# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=365 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 366 --- ## [How do I kill these trees?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-kill-these-trees/853235)
**Author:** [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [May 7, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-kill-these-trees/853235 "2020-05-07T00:54:28Z")
At several point around the foundation of my house, I have small sapling trees of an unidentified species that have persisted in coming back even after several years of cutting them off at ground level as soon as I notic… --- ## [Another Xbox Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-xbox-question/853206)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-xbox-question/853206 "2020-05-06T21:22:32Z")
I’m writing a screenplay and need some help. In looking online I found that it’s possible to send a message from an Xbox to someone’s phone as a text message. Assuming that’s true, and I have no way to verify that it i… --- ## [Where can I find open Zoom meetings to join?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217)
**Author:** [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217 "2020-05-06T20:25:03Z")
Preferably dealing with Zoom itself. I have downloaded the program and learned some basics. --- ## [Does Woot.com ever ship to Hawaii?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-woot-com-ever-ship-to-hawaii/853283)
**Author:** [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-woot-com-ever-ship-to-hawaii/853283 "2020-05-06T19:28:16Z")
A tip from a SDMB user led me to Woot.com, where I bought a great birthday gift for my son and sent it to him in Pennsylvania. Now I get the Woot emails, and boy are there some good deals. However, anything I put in my … --- ## [AVG vs MS Security Essentials](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avg-vs-ms-security-essentials/562970)
**Author:** [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avg-vs-ms-security-essentials/562970 "2010-12-09T23:38:16Z")
Is AVG as good as or better than MS Security Essentials? Free version of AVG. --- ## [I Need A Translation Of This Text From India](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-translation-of-this-text-from-india/695109)
**Author:** [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [August 11, 2014, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-translation-of-this-text-from-india/695109 "2014-08-11T06:05:05Z")
My girlfriend reads IIRC Hindi, Gujarati and some Sanskrit. She can’t read this. She thinks it’s Bengali. I’d greatly appreciate any help my fellow Dopers can give me. --- ## [How do I save this plant?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-save-this-plant/853203)
**Author:** [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-save-this-plant/853203 "2020-05-06T17:06:21Z")
The one in the foreground. I would have needed an ID but someone identified it as azaleas on imgur right before I posted this. It is dying. The reason I know this is another one no… --- ## [Did Using The Word "Trend" As A Verb Exist Before The Internet?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-using-the-word-trend-as-a-verb-exist-before-the-internet/853196)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-using-the-word-trend-as-a-verb-exist-before-the-internet/853196 "2020-05-06T14:19:45Z")
This hashtag or that hashtag is trending on Twitter. This hot model from Ypsilanti is trending on Instagram. Trump’s latest chicanery is trending on Google. Is this usage an internet thing? Or does it predate the 'net? --- ## [guitar strings, alloys and truth in advertising.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-strings-alloys-and-truth-in-advertising/853191)
**Author:** [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guitar-strings-alloys-and-truth-in-advertising/853191 "2020-05-06T13:50:22Z")
OK, a little background - standard steel acoustic guitar strings have the lower 4 strings “wound”, that is, the string is a steel core with a wire wrap around the string rather than a really heavy gauge solid steel strin… --- ## [Do real entomologists ever use a freezer to put insects to sleep, or was it just me?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-real-entomologists-ever-use-a-freezer-to-put-insects-to-sleep-or-was-it-just-me/853080)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-real-entomologists-ever-use-a-freezer-to-put-insects-to-sleep-or-was-it-just-me/853080 "2020-05-06T09:28:36Z")
Back in my teenaged amateur-entomologist days, I would use the freezer as a way of putting dangerous bugs to hypothermic sleep (captured hornets or wasps, for instance). Didn’t matter how aggressive the bug was; just put… --- ## [How many different vaccines can be combined into one injection?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-vaccines-can-be-combined-into-one-injection/853126)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-different-vaccines-can-be-combined-into-one-injection/853126 "2020-05-06T09:22:06Z")
