# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=369 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 370 --- ## [Please identify this symbol - alchemy? Masonic or other secret society?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-this-symbol-alchemy-masonic-or-other-secret-society/852520)
**Author:** [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 25, 2020, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-this-symbol-alchemy-masonic-or-other-secret-society/852520 "2020-04-25T00:28:26Z")
This symbol is inscribed on a fountain pen from the 1940’s (a Skyline Executive, so it might have been a presentation pen). Here’s a photo, or you can see the symbol in a photo here on eBay, scroll down to the listing, c… --- ## [any good resources for pusher tugs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-resources-for-pusher-tugs/852285)
**Author:** [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-resources-for-pusher-tugs/852285 "2020-04-24T23:43:46Z")
Lately been watching a youtube channel (TimBatSea) about a tugboat that moves barges (whether towing from the front, side, or tied into the notch at the rear). It’s got me curious about the tugs that help move the huge c… --- ## [Does ringside betting work like in the movies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ringside-betting-work-like-in-the-movies/847414)
**Author:** [@pakputeh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pakputeh)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ringside-betting-work-like-in-the-movies/847414 "2020-04-24T21:34:41Z")
In almost any movie featuring underground boxing, you see people excitedly handing fistfuls of money to a bookie. How does the bookie understand what each person is betting on, and how does he make money? --- ## [Simple physics question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-physics-question/852363)
**Author:** [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-physics-question/852363 "2020-04-24T21:09:44Z")
This is a question from my son’s homework, already submitted and marked. I was a physics teacher and am curious about one of the answers. A person pushes a block a distance of 3.0m with a force of 250N 25 degrees from … --- ## [Small engine problem: explain the carburetor dynamics of engine surging](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-engine-problem-explain-the-carburetor-dynamics-of-engine-surging/852494)
**Author:** [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/small-engine-problem-explain-the-carburetor-dynamics-of-engine-surging/852494 "2020-04-24T19:55:03Z")
I have a push-behind trimmer with a standard 4-cylinder engine. It cranks easily, then its RPM oscillates very predictably between standard operating RPM and almost dying. Why is this happening? I’m not actually ask… --- ## [Insider trading: poisoning someone else's well](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insider-trading-poisoning-someone-elses-well/821270)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insider-trading-poisoning-someone-elses-well/821270 "2020-04-24T19:22:47Z")
Since law prohibits people in possession of insider nonpublic info from trading on the basis of the advantage of that info, is it possible for this to be used as a sabotaging technique? I.e., Kevin has insider info and … --- ## [Italian Nickname "Bag of Doughnuts"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-nickname-bag-of-doughnuts/18189)
**Author:** [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/italian-nickname-bag-of-doughnuts/18189 "2020-04-24T16:39:23Z")
My wife and I were watching a rerun of the movie “My COusin Vinny,” and one character refers to Joe Pesci as “Vinny Bag of Doughnuts!” My wife asked me what that nickname meant, and, well… I was born and raised in a lar… --- ## [What do you call people who make purses?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-people-who-make-purses/795801)
**Author:** [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [September 10, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-people-who-make-purses/795801 "2017-09-10T18:59:04Z")
“You can’t make a silk purse from a sows ear” A well known saying, but who makes purses anyway? Jewelers make jewelry. Bakers bake bread. Cobblers make shoes. But what is the profession of a person who makes purses? --- ## [Are all vinegars suitable for household cleaning?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-vinegars-suitable-for-household-cleaning/852156)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-vinegars-suitable-for-household-cleaning/852156 "2020-04-24T12:40:10Z")
I know white vinegar is the usual one for cleaning, but alas, my grocery store is all out of it. I do have a bottle of rice vinegar in the fridge, though. Is that, for any reason, more or less suitable for cleaning the b… --- ## [Why does it take a year to make a vaccine?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-take-a-year-to-make-a-vaccine/851810)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-it-take-a-year-to-make-a-vaccine/851810 "2020-04-24T12:38:00Z")
I pretty much stopped with biology classes after high school so really asking here. My understanding is a vaccine is either a dead or inactivated pathogen or a severely weakened one. They inject you with it, your body … --- ## [Anatomy of the glans clitoris](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-the-glans-clitoris/852351)
