# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=299 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 300 --- ## [Looking for a quote on contingency planning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-quote-on-contingency-planning/933242)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-quote-on-contingency-planning/933242 "2021-02-19T18:05:27Z")
It either came from Rumsfeld or Cheney apropos the invasion of Iraq and it amounted to saying that if you make a plan that includes the contingency of failure, then failure is what you get. I tried tracking it down usin… --- ## [Was the weight limit for the US Army in WW2 really 240 pounds?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-weight-limit-for-the-us-army-in-ww2-really-240-pounds/933060)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-weight-limit-for-the-us-army-in-ww2-really-240-pounds/933060 "2021-02-19T15:02:20Z")
I was watching the classic 1941 Abbott and Costello movie “Buck Privates” which is about both comedians getting drafted into the 1940 American Peacetime draft. In the movie, Costello feels confident that the draft board … --- ## [Impact of using anti-perspirant](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impact-of-using-anti-perspirant/848433)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2021, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impact-of-using-anti-perspirant/848433 "2021-02-19T13:40:56Z")
I’m wondering about the health impact of using anti-perspirant. But to be clear, I’m not asking about the substance itself and whether that’s harmful. Rather, this is about the impact of interfering with a normal bodily … --- ## [Switching from Safari to Chrome: what privacy/security changes should I be aware of?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-from-safari-to-chrome-what-privacy-security-changes-should-i-be-aware-of/933269)
**Author:** [@Ferris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferris)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2021, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-from-safari-to-chrome-what-privacy-security-changes-should-i-be-aware-of/933269 "2021-02-19T08:09:31Z")
Recently, I’ve experienced my Safari slowing down on the MacBook Pro and in some cases not loading webpages at all. Emptying caches and removing extensions has only got me so far, so I’m deciding whether to switch browse… --- ## [How to get hot chocolate out of upholstery?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-hot-chocolate-out-of-upholstery/933177)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2021, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-get-hot-chocolate-out-of-upholstery/933177 "2021-02-19T04:20:24Z")
Piper Mutt knocked over Mrs Piper’s mug of hot chocolate. Spilled all o er the upholstery if the chesterfield. Thoughts on how to get it out without leaving a stain? --- ## [Noise from non-running jet engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-from-non-running-jet-engine/932863)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2021, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-from-non-running-jet-engine/932863 "2021-02-18T22:43:58Z")
We were boarding an A319 in Key West the other day (you walk out on the tarmac and up a ramp - no jetway) and the the blades of the engine were turning in the breeze. There was metal-on-metal sound that surprised me. Wha… --- ## [Fish reproduction](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-reproduction/933062)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-reproduction/933062 "2021-02-18T21:32:56Z")
I have a pair of Neon gobies, Elacatinus oceanops that spawn regularly. The male guards about fifty eggs. In the sea, hundreds of fry are produced. If they get lucky, and are swept into plankton, they live. I understan… --- ## [Economic term for a product where demand is flat, then spikes past supply, then demand is flat again](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economic-term-for-a-product-where-demand-is-flat-then-spikes-past-supply-then-demand-is-flat-again/933085)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2021, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economic-term-for-a-product-where-demand-is-flat-then-spikes-past-supply-then-demand-is-flat-again/933085 "2021-02-18T12:01:08Z")
Snowplows would be a good example. Theres no demand for snowplows for months on end, then when a snowstorm hits the demand is (generally) higher than supply. Then after the roads are plowed the demand drops again. Becau… --- ## [When did wireless speakers completely take over the market?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-wireless-speakers-completely-take-over-the-market/932872)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2021, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-wireless-speakers-completely-take-over-the-market/932872 "2021-02-18T06:23:37Z")
I was looking for some simple cheap desktop speakers, you know the kind: AC powered, jack goes into the back of your computer. But apparently those are now as obsolete as non-LED flashlights, incandescent light bulbs or … --- ## [Is this common? Why? (Related to cremation and paperwork)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-common-why-related-to-cremation-and-paperwork/932905)
**Author:** [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-common-why-related-to-cremation-and-paperwork/932905 "2021-02-18T00:00:20Z")
My father-in-law died on January 25, 2021. We (my wife, FIL, and I) live in a county in Central Texas. Austin is the nearest major metropolitan area. When my FIL turned seriously ill, he was transferred from his nursi… --- ## [DVD / Bluray behavior](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-bluray-behavior/933064)