Common vaccine shots include the MMR (measles + mumps + rubella) and TdaP (tetanus + diphtheria + pertussis,) which demonstrate that some vaccines can be combined into one big mixture. What prevents a lot of shots being… --- ## [Creating a new virus](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-new-virus/853131)
**Author:** [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-new-virus/853131 "2020-05-06T03:56:41Z")
Although this is obviously on my mind because of the current situation this is more of a broad question rather than a corona virus question. That’s why it’s here in GQ. I read The Stand. I’ve seen other movies about man… --- ## [How do I change my Kindle files to another format?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-kindle-files-to-another-format/853146)
**Author:** [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-kindle-files-to-another-format/853146 "2020-05-06T03:46:36Z")
I have thousands of Kindle files. I would also like to reduce my dependence on Amazon, and, if possible, support other retailers. Does anyone know of a good way to reformat thousands of files? I know how to do them indi… --- ## [What does a souvenir penny machine cost?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-souvenir-penny-machine-cost/852910)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-souvenir-penny-machine-cost/852910 "2020-05-06T02:21:48Z")
If I wanted to purchase a souvenir penny machine to raise funds for a non-profit organization, what would it cost? I have been to a number of websites that sell them but they refuse to disclose the price online, asking … --- ## [How long do bottles of pesticides / herbicides last?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-bottles-of-pesticides-herbicides-last/853183)
**Author:** [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 6, 2020, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-bottles-of-pesticides-herbicides-last/853183 "2020-05-06T02:20:00Z")
As I clean the house and garage I keep turning up things like Roundup, Weed-B-Gone, Preen, wasp spray, and the like. Some of these might have been sitting there for decades. Is this stuff still good or should I dispose o… --- ## [Finding your way on the sky with a telescope](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-way-on-the-sky-with-a-telescope/852712)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-your-way-on-the-sky-with-a-telescope/852712 "2020-05-05T23:11:50Z")
I recently bought a telescope on an equatorial mount. I’m having a lot of fun with it, but so far I’ve been observing mostly things that can be seen with the naked eye and therefore be found very easily with an optical f… --- ## [Do crooks melt pennies for copper](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crooks-melt-pennies-for-copper/853009)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-crooks-melt-pennies-for-copper/853009 "2020-05-05T21:31:39Z")
Do crooks melt pennies for copper? I watched a youtube video wherein someone used a chemical process to remove the zinc from the inside of a penny thus leaving only the copper. He claimed that crooks do this to obtain co… --- ## [Why is the label-side up on DVDs and CDs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-label-side-up-on-dvds-and-cds/853043)
**Author:** [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-label-side-up-on-dvds-and-cds/853043 "2020-05-05T20:46:45Z")
Even on DVD players that have a tray, you put the label-side up. One would think, logically, that you’d put the label-side down so that the laser could play it from above. --- ## [Does paying debt collection agencies "money owed" actually change anything?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-paying-debt-collection-agencies-money-owed-actually-change-anything/837577)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-paying-debt-collection-agencies-money-owed-actually-change-anything/837577 "2020-05-05T20:05:17Z")
Let’s say you have a $100 charge from somewhere you forgot to pay off, and 5 years down the line you get a letter from a debt collection agency claiming if you pay them $40 the debt is settled and you no longer have to w… --- ## [Plant ID please](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-please/853086)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-id-please/853086 "2020-05-05T19:12:35Z")
Came up in my back yard. About 5’ high right now. My google-fu is exhausted. Thanks --- ## [technical question about hall-effect sensors - automotive question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-question-about-hall-effect-sensors-automotive-question/852952)