**Author:** [@Cindy\_Ash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cindy_Ash)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anatomy-of-the-glans-clitoris/852351 "2020-04-24T11:03:36Z")
Is the glans clitoris simply the distal end of the corpora cavernosa or does the corpus spongiosum of the vestibular bulbs extend the length of the clitoris and form the glans in the same manner as the glans penis is for… --- ## [Travel restrictions: question about driving from NJ to MD](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-restrictions-question-about-driving-from-nj-to-md/852463)
**Author:** [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travel-restrictions-question-about-driving-from-nj-to-md/852463 "2020-04-24T10:33:09Z")
Maybe this belongs in the Quarantine Zone, but I’m just looking for a factual answer. My daughter is living in Maryland and moving to a new apartment on Saturday. We have a bunch of stuff stored in our house in NJ (pla… --- ## [Do soldiers in the (U.S.) military generally WANT to get combat-deployed their 1st time?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soldiers-in-the-u-s-military-generally-want-to-get-combat-deployed-their-1st-time/852324)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-soldiers-in-the-u-s-military-generally-want-to-get-combat-deployed-their-1st-time/852324 "2020-04-24T08:57:15Z")
Civilian question: Do soldiers in the military (we’ll just use the American military for now, I think getting into the minutiae of all other militaries would get too complex) generally \*want \*to deployed to a combat hot… --- ## [In the movie "My Cousin Vinny" was Marisa Tomei stating opinion or fact? (Legal question)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-movie-my-cousin-vinny-was-marisa-tomei-stating-opinion-or-fact-legal-question/852455)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-movie-my-cousin-vinny-was-marisa-tomei-stating-opinion-or-fact-legal-question/852455 "2020-04-24T05:58:12Z")
I was watching a LeagleEagle YouTube episode where the host assesses how well legal issues have been represented in various media. In this link he considers how well Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei do in the movie “My Cousin… --- ## [What is meant by "Auf Prüfungen lernen"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-auf-prufungen-lernen/852414)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-meant-by-auf-prufungen-lernen/852414 "2020-04-24T05:20:32Z")
Hi What is meant by “Auf Prüfungen lernen”? Does it mean preparing for exams from scratch? I look forward to your feedback --- ## [Solar system encounters a gas dense cloud of interstellar gas and dust - what happens?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-system-encounters-a-gas-dense-cloud-of-interstellar-gas-and-dust-what-happens/852337)
**Author:** [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [April 24, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-system-encounters-a-gas-dense-cloud-of-interstellar-gas-and-dust-what-happens/852337 "2020-04-24T00:12:46Z")
If the solar system ran into a gas cloud like the one that is thought to have started the solar system, what happens. Would the sun grow more then 2x it’s mass or the cloud be blown away by the solar wind and never ente… --- ## [Fire engine pump activation en route?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-engine-pump-activation-en-route/852356)
**Author:** [@Dingbang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dingbang)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-engine-pump-activation-en-route/852356 "2020-04-23T23:42:14Z")
Why can’t fire engines activate the pumping apparatus on the way to a confirmed fire? They have to wait until they arrive, then the driver/engineer gets out to start the pumps that charge the lines. This can cause a brie… --- ## [Metro II commercial indicator](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metro-ii-commercial-indicator/852466)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/metro-ii-commercial-indicator/852466 "2020-04-23T22:36:36Z")
In the Metro II data format, there is a place to indicate an account is a commercial account (not a consumer account). I recall that if an account is commercial, there is a ‘W’ in that position. But I don’t remember wh… --- ## [Low pressure shower head?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-pressure-shower-head/819204)
**Author:** [@TheSundial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSundial)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/low-pressure-shower-head/819204 "2020-04-23T21:48:48Z")
I just moved into a new apartment and an issue is the very low pressure of the shower head kind of like a dripping faucet. I seem to have a decent sized water tank and larger than my last apartment which had higher pres… --- ## [OK, what IS this gurgle in my throat?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-is-this-gurgle-in-my-throat/567396)
