# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=463 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 464 --- ## [If I need temporary access to professional woodworking tools ...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-need-temporary-access-to-professional-woodworking-tools/834056)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2019, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-need-temporary-access-to-professional-woodworking-tools/834056 "2019-05-17T12:39:48Z")
I need to take some planks and saw them to 1/8" inch thick (by 6"). I don’t have a table saw or a band saw (I do have a compound miter saw but I don’t think that will work). Are there places I can go and rent time on t… --- ## [Is there a procedure word in any voice communication protocol for 'change of subject within a turn'?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-procedure-word-in-any-voice-communication-protocol-for-change-of-subject-within-a-turn/833934)
**Author:** [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2019, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-procedure-word-in-any-voice-communication-protocol-for-change-of-subject-within-a-turn/833934 "2019-05-17T07:54:26Z")
Voice (mostly: radio) communication protocols have a number of terms for metacommunication, e.g. ‘out’ for end of conversation, ‘over’ for end of turn, ‘say again’ to indicate the last turn has not been understood etc. W… --- ## [Can you cheat "100% Profits To Charity"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cheat-100-profits-to-charity/833986)
**Author:** [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2019, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-cheat-100-profits-to-charity/833986 "2019-05-17T07:01:27Z")
Newman’s Own is a salad dressing brand which proclaims that “100% Profits to Charity” presumably meaning that all of the profits Newman’s Own makes from selling salad dressing go to the Newman’s Own Foundation, familiar … --- ## [Have any large companies stopped testing for marijuana?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-large-companies-stopped-testing-for-marijuana/833978)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2019, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-large-companies-stopped-testing-for-marijuana/833978 "2019-05-17T03:41:51Z")
With the increasing legalisation and social acceptability of marijuana, have any major companies announced that they’re not going to care if someone tests positive for marijuana, just as most companies don’t care about a… --- ## [What percentage of women typically got DIY or illegal abortions (when abortion wasn't available)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-women-typically-got-diy-or-illegal-abortions-when-abortion-wasnt-available/834080)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 17, 2019, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-women-typically-got-diy-or-illegal-abortions-when-abortion-wasnt-available/834080 "2019-05-17T02:07:03Z")
Not an abortion debate, but looking for data: In places or time periods when abortion was illegal, generally how many women with unwanted pregnancies chose to carry them to term, and how many opted for DIY or illegal ab… --- ## [Can a state punish you for doing something that is legal in another state but not in their state?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-state-punish-you-for-doing-something-that-is-legal-in-another-state-but-not-in-their-state/833680)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 113\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-state-punish-you-for-doing-something-that-is-legal-in-another-state-but-not-in-their-state/833680 "2019-05-16T22:56:16Z")
For example, let’s say State-A passes a law making plucking your eyebrows illegal. So, you go to State-B next door where eyebrow plucking is perfectly legal and you have your eyebrows plucked there. Can State-A arrest … --- ## [Question on string instruments re: aeolean harp](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-string-instruments-re-aeolean-harp/834017)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-string-instruments-re-aeolean-harp/834017 "2019-05-16T22:28:39Z")
I am making an aeolean (wind) harp and have a couple of questions related to string instrument construction. Since the vibrations will be weaker since only powered by the wind, do I want the strings as close to the so… --- ## [Albums on iTunes split up to various albums. Is there a simple all around fix?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-on-itunes-split-up-to-various-albums-is-there-a-simple-all-around-fix/834039)
**Author:** [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-on-itunes-split-up-to-various-albums-is-there-a-simple-all-around-fix/834039 "2019-05-16T22:15:23Z")
In the iTunes music, all the Albums that we’ve worked to set up get split up & seperated into other albums. We have looked up the general fix that is given, but it is so time-consuming to do this with each album. Is the… --- ## [How does radiation make inanimate objects around it radioactive](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-radiation-make-inanimate-objects-around-it-radioactive/834021)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-radiation-make-inanimate-objects-around-it-radioactive/834021 "2019-05-16T20:34:00Z")
I watched the first episode of Chernobyl last night and there were several parts where someone would touch an item that was exposed to radiation, and that would make them sick or injured. So how does that work? Wouldn’t… --- ## [Why do car manufacturers not sell directly to the public](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-car-manufacturers-not-sell-directly-to-the-public/834007)
