# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=636 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 637 --- ## [Math help, please](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-help-please/804391)
**Author:** [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/math-help-please/804391 "2017-12-29T15:42:39Z")
I’m 70, so no, this isn’t homework. I’m usually pretty good at this stuff, but this has me stumped. I’m planning to make mince tarts this week, which requires pie dough cut into small circles, say about 3" in diameter. R… --- ## [How much of a real threat is the Kessler syndrome](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-real-threat-is-the-kessler-syndrome/805372)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-of-a-real-threat-is-the-kessler-syndrome/805372 "2017-12-29T13:48:28Z")
I just found out about the Kessler syndrome. Basically it posits that as more and more space debris collides (breaking into smaller and smaller pieces), the Earth will become shrouded in a basically impenetrable shield t… --- ## [Asian currency: maybe during occupation after WWII](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-currency-maybe-during-occupation-after-wwii/805409)
**Author:** [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-currency-maybe-during-occupation-after-wwii/805409 "2017-12-29T13:27:03Z")
I dug through my uncles old things the other day (He died in 1980), and found these currency notes that had probably been in his wallet for years. He was in the Marines during WWII, but I don’t think he saw much beyond … --- ## [Surviving a nuclear detonation in the subway](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-a-nuclear-detonation-in-the-subway/805449)
**Author:** [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/surviving-a-nuclear-detonation-in-the-subway/805449 "2017-12-29T13:14:15Z")
Suppose a 20kt bomb explodes in a major metropolitan area just as people are waiting on a subway platform underground. Aside the possibility/likelihood of tunnel collapse, how safe are people from the fireball and blast… --- ## [Information on log in](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/information-on-log-in/805500)
**Author:** [@INFOSEEKER\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/INFOSEEKER_II)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/information-on-log-in/805500 "2017-12-29T12:19:14Z")
I just registered a few moments ago. I need to put an icon on the desktop for quick access to the forum. Does anyone know how to get the icon on the desktop? Will be much appreciated. INFOSEEKER II --- ## [How many 'layers' of potential prosecutors exist in America](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-layers-of-potential-prosecutors-exist-in-america/805423)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-layers-of-potential-prosecutors-exist-in-america/805423 "2017-12-29T09:48:11Z")
I believe there are six layers of judges, three on the state and three on the federal. District, appellate and Supreme. With law enforcement you have city, county, state and federal. There are also a ton of law enforcem… --- ## [USB Flash drive repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usb-flash-drive-repair/804857)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2017, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usb-flash-drive-repair/804857 "2017-12-29T09:12:24Z")
I have a USB flash drive that ripped part of a computer’s USB port out when I last used it. The plastic piece in the middle of the port is stuck inside the drive. Is it possible to remove this without ruining it? --- ## [Could I get a 900 number as my personal phone number?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-get-a-900-number-as-my-personal-phone-number/358523)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2006, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-i-get-a-900-number-as-my-personal-phone-number/358523 "2006-05-30T20:42:48Z")
Is it possible for a private citizen to have a 900 number as their personal home phone number? --- ## [Could you use a parachute as a carry-on when you board an airplane?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-use-a-parachute-as-a-carry-on-when-you-board-an-airplane/805125)
**Author:** [@AI\_Proofreader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AI_Proofreader)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-use-a-parachute-as-a-carry-on-when-you-board-an-airplane/805125 "2017-12-28T21:44:27Z")
This got me wondering… is there any regulation against passengers carrying-on a parachute onto an airplane? If not, what would be the practical hurdles someone would have to overcome to use it if the plane were going do… --- ## [What Should I Conclude from These DNA Tests?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-conclude-from-these-dna-tests/805242)
**Author:** [@LordHarry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordHarry)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-conclude-from-these-dna-tests/805242 "2017-12-28T21:39:40Z")
Ok, some background- My family is quite toxic. I am not in contact with them, and it’s not going to be safe to contact them to ask questions, regardless of how convenient that might be. My family tree is quite well docu… --- ## [What military tactics are used against armed gunmen firing from buildings full of civilians](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-military-tactics-are-used-against-armed-gunmen-firing-from-buildings-full-of-civilians/805370)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-military-tactics-are-used-against-armed-gunmen-firing-from-buildings-full-of-civilians/805370 "2017-12-28T17:44:08Z")
