# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=6 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 7 --- ## [Is it possible to buy a new car that doesn't track you?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-buy-a-new-car-that-doesnt-track-you/1023843)
**Author:** [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [July 12, 2026, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-buy-a-new-car-that-doesnt-track-you/1023843 "2026-07-12T03:39:21Z")
I was reading recently about insurance companies buying flawed information from OnStar and unfairly raising people’s insurance rates. It got me wondering, is there any modern car brand that doesn’t include a tracking fe… --- ## [What is the science behind talent?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-science-behind-talent/1031400)
**Author:** [@Xarrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xarrot)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [July 10, 2026, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-science-behind-talent/1031400 "2026-07-10T00:56:39Z")
I know that tone deafness is inherited, but I don’t know about other things that could make you inherently good at something. --- ## [Who is Apple reporting my spam calls to, and does it ever help to reduce spam calls?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-apple-reporting-my-spam-calls-to-and-does-it-ever-help-to-reduce-spam-calls/1031516)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2026, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-apple-reporting-my-spam-calls-to-and-does-it-ever-help-to-reduce-spam-calls/1031516 "2026-07-09T19:52:51Z")
Mods: I think there should be a factual answer, but if this isn’t the right forum for this question feel free to move it. My Apple iPhone 17 is currently set to silence all calls from unsaved numbers, which works as adv… --- ## [Do we know where the term “white” as synonym for “Caucasian” originated?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-know-where-the-term-white-as-synonym-for-caucasian-originated/1031469)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 9, 2026, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-know-where-the-term-white-as-synonym-for-caucasian-originated/1031469 "2026-07-09T11:38:00Z")
A Twitter post claims that the phrase “white people” to refer to Caucasians generally is a relatively modern American invention. It feels at least sensible to me, but do we know either way? --- ## [Was Easter originally set in the spring because of the "rebirth" of growing things at that time of year?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-easter-originally-set-in-the-spring-because-of-the-rebirth-of-growing-things-at-that-time-of-year/1030117)
**Author:** [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Replies:** 67\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-easter-originally-set-in-the-spring-because-of-the-rebirth-of-growing-things-at-that-time-of-year/1030117 "2026-07-08T20:09:32Z")
Not having been taught in any Christian tradition, I have just recently noticed the parallel between spring - with all the new growth, the emergence of plants that seemed dead, the blossoming of all of nature,etc. - and… --- ## [Prednisone: will a short course make me puffy & fat?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prednisone-will-a-short-course-make-me-puffy-fat/230109)
**Author:** [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Replies:** 46\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2026, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prednisone-will-a-short-course-make-me-puffy-fat/230109 "2026-07-08T15:29:58Z")
I went to the dermatologist today for my eczema-cracked hands. It’s gotten so painful that I can barely type or open a bottle or put my hands in my pockets. (I’ve tried those new non-steroid ointments with no improvement… --- ## [Speed of light=time stands still?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-of-light-time-stands-still/1031271)
**Author:** [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2026, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-of-light-time-stands-still/1031271 "2026-07-08T12:15:46Z")
In this video, Neil DeGrasse Tyson describes the photon as timeless…experiencing no passage of time as it transverses distance. Why Photons Experience No Time :atom\_symbol: #space #timeexploration #universe #cosmicexplo… --- ## [E-check question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-check-question/1031225)
**Author:** [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2026, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/e-check-question/1031225 "2026-07-08T10:37:43Z")
When I use an e-check to pay for something online (say my local taxes), all I need is my routing number, account number, and my name. All of that is available on the physical check, too. What stops someone who I’ve pai… --- ## [Mounting the SSD from a failed HP Envy to get the files off](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mounting-the-ssd-from-a-failed-hp-envy-to-get-the-files-off/1031159)
**Author:** [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 6, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mounting-the-ssd-from-a-failed-hp-envy-to-get-the-files-off/1031159 "2026-07-06T15:21:22Z")
I have a dead HP Envy 2-in-1 14" laptop and I want to get the files off the drive. The storage media on it is an M2 NVMe SSD; I removed it carefully and inserted it into a UGreen enclosure that lets me attach it to my M… --- ## [Name of old Apple II game](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-old-apple-ii-game/87669)
