# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=521 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 522 --- ## [Question about compressed air and illicit drugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-compressed-air-and-illicit-drugs/824432)
**Author:** [@bardos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bardos)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [November 13, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-compressed-air-and-illicit-drugs/824432 "2018-11-13T22:21:18Z")
I am a computer techie. Well, among many other things. Anyway, recently a client came for a laptop cleaning. I’ve got a plug-in electric blower thingie, but the other day, as I was browsing Walmart I decided to look into… --- ## [How do they isolate voices during audio surveillance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-isolate-voices-during-audio-surveillance/824430)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [November 13, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-isolate-voices-during-audio-surveillance/824430 "2018-11-13T17:47:33Z")
I’ve been reading about Khashoggi’s murder and some of the audio that’s been reported. I assume Turkey has a truck outside the Saudi embassy building that listens for conversations? Probably a parabolic or a laser micro… --- ## [What happened to the Austrian military in the Anschluss?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-austrian-military-in-the-anschluss/824399)
**Author:** [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 13, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-the-austrian-military-in-the-anschluss/824399 "2018-11-13T15:00:02Z")
When Germany annexed Austria in 1938, what happened to the Austrian military? I’m guessing that it was absorbed into the German military, but how exactly was this handled on a practical level? Did soldiers and officers… --- ## [What was the most 'global' war/conflict prior to World War I?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-global-war-conflict-prior-to-world-war-i/824395)
**Author:** [@Smudge777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smudge777)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [November 13, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-most-global-war-conflict-prior-to-world-war-i/824395 "2018-11-13T13:48:54Z")
WWI and WWII are standouts in their category for their scale and geographical extent. They are considered global conflicts because, even though various parts of the world (much of Africa and Latin America (and western E… --- ## [HIIT is better than cardio: science or placebo-effect?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiit-is-better-than-cardio-science-or-placebo-effect/824362)
**Author:** [@squish7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squish7)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 13, 2018, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hiit-is-better-than-cardio-science-or-placebo-effect/824362 "2018-11-13T08:29:33Z")
Everyone’s saying that interval/HIIT cardio–e.g. running 10 sec fast, 10 sec slow, etc–is superior to steady-state. They say it burns more calories during workout AND for 1-2 days after. I’m skeptical; this is too magi… --- ## [Is there a word for dried fruit that means dried like a raisin? As opposed to freeze-dried.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-dried-fruit-that-means-dried-like-a-raisin-as-opposed-to-freeze-dried/824417)
**Author:** [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [November 13, 2018, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-word-for-dried-fruit-that-means-dried-like-a-raisin-as-opposed-to-freeze-dried/824417 "2018-11-13T06:25:54Z")
I am trying to find dried strawberries that don’t have sugar added, which for some inexplicable reason is rarer then unicorn horns because the fruit-drying companies have decided, in their infinite wisdom, that the straw… --- ## [How long ago could the average person have started a digital music library?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-ago-could-the-average-person-have-started-a-digital-music-library/823970)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 103\ **Last updated:** [November 13, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-ago-could-the-average-person-have-started-a-digital-music-library/823970 "2018-11-13T00:50:21Z")
I’m wondering how far back someone could have started and maintain a digital music library. When could the average person, using a typical home computer, have started a digital music library? Did the first home compute… --- ## [Scientific tweaking](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-tweaking/823967)
**Author:** [@vonespy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vonespy)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientific-tweaking/823967 "2018-11-12T23:12:31Z")
I just ran across this discussion of using organic chemistry to tweak the flavors of wine and spirits to make them taste better and more like expensive booze. This reminds me a bit of the hifi engineer Bob Carver who wo… --- ## [What is the legal status of Trump's tweets?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legal-status-of-trumps-tweets/824412)
