# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=302 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 303 --- ## [The phrase “social distancing”](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-social-distancing/932034)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-phrase-social-distancing/932034 "2021-02-04T14:58:44Z")
I assumed it was new, created for the COVID-19 pandemic. But I was watching Contagion last night and in the movie they recommended social distancing. That movie is about 10 years old. So hold is it? I’m not talking abo… --- ## [Social Welfare in Canada, c. 1954](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-welfare-in-canada-c-1954/932169)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2021, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-welfare-in-canada-c-1954/932169 "2021-02-04T09:09:58Z")
J. Gordon Whitehead, who punched Harry Houdini on the night that he died\*, himself died of malnutrition in 1954. He was a recluse and a hoarder and doubtless had struggled with mental illness. Was Canada’s social welfar… --- ## [How does lemon juice make tea taste sweet?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-lemon-juice-make-tea-taste-sweet/932116)
**Author:** [@ElDeLuxo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElDeLuxo)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2021, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-lemon-juice-make-tea-taste-sweet/932116 "2021-02-04T08:35:44Z")
One of my favorite cold drinks is unsweetened, black iced tea. Recently I decided to try a squirt of lemon juice in my tea–just enough to change the color of it slightly. It was good, of course–strong and refreshing and … --- ## [How to put a CNN page on Facebook if the facebook icon isn't present?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-put-a-cnn-page-on-facebook-if-the-facebook-icon-isnt-present/932142)
**Author:** [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-put-a-cnn-page-on-facebook-if-the-facebook-icon-isnt-present/932142 "2021-02-04T00:55:58Z")
I admit I’m a doof when it comes to computer/Internet issues, but I’m having trouble sending an article I like on CNN to my Facebook friends if there isn’t a facebook icon I can click on. Can any of you smart dopers tel… --- ## [Why is differentiation always doable algorithmically, but integration not?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-differentiation-always-doable-algorithmically-but-integration-not/931281)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-differentiation-always-doable-algorithmically-but-integration-not/931281 "2021-02-03T20:30:53Z")
There’s an asymmetry between calculating the derivative of an expression, and calculating the integral of an expression. I think there are pretty straightforward algorithms to differentiate any expression, whereas if you… --- ## [Discovery of new elements](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-of-new-elements/512071)
**Author:** [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2021, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-of-new-elements/512071 "2021-02-03T19:30:25Z")
According to Wikipedia there were 72 known elements in 1919. Another 29 were found by 1955; almost one per year. By 2008 we hit number 117. Only 16 new elements found in 53 years; less than one new element every three ye… --- ## [Goldfinch drinking from hummingbird feeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goldfinch-drinking-from-hummingbird-feeder/932013)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2021, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goldfinch-drinking-from-hummingbird-feeder/932013 "2021-02-03T10:46:50Z")
We have a couple of hummingbird feeders out back. We also have bird feeders that are frequented by a variety of birds including some tiny goldfinches. Lately however at least one of the finches is drinking (eating?) from… --- ## [No idea how to get started looking for a job, help!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-idea-how-to-get-started-looking-for-a-job-help/139184)
**Author:** [@wolfsbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfsbane)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2021, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-idea-how-to-get-started-looking-for-a-job-help/139184 "2021-02-03T05:11:58Z")
Okay so I’m in the job market for the first time in over 10 years. Looking for a local technical/professional position (med sized city) in either private or public sector. Hoping to do a lot of my searching online bu… --- ## [Vinegar based weed killer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-based-weed-killer/931970)
**Author:** [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2021, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vinegar-based-weed-killer/931970 "2021-02-03T04:51:08Z")
I hate to admit it, but this popped up on my facebook feed. It talks about a natural seemingly somewhat benign weedkiller. Do you think this will work? Are there any negative effects of these substances on my soil or the… --- ## [Credit card fraud? Who pays?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-fraud-who-pays/677213)
