contributions to a Roth IRA on the 1040 tax form. Hence, the only record of what you contributed is your financial insti… --- ## [Buying stuff from China on Amazon, who pays customs/duties?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-stuff-from-china-on-amazon-who-pays-customs-duties/939002)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-stuff-from-china-on-amazon-who-pays-customs-duties/939002 "2021-03-30T13:53:14Z")
So I live in the USA, and I’ve been ordering some clothing from China of late, on Amazon - over $80’ worth (and I might end up doubling it to $160+.) When stuff like this arrives in the USA, is the seller (in China) the… --- ## [Eating bran (3 simple questions)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-bran-3-simple-questions/938979)
**Author:** [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eating-bran-3-simple-questions/938979 "2021-03-30T13:09:06Z")
As I understand it, eating bran is good for you as it assists digestion, correct? I like bran with milk as a breakfast cereal - but presumably one could just nibble the bran flakes for the same benefits? Here’s t… --- ## [So Why Don't They Make Teflon Coated Toilet Bowls?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771)
**Author:** [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Replies:** 61\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-dont-they-make-teflon-coated-toilet-bowls/428771 "2021-03-30T04:28:33Z")
It’d make cleaning them easier, wouldn’t it? --- ## [Investment question: Moving stuff from brokerage account to Roth IRA](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/investment-question-moving-stuff-from-brokerage-account-to-roth-ira/938982)
**Author:** [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 30, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/investment-question-moving-stuff-from-brokerage-account-to-roth-ira/938982 "2021-03-30T01:05:53Z")
So I began actively making investments in my etrade account this year (as opposed to just putting all of our investment money into a managed account, which we do as well). I started the year off just buying stocks and f… --- ## [Choose another app](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916)
**Author:** [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 29, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choose-another-app/938916 "2021-03-29T18:30:05Z")
I am trying to open a report. It downloaded as an HTML file. I click ‘open with’ and then ‘choose another app’ but my very common app is not listed. (excel) I click to find another app, but takes to standard folders, no… --- ## [What laws apply on the non-inhabited US territories?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-laws-apply-on-the-non-inhabited-us-territories/938932)
**Author:** [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 29, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-laws-apply-on-the-non-inhabited-us-territories/938932 "2021-03-29T01:45:58Z")
Besides the 50 states and 1 federal district, the United States possess 14 (and lay claim to 2 more) insular territories. Of these, 5 are permanently inhabited and have their own governments/laws. But what about the 9 to… --- ## [Special name for pivoting flagpole base with worm gear drive?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-name-for-pivoting-flagpole-base-with-worm-gear-drive/938381)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 28, 2021, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/special-name-for-pivoting-flagpole-base-with-worm-gear-drive/938381 "2021-03-28T19:28:17Z")
I’ve seen flagpoles that pivot at the bottom, and have a bit over 90 degrees of worm gear in the pivot. There’s a worm you turn to raise and lower the pole as a cantilever. Beautiful big cast steel gears. Is there a spec… --- ## [Is oath breaking a crime?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oath-breaking-a-crime/937644)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [March 28, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oath-breaking-a-crime/937644 "2021-03-28T16:01:14Z")
So vaguely inspired by the events of Jan 6th, but not asking for discussion of those events, is the act of breaking an oath a criminal offense (not just cause for a civil suit) in and of itself in any US jurisdiction? T… --- ## [Documents addressed to the deceased](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documents-addressed-to-the-deceased/938796)
**Author:** [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [March 27, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documents-addressed-to-the-deceased/938796 "2021-03-27T23:11:57Z")
In 2001, John Doe passed away. In 2010, his widow followed him, leaving their only daughter as the sole heir of the family’s assets. Their daughter, a single woman, passed on in 2015, and left her entire estate, such as … --- ## [Violators will be towed at owner's expense](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/violators-will-be-towed-at-owners-expense/938711)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [March 27, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/violators-will-be-towed-at-owners-expense/938711 "2021-03-27T17:40:43Z")
What legal authority gives a property owner the right to charge someone towing fees if they park there without authorization? Does this extend to holding onto their car until they pay up, or do they have to release the c… --- ## [Why does it seem like my anus has become more tolerant to capsaicin than my mouth?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-like-my-anus-has-become-more-tolerant-to-capsaicin-than-my-mouth/938375)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [March 27, 2021, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-seem-like-my-anus-has-become-more-tolerant-to-capsaicin-than-my-mouth/938375 "2021-03-27T14:06:09Z")