I was watching something about ISIS on the news, and about how they are almost eliminated. Thats good, but I’m curious as to what military tactics are effective against what ISIS was doing on the news. ISIS were in a mu… --- ## [Why can't I listen to complete podcasts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-listen-to-complete-podcasts/805437)
**Author:** [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-i-listen-to-complete-podcasts/805437 "2017-12-28T17:03:20Z")
I have usually been able to listen to complete podcasts, but recently some of them just stop after about 5 or 10 minutes. When I try to replay them, they seem to stop at about the same point. That leads me to believe t… --- ## [Kitchen utensils: scouring white stains out of stainless steel pan](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-utensils-scouring-white-stains-out-of-stainless-steel-pan/805441)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kitchen-utensils-scouring-white-stains-out-of-stainless-steel-pan/805441 "2017-12-28T16:53:26Z")
We recently got a new stainless steel pan. We’ve been using it on the burners of our gas stove, on a regular basis. Small, pale white spots have appeared on the bottom of the inside of the pan…we live in the Los Angeles … --- ## [It's wintertime....Are any self-driving cars driving in snow yet?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-wintertime-are-any-self-driving-cars-driving-in-snow-yet/805454)
**Author:** [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-wintertime-are-any-self-driving-cars-driving-in-snow-yet/805454 "2017-12-28T16:19:41Z")
There’s been a lot of hype in the news about self-driving cars. (and there have been a lot of threads here, too :slight\_smile: ) This is GQ, and I don’t want to re-hash the old questions about how long it will take f… --- ## [Where can I find thousands of images of todlers for free? (not as creepy as it sounds)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-thousands-of-images-of-todlers-for-free-not-as-creepy-as-it-sounds/805319)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-thousands-of-images-of-todlers-for-free-not-as-creepy-as-it-sounds/805319 "2017-12-28T15:18:30Z")
I have been messing around with machine learning lately. I am currently quite interested in the deep dream (google search) concept. For those who don’t know: the idea is that you train a network to identify certain imag… --- ## [What is the age limit for drinking on international Delta flights?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-age-limit-for-drinking-on-international-delta-flights/805282)
**Author:** [@rastafarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rastafarian)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-age-limit-for-drinking-on-international-delta-flights/805282 "2017-12-28T13:50:30Z")
I’ll be travelling from DUB airport to JFK in a couple of days. It’s an international Delta flight that’s just about 8 hours long. I’m 20 so not yet 21 (next May). It’s legal to drink alcohol here in the Republic of Ire… --- ## [Mazda Protoge engine shuts off](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mazda-protoge-engine-shuts-off/805358)
**Author:** [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mazda-protoge-engine-shuts-off/805358 "2017-12-28T06:29:06Z")
I have a 2002 Mazda Protoge (I hate this little car - it drives like a go-cart) that my kids mostly drive. Lately it has developed a weird problem where the engine shuts off for a few seconds. It might only shut off for … --- ## [Positive Train Control](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/positive-train-control/804925)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/positive-train-control/804925 "2017-12-28T06:18:46Z")
As I understand it, PTC involves communication between the train, centralized dispatch and sensors in or along side the track. My question is this - when it comes to controlling the speed why is there any communication r… --- ## [Did Princess (Now Queen) Elizabeth Actually \*Do\* Anything In Her WWII Service?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-princess-now-queen-elizabeth-actually-do-anything-in-her-wwii-service/805057)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-princess-now-queen-elizabeth-actually-do-anything-in-her-wwii-service/805057 "2017-12-28T05:11:17Z")
Elizabeth, who was a 19-year-old princess at the time (and would later become Queen), spent a few months in the Auxiliary Territorial Service at the tail end of WWII. She trained as a driver and as a mechanic, and I’ve s… --- ## [why does tiger not kill man who pulls tiger's tooth?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-tiger-not-kill-man-who-pulls-tigers-tooth/805177)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-tiger-not-kill-man-who-pulls-tigers-tooth/805177 "2017-12-28T00:40:31Z")
Referencing this video, in which a man yanks out a tiger’s tooth with a pair of pliers. The tooth is obviously loose, but the tiger doesn’t appear to be obviously drugged; he’s active and alert, so it doesn’t seem like … --- ## [pseudocode for dropmix](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pseudocode-for-dropmix/805390)