**Author:** [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dvd-bluray-behavior/933064 "2021-02-17T15:55:04Z")
I’ve been buying a lot of DVDs and Bluray disks recently due to COVID. One disk in about 50 (a guess) has a fault or is dirty or something. When the program gets to the fault, it stops. OK I understand that. Why can’t t… --- ## [What authorization (if any) do crime investigators need to go around asking questions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-authorization-if-any-do-crime-investigators-need-to-go-around-asking-questions/932991)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2021, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-authorization-if-any-do-crime-investigators-need-to-go-around-asking-questions/932991 "2021-02-17T15:13:07Z")
Say someone tips off the feds that John Doe committed a murder “somewhere, someplace, sometime.” The feds have nothing to go on, but must do something, so they start querying everyone on John’s Facebook friend list, ever… --- ## [Can male children theoretically be made fertile?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-male-children-theoretically-be-made-fertile/933034)
**Author:** [@MaverocK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaverocK)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-male-children-theoretically-be-made-fertile/933034 "2021-02-17T13:17:41Z")
According to Wikipedia Sperm cells form during the process known as spermatogenesis, which in amniotes (reptiles and mammals) takes place in the seminiferous tubules of the testes. This process involves the production … --- ## [One click, load 5 websites?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-click-load-5-websites/933037)
**Author:** [@CardboardBoxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CardboardBoxx)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2021, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-click-load-5-websites/933037 "2021-02-17T09:38:02Z")
Is there any way to set a browser (preferably Edge) so that one click will immediately load 5 different websites at once? The 5 I need to load will be the same each time, but I need to load them all very fast to qualify… --- ## [Generating "free" energy from vehicle traffic. I am skeptical. (Physics related.)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generating-free-energy-from-vehicle-traffic-i-am-skeptical-physics-related/932040)
**Author:** [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generating-free-energy-from-vehicle-traffic-i-am-skeptical-physics-related/932040 "2021-02-17T03:34:48Z")
It’s called a “Traffic Turbine.” It spins due to the wind generated by busses passing near it. The turbine spins a generator. Some claim the energy is essentially free, since the wind from the bus is wasted energy. I do… --- ## [Cities With State Names: Any Others?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-state-names-any-others/730335)
**Author:** [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Replies:** 117\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2021, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-state-names-any-others/730335 "2021-02-16T20:10:00Z")
Some US cities have the same names as a US state. Some are listed below. Are there any others? Alabama NY Alaska MI California GA California MI California PA Delaware MI Delaware OH Delaware PA Florida OH Geor… --- ## [Why don't television stations have technical difficulties anymore? Also, what was with the Indian?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-television-stations-have-technical-difficulties-anymore-also-what-was-with-the-indian/927825)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-television-stations-have-technical-difficulties-anymore-also-what-was-with-the-indian/927825 "2021-02-16T19:39:33Z")
I think I asked this once before but have forgotten what the responses were: Back in the days prior to everyone having cable every so often in the middle of a program a test screen would pop up claiming technical diffic… --- ## [Were these people at risk for a lightning strike?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-these-people-at-risk-for-a-lightning-strike/933030)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2021, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-these-people-at-risk-for-a-lightning-strike/933030 "2021-02-16T19:38:39Z")
The first twenty seconds of this video are what I’m interested in: Something similar happened to me a couple of decades ago: we were high up in the Rockies, with weather similar to what is seen in the vide… --- ## [What's this pink stuff that collects on contact lens cases and the like?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-pink-stuff-that-collects-on-contact-lens-cases-and-the-like/932641)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-pink-stuff-that-collects-on-contact-lens-cases-and-the-like/932641 "2021-02-16T14:00:01Z")
I mostly store my lenses in water, and after a while there’s a pink tinge to it and I give it a more thorough cleaning. Especially on the outside of the case. Question is what that stuff is and whether it’s some sort of … --- ## [Less energy when we age, why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-energy-when-we-age-why/931498)