**Author:** [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2021, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-fraud-who-pays/677213 "2021-02-03T00:32:46Z")
If someone commits credit card fraud, who suffers the loss? The cardholder? The merchant? The bank that issued the card? MasterCard Incorporated? I’m sure the answer is “it depends”, but under what circumstances. Ar… --- ## [64 Bit Operating Systems and 32 Bit Applications](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/64-bit-operating-systems-and-32-bit-applications/931908)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/64-bit-operating-systems-and-32-bit-applications/931908 "2021-02-02T22:56:18Z")
I’m curious about what is gained by making a 64 bit operating system refuse to execute a 32 bit application. MacOS 10.14 was the last MacOS that would let you run a 32 bit app. It’s a 64 bit environment and cheerfully … --- ## [Encryption which quantum computers cannot break?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encryption-which-quantum-computers-cannot-break/931873)
**Author:** [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/encryption-which-quantum-computers-cannot-break/931873 "2021-02-02T21:37:34Z")
The link below goes to an article from a very respectable newspaper in Israel, but written by a journalist, not a scientist, and with a headline that sounds like click bait. The article is fairly long, and a bit boring,… --- ## [Was "a horse of a different color" a common phrase around the time of The Wizard of Oz?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-a-horse-of-a-different-color-a-common-phrase-around-the-time-of-the-wizard-of-oz/931164)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2021, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-a-horse-of-a-different-color-a-common-phrase-around-the-time-of-the-wizard-of-oz/931164 "2021-02-02T10:48:06Z")
I put this in General Questions because even though it pertains to a certain movie, it is asking for a factual answer. May need to be moved to Cafe Society; I don’t know. When Dorothy and her friends are trying to ente… --- ## [How does buying gold as an investment work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-buying-gold-as-an-investment-work/931545)
**Author:** [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2021, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-buying-gold-as-an-investment-work/931545 "2021-02-02T03:49:12Z")
I keep seeing commercials, ‘buy gold as a sure-fire investment’ - OK, I buy a gold bar. Suppose there is some apocalypse where cash money is no good, or I lose everything in a flood, and I own nothing of value in the w… --- ## [Is there a specific name for this huge human advancement in the past 300 years?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-name-for-this-huge-human-advancement-in-the-past-300-years/931488)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-specific-name-for-this-huge-human-advancement-in-the-past-300-years/931488 "2021-02-02T02:38:20Z")
Over the past 300 years or so, humans have undergone a drastic skyrocketing in technology, information, affluence, standard of living, science, etc. Far more than all previous millennia combined. (Whereas someone even ju… --- ## [Was the locomotive in this story repaired, or essentially built anew?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-locomotive-in-this-story-repaired-or-essentially-built-anew/931905)
**Author:** [@themapleleaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/themapleleaf)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2021, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-locomotive-in-this-story-repaired-or-essentially-built-anew/931905 "2021-02-02T01:25:38Z")
Would anyone who knows something about building or restoring steam locomotives care to examine this old story and give an opinion on what exactly happens to the engine in question? I grew up with an old series of picture… --- ## [Online job application rejection email](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-job-application-rejection-email/931705)
**Author:** [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-job-application-rejection-email/931705 "2021-02-02T00:00:03Z")
I applied for a job, didn’t have an interiew but got an email - Although your skills and qualifications are impressive, we have identified other candidates whose experience more closely fit the specifications of the posi… --- ## [Barcode is on INNER BOX](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barcode-is-on-inner-box/932014)
**Author:** [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barcode-is-on-inner-box/932014 "2021-02-01T22:39:23Z")
I just bought this air purifier. It arrived in a retail-type box with glossy pictures and ad copy printed on the outside, with that box enclosed in a close fitting brown corrugated cardboard shipping box. The outer box w… --- ## [Why won't Excel save my .xlsx file\>](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-excel-save-my-xlsx-file/932004 "2021-02-01T18:36:19Z")
For a couple/few months, Excel occasionally won’t save a file as .xlsx. Microsoft Excel cannot access the file ‘\[file name\]\_Current\_Output.xlsx’. There are several possible reasons: The file name or path does not ex… --- ## [Basements in Florida (or lack thereof)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basements-in-florida-or-lack-thereof/601550)
**Author:** [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/basements-in-florida-or-lack-thereof/601550 "2021-02-01T17:38:41Z")
When we moved here from Ohio, I noticed very early on that few in any homes down here had basements. When I pressed my engineer neighbor, he said that the high water table would leak into your basement and you’d have a … --- ## [Is this where the phrase "The whole nine yards" originated?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-where-the-phrase-the-whole-nine-yards-originated/930908)
