# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=56 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 57 --- ## [Libre Office question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/libre-office-question/1014017)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [February 7, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/libre-office-question/1014017 "2025-02-07T18:53:32Z")
I’ve created a 10x10 grid to be used in our Super Bowl pool. I’ve written the name of one team across the top. I’d like to turn the page 90 degrees and type the name of the other team along the side. I can’t find a wa… --- ## [Pet insurance coordination of benefits](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-insurance-coordination-of-benefits/1009358)
**Author:** [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 7, 2025, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-insurance-coordination-of-benefits/1009358 "2025-02-07T15:17:43Z")
My baby gurl has what is believed to be a torn ACL. She is going for x-ray/imaging to confirm, & then surgery after that to fix it if it is what the vet suspects. We have some insurance for her; covers 50% up to $4000/… --- ## [What was the US military doing in Lebanon in 1958?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-us-military-doing-in-lebanon-in-1958/1013984)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [February 7, 2025, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-us-military-doing-in-lebanon-in-1958/1013984 "2025-02-07T03:26:01Z")
I was talking to my uncle today, who was in the US Marines from 1956-1958. He said that toward the end of his enlistment his unit was packed and ready to deploy to Lebanon but it got called off at the last moment. What … --- ## [Are All Consumer Goods Marked "Made in" If Not Domestic?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-consumer-goods-marked-made-in-if-not-domestic/1013756)
**Author:** [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [February 6, 2025, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-all-consumer-goods-marked-made-in-if-not-domestic/1013756 "2025-02-06T20:13:39Z")
In the U.S., is everything retail, and subject to new 25 percent tariffs, marked “Made in Mexico” or Made in Canada?" Or are those markings discretionary? I’m thinking that bread flour, for example, might be mostly made… --- ## [Federated account management, consolidated publishing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federated-account-management-consolidated-publishing/1013962)
**Author:** [@Hapy-Mizri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hapy-Mizri)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 6, 2025, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/federated-account-management-consolidated-publishing/1013962 "2025-02-06T19:22:07Z")
I have too many online accounts. I’d like to branch out into noncorporate platforms or protocols where I have more control, but that would be way too many online accounts. Is there a way to consolidate my composition and… --- ## [What does microwave 'reheat only' actually mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-microwave-reheat-only-actually-mean/1013815)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [February 6, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-microwave-reheat-only-actually-mean/1013815 "2025-02-06T19:23:58Z")
And have I been leaching dangerous levels of plastic into my body for the past several decades? For my purposes, I use the microwave for making up my morning breakfast cereal, and reheating stuff like rice and take-out … --- ## [What the heck is vinegar and what is it even made from?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-vinegar-and-what-is-it-even-made-from/1013780)
**Author:** [@MNiebs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MNiebs)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [February 6, 2025, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-vinegar-and-what-is-it-even-made-from/1013780 "2025-02-06T16:27:12Z")
As I was cleaning my windows with vinegar and water, I realized that I don’t even know what vinegar is made from. What is it? --- ## [Rare Earth elements](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rare-earth-elements/1013883)
**Author:** [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [February 6, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rare-earth-elements/1013883 "2025-02-06T16:09:56Z")
Prompted by the headline but let’s not get into Trump and politics if we can avoid it. As I understand it, the ‘rare earth’ elements are not really that rare in terms of absolute percentages. And surely in a country… --- ## [How long does an Estate last?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-an-estate-last/1013934)
**Author:** [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 6, 2025, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-an-estate-last/1013934 "2025-02-06T15:32:58Z")
An estate is a legal entity created in the absence of a person (presumably by death). Claims on an estate can last initially during probate, the time immediately after the death of an individual to when assets are beque… --- ## [Double letter endings in French](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-letter-endings-in-french/1013546)