**Author:** [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 5, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-of-old-apple-ii-game/87669 "2026-07-05T17:35:13Z")
My brother and I were nostalgically recalling an old game he had on an Apple II compatible which was primitive compared to today’s games (of course) but lots of fun. I wondered if you could get a version that would run o… --- ## [How do I move Safari on my toolbar?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-move-safari-on-my-toolbar/1031429)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 5, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-move-safari-on-my-toolbar/1031429 "2026-07-05T02:48:43Z")
Somehow, the Safari icon ended up at the bottom of my toolbar instead of the top. How do I move it back up? --- ## [Are there any known non-rotating black holes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-known-non-rotating-black-holes/1031392)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 4, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-known-non-rotating-black-holes/1031392 "2026-07-04T22:50:08Z")
I was reading an interesting article on photon spheres… And there was a mention of non-rotating black holes. A first thought is that conservation of angular momentum would prevent them. Googling around a bit I found th… --- ## [Etan Patz. Conviction based solely on confession](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etan-patz-conviction-based-solely-on-confession/623090)
**Author:** [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [July 4, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etan-patz-conviction-based-solely-on-confession/623090 "2026-07-04T16:25:51Z")
This is actually a general question, not necessarily about this particular case. The currently reported facts: Someone confessed to kidnapping and killing Etan Patz. There is no physical evidence. There are no witnes… --- ## [Dissenting SCOTUS votes on birthright citizenship](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dissenting-scotus-votes-on-birthright-citizenship/1031300)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [July 4, 2026, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dissenting-scotus-votes-on-birthright-citizenship/1031300 "2026-07-04T13:46:49Z")
What was the rationale for the dissenting votes? --- ## [Delivery price difference](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delivery-price-difference/1031334)
**Author:** [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [July 4, 2026, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/delivery-price-difference/1031334 "2026-07-04T05:55:07Z")
I notice when I use a delivery service for food or groceries, the price I pay through them is not the same price as in store/restaurant. So a $4 burger at McD will cost me $5 through DoorDash/Uber/x, so who gets the extr… --- ## [What sort of warship is this? (1963 pic)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sort-of-warship-is-this-1963-pic/1031372)
**Author:** [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 4, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-sort-of-warship-is-this-1963-pic/1031372 "2026-07-04T01:39:55Z")
Is it called a cruiser? Are those Terriers? What other armament does it have? --- ## [How did the US telegraph system work during Civil War?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-telegraph-system-work-during-civil-war/1031311)
**Author:** [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [July 3, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-us-telegraph-system-work-during-civil-war/1031311 "2026-07-03T16:08:56Z")
Bruce Catton says “On December 24 \[1864\] Sherman sent Lincoln a whimsical telegram, offering him the city of Savannah as a Christmas present.” Had North and South agreed to keep the nationwide system working, or what? H… --- ## [What is the ideal fission reactor for energy production?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ideal-fission-reactor-for-energy-production/1031319)
**Author:** [@spacecadet86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spacecadet86)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ideal-fission-reactor-for-energy-production/1031319 "2026-07-02T16:51:28Z")
I understand that PWR type reactors are ubiquitous because they are submarine reactors at a fundamental level. Shippingport was derived from submarine PWRs in 1957. However, there is another more simple type of fission r… --- ## [How long would ice last in orbit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-ice-last-in-orbit/1031310)
**Author:** [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-ice-last-in-orbit/1031310 "2026-07-02T11:58:45Z")
Let’s imagine that the Artemis astronauts had a train-style toilet that dumped into space. Actually, we don’t have to imagine that; Apollo and Artemis both vented urine to vacuum. Videos show a coruscating rush of glitte… --- ## [How far from your front door does "The Castle Doctrine" extend? \[Please answer for your specific state\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-from-your-front-door-does-the-castle-doctrine-extend-please-answer-for-your-specific-state/1031259)
**Author:** [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-from-your-front-door-does-the-castle-doctrine-extend-please-answer-for-your-specific-state/1031259 "2026-07-02T11:24:23Z")
Ahhhhh, Facebook Reels. Endlessly tweaking algorithms to suit my fancy. For some reason, for the last few weeks I’ve been seeing a ton of home surveillance videos. Some daytime- usually porch pirates. Others nighttime. … --- ## [Chicago - Pick-Up Trucks - Restrictions Part II](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pick-up-trucks-restrictions-part-ii/1031341)
