# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=507 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 508 --- ## [More Pot Smokers: Men Or Women? And Who Smokes MORE Pot?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-pot-smokers-men-or-women-and-who-smokes-more-pot/826642)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 24, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-pot-smokers-men-or-women-and-who-smokes-more-pot/826642 "2018-12-24T23:06:47Z")
There are two questions here (which is why I’m getting nowhere by Googling - because Google is confusing them for the same question). I’m trying to figure out which sex has more pot smokers. As in, x percent of men smok… --- ## [How does a President actually shut down the government?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-president-actually-shut-down-the-government/826553)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [December 24, 2018, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-a-president-actually-shut-down-the-government/826553 "2018-12-24T14:36:48Z")
Hi How does a President actually shut down the government? Who does the actual shutting down and what powers does the president have to shut it down? I look forward to your feedback --- ## [What color was this car?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-was-this-car/826473)
**Author:** [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 24, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-was-this-car/826473 "2018-12-24T06:11:18Z")
I saw a Camry hybrid in the parking lot, it looked very new, and it was the most beautiful pale pearly green. Does anyone know what that shade of green is called? I tried looking it up, got nowhere. --- ## [Graf Spee Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graf-spee-question/826601)
**Author:** [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 24, 2018, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graf-spee-question/826601 "2018-12-24T05:13:27Z")
Skuttled in 1939 in the River Plate, are there any remnants of the Graf Spee visible? --- ## [Probability question.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-question/826458)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [December 24, 2018, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-question/826458 "2018-12-24T05:12:06Z")
Let’s say that I put slips of paper numbered one through 100 in a jar, and draw them out two at a time. Of each pair of numbers, one will be larger than the other; let’s say that I toss out whichever is the smaller numbe… --- ## [Treated pine safe for dogs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treated-pine-safe-for-dogs/826582)
**Author:** [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/treated-pine-safe-for-dogs/826582 "2018-12-23T22:55:36Z")
I need to put in a new fence to keep the new dog from getting out. The contractor proposes using treated pine. If the dog chews on it, do the chemicals pose a danger? I know older treated wood had arsenic, but this is… --- ## [Which folder contains a photo of a particular object?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-folder-contains-a-photo-of-a-particular-object/826398)
**Author:** [@race\_to\_the\_bottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/race_to_the_bottom)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2018, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-folder-contains-a-photo-of-a-particular-object/826398 "2018-12-23T21:34:14Z")
I have thousands of photos taken over the past decade and a half contained in maybe 50 folders. Is there a way to, say, put all the folders into a larger folder and then instruct software to go through all of them to fin… --- ## [When last will and testament is unclear as to individuals specified](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-last-will-and-testament-is-unclear-as-to-individuals-specified/826348)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2018, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-last-will-and-testament-is-unclear-as-to-individuals-specified/826348 "2018-12-23T16:00:46Z")
Let’s say “Jack” dies and his will says “I bequeath $100,000 to my cousin, Alice.” Problem is, he has two cousins named Alice and he has provided no additional information whatsoever as to which one is being referred to… --- ## [Scopes Monkey Trial Aftermath](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scopes-monkey-trial-aftermath/826556)
**Author:** [@GManly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GManly)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scopes-monkey-trial-aftermath/826556 "2018-12-23T15:03:12Z")
Dear Uncle Cecil, The famous Scopes monkey trial in the 1920s involved teaching the Theory of Evolution in the Bible Belt south — which was against the law at the time. It became a national event when Clarence Darrow s… --- ## [Pardon Me, But What Is Stock Buy-Back?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-but-what-is-stock-buy-back/826319)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2018, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-me-but-what-is-stock-buy-back/826319 "2018-12-23T14:16:31Z")
I keep hearing this term “stock buy-back”, but I wonder how is this supposed to work? Does the following situation constitute “stock buy-back”? I owned a modest amount of Disney stock. At some point (circa 1996) Disney … --- ## [How does anaerobic bacteria survive on skin?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-anaerobic-bacteria-survive-on-skin/826555)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2018, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-anaerobic-bacteria-survive-on-skin/826555 "2018-12-23T02:22:05Z")