**Author:** [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [February 5, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-letter-endings-in-french/1013546 "2025-02-05T20:54:09Z")
The French language is notable for its dependence on whether certain final letters in words are part of the pronunciation. I was taught the mnemonic CaReFuL for the four consonants that always had to be pronounced. That… --- ## [Is it practical to build very fire resistant homes in LA?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-practical-to-build-very-fire-resistant-homes-in-la/1012838)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 93\ **Last updated:** [February 5, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-practical-to-build-very-fire-resistant-homes-in-la/1012838 "2025-02-05T17:43:57Z")
I suppose there will be plenty of new home building happening in LA in the near future. To what extent will these new homes be designed specifically with fire resistance? How resistant can they realistically be made? Wha… --- ## [Why are so many videos online backwards?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-videos-online-backwards/1013826)
**Author:** [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [February 5, 2025, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-videos-online-backwards/1013826 "2025-02-05T03:13:18Z")
YouTube, etc… There are a lot of videos online that are mirror image AKA backwards. Looks like the steering wheel on a car is on the right side, and so on. Why? --- ## ["dissolving" oil in ethanol](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dissolving-oil-in-ethanol/1013813)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dissolving-oil-in-ethanol/1013813 "2025-02-04T23:09:34Z")
If I dissolve table salt (NaCl) in water, it breaks down into Na+ and Cl- ions. If I then evaporate the water away, the ions recombine and I get my salt back, chemically identical to what I started with. If I “dissolve… --- ## [Is anything made out of actual cellophane anymore?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anything-made-out-of-actual-cellophane-anymore/1013848)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anything-made-out-of-actual-cellophane-anymore/1013848 "2025-02-04T18:49:03Z")
Cellophane, a clear somewhat brittle substance made from processed cellulose (hence the name) used to be THE substance that envelope and cardboard food box windows was made of. Apparently it’s been long superseded by alt… --- ## [What is the word for 250th anniversary?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-250th-anniversary/1013799)
**Author:** [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-word-for-250th-anniversary/1013799 "2025-02-04T14:20:40Z")
In 1876, America celebrated its centennial. In 1926, she celebrated a sesquicentennial, and in 1976, a bicentennial. Is there a commonly accepted word to designate a 250th anniversary, or are we going to be stuck with f… --- ## [Oil changes and used cars](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-changes-and-used-cars/1013077)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [February 4, 2025, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-changes-and-used-cars/1013077 "2025-02-04T12:02:41Z")
Suppose one is looking at a used car that has little or no documented history of oil changes. Would a compression test or (any other test) be indicative of proper maintenance? Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t a sensor … --- ## [Are our colour terms linked to a contiguous part of the spectrum?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-colour-terms-linked-to-a-contiguous-part-of-the-spectrum/1013617)
**Author:** [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-our-colour-terms-linked-to-a-contiguous-part-of-the-spectrum/1013617 "2025-02-03T19:58:19Z")
Wikipedia tells me that “red” is the colour whose dominant wavelength is between 625 and 740 nanometres; there are similar definitions for other colours (e.g. blue 450-495 nm, green 495-570 nm, etc.). Does this mean that… --- ## [Do you need to pay sales tax on car rental insurance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-pay-sales-tax-on-car-rental-insurance/1013834)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-need-to-pay-sales-tax-on-car-rental-insurance/1013834 "2025-02-03T19:42:51Z")
I traveled recently and rented a car. The total cost came with many, many fees/taxes. Reviewing the sales receipt it seems I was charged tax on the insurance coverage I bought from the rental agency (yes, stupidly expe… --- ## [Carry on luggage](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-luggage/1013706)
**Author:** [@mglambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mglambo)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carry-on-luggage/1013706 "2025-02-03T18:24:02Z")
I’m trying to.buy a backpack type of luggage for a trip. It appears that the typical dimensions allowed for carry on is 22× 14 × 9. Do all domestic USA airlines stick to these dimensions? Are they very strict? Any reco… --- ## [Is there a term of art of this business practice (leaving old, uncompetitive pricing plans alive while selling competitive plans to new customers?)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-of-art-of-this-business-practice-leaving-old-uncompetitive-pricing-plans-alive-while-selling-competitive-plans-to-new-customers/1012914)
**Author:** [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-term-of-art-of-this-business-practice-leaving-old-uncompetitive-pricing-plans-alive-while-selling-competitive-plans-to-new-customers/1012914 "2025-02-03T15:42:48Z")
Something that I noticed with both my mobile phone/mobile data accounts and my web hosting accounts (in both cases I have the customer of the same companies for more than two decades now): Technological progress and co… --- ## [Why did COVID kill 24 hour shopping?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-covid-kill-24-hour-shopping/1013569)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [February 3, 2025, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-covid-kill-24-hour-shopping/1013569 "2025-02-03T01:13:30Z")
