# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=485 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 486 --- ## [Poor Richard's Almanack question (maybe dumb)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-richards-almanack-question-maybe-dumb/203570)
**Author:** [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poor-richards-almanack-question-maybe-dumb/203570 "2019-03-02T20:45:27Z")
My students, in their American literature textbooks, have a small section on Poor Richard’s Almanack. Pictured is a page from it (presumably the title page), which says, in part, "An Almanack for the Year of Christ 1733… --- ## [Five Feet Apart](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-feet-apart/830445)
**Author:** [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-feet-apart/830445 "2019-03-02T20:11:14Z")
There’s this new movie coming out soon called Five Feet Apart. Watching the trailer it seems that this a romance movie about two cystic fibrous patients who have to stay at least five feet apart. Did I misunderstand the … --- ## [Math Question Too Long For Thread Title (Calculating A Spacecraft's Speed Through Space)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-question-too-long-for-thread-title-calculating-a-spacecrafts-speed-through-space/830437)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-question-too-long-for-thread-title-calculating-a-spacecrafts-speed-through-space/830437 "2019-03-02T18:36:22Z")
The Voyager 1 craft is traveling at 17km/s. Exoplanet Ross 128b, which is suspected to be capable of supporting life, is 11 light years away. How long for Voyager to reach Ross (although I don’t know if it’s even heade… --- ## [Why is Robert Hanssen (Russian spy) serving his sentence at a supermax prison?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-robert-hanssen-russian-spy-serving-his-sentence-at-a-supermax-prison/691633)
**Author:** [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-robert-hanssen-russian-spy-serving-his-sentence-at-a-supermax-prison/691633 "2019-03-02T17:52:38Z")
I was reading the Wikipedia article about Robert Hanssen, the former FBI agent turned Russian spy who is serving a life sentence at ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado where he is kept in solitary confinement 23 hours a d… --- ## [Observing The Chemical Composition Of Expolanets - Conclusive Or Just Guesswork](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observing-the-chemical-composition-of-expolanets-conclusive-or-just-guesswork/830435)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/observing-the-chemical-composition-of-expolanets-conclusive-or-just-guesswork/830435 "2019-03-02T16:37:21Z")
Pick a known exoplanet orbiting a star in the night sky. Call it “Planet Fred.” With the equipment we have on the ground and in space, and with our current technology, can we conclusively say that Planet Fred over here i… --- ## [Is there a generic word for the "customer" of clergy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-the-customer-of-clergy/830337)
**Author:** [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-generic-word-for-the-customer-of-clergy/830337 "2019-03-02T13:03:07Z")
I’ve seen terms such as celebrant, worshipper, penitent etc, but is there one generic term that fits all circumstances, regardless of faith or whether the “client” is a mourner, bride, groom, confessor, counselee, etc? --- ## [Boycotting a presidential inauguration by a president](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boycotting-a-presidential-inauguration-by-a-president/830369)
**Author:** [@ric62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ric62)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boycotting-a-presidential-inauguration-by-a-president/830369 "2019-03-02T02:30:37Z")
In Ron Chernow’s book Hamilton he writes that John Adams left Washington before Thomas Jefferson was sworn in, making Adams one of three presidents to boycott the elected president’s inauguration. Who were the other two? … --- ## [Dead Sea bath salts turning into liquid over time](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-sea-bath-salts-turning-into-liquid-over-time/830263)
**Author:** [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-sea-bath-salts-turning-into-liquid-over-time/830263 "2019-03-02T00:40:11Z")
I bought some Dead Sea bath salts\* a few years ago. They were chunky salt crystals, contained in an air-sealed plastic bag within a card box. I opened the bag and used some of the bath salts shortly after buying them an… --- ## [Why was LDAP named LIGHTWEIGHT directory access protocol? is there a heavy/full version?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ldap-named-lightweight-directory-access-protocol-is-there-a-heavy-full-version/830266)
**Author:** [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-ldap-named-lightweight-directory-access-protocol-is-there-a-heavy-full-version/830266 "2019-03-01T18:35:03Z")
The directory services protocols, I’ve ever heard of are LDAP and Active Directory (which is based on LDAP). I know LDAP stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. So, was there ever a heavy or full DAP, or someth… --- ## [Brazilian memes about children](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brazilian-memes-about-children/830386)