**Author:** [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2021, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/less-energy-when-we-age-why/931498 "2021-02-16T06:33:48Z")
Hello Everyone, As I approach 55 this year I was just thinking how I just don’t have the energy I did when I was 30, nevermind 20. What changes in our bodies that make our energy bevels decrease so much and why can’t i… --- ## [The exact nature ofthe American Merchant Marine / the British Merchant Navy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-nature-ofthe-american-merchant-marine-the-british-merchant-navy/931326)
**Author:** [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2021, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-exact-nature-ofthe-american-merchant-marine-the-british-merchant-navy/931326 "2021-02-16T03:47:29Z")
Since childhood, I have been confused by the term “Merchant Marine”. I used to think it was some kind of distinct paramilitary organization that did merchant shipping in peacetime and became a navy in wartime. Further re… --- ## [French grammar question: use of articles in French version of the Constitution Act, 1867](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-grammar-question-use-of-articles-in-french-version-of-the-constitution-act-1867/932029)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2021, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/french-grammar-question-use-of-articles-in-french-version-of-the-constitution-act-1867/932029 "2021-02-16T02:19:57Z")
I’m puzzled by the use of certain articles in the French version of the Constitution Act, 1867 of Canada: Loi constitutionnelle de 1867. I had always been taught that provinces take a “de la” / “du” / "de l’ ", while m… --- ## [Thought experiment: Where would the 'ecliptic equator' be?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2021, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thought-experiment-where-would-the-ecliptic-equator-be/932974 "2021-02-15T18:34:52Z")
That is, if we had a word for the imaginary line where Earth intersects the ecliptic, what countries would it go thru? --- ## [Converting a vented gas log to woodburning insert fireplace](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-vented-gas-log-to-woodburning-insert-fireplace/932968)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/converting-a-vented-gas-log-to-woodburning-insert-fireplace/932968 "2021-02-15T17:53:30Z")
Don’t worry I won’t do it myself. I’m interested in the process and approximate cost. I currently have a vented gas log fireplace that is worthless if you are more than 3 feet away from it. I want to convert it into a… --- ## [Sales tax on item bought from UK](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sales-tax-on-item-bought-from-uk/932023)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2021, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sales-tax-on-item-bought-from-uk/932023 "2021-02-15T13:28:53Z")
I live in NC and bought an UK item online and they charged me state sales tax. It is a new item. Is this required for state sales tax? I don’t think I was charged tax when I bought a book from the UK. They said … --- ## [Why no oral anti-itch medications?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-oral-anti-itch-medications/932718)
**Author:** [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2021, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-oral-anti-itch-medications/932718 "2021-02-15T13:15:37Z")
We have so many pain pills that travel throughout the body and alleviate pain in multiple locations. Why don’t we have similar pills for itching? --- ## [Why do many Made in China products smell like Toxic Death?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-made-in-china-products-smell-like-toxic-death/545227)
**Author:** [@by-tor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/by-tor)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2021, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-many-made-in-china-products-smell-like-toxic-death/545227 "2021-02-15T10:55:59Z")
From phone cords to furniture and everything in between, I have noticed that many products that are made in China have this hideous toxic smell. What is it? Is this some kind of chemical warfare agent? Just kidding. But … --- ## ['Address Service Requested'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2021, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827 "2021-02-15T09:36:38Z")
As many of you may already know, I have a number of scientific and medical theories that I have been trying to share with people for about 20 years now, if not more. Anyways, I like using the US mail to share it sometim… --- ## [Hot water heaters being outside an apartment is weird, right?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water-heaters-being-outside-an-apartment-is-weird-right/932477)
**Author:** [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hot-water-heaters-being-outside-an-apartment-is-weird-right/932477 "2021-02-15T05:24:43Z")
There was a big fire this morning in the town I grew up in. 2 people were hurt and dozens displaced :worried: The thing that struck me as strange about the story, though, is someone at the fire department said that the … --- ## [Why is the furnace howling?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-furnace-howling/932623)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 14, 2021, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-furnace-howling/932623 "2021-02-14T22:00:52Z")
Our propane tank was filled yesterday. Since then, the furnace occasionally howls when it starts up. I called the propane company, but they don’t know why. My hypothesis is that there was moisture in the fuel that was… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=298) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=300)