Staphyloccus bacteria, for instance, is supposedly anaerobic - does this mean it cannot survive contact with oxygen, or merely that it cannot grow with oxygen present? (Since being on the skin means constant exposure to … --- ## [Attorney General and Muller](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attorney-general-and-muller/826488)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attorney-general-and-muller/826488 "2018-12-22T22:11:22Z")
I believe this question has a factual answer but if mods deem it more appropriate for another forum, so bit. Is there anything stopping the Acting AG (or actual AG) from ordering Muller to tell them everything he has an… --- ## [Can microplastics be removed from water at wastewater plants/](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-microplastics-be-removed-from-water-at-wastewater-plants/826544)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-microplastics-be-removed-from-water-at-wastewater-plants/826544 "2018-12-22T20:47:48Z")
Humanity is busy filling up the Marianas Trench with plastic waste. OK, it’ll take a bit longer than 20 minutes to do that, but it’s still a problem. One source of microplastic waste is polyester that comes off clothes,… --- ## [How do I play MP3 files through Google Home? ](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-play-mp3-files-through-google-home/826483)
**Author:** [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-play-mp3-files-through-google-home/826483 "2018-12-22T18:06:54Z")
I have 10-15 GB of music from various sources: there are CDs that I bought, some that my late husband burned or purchased, and others that friends copied for me over the years. I’ve ripped them to an external hard drive… --- ## ["The only plane that is common between three or more surfaces HAS to be flat." \<-- How?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-only-plane-that-is-common-between-three-or-more-surfaces-has-to-be-flat-how/826523)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-only-plane-that-is-common-between-three-or-more-surfaces-has-to-be-flat-how/826523 "2018-12-22T17:27:07Z")
I was watching this video which made the claim in the subject line above. Unfortunately they do not explain it (there is a brief graphic but it made no sense to me). The video is about extreme precision in tools made i… --- ## [In electrolytic copper purification, why are stainless steel cathodes used now?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-electrolytic-copper-purification-why-are-stainless-steel-cathodes-used-now/826529)
**Author:** [@Textual\_Innuendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Textual_Innuendo)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-electrolytic-copper-purification-why-are-stainless-steel-cathodes-used-now/826529 "2018-12-22T16:26:33Z")
So reading about Bingham open-pit mine brought me to reading about electrolytic copper purification. I understand the general process wherein pure copper from your impure copper anode migrates to the cathode, but one th… --- ## [WW2: were post-surrender attacks on occupying US troops a problem?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-were-post-surrender-attacks-on-occupying-us-troops-a-problem/826113)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww2-were-post-surrender-attacks-on-occupying-us-troops-a-problem/826113 "2018-12-22T14:52:43Z")
In the aftermath of the US invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, sporadic attacks on US troops are an ongoing problem. US vehicles are attacked with roadside bombs, and US soldiers sometimes are caught off-guard when the l… --- ## [Do aircraft carrier prop shafts really twist this far?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-aircraft-carrier-prop-shafts-really-twist-this-far/424130)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-aircraft-carrier-prop-shafts-really-twist-this-far/424130 "2018-12-22T14:52:39Z")
A friend who had served as, I think, a machinist’s mate, on a nuclear aircraft carrier once told me that when the ship is going at full speed, the drive shaft for each propeller develops about a half a revolution of twis… --- ## [Safe for pets, deadly for humans?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-for-pets-deadly-for-humans/826251)
**Author:** [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Replies:** 71\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/safe-for-pets-deadly-for-humans/826251 "2018-12-22T14:00:26Z")
We are probably all aware that there are a number of safe human foods that are poison for dogs and/or cats, but what about the opposite direction–are there known substances perfectly safe for dogs and/or cats to consume … --- ## [The United States devoted 90% of its war effort against Germany in WW2?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-devoted-90-of-its-war-effort-against-germany-in-ww2/826239)
**Author:** [@Kamaski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamaski)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-united-states-devoted-90-of-its-war-effort-against-germany-in-ww2/826239 "2018-12-22T12:14:46Z")
Feel free to disagree if I’m wrong. In the excellent BBC documentary “the world at war” from the 1970s, it was said that a month or two after Pearl Harbor (maybe Feb 1942?) FDR had a meeting with the top military planne… --- ## [An atheist claiming a religious exemption to the California Oath of Office?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-atheist-claiming-a-religious-exemption-to-the-california-oath-of-office/820561)