**Author:** [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-what-is-this-gurgle-in-my-throat/567396 "2020-04-23T21:31:00Z")
When I take a drink of water, very often after I swallow there’s a gurgling sound in my throat. It’s not the water itself going down - there’s a very definite upward sensation - and I don’t like carbonation so I’m not in… --- ## [What is "flipping" cars?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-flipping-cars/751556)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-flipping-cars/751556 "2020-04-23T20:56:53Z")
I found this in a communication a lawyer asked me to transcribe; 'nuff sed. (Excuse me! Take that “”" out of the heading, please!) --- ## [Can some furloughed workers be asked to return to work sooner than others?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-some-furloughed-workers-be-asked-to-return-to-work-sooner-than-others/852458)
**Author:** [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-some-furloughed-workers-be-asked-to-return-to-work-sooner-than-others/852458 "2020-04-23T20:48:24Z")
We had a recent mass furlough at work and, IMHO, a very high percentage of the furloughed workers were not exactly “the sharpest pencils in the desk,” which only makes sense to me because during past mass layoffs at our … --- ## [Why no simple gauge on a car battery to measure charge?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-simple-gauge-on-a-car-battery-to-measure-charge/791832)
**Author:** [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-simple-gauge-on-a-car-battery-to-measure-charge/791832 "2020-04-23T19:40:47Z")
Forgive me if this question has been asked before, but in a world of automation where things are replaced instead of repaired, I want to know why car batteries are still living in the 1950s. Let me explain. In the last t… --- ## [Can I measure my body temperature with a thermistor?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-measure-my-body-temperature-with-a-thermistor/852091)
**Author:** [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-measure-my-body-temperature-with-a-thermistor/852091 "2020-04-23T18:55:31Z")
OK, strange question: I fried my digital thermometer apparently through over-washing. (#%@-ing electronics!) To be fair, we probably didn’t need to be taking our temperatures every hour, but the panic was new back then. … --- ## [Something strange about Gmail](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-gmail/852427)
**Author:** [@Mislav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mislav)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-strange-about-gmail/852427 "2020-04-23T18:26:48Z")
There is an option on the bottom of my Gmail account that says “Show consoles”. It wasn’t there yesterday. It only seems to appear in my Safari browser though. When I click on it, nothing happens. I checked my Account ac… --- ## [Why do Dollar store food taste...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dollar-store-food-taste/790492)
**Author:** [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [July 5, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dollar-store-food-taste/790492 "2017-07-05T22:57:27Z")
Different than the grocery store food? Being that they’re cheaper but why taste different? --- ## [No cable, Firestick only - cannot register some free apps](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-cable-firestick-only-cannot-register-some-free-apps/852426)
**Author:** [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-cable-firestick-only-cannot-register-some-free-apps/852426 "2020-04-23T14:05:51Z")
I guess I need a little help understanding how this works. I have a Firestick, from which I stream YouTubeTV, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. No cable. I would like to view the History Channel and A&E. I am able to download… --- ## [A corporation where everyone could only buy one share?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-corporation-where-everyone-could-only-buy-one-share/851606)
**Author:** [@Marginalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marginalia)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-corporation-where-everyone-could-only-buy-one-share/851606 "2020-04-23T11:59:35Z")
I’ve always been impressed by how quick adaptive corporations can be. I’ve always been impressed by how powerful and strong the government can be. So I was wondering if there was a way to come up with some kind of orga… --- ## [Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity/852330)
**Author:** [@mandala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandala)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravity/852330 "2020-04-23T11:56:18Z")
Ignorance on a massive scale: Is gravity a force mediated by force carriers or a deformation of spacetime caused by a large concentration of mass (or both)? This seems like an intuitive way to visualize gravity: you hav… --- ## [Impact of a potential Roe v. Wade reversal](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impact-of-a-potential-roe-v-wade-reversal/816961)
**Author:** [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [April 23, 2020, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/impact-of-a-potential-roe-v-wade-reversal/816961 "2020-04-23T11:48:29Z")
(Looking for factual answers here, so I am posting to GQ) Assume that the Supreme Court goes nuclear on Roe v. Wade - reversing the original decision (or is vacating the correct term?) instead of chipping away at the ed… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=368) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=370)