# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=632 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 633 --- ## [How far can large military UAV's see?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-large-military-uavs-see/806080)
**Author:** [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-can-large-military-uavs-see/806080 "2018-01-09T11:39:01Z")
It’s easy to find a range of how much a UAV can fly (for example RQ 4 Global Hawk), but what about the “range” at which it can see? You can often see military UAV’s flying on public websites like Flightradar, since they … --- ## [To Much Sleep = Headache, Why Is That?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-much-sleep-headache-why-is-that/248526)
**Author:** [@JimMacMillan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimMacMillan)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [October 22, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-much-sleep-headache-why-is-that/248526 "2004-10-22T20:07:00Z")
This seems to be common to everyone I talk with. Too much sleep causes headaches. Whether it is sleeping in late or just cat napping for longer than an hour. Does anyone one know the physiological reason behind this? Ji… --- ## [Help me solve the biggest quest of my life- Why did my penis stop working normally](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-the-biggest-quest-of-my-life-why-did-my-penis-stop-working-normally/806213)
**Author:** [@iceangel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iceangel)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2018, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-solve-the-biggest-quest-of-my-life-why-did-my-penis-stop-working-normally/806213 "2018-01-09T07:52:35Z")
im 30 now…when i was 24-25 i started poping alot of research chemicals and supplements/nootropics to expand my mind. Unfortunately i might have overdosed on L-Glycine or had an adverse reaction with pramiracetam. I reme… --- ## [plumbers/pipefitters- identifying thread size](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbers-pipefitters-identifying-thread-size/805799)
**Author:** [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plumbers-pipefitters-identifying-thread-size/805799 "2018-01-09T01:37:45Z")
Ok, I’ve got this tee fitting which is pipe threaded on both outlets, but I haven’t been able to find out what the “official” thread size is. It isn’t 1/4" NPT, the threads are too fine. here’s an image: … --- ## [Why Won't A Tattoo Fade?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-a-tattoo-fade/806095)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-a-tattoo-fade/806095 "2018-01-09T01:13:53Z")
I have Googled around to find the same crude explanation why a tattoo does not fade. They all claim the needles push ink deep into the dermis layer of skin which does not flake off. I follow that, but other cells die off… --- ## [So why is it so cold right now (in North America)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-it-so-cold-right-now-in-north-america/805764)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-it-so-cold-right-now-in-north-america/805764 "2018-01-09T00:58:47Z")
A few weeks ago I was walking outside without a coat, but it has been -20F with the wind chill lately. I looked at the 10 day weather forecast, starting next week temps will be back into the 20s and 30s again. So why h… --- ## [Previously frozen food question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previously-frozen-food-question/805828)
**Author:** [@justmeetee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justmeetee)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [January 9, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previously-frozen-food-question/805828 "2018-01-09T00:18:38Z")
My local grocery has what they call a meat stock up sale about every two months that has some good prices. I live alone and on a pretty tight budget so like to take advantage of this to put some meat in my freezer. One t… --- ## [Pot now illegal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pot-now-illegal/805971)
**Author:** [@Mortimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mortimus)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pot-now-illegal/805971 "2018-01-08T23:14:58Z")
For those of you living in “pot friendly” states, what’s going on? Are dispensaries closing their doors? Is it a wait & see thing? Seems to me that if the Feds want to make a point it would be easy for them to make a … --- ## [Two traveling cases, obviously English.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-traveling-cases-obviously-english/806159)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-traveling-cases-obviously-english/806159 "2018-01-08T23:03:02Z")
I’ve been listening to a mega collection of Arthur C. Clarke stories and have recently finished The Parasite, first published in 1953. The story takes place on a Mediterranean island which is frequented by well-off tour… --- ## [Personal humidifier / large open space?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-humidifier-large-open-space/806152)