**Author:** [@19USMC69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/19USMC69)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pick-up-trucks-restrictions-part-ii/1031341 "2026-07-02T03:08:41Z")
A while back I inquired about non-commercial pick up trucks on Lake Shore Drive. Most replies indicated much was up to an officer’s discretion. Here’s Part II: A friend will be in Chicago soon. He’s from California. … --- ## [What is a 'murder book'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-murder-book/1031278)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-murder-book/1031278 "2026-07-01T17:47:47Z")
We were watching a crime show last night and in it they made reference to, and showed, a murder book. It was a folder about an inch thick. This wasn’t the first show we’ve seen referring to this. But what exactly is a m… --- ## [Help me parse this 18th-century missive (about Independence Day celebrations)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-parse-this-18th-century-missive-about-independence-day-celebrations/1031299)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-parse-this-18th-century-missive-about-independence-day-celebrations/1031299 "2026-07-01T16:26:15Z")
John Adams placed himself on the wrong side of history, famously advocating, in a letter to his wife, that the 2nd of July (the date the Continental Congress actually voted to declare independence) would be forever celeb… --- ## [Would nuclear fusion ever be practical for marine propulsion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-nuclear-fusion-ever-be-practical-for-marine-propulsion/1031233)
**Author:** [@spacecadet86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spacecadet86)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-nuclear-fusion-ever-be-practical-for-marine-propulsion/1031233 "2026-06-30T21:13:12Z")
The navy has plenty of nuclear carriers and submarines operating by splitting atoms instead of combining them. If ever fusion reactors on land start generating a great deal more energy than is put into them to get fusion… --- ## [What was the point of victory gardens?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-victory-gardens/1030813)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 137\ **Last updated:** [June 30, 2026, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-point-of-victory-gardens/1030813 "2026-06-30T13:11:35Z")
During World Wars One and Two, Americans (and people in other countries) were encouraged to have “victory gardens”. These were gardens planted with vegetable in people’s backyards and such. I’m not clear what the point … --- ## [Pissed-off tourists beating up pickpockets in Europe](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissed-off-tourists-beating-up-pickpockets-in-europe/1029546)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 105\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissed-off-tourists-beating-up-pickpockets-in-europe/1029546 "2026-06-29T21:55:58Z")
So the latest weird genre of YouTube videos that The Algorithm thinks I’m interested in involves tourists getting fed up with pickpockets in Rome or Paris or wherever and putting down some “extra-judicial” punishment on … --- ## [How much power can you get from a USC-C port with just simple wiring?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-power-can-you-get-from-a-usc-c-port-with-just-simple-wiring/1031252)
**Author:** [@LivingGhost371](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LivingGhost371)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-power-can-you-get-from-a-usc-c-port-with-just-simple-wiring/1031252 "2026-06-29T20:59:28Z")
I set up miniature Halloween and Christmas Villages. One of the larger manufacturers is switching to having their pieces powered by USB A or C ports instead of DC barrell connections. They appear to just draw power from … --- ## [Bilingual anagrams](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bilingual-anagrams/1030867)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2026, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bilingual-anagrams/1030867 "2026-06-29T14:12:15Z")
I’ve noticed a handful of bilingual anagrams where the words mean the same thing. Note that the words have to be spelled differently in the two languages but with the same set of letters. So the fact that every language … --- ## [If a burglar drops something of his while burgling my home, is it mine?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-burglar-drops-something-of-his-while-burgling-my-home-is-it-mine/1030340)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 98\ **Last updated:** [June 28, 2026, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-a-burglar-drops-something-of-his-while-burgling-my-home-is-it-mine/1030340 "2026-06-28T19:39:32Z")
Let’s say that a burglar breaks in, and my trusty rottweiler Mayhem gives him The Business. In the process of running out the door, he drops his gold chain. Is it legally mine now? --- ## [Are solar panels helpful for apartment buildings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-solar-panels-helpful-for-apartment-buildings/1030913)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [June 28, 2026, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-solar-panels-helpful-for-apartment-buildings/1030913 "2026-06-28T09:50:04Z")
The building where I live is looking for ways to lower costs and save money. Obviously, we’d need some outside help in putting solar panels on the roof. Is there a specific type of company or program I should research? O… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=7)