# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=389 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 390 --- ## [Have US military personnel ever refused orders because they were illegal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-us-military-personnel-ever-refused-orders-because-they-were-illegal/848056)
**Author:** [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2020, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-us-military-personnel-ever-refused-orders-because-they-were-illegal/848056 "2020-02-19T05:09:27Z")
US soldiers are taught that they should refuse illegal orders. Do we have any examples of this happening in the last 120 years or so? --- ## [MS Word - Start Numbering Sections From 2.1.3 (for example)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-start-numbering-sections-from-2-1-3-for-example/848127)
**Author:** [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 19, 2020, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-word-start-numbering-sections-from-2-1-3-for-example/848127 "2020-02-19T02:35:06Z")
I want to make new word doc with sections but I want it to start at 2.1.3 - it will be a part of a larger document. But Word won’t let me do that - the closest I can get is telling word to set the numbering value at 2.1… --- ## [Why do people use the question "Where is it at?"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-use-the-question-where-is-it-at/847843)
**Author:** [@dan39](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dan39)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2020, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-use-the-question-where-is-it-at/847843 "2020-02-18T20:48:06Z")
I grew up in southern Ontario and moved to British Columbia about 30 years ago. While living in Ontario I never heard anyone ever use ask the question “Where is it at?” when inquiring where something is or went until I … --- ## [Do any drugs cause sensitivity rather than tolerance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-drugs-cause-sensitivity-rather-than-tolerance/848105)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2020, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-any-drugs-cause-sensitivity-rather-than-tolerance/848105 "2020-02-18T17:17:16Z")
A lot of drugs, be they therapeutic or recreational, are known for causing the body to develop a tolerance to them: after taking them for a certain period of time (or sometimes even just once), you need to take a greater… --- ## [What do you call a single drop of sleet?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855)
**Author:** [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2020, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-a-single-drop-of-sleet/847855 "2020-02-18T14:55:31Z")
Pretty straightforward question: Rain = raindrop Snow = snowflake Hail = hailstone Sleet = ? --- ## [What does this option do? (On a sports video website)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-option-do-on-a-sports-video-website/848076)
**Author:** [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2020, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-option-do-on-a-sports-video-website/848076 "2020-02-18T09:15:39Z")
I found this website an excellent place to watch English Premiership rugby. It’s not live (but is free :cool: ), and the full match video is usually posted within a couple of days of the match. Here’s a typical match v… --- ## [U.S. Senate Majority Leader - is that the person whose party has the most votes period?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-senate-majority-leader-is-that-the-person-whose-party-has-the-most-votes-period/848093)
**Author:** [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/u-s-senate-majority-leader-is-that-the-person-whose-party-has-the-most-votes-period/848093 "2020-02-18T01:50:48Z")
He/She doesn’t need more than 50% of the Senate, right? So if there was a stronger 3rd party in the senate, and the vote was still split 34/33/33, it would be the party that has 34 votes to get majority leader. As a fo… --- ## [Radiative cooler vs. blackbody](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiative-cooler-vs-blackbody/848082)
**Author:** [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 18, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radiative-cooler-vs-blackbody/848082 "2020-02-18T00:29:56Z")
Apparently it’s possible to cool a surface to below ambient temperature with materials engineered to radiate in IR frequencies that the atmosphere is transparent to: https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/10/eaat9480 … --- ## ["Novel" Coronavirus.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-coronavirus/847818)
**Author:** [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/novel-coronavirus/847818 "2020-02-17T23:11:49Z")
Why the change in nomenclature? Until last it was referred to in just about all media as " Coronavirus". What does " novel " mean? Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk --- ## [Do schools still make traditional yearbooks?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-schools-still-make-traditional-yearbooks/848059)