**Author:** [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2019, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/brazilian-memes-about-children/830386 "2019-03-01T18:08:43Z")
I follow a couple of Brazilian accounts on social media and the past couple of days they have been reposting memes about how some people don’t want children to sing the national anthem but are fine with them being expose… --- ## [Where is this in New York? (pic)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-in-new-york-pic/830378)
**Author:** [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-is-this-in-new-york-pic/830378 "2019-03-01T17:42:10Z")
--- ## [Hard drive conundrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-conundrum/830359)
**Author:** [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hard-drive-conundrum/830359 "2019-03-01T17:29:08Z")
I bought a new ssd online and via an external usb drive load it onto the new computer i’m building… I have another hard drive on this computer already as the boot drive so I boot into windows whereupon I attempt to initi… --- ## [Y2019 software bug in Toyota clock/calendar](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2019-software-bug-in-toyota-clock-calendar/830177)
**Author:** [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y2019-software-bug-in-toyota-clock-calendar/830177 "2019-03-01T16:09:05Z")
A friend of mine has an old Toyota. This 2000-something Toyota has a clock/calendar. He showed it to me. It displayed things like time, month, day of the week. After 2019, he noticed the day of the week was wrong. So he … --- ## [Can a sensitive enough gyroscope demonstrate the Earth's rotation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sensitive-enough-gyroscope-demonstrate-the-earths-rotation/830321)
**Author:** [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-sensitive-enough-gyroscope-demonstrate-the-earths-rotation/830321 "2019-03-01T15:47:27Z")
Question inspired by this thread: https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=871545 --- ## [Does The Digestive System React Badly When A Long-Term Vegan (Years, Decades) Eats Meat?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-digestive-system-react-badly-when-a-long-term-vegan-years-decades-eats-meat/830201)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-digestive-system-react-badly-when-a-long-term-vegan-years-decades-eats-meat/830201 "2019-02-28T19:55:50Z")
Apparently a popular YouTube vegan has gone back to eating meat for reasons neither relevant here nor cared about by HeyHomie. From what I can tell the guy has been off animal products for a decade. Does the human diges… --- ## [How long is CBD oil good for?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-cbd-oil-good-for/830331)
**Author:** [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-is-cbd-oil-good-for/830331 "2019-02-28T17:41:42Z")
There’s a survivalist store down the street from us that advertises that they sell CBD oil. If you’re a survivalist escaping from the apocalypse, how long would you expect your CBD oil to be good for? --- ## [Can early pregancy be a contributing factor to cancer (womb or maybe otherwise)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-early-pregancy-be-a-contributing-factor-to-cancer-womb-or-maybe-otherwise/830281)
**Author:** [@Barack\_Obama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barack_Obama)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-early-pregancy-be-a-contributing-factor-to-cancer-womb-or-maybe-otherwise/830281 "2019-02-28T15:21:31Z")
Are there any statistics or studies on this. To clarify the title I’m asking if an underage female is at increase likelihood of getting specific cancers (IE womb) from becoming pregnant at early ages. Are there any studi… --- ## [Is it illegal to destroy a scammers computer?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-destroy-a-scammers-computer/827748)
**Author:** [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-destroy-a-scammers-computer/827748 "2019-02-28T15:14:59Z")
I’ve been watching some videos with scam baiters. Some of them just waste the scammers time (like I do from time to time) but some of them will wreck their computers. So two different scenarios: 1 - In some cases, they… --- ## [Fatal drug overdose](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-drug-overdose/830330)
**Author:** [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-drug-overdose/830330 "2019-02-28T13:31:35Z")
How is it determined when a fatal drug overdose is considered “accidental.” --- ## [How do the California fires start?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-california-fires-start/824372)
**Author:** [@Barack\_Obama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barack_Obama)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-the-california-fires-start/824372 "2019-02-28T06:05:16Z")
Are humans causing it? OR do fires just spontaneously occur somehow? All these fires we hear about, has anybody been held accountable for them? --- ## [Piano Tuning Tools Advice for Layperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-tuning-tools-advice-for-layperson/768928)
**Author:** [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piano-tuning-tools-advice-for-layperson/768928 "2019-02-28T02:06:37Z")
(TL;DR version: I’d like to borrow or rent a decent piano tuning hammer but don’t know how to go about it.) A friend of mine has an old upright piano (actually a player piano that was converted to standard piano) that i… --- ## [Bohr's atomic model and electron shells](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bohrs-atomic-model-and-electron-shells/830252)