**Author:** [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/personal-humidifier-large-open-space/806152 "2018-01-08T20:31:16Z")
Our company just moved into a new office-one large room, basically. The heater blows a lot of warm, dry air into the room and it wreaks havoc on my nasal passages. Would a smaller personal humidifier near my desk do any … --- ## [Questions about Norse mythology/religion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-norse-mythology-religion/805956)
**Author:** [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-norse-mythology-religion/805956 "2018-01-08T19:28:41Z")
I just got done reading “Norse Mythology” by Neil Gaiman. It’s a good read, nothing I hadn’t read before in other mythology collections but Gaiman is a great storyteller. But anyway, it got me thinking of some things… … --- ## [Terrible upgrade of Comcast email](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-upgrade-of-comcast-email/806060)
**Author:** [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrible-upgrade-of-comcast-email/806060 "2018-01-08T19:12:01Z")
Does anyone else use Comcast email? They just released, with no warning, an upgrade which has made their email program almost unusable. It totally changes the old program, which if somewhat cumbersome, was fairly easy … --- ## [No poet, artist or composer in history has ever committed a calculated, first-degree murder?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-poet-artist-or-composer-in-history-has-ever-committed-a-calculated-first-degree-murder/805813)
**Author:** [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Replies:** 85\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-poet-artist-or-composer-in-history-has-ever-committed-a-calculated-first-degree-murder/805813 "2018-01-08T18:58:35Z")
I’ve just finished reading an interesting book, ‘A Criminal History of Mankind’ by Colin Wilson. In it the author makes the above claim, is it true? I imagine the words ‘calculated’ and ‘first-degree’ leave a little def… --- ## [The word "jerk" and semantic drift](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-jerk-and-semantic-drift/805889)
**Author:** [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-jerk-and-semantic-drift/805889 "2018-01-08T17:38:30Z")
I was just talking with my wife about the Steve Martin film “The Jerk,” and got to wondering: Has the term “jerk” undergone semantic drift over the years? I grew up in the 80s, and the whole time the word was pretty much… --- ## [Building construction](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-construction/805945)
**Author:** [@Iwanano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iwanano)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-construction/805945 "2018-01-08T05:32:48Z")
Why does it take so much more time to construct a building today than years ago.? Example : freedom tower 10 years, empire state bldg.1 yr 45 days. No tower cranes in 1930 --- ## [Aquarium Canister Filters - what are the design challenges?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-canister-filters-what-are-the-design-challenges/806027)
**Author:** [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aquarium-canister-filters-what-are-the-design-challenges/806027 "2018-01-08T04:52:47Z")
I’m just after spending three hours trying to re-start my aquarium filter. I just can’t comprehend why this is so difficult? It’s a simple water pump, sending water through a filter, and then back into the aquarium. Th… --- ## [How do I buy a vehicle out of state?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-buy-a-vehicle-out-of-state/805962)
**Author:** [@molten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/molten)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-buy-a-vehicle-out-of-state/805962 "2018-01-08T03:37:42Z")
I bought a scooter on eBay. The seller is located in Missouri, but the vehicle owner is in Arkansas and I am in Illinois. I want to make sure both the seller and I do all the correct steps, and he appears to be inexperi… --- ## [Security threats to computer chips- how to proceed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-threats-to-computer-chips-how-to-proceed/805981)
**Author:** [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [January 8, 2018, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/security-threats-to-computer-chips-how-to-proceed/805981 "2018-01-08T00:32:58Z")
Been following the stories for a few days. Sufficiently impressed that this isn’t just a Chicken Little situation. Here’s the thing. I use an Android phone. I asked it to look for software updates a few days ago. No upd… --- ## [What is this thing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/805997)
**Author:** [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-thing/805997 "2018-01-07T23:37:32Z")
Another mystery object. But I put this in GQ, because I’m sure someone here will know exactly what this thingis. Cropped from a reddit post about tea. Those tubes remind me of the tubes that used to be in the backs of T… --- ## [Powerwashed Chromebook. (It disappeared)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerwashed-chromebook-it-disappeared/806029)
**Author:** [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/powerwashed-chromebook-it-disappeared/806029 "2018-01-07T22:57:56Z")
So, I “powerwashed” my chromebook and it will not access the Internet. Did I ruin it? --- ## [Does anyone using Sandboxie encounter this program?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-using-sandboxie-encounter-this-program/806019)