**Author:** [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-schools-still-make-traditional-yearbooks/848059 "2020-02-17T22:27:36Z")
Hello I have not set foot in a high school in 25 years and have no school-age children. Do high schools still issue annual yearbooks? Or have websites, Facebook, etc replaced bound volumes? If yearbooks still exist, ha… --- ## [Plant identification?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-identification/848078)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plant-identification/848078 "2020-02-17T21:28:22Z")
Southern California Blueberries that turn into half pinecone flowers? --- ## [Weird email from GMX](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-email-from-gmx/848081)
**Author:** [@Mislav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mislav)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-email-from-gmx/848081 "2020-02-17T21:07:59Z")
I have already received two emails from GMX to my GMX email, offering some kind of update; new anti-virus, anti-spam feature. But I’m unsure about clicking on it, worried it might be a scam. Has anyone else received some… --- ## [To what extent did the Roman army remove Jews from Jerusalem after the AD 70 rebellion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-did-the-roman-army-remove-jews-from-jerusalem-after-the-ad-70-rebellion/847974)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-what-extent-did-the-roman-army-remove-jews-from-jerusalem-after-the-ad-70-rebellion/847974 "2020-02-17T13:50:33Z")
Hi “Pax Romana” by Adrian Goldsworthy states: “The Jewish population was not removed from Judaea after the rebellions, although losses were terrible and some went abroad. Galilee remained openly Jewish, especially in t… --- ## [Anonymous Italian autos?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-italian-autos/848070)
**Author:** [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-italian-autos/848070 "2020-02-17T09:38:29Z")
Both A.L.F.A., predecessor of Alfa-Romero, and it’s progenitor S.A.I.D., had anonimi in their names. Any idea why? Were anonymous factories The Thing in Italy a century ago? --- ## [Adjacent apartments sharing same ventilation - how does it work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjacent-apartments-sharing-same-ventilation-how-does-it-work/839395)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjacent-apartments-sharing-same-ventilation-how-does-it-work/839395 "2020-02-17T06:50:04Z")
If two apartment units “share the same ventilation,” generally where does this intersect? (For instance, the AC would probably only draw from inside each apartment’s own internal air, not from their neighbors’, but when … --- ## [Adult Woman Has Sex With Teen Boy, Charged With Statutory Sodomy - What Does That Mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-woman-has-sex-with-teen-boy-charged-with-statutory-sodomy-what-does-that-mean/847947)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adult-woman-has-sex-with-teen-boy-charged-with-statutory-sodomy-what-does-that-mean/847947 "2020-02-17T06:42:39Z")
(Don’t need answer fast) Missouri woman charged with statutory sodomy for sex act with teenage boy. In this case, does that mean that he penetrated her anally? Or that she penetrated him (presumably with a strap-on or … --- ## [Cone top beer cans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cone-top-beer-cans/847933)
**Author:** [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cone-top-beer-cans/847933 "2020-02-17T04:38:16Z")
I understand cone top cans were popular among breweries in the 1930’s and 40’s but disappeared from the scene by the 1960’s. Does anyone know why they stopped manufacturing and marketing cone top beer cans? --- ## [Is there anyone alive today who knew Hitler](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119)
**Author:** [@Garak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garak)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119 "2020-02-17T04:28:59Z")
just a weird thought my friend had --- ## [Tell me about building or installing an accessibility ramp](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-building-or-installing-an-accessibility-ramp/847844)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 17, 2020, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-building-or-installing-an-accessibility-ramp/847844 "2020-02-17T00:35:13Z")
Ms Napier’s knees are facing surgery and she’s had difficulty walking for years – as it is, she basically no longer goes down into the basement because of the stairs, and she’s talked about getting a wheelchair to make t… --- ## [What is the Plural of "Arkansas?"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-arkansas/847936)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-plural-of-arkansas/847936 "2020-02-16T23:43:22Z")
On Wikipedia I am reading about the four Arkansas-class monitors. How the heck do we make the plural possessive of “Arkansas?” “The Akransas’ engines were…” Clearly this is the singular possessive. “The Akransases eng… --- ## [Equivalent of all caps in other written languages](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equivalent-of-all-caps-in-other-written-languages/847865)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/equivalent-of-all-caps-in-other-written-languages/847865 "2020-02-16T18:21:03Z")
