# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=640 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 641 --- ## [Interstellar Commerce](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interstellar-commerce/804202)
**Author:** [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Replies:** 119\ **Last updated:** [December 17, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interstellar-commerce/804202 "2017-12-17T02:38:18Z")
I just read the Kindle free sample of a space opera. It was set on a space freighter. It did not hold my interest and I will not be buying the book. I could write better than this. (As I often claim.) So anyway if Huma… --- ## [Photons](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photons/804521)
**Author:** [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 17, 2017, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photons/804521 "2017-12-17T02:16:09Z")
What I understand about photons (and some that I may misunderstand) is that it is the particle that carries electromagnetic radiation but has no weight. However, it is a real particle and can travel through a vacuum. B… --- ## [Does anyone actually use solitons?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-use-solitons/804557)
**Author:** [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 17, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anyone-actually-use-solitons/804557 "2017-12-17T00:19:11Z")
I remember solitons being a big/cool thing years back. I went poking about and while I can see applications in fiber optics there’s not much else. Well, I’ve likely searched poorly. Do other fields use them and in what … --- ## [Ito Calculus](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ito-calculus/804672)
**Author:** [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ito-calculus/804672 "2017-12-16T23:18:00Z")
Can someone explain in layman’s terms how this can provide any valuable information about a random system? I was reading about financial analysis, saw the term, googled and still unclear how you can get any valuable inf… --- ## [Why is my cousin's child (to me)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-cousins-child-to-me/804549)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-my-cousins-child-to-me/804549 "2017-12-16T21:20:45Z")
Is my first cousin’s child my first cousin once removed, or my second cousin. My mother is insisting on the latter, but I think it’s the former. Which one of us is right? --- ## [Question about cops breaking the law.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-cops-breaking-the-law/804603)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-cops-breaking-the-law/804603 "2017-12-16T17:58:16Z")
It is illegal to sell alcohol to someone under 21. So as part of an investigation they’ll send someone under 21 to buy beer at a store. But wait. Buying alcohol is also illegal if you’re under 21 (if not in your juris… --- ## [What does the acronym CIO stand for in the context of Black civil rights?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-cio-stand-for-in-the-context-of-black-civil-rights/804617)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-the-acronym-cio-stand-for-in-the-context-of-black-civil-rights/804617 "2017-12-16T17:52:24Z")
What does the acronym CIO stand for in the following context? I look forward to your feedback “At the time of her arrest, Rosa Parks was Secretary of the Montgomery local of the NAACP, a branch that had deep roots in t… --- ## [Does the military punish minor infractions with physical exercise?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-military-punish-minor-infractions-with-physical-exercise/804539)
**Author:** [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-military-punish-minor-infractions-with-physical-exercise/804539 "2017-12-16T17:48:46Z")
A staple of TV and movies about the military is that officers will punish very minor infractions (like not having a hat on straight) by ordering the offender to perform some exercise. This, I suppose, serves the dual pu… --- ## [700,000 unique body movements? Can anyone verify this?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/700-000-unique-body-movements-can-anyone-verify-this/668293)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 9, 2013, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/700-000-unique-body-movements-can-anyone-verify-this/668293 "2013-09-09T07:32:00Z")
Hi, Can anyone please verify the claim that there are 700,000 unique body movements? Please see this link. There are others like it. Thanks. davidmich --- ## [A question about natural selection as an explanation for everything](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-natural-selection-as-an-explanation-for-everything/804537)
**Author:** [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-natural-selection-as-an-explanation-for-everything/804537 "2017-12-16T17:10:52Z")
I was reading an article about so-called “man-flu,” which postulated that mens’ weaker immune systems might have been the result of some evolutionary benefit conferred by saving that energy (that a more aggressive immune… --- ## [How can I setup my PC to dual boot Windows and Ubuntu?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-setup-my-pc-to-dual-boot-windows-and-ubuntu/804561)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-setup-my-pc-to-dual-boot-windows-and-ubuntu/804561 "2017-12-16T16:25:58Z")
