# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=397 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 398 --- ## [Drug sniffing dogs vs. legal marijuana](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-sniffing-dogs-vs-legal-marijuana/846557)
**Author:** [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [January 17, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drug-sniffing-dogs-vs-legal-marijuana/846557 "2020-01-17T21:36:41Z")
Police departments around the country employ drug sniffing dogs. These dogs can sniff out all manner of drugs from opiates to meth to marijuana. The dogs signal the presence of drugs by barking or sitting or performing s… --- ## [Prison Medical Care](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-medical-care/846386)
**Author:** [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [January 17, 2020, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prison-medical-care/846386 "2020-01-17T13:49:50Z")
Sort of paging QtM … what would happen if I had to go to prison - I have stage 3 colorectal cancer that is currently in the 5 year countdown - I have a power port, which needs to be flushed every 6 weeks, and I need qua… --- ## [SMS Message Transfer (Android → Android)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sms-message-transfer-android-android/846426)
**Author:** [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 17, 2020, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sms-message-transfer-android-android/846426 "2020-01-17T00:11:59Z")
My current phone is becoming somewhat unreliable — battery issues — so I got a newer model. Most of the material on the old phone will transfer easily, but SMS messages present a problem since the transfer app can only a… --- ## [Where can I find just the clip part of a money clip?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-just-the-clip-part-of-a-money-clip/455301)
**Author:** [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-just-the-clip-part-of-a-money-clip/455301 "2020-01-16T20:35:34Z")
I’m looking to make my own billfold money clips. Many people have seen the type: Looks like a leather wallet on the outside, but open it up and there is a spring-type slim clip (almost resembles a bobby pin) in the cente… --- ## [Why are denser manganese nodules atop the seabed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-denser-manganese-nodules-atop-the-seabed/739979)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-denser-manganese-nodules-atop-the-seabed/739979 "2020-01-16T18:47:37Z")
Sea floor sediment precipitates at a much faster rate than manganese nodule accretion, so why do they stay atop the less dense sea floor? I remember in a marine science class decades ago there were some ideas, but I’ve … --- ## [What makes a "basement" a "room"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-basement-a-room/846442)
**Author:** [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-a-basement-a-room/846442 "2020-01-16T16:50:41Z")
So I have an unfinished basement I spend a large amount of time in. I’d like to improve it and improve it legally. I don’t want it to actually count as a “room” or “finished space” due to all the code requirements for fi… --- ## [Geneva convention requires countries to accept refugees?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geneva-convention-requires-countries-to-accept-refugees/846425)
**Author:** [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/geneva-convention-requires-countries-to-accept-refugees/846425 "2020-01-16T16:14:19Z")
I read this on the wilderness that is social media. Is there any truth to it? If so, where do I point people to, if I want to let them know that we really should be taking in refugees? --- ## [Can a camera's image sensor image itself through a mirror?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cameras-image-sensor-image-itself-through-a-mirror/846250)
**Author:** [@ntcrawler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ntcrawler)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cameras-image-sensor-image-itself-through-a-mirror/846250 "2020-01-16T15:35:06Z")
Can the image sensor in a camera photograph itself? I’m sure plenty of us have taken photos of ourselves in mirrors. Sometimes with camera phones, sometimes with real cameras (even film!) But if you boil down to it, can … --- ## ['Notches on his gun' trope. Any background?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/notches-on-his-gun-trope-any-background/846334)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/notches-on-his-gun-trope-any-background/846334 "2020-01-16T12:43:49Z")
So I’m listening to Great Philadelphia Lawyer by Woody Guthrie and he drops in ‘10 notches were carved on his gun’ about ‘Bill the gun-totin’ cowhand’. Fine and dandy. But I got to thinkin’. I always kind of assumed t… --- ## [Donations to Australian Wildlife](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donations-to-australian-wildlife/846480)
**Author:** [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donations-to-australian-wildlife/846480 "2020-01-16T08:42:24Z")
I have a little spare money. I want to donate some for Australian wildlife. I don’t have endless time to research sites, are there a couple of reliable ones I might look into? I mean, can any of you DIRECT me to a pl… --- ## [Since gold and other metals are elements, can they be irretrievably destroyed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-gold-and-other-metals-are-elements-can-they-be-irretrievably-destroyed/846387)
