# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=638 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 639 --- ## [Would a poker player do better on a polygraph test than the average person](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-poker-player-do-better-on-a-polygraph-test-than-the-average-person/804859)
**Author:** [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-poker-player-do-better-on-a-polygraph-test-than-the-average-person/804859 "2017-12-23T09:14:10Z")
Shower thoughts this morning, and now I"m late for work. Since a professional poker player deals with concealing stress all the time as they bluff or try to draw in other players into monster hands, would they be better… --- ## [Austrian national sentiment before the Anschluss](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrian-national-sentiment-before-the-anschluss/805114)
**Author:** [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2017, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/austrian-national-sentiment-before-the-anschluss/805114 "2017-12-23T08:52:52Z")
I’m watching (kind of) the Sound of Music for about the ten millionth time, and it occurred to me–Captain von Trapp is a military officer in a country that was a rickety multi-ethnic empire at his birth, collapsed in a h… --- ## [Navy grants fitness amnesty to 48,000 sailors who failed test](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-grants-fitness-amnesty-to-48-000-sailors-who-failed-test/805088)
**Author:** [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2017, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/navy-grants-fitness-amnesty-to-48-000-sailors-who-failed-test/805088 "2017-12-23T06:28:27Z")
The idiot who wrote the article didn’t tell the readers what the minimum scores are to pass the test. I gather its, push ups, sit ups and a 1.5 mile run. Anyone know? --- ## [Solar Water Heater Propane back up](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-water-heater-propane-back-up/805026)
**Author:** [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-water-heater-propane-back-up/805026 "2017-12-23T01:29:50Z")
Winter (low sun) days with cloudy weather don’t produce much solar energy to heat the water in my storage tank here on the east side of the Big Island. of Hawaii. My current back up uses electricity to heat the water, b… --- ## [How do they determine the weather for a specific location?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-determine-the-weather-for-a-specific-location/804554)
**Author:** [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [December 23, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-determine-the-weather-for-a-specific-location/804554 "2017-12-23T01:17:42Z")
My weather app, which gets weather data from The Weather Channel, tells me the weather for NYC. Does all of NYC have the same weather? Does is vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, or block to block? When I see the we… --- ## [Why doesn't freezing kill bacteria?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-freezing-kill-bacteria/805050)
**Author:** [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-freezing-kill-bacteria/805050 "2017-12-22T22:43:37Z")
We know that you can heat bacteria to death but freezing them just preserves them. Why doesn’t freezing cause water to expand and rupture their cellular structure? Or at least cause their life-preserving processes to ha… --- ## [Documents released under the FOI Act?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documents-released-under-the-foi-act/805010)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/documents-released-under-the-foi-act/805010 "2017-12-22T22:40:49Z")
As so often happens when the authorities provide the documents, a considerable portion of them are blacked out. Do they keep uncensored versions for their own files, or is that it? How do you request the “real” documents… --- ## [Why did the UN not provide air support to the Irish soldiers in Jadotville?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-un-not-provide-air-support-to-the-irish-soldiers-in-jadotville/804899)
**Author:** [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-the-un-not-provide-air-support-to-the-irish-soldiers-in-jadotville/804899 "2017-12-22T19:51:44Z")
Last night I watched the film “The Siege of Jadotville”, about an actual event which happened in 1961. 155 Irish soldiers were sent by the UN to a remote village in the Congo called Jadotville. They were supposedly stati… --- ## [GOP tax bill - definitive final version?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-tax-bill-definitive-final-version/805059)
**Author:** [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gop-tax-bill-definitive-final-version/805059 "2017-12-22T17:22:29Z")
I’ve been “off the grid” hiking this week, and just trying to catch up. Were there any last minute changes to the tax bill? Most google searches for the content of the “final” bill are a week old. I assume that’s e… --- ## [The word "bar": theological meaning](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-bar-theological-meaning/805019)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-word-bar-theological-meaning/805019 "2017-12-22T16:33:41Z")
I encounter this meaning once in a blue moon. There was an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies in which Granny sang some kind of hymn with the line “back in the corner where you are,” and used the word “bar” at the end of… --- ## [In this obvious scam, what might happen to my co-worker?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-obvious-scam-what-might-happen-to-my-co-worker/789272)
