# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=416 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 417 --- ## ["People kill because they don't like their ZIP code." Really?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-kill-because-they-dont-like-their-zip-code-really/842158)
**Author:** [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-kill-because-they-dont-like-their-zip-code-really/842158 "2019-10-24T23:53:41Z")
I recently watched an episode of The Rockford Files (season 3, episode 1, “The Fourth Man,” originally aired 24 September 1976). One exchange between Jim and Dennis stood out. Sharon Gless plays an airline reservation cl… --- ## [Wait! Rate of Return and APR are different formulas?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-rate-of-return-and-apr-are-different-formulas/842247)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wait-rate-of-return-and-apr-are-different-formulas/842247 "2019-10-24T23:14:37Z")
We can use average rate of return which is Return on Investment divided by the principal over time - but we don’t. We almost always use CAGR which looks at your return as annual compounded interest. So obviously for AP… --- ## [cab heater](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cab-heater/842206)
**Author:** [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cab-heater/842206 "2019-10-24T22:56:55Z")
Back 30\> years ago we used to keep our car/truck cab warm with a 120 volt heater, These heaters would come with hardware to fasten them under the dash. We are looking for one now for a special emergency response vehicle… --- ## [How do you assert non-compliance against an illegal police order without going to jail?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-assert-non-compliance-against-an-illegal-police-order-without-going-to-jail/726001)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-assert-non-compliance-against-an-illegal-police-order-without-going-to-jail/726001 "2019-10-24T18:11:15Z")
Police officers sometimes exceed the limits of their legal authority. The frequency with which this occurs should be discussed elsewhere; my question is more about how to stand up for your rights when it happens. Two c… --- ## [seeing yellow](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-yellow/842240)
**Author:** [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeing-yellow/842240 "2019-10-24T18:08:05Z")
Most times, when I am lying down, looking at the white ceiling, I can see yellow if I relax my eyes, in the shape of octogons. Has anyone ever had that, is it something bad? --- ## [Have any Western democracies found a way to hold politicians accountable without vested interests?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-western-democracies-found-a-way-to-hold-politicians-accountable-without-vested-interests/842201)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-western-democracies-found-a-way-to-hold-politicians-accountable-without-vested-interests/842201 "2019-10-24T15:08:26Z")
The fundamental problem with the USA impeachment process as prescribed in the Constitution is the individuals adjudicating the process have a personal vested interest in the outcome. That is, since an impeachment or rem… --- ## [congressional spending authority](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressional-spending-authority/842189)
**Author:** [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/congressional-spending-authority/842189 "2019-10-24T13:22:28Z")
Can the US congress appropriate money for an administrative function and not have it go through the executive branch? For example, could congress appropriate a foreign aid expenditure for a county, say the Ukraine, and … --- ## [When did the US Army start requiring soldiers to shave?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-us-army-start-requiring-soldiers-to-shave/842211)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-us-army-start-requiring-soldiers-to-shave/842211 "2019-10-24T05:24:24Z")
Inspired by Chefguy’s thread about stolen valor. Back in the days of the Civil War, it seems like beards were almost a requirement, with Grant, Sherman, etc. all sporting full beards. By the time of WWII it seems like … --- ## [Why is the US Navy supporting these woo patent applications?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-navy-supporting-these-woo-patent-applications/841558)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-us-navy-supporting-these-woo-patent-applications/841558 "2019-10-24T01:44:39Z")
As I understand it, if patents don’t explain the technical and theoretical information necessary to reproduce the patented item they would be invalid- unless someone can vouch “I built one and it works”. And for that … --- ## [Can somoeone explain High and Low German?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somoeone-explain-high-and-low-german/842141)
**Author:** [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-somoeone-explain-high-and-low-german/842141 "2019-10-24T01:15:30Z")
Note: I don’t speak German of any kind. As a kid, I was told that High German was practically a different language than Low German, but now I never hear that. There seems to be only one German language. What is the tru… --- ## [Shudder app on PS4?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shudder-app-on-ps4/842205)