**Author:** [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/since-gold-and-other-metals-are-elements-can-they-be-irretrievably-destroyed/846387 "2020-01-16T05:30:08Z")
The thread about the gold leaf covered steak got me to thinking. I know you’ll just poop out edible gold and “mine” the poop And I know gold can be dissolved by certain acid(s), but is it really gone or can it be retrie… --- ## [Help needed buying a US Savings Bond on Treasury Direct](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-buying-a-us-savings-bond-on-treasury-direct/846481)
**Author:** [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-needed-buying-a-us-savings-bond-on-treasury-direct/846481 "2020-01-16T03:22:09Z")
I am trying to buy a US Savings Bond for a family member as a gift. Unfortunately long gone are the days when you could go to a bank and buy a bond and have it mailed to the recipient. Now you have to do it online and … --- ## [a trial without witnesses](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-trial-without-witnesses/846398)
**Author:** [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [January 16, 2020, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-trial-without-witnesses/846398 "2020-01-16T01:40:58Z")
There seems to be a lot of discussion on whether to allow witnesses at Trump’s upcoming impeachment trial. I don’t know what that means. What sort of fair trial doesn’t have witnesses? If there are no witnesses, how is a… --- ## [Amazon distribution center: positive or negative effect on nearby home prices?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-distribution-center-positive-or-negative-effect-on-nearby-home-prices/846248)
**Author:** [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-distribution-center-positive-or-negative-effect-on-nearby-home-prices/846248 "2020-01-15T21:09:34Z")
Amazon has been sniffing around my town, looking to plant a new distribution center. The latest attempt has been rejected roundly by nearby residents, but it got me to thinking: would it raise or lower a home’s value t… --- ## [What generation am I?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-generation-am-i/846153)
**Author:** [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Replies:** 65\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-generation-am-i/846153 "2020-01-15T20:05:20Z")
I am perplexed by terms like “Boomer”, “Gen X”, “Gen Y”, “Millennial” and so on. The problem is that I just don’t know which term is supposed to apply to me. I was born in 1967. My parents were born in 1941 and 1942. … --- ## [Would sending yard waste to the landfill lower CO2 levels?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-sending-yard-waste-to-the-landfill-lower-co2-levels/846466)
**Author:** [@PJ\_Hansen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PJ_Hansen)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-sending-yard-waste-to-the-landfill-lower-co2-levels/846466 "2020-01-15T19:53:22Z")
I have been composting all the grass clippings and leaves from my yard for decades, but now I wonder if we should bury it all in a landfill. Wouldn’t sending yard waste to the landfill help sequestor CO2 from the air? I … --- ## [Trying to hook up home entertainment center](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-hook-up-home-entertainment-center/846367)
**Author:** [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trying-to-hook-up-home-entertainment-center/846367 "2020-01-15T16:21:03Z")
I have a new Sony AV receiver (STR-DH590) to go with my LG TV and cable box. I can get visual and TV sound, but can’t get TV sound through the receiver. The main problem is that I have to have the TV on to configure the… --- ## [Optimal EV charging](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-ev-charging/846335)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/optimal-ev-charging/846335 "2020-01-15T14:54:17Z")
I am hoping this GQ rather than IMHO answerable- Assume a car with 200 to 250 miles of range and daily usage of 40 to 50 miles. The easy is what NOT to do for battery longevity. Don’t use rapid DC charge unless you hav… --- ## [Wallis Simpson and Antiamericanism in UK.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 118\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wallis-simpson-and-antiamericanism-in-uk/834614 "2020-01-15T13:22:39Z")
I take it you all are familiar with American socialite Wallis Simpson. She created a constitutional crisis in Britain when she tried to marry the king of England. Anyways they could never allow the marriage. She was twi… --- ## [Where are all the Moon rocks?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-moon-rocks/69734)
**Author:** [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-all-the-moon-rocks/69734 "2020-01-15T13:09:20Z")
Every now and then you here stories like this one telling of rocks from Mars landing on Earth. The rocks supposedly get here after being ejected from the surface of Mars by a violent impact, floating in space, and, final… --- ## [Is there exercies to help widen the upper jaw?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-exercies-to-help-widen-the-upper-jaw/846074)