**Author:** [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [October 16, 2018, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-atheist-claiming-a-religious-exemption-to-the-california-oath-of-office/820561 "2018-10-16T15:02:47Z")
I am a secular humanist who was just offered a public-sector job in California. One of the pre-employment papers I am required to sign is a short version of the California oath of office: By California law, I cannot ge… --- ## [Made-in-Russia meme identification](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-russia-meme-identification/826330)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/made-in-russia-meme-identification/826330 "2018-12-22T07:25:49Z")
My Trump-supporting uncle likes to post pro-Trump/anti-Liberal memes. Given that there is a Russian ‘troll factory’ whose purpose it is to generate such memes to influence American voters, is there any way to identify t… --- ## [Crossbar through a variable? (fluid mechanics)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossbar-through-a-variable-fluid-mechanics/826454)
**Author:** [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2018, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossbar-through-a-variable-fluid-mechanics/826454 "2018-12-22T02:33:57Z")
The student I’m tutoring is starting on fluid mechanics, and his textbook sometimes uses a bar through a variable, especially volume (for instance, they write the ideal gas equation as P\[del\]V\[/del\] = nkT). I’ve never s… --- ## [German v. Austrian Ethnicity.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-v-austrian-ethnicity/826267)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/german-v-austrian-ethnicity/826267 "2018-12-21T18:20:32Z")
I am a little confused about lineage and ethnicity. Specifically mine. My father was three-quarters French and 1/4 German. My mother was 3/4’s Polish and one-quarter Austrian. Anyway that makes me three-eighths Polish … --- ## [Did the Danes adopt Gaelic as their primary language after invading Ireland?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-danes-adopt-gaelic-as-their-primary-language-after-invading-ireland/826258)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-danes-adopt-gaelic-as-their-primary-language-after-invading-ireland/826258 "2018-12-21T16:42:48Z")
Hi Did the Danes adopt Gaelic as their primary language after invading Ireland or did they adopt English? How did they influence English in Ireland? Did they influence Gaelic? I look forward to your feedback. --- ## [wheels](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheels/826465)
**Author:** [@pup20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pup20)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wheels/826465 "2018-12-21T16:34:27Z")
Will a set of aftermarket wheels that were on a Chevy Cruze fit my Dodge Charger 5x115 --- ## [What is the boiling point of THC at 1 atm?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-boiling-point-of-thc-at-1-atm/826431)
**Author:** [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-boiling-point-of-thc-at-1-atm/826431 "2018-12-21T15:39:17Z")
Wikipedia gives the boiling point of THC as 155-160°C @ 0.05mmHg. The problem is the low pressure which makes it irrelevant for most purposes. So, what is it boiling point at common pressure levels? Remember that the GQ… --- ## [Is "Merry Christmas" replacing "Happy Christmas" in Britain?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140)
**Author:** [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2018, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-merry-christmas-replacing-happy-christmas-in-britain/826140 "2018-12-21T14:56:11Z")
Over the past month I’ve watched two British produced shows (one was the Christmas special for the Great British Baking Show, unfortunately I can’t remember the other) in which one person casually wished another “Merry C… --- ## [Difference between "XR" for "Extended Reality" i.e. Augmented/Mixed/Virtual Reality, and "X Reality"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-xr-for-extended-reality-i-e-augmented-mixed-virtual-reality-and-x-reality/826485)
**Author:** [@squish7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squish7)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2018, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/difference-between-xr-for-extended-reality-i-e-augmented-mixed-virtual-reality-and-x-reality/826485 "2018-12-21T14:48:09Z")
I’m in love with the term “XR” as meaning “Extended Reality”, a general category for the union of Aumented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Virtual Reality. This is a growing term and I believe it will come into co… --- ## [The history of civil rights for minorities outside the US?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-history-of-civil-rights-for-minorities-outside-the-us/826322)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2018, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-history-of-civil-rights-for-minorities-outside-the-us/826322 "2018-12-21T12:37:59Z")
Racism and sexism are ongoing problems in the world, But in the US at least, equality under the letter of the law has pretty much been a settled matter for a few decades now. What is the history of civil rights in other… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=506) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=508)