**Author:** [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2019, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shudder-app-on-ps4/842205 "2019-10-24T00:16:22Z")
I have the app for Shudder on my android. I looked for it on PS 4 so we don’t have to do it through Chromecast. Anyone know if it’s available on PS4 or not? Thanks --- ## [Why Don't Fans Suck As Strong They Blow?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-fans-suck-as-strong-they-blow/842172)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-fans-suck-as-strong-they-blow/842172 "2019-10-23T22:50:04Z")
Maybe the answer is obvious and eludes me, but: Why is it that a fan’s suction side seems nowhere near as strong as the stream leaving the fan? And yet, wouldn’t the flow rate in = flow rate out? Seems logical to me. Wh… --- ## [The Vancouver Ripple Rock explosion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-vancouver-ripple-rock-explosion/842179)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-vancouver-ripple-rock-explosion/842179 "2019-10-23T21:50:15Z")
I was watching some videos on this explosion - one of the largest man made, non nuclear explosions. I was surprised to see they fired off a line of sounding rockets just like they do for nuclear tests. I thought the so… --- ## [Karen Wetterhahn's death: why were the recommended safety precautions so inadequate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karen-wetterhahns-death-why-were-the-recommended-safety-precautions-so-inadequate/841900)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/karen-wetterhahns-death-why-were-the-recommended-safety-precautions-so-inadequate/841900 "2019-10-23T16:36:49Z")
Karen Wetterhahn famously died after being exposed to dimethylmercury. She was a chemistry prof, and had been using the recommended personal protective equipment while working with the substance, but the 1-2 drops that … --- ## [My Car didn't pass inspection, Brake Lights](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-car-didnt-pass-inspection-brake-lights/841979)
**Author:** [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-car-didnt-pass-inspection-brake-lights/841979 "2019-10-23T15:58:09Z")
Car: 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix The brake lights do not illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed. The centre high mount light (under the rear window) DOES illuminate Trouble-shooting, it is apparently not the bulbs. … --- ## [Question regarding German](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-german/842130)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-german/842130 "2019-10-23T15:39:29Z")
Hi How can I formulate “My father’s friend’s son” der Sohn des Freundes meines Vaters or “mein Vaters Freunds Sohn”(??) I look forward to your feedback --- ## [Flying over the Himalayas](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-over-the-himalayas/842111)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flying-over-the-himalayas/842111 "2019-10-23T15:11:24Z")
I saw something recently that stated that the reason commercial airlines don’t fly over the Himalaya Mountains is because in case of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, the pilots wouldn’t have the room to drop down far eno… --- ## [Spotify question - upgrading to family plan](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotify-question-upgrading-to-family-plan/842170)
**Author:** [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spotify-question-upgrading-to-family-plan/842170 "2019-10-23T13:16:24Z")
I have Spotify premium. I want to upgrade to the family plan so the wife and I can both listen at the same time. I have a few playlists designed for her. Will she be able to access the current playlists from her new fam… --- ## [Is a cable-landline a good substitute for a "real" landline?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cable-landline-a-good-substitute-for-a-real-landline/841921)
**Author:** [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Replies:** 74\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-cable-landline-a-good-substitute-for-a-real-landline/841921 "2019-10-23T13:00:09Z")
I still have an old-school landline, from AT&T, just for emergencies and for 911 calls. But I never have emergencies or make calls to 911, so it’s strictly an insurance policy. The problem is that AT&T keeps jacking up t… --- ## [The Magnifying Glass vs. Water Baggie Effects](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnifying-glass-vs-water-baggie-effects/842174)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-magnifying-glass-vs-water-baggie-effects/842174 "2019-10-23T12:11:07Z")
Sure, it’s basic science: It is well known that a magnifying glass can start a fire. And recently on FB, it has been shown that a clear sandwich bag filled with water can also start a fire. My problem with this is that i… --- ## [Certain German names and Jewish Americans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certain-german-names-and-jewish-americans/841972)
**Author:** [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/certain-german-names-and-jewish-americans/841972 "2019-10-23T09:53:54Z")
In America, certain names (those ending in ‘stein’ or ‘berg’, among others) are usually associated with Jewish people. But in Germany, this isn’t the case; gentiles commonly hold these names (e.g: Johann Gottlieb Goldbe… --- ## [Chronic ear infections--why so common?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chronic-ear-infections-why-so-common/570758)
