# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=505 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 506 --- ## [What is happening when I use my phone's personal hotspot as a defacto router?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happening-when-i-use-my-phones-personal-hotspot-as-a-defacto-router/825414)
**Author:** [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-happening-when-i-use-my-phones-personal-hotspot-as-a-defacto-router/825414 "2018-12-31T22:20:30Z")
We just moved and it may be a week or more until the cable company can run a new line to our house. In the meantime, we’ve been using our iPhones’ personal hotspots when we need to get a computer, AppleTV, etc. online. B… --- ## [What nations legally require companies to redistribute some of their profits to workers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nations-legally-require-companies-to-redistribute-some-of-their-profits-to-workers/826928)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-nations-legally-require-companies-to-redistribute-some-of-their-profits-to-workers/826928 "2018-12-31T20:18:44Z")
I was reading a thread on another message board where someone said in their european nations, a company had to redistribute up to 10% of their annual profits to employees in the form of bonuses. What country is this? An… --- ## [Translation from English to Latin, please?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921)
**Author:** [@Grither](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grither)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-from-english-to-latin-please/826921 "2018-12-31T18:00:06Z")
I’ve taken it in my head to design something of a coat of arms for myself. Upon consideration, I’ve decided the phrase “I could be wrong” is a better-than-average motto for me to include. Could one of our brilliant do… --- ## [are employers required to offer overtime to all employees?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employers-required-to-offer-overtime-to-all-employees/546924)
**Author:** [@Faelyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faelyn)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-employers-required-to-offer-overtime-to-all-employees/546924 "2018-12-31T17:13:43Z")
Are employers required to offer overtime to all employees and not to just a select few? My summer job is painting the dorms at the University of Memphis, hired and paid by their Residence Life office, and within our cre… --- ## [Typical life of EV batteries](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typical-life-of-ev-batteries/826910)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typical-life-of-ev-batteries/826910 "2018-12-31T16:17:26Z")
When EVs (electric vehicles) with Li-ion batteries first came out, one of the main things people thought would be a potential problem was that the batteries would need to be replaced periodically. They would cost a coupl… --- ## [Help with Latin, please](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin-please/826974)
**Author:** [@Casparlatete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casparlatete)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-with-latin-please/826974 "2018-12-31T10:58:53Z")
I am searching for a Latin phrase which would describe the actual object of an artwork (a painting say) not what it signifies, that is to say the physical ‘thing’ in front of you, the thing you can touch, not the message… --- ## [Intellectual property and cultural references](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intellectual-property-and-cultural-references/826895)
**Author:** [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intellectual-property-and-cultural-references/826895 "2018-12-31T01:31:50Z")
I’m wondering how cultural references get handled in IP and having difficulty finding an answer to the exact angle that occurred to me: Let’s say you have a video game where a level is all about stealth. The developer t… --- ## [Trip insurance payout - how difficult?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trip-insurance-payout-how-difficult/826922)
**Author:** [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2018, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trip-insurance-payout-how-difficult/826922 "2018-12-31T00:52:10Z")
We had booked a trip to Florida in January. Now dealing with sudden and extended illnesses on both sides of the family. We’re old but healthy and our help is needed and appreciated. How much hassle is it to cancel tri… --- ## [How does Geico know what cars I own?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-geico-know-what-cars-i-own/826572)
**Author:** [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-geico-know-what-cars-i-own/826572 "2018-12-30T23:56:04Z")
I’m shopping for car insurance so I went to geico.com to get a quote. It asked me a few personal questions – I think it was name, birthdate and address, and then it presented me with a list of (two) cars and asked which … --- ## [Questions regarding the Wars of the Roses](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-regarding-the-wars-of-the-roses/826829)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-regarding-the-wars-of-the-roses/826829 "2018-12-30T18:56:28Z")