**Author:** [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-using-sandboxie-encounter-this-program/806019 "2018-01-07T13:11:36Z")
My Sandboxie program served me well since May 2016. Suddenly it says that it is “incompatible with this version of Windows”. If anyone is an expert on Sandboxie, I would appreciate your help. --- ## [Were Polaris missiles ever removed from Italy after the Cuban Missile Crisis?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-polaris-missiles-ever-removed-from-italy-after-the-cuban-missile-crisis/805843)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-polaris-missiles-ever-removed-from-italy-after-the-cuban-missile-crisis/805843 "2018-01-07T13:07:14Z")
Hi Were Polaris missiles ever removed from Italy as part of the agreement that ended the Cuban Missile Crisis? If not, why not? I look forward to your feedback. --- ## [What happens if you literally eat shit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-literally-eat-shit/804977)
**Author:** [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-you-literally-eat-shit/804977 "2018-01-07T11:56:22Z")
I know urine is generally sterile and won’t cause problems if ingested. If someone literally eats shit, will they die?? --- ## [Do pistons stop in an engine when reversing direction?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-pistons-stop-in-an-engine-when-reversing-direction/39913)
**Author:** [@Bee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bee)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-pistons-stop-in-an-engine-when-reversing-direction/39913 "2018-01-07T11:13:18Z")
Someone asked me this and it made me wonder. When an engine is running,does the piston come to a complete stop for an instant when it changes its stroke? If so,why doesn’t it tear the engine apart? If not,how can it NOT … --- ## [Recommendations for expat websites?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-expat-websites/805996)
**Author:** [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommendations-for-expat-websites/805996 "2018-01-07T04:54:36Z")
Good day, A couple of days ago I received a recruiting email from a company in UAE. I am interested, within reason, in pursuing this but this would obviously entail some significant consequences and implications, so I’m… --- ## [Thermostatically controlled radiator valve actuator - does such a device exist?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thermostatically-controlled-radiator-valve-actuator-does-such-a-device-exist/805922)
**Author:** [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thermostatically-controlled-radiator-valve-actuator-does-such-a-device-exist/805922 "2018-01-07T03:04:48Z")
(I was debating whether this question was more appropriate for GQ or IMHO, but since this question hopefully has a factual answer, I’m putting it here) I live in a NYC high rise co-op with hot water radiators behind she… --- ## [Engine Valve Cover Leak](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engine-valve-cover-leak/805951)
**Author:** [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 7, 2018, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/engine-valve-cover-leak/805951 "2018-01-07T02:51:30Z")
On my 02 Cavalier (4 cyl) I noticed that the valve cover seeps a small amount of oil by the seams. Not enough to cause any significant loss between oil changes though. I am quite tired of taking it in to fix little issue… --- ## [Recommend Photo Collage Making Software or App (preferably free)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-photo-collage-making-software-or-app-preferably-free/805965)
**Author:** [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [January 6, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-photo-collage-making-software-or-app-preferably-free/805965 "2018-01-06T19:40:16Z")
I am in need of software or an app (preferably free) to make a collage for use as my computer wallpaper. Back in the day, I used Picasa for this but Picasa is no more, sadly. What recommendations do you wonderful, brilli… --- ## [How competent is the military of China?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-competent-is-the-military-of-china/805812)
**Author:** [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [January 6, 2018, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-competent-is-the-military-of-china/805812 "2018-01-06T19:15:50Z")
Obviously we’ve all been hearing a lot about CHINA, usually in the context of very unpleasant scenarios that might involve the deployment of their military. A recent thread about the competence of military leadership and… --- ## [Why do school bus drivers open the door at railroad tracks?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [January 6, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-school-bus-drivers-open-the-door-at-railroad-tracks/800036 "2018-01-06T17:35:36Z")
Everyone knows that all school bus drivers everywhere (and other kinds of charter bus drivers too?) stop at all railroad tracks, and have always done so since the invention of school bus drivers. But I’ve noticed that w… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=631) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=633)