**Author:** [@tesseract](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tesseract)\ **Replies:** 42\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-obvious-scam-what-might-happen-to-my-co-worker/789272 "2017-12-22T15:52:01Z")
I’m going to change some details to protect the gullible. My co-worker is a sugar baby of sorts. She has had “arrangements” with various men. According to her, some intimate, some not. Some online only, some in person. … --- ## [What are the odds of getting a DUI when you are driving drunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-of-getting-a-dui-when-you-are-driving-drunk/804896)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-odds-of-getting-a-dui-when-you-are-driving-drunk/804896 "2017-12-22T15:24:29Z")
Don’t need answer fast because I’ve never driven drunk, but over in this thread. http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=845141 People were talking about crimes they’ve committed and never got caught. I w… --- ## [use by date - is this safe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-is-this-safe/804881)
**Author:** [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-is-this-safe/804881 "2017-12-22T14:47:15Z")
I’ve got a microwaveable meal (Beef Stroganoff and Rice) which I bought from a reliable supermarket. It comes in a sealed pack and (as per packet instructions) has been kept refrigerated. It has a ‘use by date’ of Dec … --- ## [Toaster in bathtub.....does it scale?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toaster-in-bathtub-does-it-scale/805025)
**Author:** [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toaster-in-bathtub-does-it-scale/805025 "2017-12-22T14:41:02Z")
You all know the effects of a person throwing a plugged in toaster into a bathtub. Let’s say I don’t have a GFI installed, and I have big ass extension cords. How big does the body of water need to be before the effect… --- ## [What scientific term would a coroner use to refer to a death as a result of inhaling pumice?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-term-would-a-coroner-use-to-refer-to-a-death-as-a-result-of-inhaling-pumice/804748)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-term-would-a-coroner-use-to-refer-to-a-death-as-a-result-of-inhaling-pumice/804748 "2017-12-22T13:17:24Z")
What scientific term would a coroner use to refer to a death as a result of inhaling pumice (pumicite)? I’m thinking of using the word embolism but that’s probably wrong. I look forward to your feedback. --- ## [Help me figure out what's wrong with the pumps on our hot tub.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-figure-out-whats-wrong-with-the-pumps-on-our-hot-tub/804863)
**Author:** [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-figure-out-whats-wrong-with-the-pumps-on-our-hot-tub/804863 "2017-12-22T13:09:51Z")
We have a Hot Spring hot tub, about 10 years old. Two pumps control the jets. (A separate pump controls the heater, which is working fine.) Here’s the problem we’re having: When you turn on the jets, they pump at about… --- ## [Doukhobors and education](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doukhobors-and-education/805033)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doukhobors-and-education/805033 "2017-12-22T06:59:56Z")
I’ve been reading a bit about Doukhobors, especially the ones that moved to Saskatchewan about the beginning of the 20th century. They had some unusual beliefs. Some of them did not believe in education. This created som… --- ## [Can a Vet become a (weapons-authorized) LEO without an honorable discharge?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vet-become-a-weapons-authorized-leo-without-an-honorable-discharge/804803)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-vet-become-a-weapons-authorized-leo-without-an-honorable-discharge/804803 "2017-12-22T03:30:27Z")
See query. NYC PD, my particular interest, but the subject is general. There’ve been a few threads lately on types of discharge papers, as a matter of fact. Also, since I mentioned it, is the “(weapons-authorized)” redu… --- ## [Why does every LED flashlight I use flicker and dim so much?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-led-flashlight-i-use-flicker-and-dim-so-much/804842)
**Author:** [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [December 22, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-every-led-flashlight-i-use-flicker-and-dim-so-much/804842 "2017-12-22T00:07:13Z")
It seems like every LED flashlight I buy is unreliable. I’ll be using it, and it will suddenly dim. I’ll bang on it a bunch and it will get brighter for awhile. I’ll try changing batteries, and I’m not sure it helps. … --- ## [What mass produced cars came after Model T?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mass-produced-cars-came-after-model-t/804996)
**Author:** [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2017, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-mass-produced-cars-came-after-model-t/804996 "2017-12-21T23:10:05Z")
Is there a list or something that lists important mass produced cars that came after the Ford Model T? I can find links about the development of car engines themselves, links about Ford’s history, but I want to see what … --- ## [Vending machine giving less than face value for Canadian money](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vending-machine-giving-less-than-face-value-for-canadian-money/804898)
**Author:** [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vending-machine-giving-less-than-face-value-for-canadian-money/804898 "2017-12-21T12:23:19Z")
Curious if this is a common practice. From my brother in Northern Virginia: --- ## [Question about measurement tolerance.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-measurement-tolerance/804924)