Hi On page 20 of Michael Hicks’s “The Wars of the Roses”(2010) he divides the wars into three distinct civil wars. “The Wars ended conclusively in 1461-and in 1471- and in 1485”. Is everyone agreed on these years? In … --- ## [Wrap text in Windows Notepad not working properly?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrap-text-in-windows-notepad-not-working-properly/826261)
**Author:** [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wrap-text-in-windows-notepad-not-working-properly/826261 "2018-12-30T18:47:44Z")
Yes, I know, I’m still using Notepad in 2018. I’ve always found it handy for making quick, well notes, to myself. Anyway after another update and ‘improvement’ to Windows 10 an odd thing has started happening to Notepad… --- ## [Why is "street" treated differently?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-street-treated-differently/826576)
**Author:** [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-street-treated-differently/826576 "2018-12-30T15:06:23Z")
I once took an introductory linguistics course. One of the topics concerned “rules” inherent in a language (not rules that someone set down but rules that evolved along with the language). One of these was the placemen… --- ## [Sensory deprivation by anaesthetics?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sensory-deprivation-by-anaesthetics/826877)
**Author:** [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sensory-deprivation-by-anaesthetics/826877 "2018-12-30T10:20:37Z")
Drugs like lidocaine work quite well for blocking pain (and, indeed, any sense of touch!) at the dentist. What remains to cope with is the unbearable screeching noise, and the smell of burnt bone… Could drugs such as li… --- ## [Hepped up on goofballs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hepped-up-on-goofballs/26326)
**Author:** [@Icepik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icepik)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hepped-up-on-goofballs/26326 "2018-12-30T06:49:30Z")
The term “hepped up on goofballs” has been used a few times on recent television. My questions are: What are goofballs? When were they (or the suspicion surrounding them)popular? --- ## [What can I do to help Mini Freeze more???](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-help-mini-freeze-more/826894)
**Author:** [@Hercdamerc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hercdamerc)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-can-i-do-to-help-mini-freeze-more/826894 "2018-12-30T04:11:24Z")
I have a older mini fridge but the freezer is just not getting cold enough, the only thing I need is the freezer, in theory could I fill the whole lower compartment with insulation, such as clothes, in order to make/k… --- ## [what did anti-slavers do?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-anti-slavers-do/826848)
**Author:** [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-anti-slavers-do/826848 "2018-12-30T03:58:04Z")
The other day I heard mention of a “Victorian anti-slaver” ship. I’ve never heard of these ships before, and google is of no help. What did they look like? How did they fight slavery? I can’t even imagine what such a s… --- ## [cleaning a fiberglass lamp wick](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-fiberglass-lamp-wick/826697)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-fiberglass-lamp-wick/826697 "2018-12-29T23:01:43Z")
So I have a decorative lamp with a fiberglass wick. Worked fine at first, but now it’s all clogged up with carbon and won’t soak up oil anymore. My google-fu failed on what I’d thought would be an obvious subject. Anyone… --- ## [Coma vs. Hibernation - Can we hibernate humans?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coma-vs-hibernation-can-we-hibernate-humans/826879)
**Author:** [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2018, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coma-vs-hibernation-can-we-hibernate-humans/826879 "2018-12-29T19:41:29Z")
First I want to know how much energy a human needs in coma. Then - for comparison - how much energy a hedgehog, a bear or anything but my PC needs to hibernate. Are there species (like the Polar Bear - I know this is not… --- ## [Why is Penis spelt wrongly](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-penis-spelt-wrongly/826645)
**Author:** [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2018, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-penis-spelt-wrongly/826645 "2018-12-29T19:21:42Z")
So Penis is pronounced as Pee Nus So why is it spelt as Pee Nis ( Penis ) Who is responsible for this cock up:D Can we start writing it as Penus? Merry Christmas guys. --- ## [Air Force One - control and mission statement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-control-and-mission-statement/826386)
**Author:** [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Replies:** 107\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/air-force-one-control-and-mission-statement/826386 "2018-12-29T18:47:44Z")
Hypothetically, if the President showed up at Andrews AFB with a lot of suitcases and family members and said “juice up the jet and take me to Moscow”- would they do it? What if, in the same scenario, the President was … --- ## [Wal Mart/Gift Card Scam](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-gift-card-scam/826874)