So that when I turn on the machine, I am presented with an option to start up either Windows or Ubuntu. I don’t want to have to go into the BIOS menu and fiddle with boot priorities every time I want to select an OS. So… --- ## [How many royal people are the British supporting, anyway?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-royal-people-are-the-british-supporting-anyway/804499)
**Author:** [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-royal-people-are-the-british-supporting-anyway/804499 "2017-12-16T15:56:10Z")
I was watching the new season of Crown, and in one scene (about Princess Margaret renovating some place) it referred to what seemed from context to be several other ‘families’ of royal people living in the same building … --- ## [Ford Flathead V8](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-flathead-v8/804450)
**Author:** [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-flathead-v8/804450 "2017-12-16T07:44:39Z")
Why are the heads so over-bolted? The Ford Flathead is a low-compression engine (5.5-7.2/1)…there are hi-comp turbodiesels out there with less bolts clamping down. --- ## [What would the Latin be for "imaginative man". homo imagin....?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-latin-be-for-imaginative-man-homo-imagin/804479)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-latin-be-for-imaginative-man-homo-imagin/804479 "2017-12-16T06:15:23Z")
Hi What would the Latin be for “imaginative man”. homo imagin…? We have: homo habilis homo erectus homo sapiens sapiens, homo economicus…etc. What about ‘imaginative man’? How would your express that in Latin? I l… --- ## [Artificial photosynthesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-photosynthesis/804401)
**Author:** [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artificial-photosynthesis/804401 "2017-12-16T03:01:39Z")
I’ve been thinking about alcohol-powered cars. As far as I understand, to fuel them you have to: plant a lot of sugar-rich plants grow them for weeks or months harvest them extract the sugar brew the sugar into alcoho… --- ## [English Address](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [December 16, 2017, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-address/803971 "2017-12-16T00:00:23Z")
I need help with an address in England, no lines, no commas? I can’t decipher how to write it? Can someone familiar Message me? --- ## [Why is ticket scalping a viable business?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ticket-scalping-a-viable-business/744562)
**Author:** [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-ticket-scalping-a-viable-business/744562 "2017-12-15T23:23:39Z")
I was listening to this NPR story about scalping, and online “bots”, and just kind of shook my head that this kind of extreme arbitrage situation is allowed to exist: If they are sold at “enormous markups”, isn’t it Ec… --- ## [Where do you keep a billion dollars?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-keep-a-billion-dollars/562278)
**Author:** [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Replies:** 171\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-keep-a-billion-dollars/562278 "2017-12-15T22:31:18Z")
You make a company/website to help people find albino goats, Google likes it, and buys albinogoatfinder.com from you for a billion dollars. OK, they probably give it to you in stock, but you decide to cash it out. What… --- ## [external recharge batteries for phone -- how many charges?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-recharge-batteries-for-phone-how-many-charges/804362)
**Author:** [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/external-recharge-batteries-for-phone-how-many-charges/804362 "2017-12-15T21:43:43Z")
There may be too many variables for this to be answered properly, but… I’ve got a fairly boring Motorola Android phone…and recently got an external battery, which can re-charge the phone when the phone’s battery runs lo… --- ## [How dirty (bacterially) is a parrots beak/mouth?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dirty-bacterially-is-a-parrots-beak-mouth/804501)
**Author:** [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dirty-bacterially-is-a-parrots-beak-mouth/804501 "2017-12-15T20:12:58Z")
I’m around our African Grey Parrot 8-12 hours most days, so I try to teach him things. He likes peanut butter, so I’ll give him a tiny bit and say “peanut butter” and he learns to associate the word with the item. Then, … --- ## [Charging someone under state law vs. federal law](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charging-someone-under-state-law-vs-federal-law/804556)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/charging-someone-under-state-law-vs-federal-law/804556 "2017-12-15T16:43:25Z")