In English, Spanish, or other languages using this alphabet, one can hammer one’s point by writing in all caps, LIKE THIS. Written shouting. But in other language scripts like Arabic, Thai or Korean, what is their writt… --- ## [creating a new identity with Government help](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-new-identity-with-government-help/847941)
**Author:** [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-new-identity-with-government-help/847941 "2020-02-16T15:33:24Z")
While this is a hypothetical, I am looking for factual answers to the extent possible. Perhaps someone has gone through this and a reader here will be able to give an example. If the mods disagree, then of course off it … --- ## [Does some voltage drop damage Portable air cons?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-some-voltage-drop-damage-portable-air-cons/847929)
**Author:** [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2020, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-some-voltage-drop-damage-portable-air-cons/847929 "2020-02-16T10:27:20Z")
If I run a 240V portable AC unit off a long extension cord with a 10-12V drop, is this bad for these units? Maybe only the cheap brands? --- ## [Racial Slur](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur/130411)
**Author:** [@SopranoBass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SopranoBass)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2020, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur/130411 "2020-02-16T02:59:34Z")
So I just started watching the third season of “The Sopranos” on VHS. Early in the season, in the first or second episode, Tony meets Meadow’s friend Noah, who’s half-black and half-Jewish. In that episode and in one o… --- ## [Topical hyaluronic acid application for skin care](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topical-hyaluronic-acid-application-for-skin-care/847938)
**Author:** [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 16, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/topical-hyaluronic-acid-application-for-skin-care/847938 "2020-02-16T00:03:07Z")
I watch a lot of beauty videos on You Tube. Admittedly most of the people I watch are not dermatologists (although one of them is). They pretty much all say that the correct way to apply a hyaluronic acid (HA) product … --- ## [Ash hit back of throat while smoking a joint.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ash-hit-back-of-throat-while-smoking-a-joint/847951)
**Author:** [@greenpurple](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/greenpurple)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2020, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ash-hit-back-of-throat-while-smoking-a-joint/847951 "2020-02-15T15:29:31Z")
I think I sucked it in somehow and it stung. Maybe it wasn’t maybe it was non-ash part of the joint but in any case it didn’t feel good. Big deal or not? --- ## [Mutual intelligibility among low German languages](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutual-intelligibility-among-low-german-languages/847841)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mutual-intelligibility-among-low-german-languages/847841 "2020-02-15T03:38:44Z")
I have long wondered about mutual intelligibility among the following languages: Dutch, Flemish, Afrikaans, Frisian, and north German coast Plattdeutsch. --- ## [How long does it take for a Russian Blue cat's eyes to turn green?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-russian-blue-cats-eyes-to-turn-green/847887)
**Author:** [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 15, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-russian-blue-cats-eyes-to-turn-green/847887 "2020-02-15T02:31:00Z")
Everyone who sees my kitten from the no-kill shelter says he is a non-show-quality Russian Blue - he looks and acts the part, except for having a locket and a white splotch on one foot. Sure enough, he got green rings a… --- ## [What is this jaw fragment?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-jaw-fragment/847957)
**Author:** [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 14, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-jaw-fragment/847957 "2020-02-14T22:54:53Z")
A friend just texted me this asking what it is. (Found in South Carolina.) No indication of scale. It doesn’t seem to match possum or raccoon. Ideas? --- ## [Do not overtighten! How the hell do I know if I did?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-overtighten-how-the-hell-do-i-know-if-i-did/847614)
**Author:** [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Replies:** 68\ **Last updated:** [February 14, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-overtighten-how-the-hell-do-i-know-if-i-did/847614 "2020-02-14T22:04:12Z")
I installed a new toilet today, and the instructions say for the mounting bolts “Do not overtighten”. How the hell do I know if they’re overtightened or not? What qualifies as tight? I ran into the same problem when I… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=388) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=390)