**Author:** [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2018, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-gift-card-scam/826874 "2018-12-29T17:46:26Z")
I’m getting pop ups on both my iPad and iPhone purporting to offer Wal Mart gift cards. I know it’s bogus, but how do I get rid of whatever it is that’s responsible? Lots of conversation about it online, but can’t find … --- ## [Adultery prosecutions - outside of divorce actions](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adultery-prosecutions-outside-of-divorce-actions/826550)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adultery-prosecutions-outside-of-divorce-actions/826550 "2018-12-29T00:48:39Z")
I’m doing some writing and I need to determine whether there’s been any prosecutions in the United States for adultery in the last 20 years or so. Not in terms of divorce. In my state - according to my divorce attorne… --- ## [Can all electrical cables be buried?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-all-electrical-cables-be-buried/826811)
**Author:** [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-all-electrical-cables-be-buried/826811 "2018-12-28T23:42:58Z")
Every time there is a natural disaster, or bad weather, the power goes down for huge number of people when power lines are disrupted. Is there any technical reason that all power lines cannot be buried. They are where I … --- ## [How long would it take to build "The Wall?"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-to-build-the-wall/826833)
**Author:** [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-it-take-to-build-the-wall/826833 "2018-12-28T22:04:28Z")
So, let’s say somehow an agreement is reached and efforts are initiated to build Trump’s wall. How soon could it get done? Who would build it? Would there be a procurement process whereby private contractors would submi… --- ## [The recycling crisis](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-recycling-crisis/826839)
**Author:** [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-recycling-crisis/826839 "2018-12-28T19:50:19Z")
There is a crisis in the household waste recycling system. China is not accepting many different kinds of waste. Mixed paper is one. What would be the problem with burning this in power plants designed to handle it. Is … --- ## [Can power banks only charge batteries?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-power-banks-only-charge-batteries/826821)
**Author:** [@Nippless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nippless)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-power-banks-only-charge-batteries/826821 "2018-12-28T18:45:16Z")
Or can they run anything that runs off USB e.g. a small desk-light or fan? I’ve got one which is failing to run a LED lamp, not sure if it’s the unit or just the way they work. --- ## [Did anyone, literally, want smoke blown up their ass?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-literally-want-smoke-blown-up-their-ass/826617)
**Author:** [@Ashtura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashtura)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-literally-want-smoke-blown-up-their-ass/826617 "2018-12-28T18:26:49Z")
I’m trying to figure out why this is a desirable outcome, if not in the colloquial sense of telling someone what they want to hear. --- ## [Desiccants?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desiccants/826282)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desiccants/826282 "2018-12-28T18:12:20Z")
I have a question about how desiccants work. Suppose I had a perfectly sealed container that would hold pieces of wood and a desiccant. Lets say the Desiccant was put in at less than 2% MC and the wood was around 12% MC… --- ## [Question regarding ancient Egyptians and South Americans trading with each other.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-ancient-egyptians-and-south-americans-trading-with-each-other/825548)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 61\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-ancient-egyptians-and-south-americans-trading-with-each-other/825548 "2018-12-28T17:21:14Z")
Hi Does the theory that ancient Egyptians and South Americans trading with each other have any validity? Is it closer to any resolution? I look forward to your feedback. --- ## [27 times faster than the speed of sound ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-times-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound/826831)
**Author:** [@Bones\_Daley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bones_Daley)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2018, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/27-times-faster-than-the-speed-of-sound/826831 "2018-12-28T15:52:51Z")
This report https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/russia-hypersonic-missile-nuclear/2018/12/27/id/896105 alleges that the new Russian Avangard missile is able to travel at 27 times the speed of sound. Seems unlikely to me …… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=504) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=506)