**Author:** [@SHARKBITEATTACK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SHARKBITEATTACK)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2021, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-where-the-phrase-the-whole-nine-yards-originated/930908 "2021-02-01T15:56:42Z")
--- ## [Why do sundial times vary with the latitude?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sundial-times-vary-with-the-latitude/931774)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2021, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-sundial-times-vary-with-the-latitude/931774 "2021-02-01T02:37:55Z")
I just came across this statement: “A sundial created for use at one latitude will give inexact times at other latitudes.” While I understand how longitude affects the times on a sundial, isn’t it the exact same time a… --- ## [Republic Day (India)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republic-day-india/931505)
**Author:** [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republic-day-india/931505 "2021-02-01T01:14:48Z")
A coworker pointed out that tomorrow is Republic Day in India, since some of us work with teams based there. It made me wonder how many national holidays there are in the world that are based on kicking out the British. --- ## [Household UV-blocking glass testing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-uv-blocking-glass-testing/931739)
**Author:** [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 31, 2021, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/household-uv-blocking-glass-testing/931739 "2021-01-31T20:36:57Z")
I’ve got some posters that are matted and under glass. However, I don’t know if the glass has anti-ultraviolet light properties and I don’t want to display them until I’m sure they’re safe. Is there a way I can test wi… --- ## [Science of Decades Past - Seasons on Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-of-decades-past-seasons-on-mars/931893)
**Author:** [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [January 31, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-of-decades-past-seasons-on-mars/931893 "2021-01-31T18:31:13Z")
When I was young (and maple syrup had just been invented) it was established that Mars had seasons, the planet changing color depending on the time of the Martian year. In the spring, the planet turned visibly greener t… --- ## [Can a company force you to take the vaccine?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-company-force-you-to-take-the-vaccine/931879)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [January 31, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-company-force-you-to-take-the-vaccine/931879 "2021-01-31T01:22:44Z")
I’m honestly not sure if this will go into GD territory, but I work in a classroom for special needs and the topic came up as to if the company we work for could dismiss people who did not want the vaccine (it wasn’t cle… --- ## [How do craigslist scams work and could this be one?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-craigslist-scams-work-and-could-this-be-one/915246)
**Author:** [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [January 30, 2021, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-craigslist-scams-work-and-could-this-be-one/915246 "2021-01-30T18:29:56Z")
https://longisland.craigslist.org/zip/d/long-island-city-dining-table-set-free/7157979822.html I responded to this via text yesterday and they texted me back from another number. I asked whether it was the same person a… --- ## [Will a small crack in the back cover of Samsung Galaxy S4 result in unhealthy level of radiation or whatever from the phone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-small-crack-in-the-back-cover-of-samsung-galaxy-s4-result-in-unhealthy-level-of-radiation-or-whatever-from-the-phone/931697)
**Author:** [@wiskaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wiskaz)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [January 30, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-a-small-crack-in-the-back-cover-of-samsung-galaxy-s4-result-in-unhealthy-level-of-radiation-or-whatever-from-the-phone/931697 "2021-01-30T17:04:54Z")
Thanks! --- ## [How "smart" are Windows 10 shortcuts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-smart-are-windows-10-shortcuts/931165)
**Author:** [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [January 30, 2021, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-smart-are-windows-10-shortcuts/931165 "2021-01-30T16:15:16Z")
Simple Windows 10 question: I have folders filled with file shortcuts. I use them to organize files in different ways without needing to have duplicates of the original (and quite large) files. How “smart” are the shor… --- ## [Can IQ be increased?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-iq-be-increased/923635)
**Author:** [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [January 30, 2021, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-iq-be-increased/923635 "2021-01-30T15:55:41Z")
My search results yielded no answers, so I’m going to ask here: Can someone increase their IQ with effort? I was told years ago by someone far smarter than myself that you are pretty much born with your IQ. He basically… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=301) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=303)