**Author:** [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-car-manufacturers-not-sell-directly-to-the-public/834007 "2019-05-16T20:31:40Z")
I dont think they do because i believe that the showrooms for cars in the Uk are private companies that buy cars from the manufacturers and sell it to the public. Why not cut the middle man out? In this age of internet … --- ## [Can anyone explain Medicare to me?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-medicare-to-me/830032)
**Author:** [@pohjonen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pohjonen)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-explain-medicare-to-me/830032 "2019-05-16T18:20:34Z")
A few weeks ago I had to have my gallbladder removed during a trip to the ER. The hospital charges were over $50,000, all of which were “approved.” Yet, Medicare says it actually paid less than $4,000. I don’t understa… --- ## [When in history did the Judaeo-Christian deity become omnimax?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-history-did-the-judaeo-christian-deity-become-omnimax/834003)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-history-did-the-judaeo-christian-deity-become-omnimax/834003 "2019-05-16T18:20:08Z")
I think there is enough evidence to show that the deity the Jews and Christians worship started out as a tribal deity, but when were the attributes of omnipotence (all-powerful), omniscience (all-knowing), omnibenevolenc… --- ## [Excel Quest: How to keep rows from collapsing after save and then reopening](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-quest-how-to-keep-rows-from-collapsing-after-save-and-then-reopening/834058)
**Author:** [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-quest-how-to-keep-rows-from-collapsing-after-save-and-then-reopening/834058 "2019-05-16T18:10:15Z")
I am having an issue in Excel 2013 where I physically shrank some rows down instead of hiding them. Must have saved them that way one time. Now when I physically drag them back open and do a save they do not come back … --- ## [What kind of contractor do I need?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-contractor-do-i-need/833968)
**Author:** [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-contractor-do-i-need/833968 "2019-05-16T18:01:10Z")
We need an old cracked tile sink vanity top broken up and removed, and a new one, plus faucet and other hardware, installed. I’m not sure who to call. A plumber? A tiler? A handyman? A general contractor sounds righ… --- ## [Which contraceptive methods prevent fertilization entirely, and not just pregnancy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-contraceptive-methods-prevent-fertilization-entirely-and-not-just-pregnancy/832594)
**Author:** [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-contraceptive-methods-prevent-fertilization-entirely-and-not-just-pregnancy/832594 "2019-05-15T01:49:11Z")
I’m not making a value judgement on exact specifics of birth control. I am just saying, that in my specific case, I have an aversion to using my genetic material to create any sort of fertilized egg, and sort of new comb… --- ## [Modern use of inverted flags for distress](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-use-of-inverted-flags-for-distress/833992)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/modern-use-of-inverted-flags-for-distress/833992 "2019-05-16T08:46:45Z")
It’s common knowledge that flying a flag upside-down is supposed to be reserved for cases of distress. The US flag code even spells this out, saying that “\[t\]he flag should never be displayed with the union down, except… --- ## [Health Impacts of 5G technology](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-impacts-of-5g-technology/833728)
**Author:** [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/health-impacts-of-5g-technology/833728 "2019-05-16T03:09:32Z")
Wireless carriers will claim that the tech is safe. Others say no. TheFCC promulgated rules around what limits local municipalities are allowed to enact - seeming accepting at face value that there aren’t detrimental h… --- ## [what cadet rank is that?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cadet-rank-is-that/833982)
**Author:** [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cadet-rank-is-that/833982 "2019-05-16T02:18:04Z")
West Point cadet ranks are a little confusing. Here is a handy guide: http://uniforminsignia.org/?option=com\_insigniasearch&Itemid=53&result=1268 Ok, but that cadet, first row, second from the left has a upside down ra… --- ## [What does this artificial intelligence picture mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991)
**Author:** [@silent\_wonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_wonder)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-this-artificial-intelligence-picture-mean/833991 "2019-05-15T22:26:42Z")
I have come across this picture that seems to be related to artificial intelligence: Anyone has an idea what the layered circle in the middle means? --- ## [Active noise cancelation: Canceling songs by IDing them automatically?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-noise-cancelation-canceling-songs-by-iding-them-automatically/833917)