**Author:** [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-legal-status-of-trumps-tweets/824412 "2018-11-12T22:07:12Z")
If there’s a previous GQ thread about this, please link to it. As we all know, Trump tweets a lot, and does so almost exclusively through his personal Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump. Many of his tweets, if they’d be… --- ## [What happens when a bank leaves a country?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-a-bank-leaves-a-country/824260)
**Author:** [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-a-bank-leaves-a-country/824260 "2018-11-12T21:55:44Z")
Let’s say that your country gets in a political fight with another country, for whatever reason, then that country puts sanctions on your country and it’s companies and banks leave your country. If you had money in a fo… --- ## [When Did the Last American WWI Serviceman Die?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-last-american-wwi-serviceman-die/824394)
**Author:** [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-the-last-american-wwi-serviceman-die/824394 "2018-11-12T16:37:02Z")
Or even the last WWI serviceman period. I lived in Albuquerque from 1990-91, and the local newspaper ran a story on a still-living WWI veteran. But he was catatonic. I believe his family took care of him. I even remember… --- ## [Which states do not require that you register with a party before voting?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-states-do-not-require-that-you-register-with-a-party-before-voting/824049)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-states-do-not-require-that-you-register-with-a-party-before-voting/824049 "2018-11-12T16:17:32Z")
Hi Which states do not require that you register with a party before voting? I look forward to your feedback. --- ## [What does formaldehyde turn into when incinerated?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-formaldehyde-turn-into-when-incinerated/824363)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-formaldehyde-turn-into-when-incinerated/824363 "2018-11-12T14:24:15Z")
Simple chemistry question - I can’t find the answer - what does formaldehyde turn into when exposed to high heat, such as a flame or hot coil? --- ## [Why is the 'R' difficult?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-difficult/823998)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-r-difficult/823998 "2018-11-12T05:27:40Z")
There seems to be something special about the ‘r’ in language. The pronunciation is always different across languages with the English sound that most of us here love and adore, the rolling ‘r’ that you get in Spanish a… --- ## [Old used car ad.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-used-car-ad/824017)
**Author:** [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-used-car-ad/824017 "2018-11-12T04:31:27Z")
Saw an old used car ad from the 60s, and among the abbreviated features accompanying each listing (ac, ps, pb), a couple of them had R&H. One commenter guessed “radio and heater”, another “retail and handling”. I don’t t… --- ## [External hard drive runs but doesn't show up anywhere.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-hard-drive-runs-but-doesnt-show-up-anywhere/824379)
**Author:** [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-hard-drive-runs-but-doesnt-show-up-anywhere/824379 "2018-11-12T00:53:21Z")
The hard drive doesn’t show up in This PC, Device Manager or Disk Management. The light on the hard drive works, and it spins. It’s a 2 TB WD drive. I don’t have a way to check it in another computer. I’ve tried putting … --- ## [Need help figuring out "electrical requirements" for Deionized Water System](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-figuring-out-electrical-requirements-for-deionized-water-system/824250)
**Author:** [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [November 12, 2018, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-figuring-out-electrical-requirements-for-deionized-water-system/824250 "2018-11-12T00:39:17Z")
We’re going to move our deionized water system to a new building, and the electrical engineers are asking about power requirements. Not really having any expertise in electrical, I took a photo, which shows the standard … --- ## [How does Facebook police fake user accounts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-facebook-police-fake-user-accounts/824190)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-facebook-police-fake-user-accounts/824190 "2018-11-11T23:41:29Z")
I do not have an account on Facebook. It looks like obtaining an account just requires providing a name, birth date, and email address. How do they verify that you haven’t provided a fake name (or someone else’s real n… --- ## [POTUS alternative plans for weather.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-alternative-plans-for-weather/824349)
**Author:** [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potus-alternative-plans-for-weather/824349 "2018-11-11T22:34:31Z")
Does the POTUS not have alternative travel plans in place for when the weather grounds his helicopter? --- ## [WW1 - Why are the United States mentioned separately from the Allies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww1-why-are-the-united-states-mentioned-separately-from-the-allies/824352)