I get that correlation does not equal causation but assuming that the pandemic put an end to some stores like Walmart being open 24 hours, why? If they weren’t profitable operating at those hours, why did it take COVID … --- ## [Are there any known cases of vacuum or lawnmower robots being banned in sensitive locations?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-known-cases-of-vacuum-or-lawnmower-robots-being-banned-in-sensitive-locations/1013677)
**Author:** [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-known-cases-of-vacuum-or-lawnmower-robots-being-banned-in-sensitive-locations/1013677 "2025-02-02T19:54:56Z")
If I wanted to spy on a sensitive location (say, a military base or an industrial R&D office developing cutting edge technology) one method might be to supply vacuum robots or lawnmower robots enhanced to look and listen… --- ## [Condensed matter?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condensed-matter/1013702)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 2, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/condensed-matter/1013702 "2025-02-02T01:38:10Z")
Is there a relatively easy way to explain condensed matter and how it is condensed. Does it continue to condense as in " Time and pressure". Does it’s tolerance for heat go up as it condenses? --- ## [Cosmic Microwave Background q](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmic-microwave-background-q/1013633)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2025, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cosmic-microwave-background-q/1013633 "2025-02-01T22:32:36Z")
What distinguishes the CMB as primordial, rather than just the background temperature of intergalactic gas and dust? --- ## [Was Valley Forge unusually cold when Washington was there?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-valley-forge-unusually-cold-when-washington-was-there/1013257)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-valley-forge-unusually-cold-when-washington-was-there/1013257 "2025-02-01T21:41:17Z")
American school kids are often taught (or at least I was) that the American army’s time at Valley Forge was a cold and brutal period. Was it an unusually frigid winter, or has this been somewhat exaggerated? --- ## [Could Congress unilaterally change Puerto Rico's status?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-congress-unilaterally-change-puerto-ricos-status/1013595)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-congress-unilaterally-change-puerto-ricos-status/1013595 "2025-02-01T21:37:21Z")
Could Congress unilaterally change the status of Puerto Rico? I can’t think of anything in the US Constitution that would prevent Congress from putting it under direct rule or even forcing it’s independence like Malaysia… --- ## [How fervently did the British government, Margaret Thatcher in particular, oppress the Welsh language in the 1980s](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fervently-did-the-british-government-margaret-thatcher-in-particular-oppress-the-welsh-language-in-the-1980s/1013308)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2025, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fervently-did-the-british-government-margaret-thatcher-in-particular-oppress-the-welsh-language-in-the-1980s/1013308 "2025-02-01T14:59:02Z")
I learned via watching Welcome to Wrexham that the English suppressed the Welsh language because reasons, probably principally because suppressing language is a tool of governments to oppress minority groups. In or aroun… --- ## [Mouse problem, adding extra letters quickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-problem-adding-extra-letters-quickly/1013468)
**Author:** [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouse-problem-adding-extra-letters-quickly/1013468 "2025-02-01T14:20:11Z")
My mouse started behaving erratically. When i write on my virtual keyboard, it has starting adding extrra letters (as you could see when i wrote extra). It double clicks my letters very frequently, which seems really str… --- ## [Do light waves exhibit interference?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-light-waves-exhibit-interference/1013656)
**Author:** [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [February 1, 2025, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-light-waves-exhibit-interference/1013656 "2025-02-01T00:45:35Z")
You throw a rock into a lake, and it causes ripples. Throw another one into the ripples and that creates ripples, that change as they hit each other. Sound blocking headphones create sound waves that cancel out the sou… --- ## [Aircraft and Radar](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-and-radar/1013663)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 31, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aircraft-and-radar/1013663 "2025-01-31T21:41:57Z")
In view of the recent tragedy at Reagan National, I’d like to understand with factual responses: a) Do commercial aircraft use their radar all the time, or only certain times? And, I believe I once heard it is not used … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=55) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=57)