**Author:** [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [February 10, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chronic-ear-infections-why-so-common/570758 "2011-02-10T00:46:05Z")
It seems like, anecdotaly, a large percentage of children have chronic ear infections, requiring extensive antibiotic use and often tubes surgically inserted in the ears. I find this kind of odd. Are ear infections this … --- ## [Is there a safer way to orbit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-safer-way-to-orbit/841303)
**Author:** [@Yakamaniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yakamaniac)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-safer-way-to-orbit/841303 "2019-10-23T04:04:04Z")
Launching vertically has been the only option for most of the history of space flight, but new technologies are making possible a better way to put people into space. A two-stage to-orbit, totally reusable space plane i… --- ## [Why do schizophrenics smoke so furiously?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-schizophrenics-smoke-so-furiously/842093)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-schizophrenics-smoke-so-furiously/842093 "2019-10-23T03:38:41Z")
We see lots of patients from a couple of residential homes in our neighborhood standing around smoking. Several of them draw on the smokes so hard their cheeks suck in and the cigs look half way in their mouths. And th… --- ## [Why can I tolerate hotter showers when the weather outside is cooler, if indoor temps are constant?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-tolerate-hotter-showers-when-the-weather-outside-is-cooler-if-indoor-temps-are-constant/842068)
**Author:** [@Dr.Colossus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Colossus)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2019, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-tolerate-hotter-showers-when-the-weather-outside-is-cooler-if-indoor-temps-are-constant/842068 "2019-10-23T02:01:10Z")
There’s probably an “oh, duh” answer to this, but I’m still curious: Lately the weather has been cooling down here. Average temps are down ~10 degrees from the summer, with much cooler nights, but also with days still h… --- ## [Military Ranks in Other Countries](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-ranks-in-other-countries/839514)
**Author:** [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Replies:** 59\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-ranks-in-other-countries/839514 "2019-10-22T22:11:44Z")
I am a lifelong civilian. My college roommate was in Navy ROTC, and he explained to me that a general is a general, with a comparable degree of military training and knowledge, no matter what country he’s from. (This con… --- ## [why do astronaut audio transmissions from orbit still sound so bad?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-astronaut-audio-transmissions-from-orbit-still-sound-so-bad/842082)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2019, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-astronaut-audio-transmissions-from-orbit-still-sound-so-bad/842082 "2019-10-22T21:54:05Z")
Back in the days of the Apollo missions, NASA was working with 1960s analog radio equipment, so it’s not surprising that the audio quality of their transmissions to ground control was even worse than that of a landline t… --- ## [Question regarding the origins of the casket choosing rigamarole in the Merchant of Venice](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-origins-of-the-casket-choosing-rigamarole-in-the-merchant-of-venice/842037)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-origins-of-the-casket-choosing-rigamarole-in-the-merchant-of-venice/842037 "2019-10-22T20:26:19Z")
Hi I’m sure I read somewhere that the method that Portia uses to find a suitable husband by choosing one of three caskets is an old Roman custom. But I couldn’t find any information on the origins of the custom. I hope … --- ## [clock hands skipping backwards (in classrooms)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clock-hands-skipping-backwards-in-classrooms/842125)
**Author:** [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clock-hands-skipping-backwards-in-classrooms/842125 "2019-10-22T20:26:07Z")
I have a memory from school (admittedly many years ago), of staring at the big analog clock hanging up in the classroom, waiting for the class to end. Occasionally, the minute hand would jump backwards by a minute - whi… --- ## [Travelling between two light sources, how different are the photons hitting the front vs the back?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travelling-between-two-light-sources-how-different-are-the-photons-hitting-the-front-vs-the-back/842105)
**Author:** [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2019, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/travelling-between-two-light-sources-how-different-are-the-photons-hitting-the-front-vs-the-back/842105 "2019-10-22T20:08:31Z")
Imagine a spaceship travelling between two identical light souces. The ship has photon detectors in the front and back of the ship. What differences would the front and back sensors show about the photons hitting them?… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=415) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=417)