For a while now I have noticed that when I eat very spicy food, even though I feel the burn in my mouth, I do not notice any burn on the way out. For example, a few nights ago I finished a chicken vindaloo (among the sp… --- ## [Why don't frogs' insides get injured by their prey?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-frogs-insides-get-injured-by-their-prey/938767)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [March 27, 2021, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-frogs-insides-get-injured-by-their-prey/938767 "2021-03-27T07:21:01Z")
I’ve seen a lot of videos of frogs (mostly large sized ones) swallowing all sorts of prey, and they seem impervious to anything. Scorpions, spiders, centipedes, preying mantises, wasps etc., they seem completely unfazed … --- ## [Transporting oil through the Suez canal](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transporting-oil-through-the-suez-canal/938585)
**Author:** [@Danger\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danger_Man)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transporting-oil-through-the-suez-canal/938585 "2021-03-26T19:27:58Z")
I read that about 600k barrels are transported one way, and about 850k barrels are transported the other way through the Suez canal every day. Why does this happen? Surely this could be optimized in a way? --- ## [Are there any red, yellow, or purple police uniforms?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-red-yellow-or-purple-police-uniforms/938072)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-red-yellow-or-purple-police-uniforms/938072 "2021-03-26T18:26:40Z")
In the English-speaking world, police officers tend to wear blue, black, brown, or beige uniforms. The German-speaking world clad its officers in green until relatively recently; now blue seems to be an EU-wide standard… --- ## [Is there plastic in my muscle tissue?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-plastic-in-my-muscle-tissue/938731)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-plastic-in-my-muscle-tissue/938731 "2021-03-26T15:24:26Z")
I just saw a fishy video of someone opening a can of tuna and putting the meat under a microscope. It contained plastic microfibres. Are these microfibres introduced at the factory which cans the tuna, or are do they a… --- ## [What happened to CornQuistos?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-cornquistos/53014)
**Author:** [@Alonist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alonist)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-cornquistos/53014 "2021-03-26T05:47:38Z")
Why did they stop making CornQuistos? For those who don’t remember, they were little tubes of crunchy cornmeal, filled with tomato-based sauce-- like Combos, except that Combos use a wheat crust and slightly less volatil… --- ## [Is naming your company "Mc\[Something\]" a thing now?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-naming-your-company-mc-something-a-thing-now/938570 "2021-03-26T05:14:51Z")
In the German-speaking world, there seems to be a trend in the last few decades to invent business names by prepending “Mc” to some word (usually one with some association to the business type). Famous examples of natio… --- ## [Whats the origin of the name Sarail?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-name-sarail/938738)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-origin-of-the-name-sarail/938738 "2021-03-26T05:00:08Z")
Came across the woman’s name Sarail in a distant bit of our family tree from early 17th Century England: Pretty much uniquely for any name I’ve googled there is absolutely noth… --- ## [How is an asset linked to a token to create an NFT?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-an-asset-linked-to-a-token-to-create-an-nft/938639)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-an-asset-linked-to-a-token-to-create-an-nft/938639 "2021-03-26T03:19:07Z")
There has been a lot of buzz around NFTs of late. I’ve read a few technical breakdowns if them (including the actual Ethereum EFC). The process seems to be: Generate a hash from a digital asset (very easy CS101 stuff,… --- ## [What is the practicality of Individual Facial Recognition Devices?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-practicality-of-individual-facial-recognition-devices/938687)
**Author:** [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-practicality-of-individual-facial-recognition-devices/938687 "2021-03-26T00:48:15Z")
Is it possible we will soon have some version of police-style facial recognition in our pockets? I mean a pocket device you can point at someone and identify them. Can a civilian subscribe to the fancy databases that t… --- ## [Why do we round cash to two decimal points?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-round-cash-to-two-decimal-points/938328)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [March 26, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-round-cash-to-two-decimal-points/938328 "2021-03-26T00:08:27Z")
Why do we round cash to two decimal points (i.e. “your total today is $14.32”) instead of three decimal points ($14.325) or one ($14.3) or zero ($14)? Who came up with the idea of nickels and pennies? Why don’t we have… --- ## [Recommend me a dry lubricant](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dry-lubricant/938607)
**Author:** [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 25, 2021, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-dry-lubricant/938607 "2021-03-25T14:18:55Z")
I have an internal frame backpack made up of coated waterproof fabric tightly stretched over a wire frame. When loaded, the frame flexes and the coated side of the fabric rubs on the frame and itself and squeaks. This be… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=290) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=292)