**Author:** [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ww1-why-are-the-united-states-mentioned-separately-from-the-allies/824352 "2018-11-11T22:13:29Z")
The question refers to incidences such as the conditions of the 1918 Armistice. In this link, for example: A.—CLAUSES RELATING TO WESTERN FRONT. (Hansard, 11 November 1918) The Prime Minister refers to ‘Allied and Unite… --- ## [Mac not working - white circle and bar?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-not-working-white-circle-and-bar/824294)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-not-working-white-circle-and-bar/824294 "2018-11-11T21:27:13Z")
Weird thing with our Mac - after entering the user password, it comes up with a black screen with a white circle and bar (like the red symbol for “no” only white. Anyone have any idea why? --- ## [How many bumpstocks were sold before the ban\*](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-bumpstocks-were-sold-before-the-ban/824288)
**Author:** [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-bumpstocks-were-sold-before-the-ban/824288 "2018-11-11T18:59:34Z")
In the immediate aftermath of the Vegas shooting, all the buzz was that bumpstocks should & would be banned. Then reports came out that sales had skyrocketed & gun stores couldn’t keep them in stock. I’ve been trying to … --- ## [Who was the last surviving WWII general?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-surviving-wwii-general/824318)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-last-surviving-wwii-general/824318 "2018-11-11T18:24:42Z")
I’m talking about somebody who held the rank of general during World War II. I’m interested in Americans but feel free to throw in anyone from other countries. The last one I could find offhand was Jimmy Doolittle, who … --- ## [Which number is larger:(10 to the 87th minus 1) factorial or Tree(4)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-number-is-larger-10-to-the-87th-minus-1-factorial-or-tree-4/824287)
**Author:** [@Steven\_Estes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steven_Estes)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-number-is-larger-10-to-the-87th-minus-1-factorial-or-tree-4/824287 "2018-11-11T18:07:42Z")
Which number is larger: 87 (10 -1)! or Tree(4) 87 (10 -1)! is an estimate of the number of connections if every particle in the known universe were connected to every other particle. --- ## [Have any countries issued a declaration of war since WW2?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-countries-issued-a-declaration-of-war-since-ww2/823946)
**Author:** [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-any-countries-issued-a-declaration-of-war-since-ww2/823946 "2018-11-11T16:49:38Z")
If so, when was the last one? Possibly India-Pakistan or maybe one of Israel’s wars against its neighbors? It seems to me that this is a relic of the past. --- ## [11 11 11:11 \[Time of WWI Armistice\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-11-11-11-time-of-wwi-armistice/824045)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/11-11-11-11-time-of-wwi-armistice/824045 "2018-11-11T16:43:08Z")
November 11, 2018 will mark 100 years since the end of WWI. Is that 11:11 GMT? --- ## [Can a dim LED display in a coffee pot be repaired?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dim-led-display-in-a-coffee-pot-be-repaired/824314)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dim-led-display-in-a-coffee-pot-be-repaired/824314 "2018-11-11T13:59:27Z")
We bought a $150 Cuisinart coffee pot in Mid Jan. The most expensive drip pot I’ve ever bought. We were hoping for quality. Sigh … I should have known better. Ten months later the LED display has dimmed. I had to shut … --- ## [How did ancient people realize that the brain is the thinking organ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-ancient-people-realize-that-the-brain-is-the-thinking-organ/824080)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2018, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-ancient-people-realize-that-the-brain-is-the-thinking-organ/824080 "2018-11-11T03:34:22Z")
With most other organs in the body, the function is fairly obvious: The eyes see, the mouth tastes and eats, the lungs breathe, the digestive system handles food, etc. But with the brain, how did ancient people realize t… --- ## [Why does the 13th Amendment (prohibiting slavery) have a section sayin congress can prohibit slavery](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-13th-amendment-prohibiting-slavery-have-a-section-sayin-congress-can-prohibit-slavery/824295)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [November 10, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-13th-amendment-prohibiting-slavery-have-a-section-sayin-congress-can-prohibit-slavery/824295 "2018-11-10T23:26:21Z")
The 13th amendment of the US constitution says: Why is there a section 2? Is there a way slavery could continue in the US if they had not included Section 2? Seems to me Section 1 covers it. --- ## [Why are Octopuses so tough and flexible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-octopuses-so-tough-and-flexible/824274)
**Author:** [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [November 10, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-octopuses-so-tough-and-flexible/824274 "2018-11-10T23:24:36Z")
They can squeeze though very small holes and bend around sharp jagged edges without being cut. The common answer is, “because they’re boneless duh”. There’s more to it than that. When an octopus forces itself through … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=520) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=522)