**Author:** [@the\_bing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_bing)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technical-question-about-hall-effect-sensors-automotive-question/852952 "2020-05-05T15:11:39Z")
Morning all. Hope everyone is safe. In what i believe to be SD etiquette, i have searching for an answer to this question for over a year now. I have searched online, and technical textbooks during this time, and asked … --- ## [Possible to get under the hood of an XBox one console (lost saves)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-get-under-the-hood-of-an-xbox-one-console-lost-saves/853172)
**Author:** [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-get-under-the-hood-of-an-xbox-one-console-lost-saves/853172 "2020-05-05T14:02:06Z")
I have a problem with my one particular game on my XBone that has mysteriously reset itself and won’t load my saves - the local save file is there but for whatever reason the game isn’t picking it up. I’ve had apps on m… --- ## [Optimum internet, no cable, I am now paying $96 a month](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimum-internet-no-cable-i-am-now-paying-96-a-month/853032)
**Author:** [@Mike\_Mabes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Mabes)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimum-internet-no-cable-i-am-now-paying-96-a-month/853032 "2020-05-05T12:40:39Z")
My question is, is if there is any way to get internet at home without a hard wired connection? I cancelled cable last year, but at my apartment Optimum is the only thing available. If you have internet only you are req… --- ## [iOS question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ios-question/852849)
**Author:** [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ios-question/852849 "2020-05-05T06:26:38Z")
Does anyone know if there’s an app that would make the virtual keyboard on an iPhone larger? The keyboard is becoming more difficult for me to use. I’m hoping to avoid going to voice recognition, at least for now. Thank… --- ## [Mac Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-question/852850)
**Author:** [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-question/852850 "2020-05-05T04:26:48Z")
I would like to set my display to have a green aspect. If you think about the way you can make the display “warmer” at night, to reduce sleep disturbance, I’m looking for a way to do that but with green tones, instead of… --- ## [Can anyone suggest a good guide to Zoom?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-suggest-a-good-guide-to-zoom/853083)
**Author:** [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 4, 2020, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-suggest-a-good-guide-to-zoom/853083 "2020-05-04T19:08:09Z")
I am interested in both .pdf and video guides. Where can I find Zoom sessions to join? I am not a Zoom troll – just would like a lesson in Zoom. --- ## [Apple mavens: need help switching from old to new iPhone, with wrinkles.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-mavens-need-help-switching-from-old-to-new-iphone-with-wrinkles/853002)
**Author:** [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 4, 2020, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apple-mavens-need-help-switching-from-old-to-new-iphone-with-wrinkles/853002 "2020-05-04T16:52:13Z")
Back in December, I unintentionally bricked my wife’s old iPad because I misunderstood some online instructions and thought I could associate it with a new Apple ID by doing a hard reset. Didn’t work. Now I’ve just boug… --- ## [Changing a password on a PC from a Mac](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-a-password-on-a-pc-from-a-mac/853127)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 4, 2020, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-a-password-on-a-pc-from-a-mac/853127 "2020-05-04T16:08:39Z")
I log onto my work computer by connecting to VPN and then starting Microsoft Remote Desktop. I can do my work except for one thing: Changing the password. To change the password when I’m in the office, I do Ctrl+Alt+De… --- ## [Canadians/CERB/how fast or slow?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-cerb-how-fast-or-slow/853003)
**Author:** [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 4, 2020, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadians-cerb-how-fast-or-slow/853003 "2020-05-04T13:18:53Z")
I’m curious how fast or slow your CERB (CanEmergRelBenefit) hit your account? Wondering if our experience is the norm. But, of course, no one to confer with, Ha! Hubs was late to apply, thought his income would be too l… --- ## [Aircraft strafing refugees](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-strafing-refugees/853021)
**Author:** [@Hoppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoppy)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 4, 2020, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-strafing-refugees/853021 "2020-05-04T01:39:21Z")
Many WW2 films have ‘enemy’ fighters strafing columns of refugees. Did this actually happen and to what benefit ? It’s my understanding that WW2 fighters only had limited ammunition, it seems unlikely they would waste … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=364) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=366)