Layman law question: ISTM that most crimes are covered by state law and federal law, and that the two jurisdictions simply overlap and double-cover the same issues. So for instance, murder is illegal by state law and fe… --- ## [The Fugitive's Swan Dive. (spoilers, but beside the point)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fugitives-swan-dive-spoilers-but-beside-the-point/407578)
**Author:** [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fugitives-swan-dive-spoilers-but-beside-the-point/407578 "2017-12-15T16:21:34Z")
I caught a few minutes of The Fugitive (the Harrison Ford/Tommy Lee Jones movie) on television a few days ago, and saw again the scene in which Richard Kimble jumps from the dam into the sluiceway below. It prompted a fe… --- ## [Blinding](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinding/804558)
**Author:** [@Stinky\_Pete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinky_Pete)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinding/804558 "2017-12-15T13:14:04Z")
Reading the history of the Byzantine Empire, it was common for rivals to be blinded to remove them as a threat. It was considered more merciful that killing the rival. Does anyone know what method they used to blind peop… --- ## [Need an itunes replacement for Android](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-an-itunes-replacement-for-android/803956)
**Author:** [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2017, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-an-itunes-replacement-for-android/803956 "2017-12-10T08:02:40Z")
I recently switched to an Android phone, and I need a program that does what I’ve been using itunes for. Right now, I’ve got smart playlists that are built based on the last played date of a song, so every day I get a li… --- ## [Two questions about the US Senate.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-the-us-senate/804476)
**Author:** [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-the-us-senate/804476 "2017-12-15T04:57:33Z")
When I heard that the Senate is now 51 Republican and 49 Democrat it made me wonder; First, are independents who caucus with a party counted as a member for purposes of which party controls the Senate? For example, is… --- ## [West Point Story: Fact or Fiction?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-point-story-fact-or-fiction/76439)
**Author:** [@jdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jdimbert)\ **Replies:** 77\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/west-point-story-fact-or-fiction/76439 "2017-12-15T04:20:05Z")
My brother recently sent me this email and I am wondering if the part about not teaching the Jewish Wars at West Point is true? Any military people out there care to comment? \*\* In 1974, Rabbi Asher Wade, a US Army cha… --- ## [Is there any way to sort YouTube videos via length now?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-sort-youtube-videos-via-length-now/804552)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-sort-youtube-videos-via-length-now/804552 "2017-12-15T02:44:33Z")
You used to be able to sort a youtubers video content by length in the past by now you just have two generic options, less than 5 minutes and more than 20 minutes, which really seems like it’s coming from that brief era … --- ## [Why Did Ford Pardon Nixon If We're Innocent Until Proven Guilty?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-ford-pardon-nixon-if-were-innocent-until-proven-guilty/804472)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-ford-pardon-nixon-if-were-innocent-until-proven-guilty/804472 "2017-12-15T01:06:59Z")
Nixon resigned before the House could take action against him. If that is the case, he walked away a free man, correct? If so, then why did Ford pardon Nixon…if we are presumed innocent until proved guilty? And, does Fo… --- ## [Is It Possible To Transmit Smells Over Distance (Like, Say, The Internet), Even In Theory?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-transmit-smells-over-distance-like-say-the-internet-even-in-theory/804504)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 15, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-transmit-smells-over-distance-like-say-the-internet-even-in-theory/804504 "2017-12-15T00:49:03Z")
We can transmit light and sound over distance (TV, internet, radio, etc.), so why not do the same with smell? I’m picturing a device attached to your monitor, your TV, or in the ceiling above movie-goers’ heads. Call it… --- ## [What's the legality of cannabis in The Netherlands?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legality-of-cannabis-in-the-netherlands/804197)
**Author:** [@rastafarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rastafarian)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 14, 2017, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-legality-of-cannabis-in-the-netherlands/804197 "2017-12-14T21:26:52Z")
I heard correctly or incorrectly that minuscule amounts are “tolerated”/police turn a blind eye to it however actual importation or an attempt to sell a marketable quantity is just as serious of an offense as in other Eu… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=639) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=641)