**Author:** [@TheSundial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSundial)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 15, 2020, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-exercies-to-help-widen-the-upper-jaw/846074 "2020-01-15T06:31:39Z")
This is an issue I’ve had for most of my life with my upper jaw (called the upper arch) that is very narrow. I was told it happened because of excessive mouth breathing. Could sleeping on my sides have caused that also… --- ## [Negative mass](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-mass/846354)
**Author:** [@cjackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjackson)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2020, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-mass/846354 "2020-01-14T21:35:58Z")
I see negative mass invoked for wormholes and warp drives, but does such a substance actually exist? What sort of properties would large quantities of it exhibit? Would a ball of it fall up? --- ## [Selling platinum](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-platinum/846412)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selling-platinum/846412 "2020-01-14T20:24:41Z")
If you have some gold to sell, you can usually take it to a coin shop. Pawn or jewellery shops too, but they usually won’t pay as well. If you come across a large nugget, weighing several pounds so that it’s worth tens o… --- ## [Help Me Understand These Numbers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-numbers/846220)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2020, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-understand-these-numbers/846220 "2020-01-14T18:57:52Z")
From an article in The Economist on racial distribution of students in the best New York City high schools, …show that whites are 80% more likely than black students to take part in programmes for the gifted and Asians … --- ## [Underage vaping](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-vaping/846363)
**Author:** [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2020, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/underage-vaping/846363 "2020-01-14T10:04:32Z")
from the Associated Press: I’ve seen this sort of thing a lot in the past few months. I get the impression that it is currently legal to sell these products to minors. But isn’t nicotine a controlled substance? I thou… --- ## [Do DNC rules allow candidates to combine forces on the first ballot at the convention?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dnc-rules-allow-candidates-to-combine-forces-on-the-first-ballot-at-the-convention/846315)
**Author:** [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2020, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-dnc-rules-allow-candidates-to-combine-forces-on-the-first-ballot-at-the-convention/846315 "2020-01-14T03:42:54Z")
This would obviously only matter if no one obtains an outright majority during the primaries. My impression of the rules is that all delegates are expected to vote on the first ballot for the candidate they pledged them… --- ## [Is the planet Earth losing water?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-planet-earth-losing-water/846305)
**Author:** [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [January 14, 2020, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-planet-earth-losing-water/846305 "2020-01-14T03:23:48Z")
I was thinking about Mars and how it lost its water, and that, for obvious reasons, made me think about Earth. Now Earth has an advantage over Mars due to the larger gravity and the still molten and spinning iron core. … --- ## [Quick Black Hole Mass Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-black-hole-mass-question/846182)
**Author:** [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 13, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-black-hole-mass-question/846182 "2020-01-13T19:27:04Z")
If I understand correctly, observers outside of the event horizon of black holes never see any objects actually falling in. Due to the immense gravity near it, and the associated time dilation, we can only see the objec… --- ## [Windows 10 not detecting a Bluetooth device](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-not-detecting-a-bluetooth-device/846321)
**Author:** [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [January 13, 2020, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-not-detecting-a-bluetooth-device/846321 "2020-01-13T18:47:43Z")
So I have this fancy new desk (Bedchill; got in on the Kickstarter) that has Bluetooth speakers built in. My phone (Samsung S10e, latest Android) can see them and use them (name shows as Bedchill). No code required to c… --- ## [So, why can't windmill blades be recycled? And why do they wear out in the first place?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-windmill-blades-be-recycled-and-why-do-they-wear-out-in-the-first-place/846201)
**Author:** [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [January 13, 2020, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-cant-windmill-blades-be-recycled-and-why-do-they-wear-out-in-the-first-place/846201 "2020-01-13T18:41:21Z")
One of the more recent things I’ve seen on social media is an image showing a huge windmill blade being buried in a landfill. The accompanying text says that decommissioned windmill blades cannot be recycled and can onl… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=396) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=398)