**Author:** [@Jim\_Peebles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_Peebles)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pseudocode-for-dropmix/805390 "2017-12-27T23:40:01Z")
Check out some youtube videos of the “game” dropmix. Players put down cards representing various parts of different songs, i.e. drums or bass or vocals, etc. and the game’s computer program adjusts them to all sound reas… --- ## [Mechanics: Car wont start. One click...more to come...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanics-car-wont-start-one-click-more-to-come/656604)
**Author:** [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanics-car-wont-start-one-click-more-to-come/656604 "2017-12-27T18:17:57Z")
OK, good mechanics, help me out, please. 91 Chrysler New Yorker. 6 cylinder. So, I tried to start my car. I heard 1 click, and that was it. I thought it was a weak battery, since I have a propensity to leave electrical… --- ## [Could Congress restore suffrage for felons in federal elections?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-congress-restore-suffrage-for-felons-in-federal-elections/805278)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-congress-restore-suffrage-for-felons-in-federal-elections/805278 "2017-12-27T15:36:39Z")
Back in 1970 Congress passed a law requiring states to allow 18-20 to vote in all elections (the voting age being 21 in most states). In Oregon v. Mitchell the Supreme Court ruled that while Congress couldn’t lower the … --- ## [Why are Russian suburbs in such a awfull shape?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-russian-suburbs-in-such-a-awfull-shape/805015)
**Author:** [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-russian-suburbs-in-such-a-awfull-shape/805015 "2017-12-27T15:29:03Z")
If you ever roamed around Russia on Google earth, you probably saw that in almost every city there are 2 distinct types of neighborhoods: The “commie blocks” where a majority of people live, usually nothing too fancy, … --- ## [Radio engineers: Transmission/reception quandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-engineers-transmission-reception-quandry/805361)
**Author:** [@ZurBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZurBob)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-engineers-transmission-reception-quandry/805361 "2017-12-27T15:03:18Z")
I’m a fan of a particular radio station appx. 40 miles away (NPR; WOUB: Athens, Ohio) and to put it mildly, reception in our area is sketchy. Not to belabor a point but, “I’ve been around” when it comes to the eccentrici… --- ## [Why doesn't China have more allies?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-china-have-more-allies/805323)
**Author:** [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-china-have-more-allies/805323 "2017-12-27T12:28:10Z")
When I say allies, I mean real allies, USA has NATO, S. Korea, Japan,etc. Russia has CSTO. Iran has Syria and Hezbollah…and somewhat Iraq. Saudi Arabia has the Peninsula Shield Force, Turkey and Azerbaijan have a mutual … --- ## [Redirecting asteroids on an impact course by momentum transfer](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718)
**Author:** [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Replies:** 105\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redirecting-asteroids-on-an-impact-course-by-momentum-transfer/804718 "2017-12-27T09:23:54Z")
Stranger on a Train, who has claimed many times to be a rocket scientist and made many educated seeming posts, made the following statement : \*Redirecting a much larger object, however, becomes a substantial challenge n… --- ## [Was the panic resulting from Orson Welles's 1938 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast overblown?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-panic-resulting-from-orson-welless-1938-war-of-the-worlds-radio-broadcast-overblown/805208)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-the-panic-resulting-from-orson-welless-1938-war-of-the-worlds-radio-broadcast-overblown/805208 "2017-12-27T03:19:22Z")
Hi Was the panic resulting from Orson Welles’s 1938 ‘War of the Worlds’ radio broadcast overblown? I’ve only seen a handful of website articles stating that it was overblown. What is the authoritative view today? I loo… --- ## [Qustions from World War II in colour](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qustions-from-world-war-ii-in-colour/805367)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/qustions-from-world-war-ii-in-colour/805367 "2017-12-27T02:17:17Z")
During the program on the blitz, did I see English people laying flowers on mass graves? During a program about the Pacific War, I saw Americans wearing Navy hats firing a cannon. Were they US Navy or Marines? During t… --- ## [Why do we have twice as many female ancestors as male ancestors?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-twice-as-many-female-ancestors-as-male-ancestors/805266)
**Author:** [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 26, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-twice-as-many-female-ancestors-as-male-ancestors/805266 "2017-12-26T23:52:34Z")
We have twice as many female as male ancestors: The Missing Men in Your Family Tree - The New York Times A lot of that may be due to a bottleneck in the number of male ancestors which occurred from about 10 000 to 5 000… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=635) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=637)