**Author:** [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2017, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-measurement-tolerance/804924 "2017-12-21T11:32:39Z")
I am looking at the specs for a system that monitors the three-phase AC voltage onboard an aircraft. It says, I have never seen a tolerance stated like that. What does 90 +15/−0 volts mean? Is it exactly the same as 90… --- ## [What would happen if you ran a Climate T rated 3-way chest fridge in cold conditions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-you-ran-a-climate-t-rated-3-way-chest-fridge-in-cold-conditions/804982)
**Author:** [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2017, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-you-ran-a-climate-t-rated-3-way-chest-fridge-in-cold-conditions/804982 "2017-12-21T08:12:05Z")
A 3-way absorption fridge with a rating of T (tropical) that runs on LPG has a temperature range of 18 degrees C as the minimum & up to 43C as the max. There are other ratings like ST (sub tropical) that only cool as hi… --- ## [Consequences of starting second FAFSA ID/where the hell did my information go?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-starting-second-fafsa-id-where-the-hell-did-my-information-go/804766)
**Author:** [@Yonathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yonathan)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-starting-second-fafsa-id-where-the-hell-did-my-information-go/804766 "2017-12-21T01:14:25Z")
College student here, trying to renew federal aid. Don’t know who you’d ask for questions like these. Apparently, my info is no longer in the system, no matter how carefully I checked to see if I typed my e-mail, phone … --- ## [False Branches in Git?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-branches-in-git/804967)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 21, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-branches-in-git/804967 "2017-12-21T00:21:27Z")
While coding, I sometimes come across cases where I’d like to be able to work on several different branches of logic all within the same task (page 1, page 2, and shared common libraries, for example). Since these are al… --- ## [What happens when the startup disc of a Mac is COMPLETELY full?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-the-startup-disc-of-a-mac-is-completely-full/530938)
**Author:** [@A\_Spoonful\_of\_Awesome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Spoonful_of_Awesome)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [December 20, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-when-the-startup-disc-of-a-mac-is-completely-full/530938 "2017-12-20T23:43:21Z")
Here’s what I’m dealing with. I have a new Macbook Pro, running Snow Leopard, and a 320 gig hard drive. Right now, it’s a very pretty, albeit frustrating, paperweight. I’m not a computer guy. I know how to turn them on … --- ## [Will there be more countries with drinkable water?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-more-countries-with-drinkable-water/804922)
**Author:** [@TaoPilot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaoPilot)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 20, 2017, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-there-be-more-countries-with-drinkable-water/804922 "2017-12-20T22:28:27Z")
I was looking at a list of the countries where it is safe for travelers to drink the water. Not too surprising. USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, S. Korea, and Israel are the safe countries. I… --- ## [Debunk this: Eskimo Bible, no word for 'joy', the disciples' tails wag instead...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-this-eskimo-bible-no-word-for-joy-the-disciples-tails-wag-instead/64653)
**Author:** [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [December 20, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/debunk-this-eskimo-bible-no-word-for-joy-the-disciples-tails-wag-instead/64653 "2017-12-20T18:19:32Z")
My pastor retailed the following (IMO) UL-type sermon illustration yesterday morning. http://www.leonardsweet.com/inc/sweetners/soulcafe/Editions/v2n4-5p2.html And my “oh, come on” alarm went off, right there in the p… --- ## [Building A Hidden Trapdoor (not sinister!)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-hidden-trapdoor-not-sinister/804292)
**Author:** [@SkyRangerRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkyRangerRich)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [December 20, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-hidden-trapdoor-not-sinister/804292 "2017-12-20T18:14:42Z")
Hi! Had no idea where to ask this, but the Dope always has an answer! I’ve got a big void under my house, it would be really useful storage space if you could access it more easily. It’s currently accessed through a s… --- ## [Origin of the Baptism Religion in the South.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-baptism-religion-in-the-south/804780)
**Author:** [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 20, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-baptism-religion-in-the-south/804780 "2017-12-20T17:54:23Z")
The Baptist religion is the most plentiful religion in the USA. And it’s not hard to see why. Almost everyone in the South belongs to it. You can travel for miles in any direction, and find nothing but Baptists. The one… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=637) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=639)