**Author:** [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/active-noise-cancelation-canceling-songs-by-iding-them-automatically/833917 "2019-05-15T22:25:13Z")
There are a bunch of noise-canceling headphones out there. I think they work by listening to ambient noise with a built-in mic and then playing the inverse waveform of that noise in real-time, synced to cancel each other… --- ## [Why do radioactive atoms eject helium nuclei and not hydrogen nuclei?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-radioactive-atoms-eject-helium-nuclei-and-not-hydrogen-nuclei/833984)
**Author:** [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-radioactive-atoms-eject-helium-nuclei-and-not-hydrogen-nuclei/833984 "2019-05-15T21:18:24Z")
I’m watching Chernobyl on HBO and so decided to reacquaint myself with basic nuclear chemistry. Why do alpha particles consist of 2 neutrons and protons? Why don’t atoms also eject a single neutron/proton pair? Thanks… --- ## [Why do so many circuits have resistors and capacitors going straight from + to - side?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-circuits-have-resistors-and-capacitors-going-straight-from-to-side/833886)
**Author:** [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-circuits-have-resistors-and-capacitors-going-straight-from-to-side/833886 "2019-05-15T19:36:00Z")
Been watching some electronics videos lately that include circuit diagrams of real-world devices (mainly UK devices). In almost every circuit there’s a resistor or capacitor creating additional paths from positive to neg… --- ## [Admiral Nelson's Corpse Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-nelsons-corpse-q/833854)
**Author:** [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/admiral-nelsons-corpse-q/833854 "2019-05-15T14:24:24Z")
There’s a charming song called “A Drop of Nelson’s Blood.” Supposedly, after Lord Admiral Nelson was killed at Trafalgar, they put his dead body in the last remaining barrel of rum to preserve it. On the arduous journey … --- ## [Why do my farts smell like the place I work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-farts-smell-like-the-place-i-work/284524)
**Author:** [@Roland\_Deschain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Deschain)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-my-farts-smell-like-the-place-i-work/284524 "2019-05-15T14:22:46Z")
I work in a nursing home as a CNA while in nursing school. I’ve noticed that my gas has the same “decaying institutionalized” smell that I note while at the facility. This is a departure from the ordinary fart smell to… --- ## [How do I create a poll on Facebook?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-create-a-poll-on-facebook/833955)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-create-a-poll-on-facebook/833955 "2019-05-15T14:08:39Z")
From here: The only problem is, there’s no ‘Make Post’ on the page. If I choose Create Post, there is no option to create a poll. So how do I do it? --- ## [How can I control the Google News aggregator?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-control-the-google-news-aggregator/833993)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-control-the-google-news-aggregator/833993 "2019-05-15T14:08:28Z")
I’m getting so pissed with Google News. For some insane reason it’s decided I’m obsessed with the Rolling Stones and the Kardashian woman. In the For You section it is constantly, and I mean by that every day now for wee… --- ## [How much CO2 does it take to increase atmospheric concentration by 1 ppm](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-co2-does-it-take-to-increase-atmospheric-concentration-by-1-ppm/833976)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-co2-does-it-take-to-increase-atmospheric-concentration-by-1-ppm/833976 "2019-05-15T08:53:31Z")
For whatever reason I’m having trouble finding a straight answer for various reasons. If we’re at 415 ppm, how many tons of CO2 must be released to get to 416 ppm? Is it around 20 billion tons of CO2? --- ## [How strong is the glass window on military submarines?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-glass-window-on-military-submarines/833817)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-strong-is-the-glass-window-on-military-submarines/833817 "2019-05-15T04:48:40Z")
Assuming that what I am seeing is, in fact, a window (for instance, submarine here) - how strong is the glass used, and is it a weak point compared to the rest of the steel hull, at the pressure of depth? Does a crewman… --- ## [Why didn't Chernobyl engineers don protective gear to inspect the reactor?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-chernobyl-engineers-don-protective-gear-to-inspect-the-reactor/833818)
**Author:** [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-didnt-chernobyl-engineers-don-protective-gear-to-inspect-the-reactor/833818 "2019-05-15T04:34:38Z")
I watched the first episode of HBO’s Chernobyl miniseries, and was astonished to see that the engineers, after first noticing that something was wrong with the reactor core, went to investigate it without putting on ANY … --- ## [Alcohol overdose/poisoning - difference by absorption, inhalation, ingestion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-overdose-poisoning-difference-by-absorption-inhalation-ingestion/833971)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 15, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alcohol-overdose-poisoning-difference-by-absorption-inhalation-ingestion/833971 "2019-05-15T01:41:38Z")
What is the difference in terms of alcohol poisoning or overdose in terms of how it gets into the body? (Usually, it’s by drinking too much, but I’ve read that it’s now a dangerous fad to inhale alcohol vapors, because … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=462) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=464)