**Author:** [@blood63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blood63)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2019, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bohrs-atomic-model-and-electron-shells/830252 "2019-02-28T00:44:01Z")
As a student and now as a science teacher, I have always thought and taught that electrons orbit in discrete shells and that electrons move to outer shells when energized and then “fall” back to a ground state and releas… --- ## [Why doesn't a soda-pop can "overfizz" after it falls inside the dispensing machine?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-a-soda-pop-can-overfizz-after-it-falls-inside-the-dispensing-machine/829333)
**Author:** [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [February 27, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-a-soda-pop-can-overfizz-after-it-falls-inside-the-dispensing-machine/829333 "2019-02-27T22:11:01Z")
We all know that if you shake a soda-pop can before opening it that it will explode with liquid and make a big mess. My question is, why doesn’t that happen when you open the can when it comes out of a dispensing machine… --- ## [Effects of stasis on adaptive immunity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-stasis-on-adaptive-immunity/830167)
**Author:** [@NoriMori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoriMori)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 27, 2019, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/effects-of-stasis-on-adaptive-immunity/830167 "2019-02-27T20:33:01Z")
My understanding is that immune systems and pathogens are in a constant Red Queen’s race against each other — pathogens are constantly evolving to get past immune system defenses, and adaptive immune systems are constant… --- ## [Chromatic aberration in glass lenses and eyeballs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chromatic-aberration-in-glass-lenses-and-eyeballs/830224)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 27, 2019, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chromatic-aberration-in-glass-lenses-and-eyeballs/830224 "2019-02-27T12:48:00Z")
Chromatic aberration is when light of different wavelengths (i.e., colors) do not focus at the same point. This is considered undesirable in camera lenses. This occurs when a material has different refractive indices at … --- ## [Detecting stealth aircraft by sound](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detecting-stealth-aircraft-by-sound/830044)
**Author:** [@ohiomstr2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ohiomstr2)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2019, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detecting-stealth-aircraft-by-sound/830044 "2019-02-26T23:41:12Z")
While perusing an old thread on contrails produced by stealth aircraft, a question occured to me. Would it not be possible to detect a stealth aircraft by the sound of the engine or even it’s movement through the air? T… --- ## [Why are receipts such a big deal for accountants?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-receipts-such-a-big-deal-for-accountants/829690)
**Author:** [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Replies:** 119\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-receipts-such-a-big-deal-for-accountants/829690 "2019-02-26T17:50:03Z")
This could have gone in a few forums, but I really do want to know. Apparently accounting requires years of school with possibly weeks of additional coursework later; why does it seem like none of that education is help… --- ## [Size of bowel movement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/size-of-bowel-movement/830059)
**Author:** [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Replies:** 64\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/size-of-bowel-movement/830059 "2019-02-26T17:29:46Z")
What is the largest amount of excrement that a person can release in one sitting? --- ## [Help a snow noob: Do I need to bother shoveling a foot or less off my deck?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-snow-noob-do-i-need-to-bother-shoveling-a-foot-or-less-off-my-deck/830191)
**Author:** [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-a-snow-noob-do-i-need-to-bother-shoveling-a-foot-or-less-off-my-deck/830191 "2019-02-26T16:02:20Z")
Well now, despite the fact that it’s so late in the winter, it seems that we are getting a ten-year snowfall here in Eugene. At the moment there’s about ten to twelve inches of snow on the ground. Given that a foot of … --- ## [Best Pick Reports by EBSCO--how do they make money?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pick-reports-by-ebsco-how-do-they-make-money/731958)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-pick-reports-by-ebsco-how-do-they-make-money/731958 "2017-12-29T02:47:42Z")
Occasionally I receive a book by the company above that is a Home Services Guide, listing home service contractors that they have selected based on consumer surveys. The companies do not pay to be in this book, according… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=484) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=486)