# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=642 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 643 --- ## [Does Queen Elizabeth II hold Christmas court.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-queen-elizabeth-ii-hold-christmas-court/803922)
**Author:** [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2017, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-queen-elizabeth-ii-hold-christmas-court/803922 "2017-12-12T15:19:50Z")
This should be a simple question, but not the easiest one to find on Google or Wikipedia. So maybe this is general UK knowledge, or an important part of history. Does Queen Elizabeth II hold a Christmas court. Or any … --- ## [How do I properly mark an envelope 'Return to Sender' (my first attempt failed)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-properly-mark-an-envelope-return-to-sender-my-first-attempt-failed/804244)
**Author:** [@andrea\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrea_green)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2017, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-properly-mark-an-envelope-return-to-sender-my-first-attempt-failed/804244 "2017-12-12T06:22:50Z")
I have been receiving annoying bank letters on a regular basis for a previous apartment tenant. Google says I can simply mark them ‘return to sender’ and that should help make them stop. Unfortunately my first attempt … --- ## [Why do people keep crashing their cars into buildings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-crashing-their-cars-into-buildings/803495)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-keep-crashing-their-cars-into-buildings/803495 "2017-12-12T02:40:33Z")
This happens in my area about once or twice a week. Some idiot will crash their car into a building often causing very serious damage. Buildings do not move or suddenly appear, so I don’t understand why people can’t se… --- ## [Can all information be found online?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-all-information-be-found-online/802884)
**Author:** [@DkTrdGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DkTrdGuy)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2017, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-all-information-be-found-online/802884 "2017-12-12T01:39:24Z")
Is everything posted online? I would assume. It might not be in one place, though. People have the compulsive need to flap their lips. Even regarding really sensitive information. I find it hard to believe there’s inform… --- ## [Fur trim on a parka hood -- functional?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fur-trim-on-a-parka-hood-functional/349428)
**Author:** [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fur-trim-on-a-parka-hood-functional/349428 "2017-12-12T00:47:13Z")
Does the fur trim on a parka hood have any useful function as far as keeping the wearer warmer than he or she would be in a trimfree parka? --- ## [What's up with all the money being sold on Ebay?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-money-being-sold-on-ebay/803869)
**Author:** [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-all-the-money-being-sold-on-ebay/803869 "2017-12-12T00:20:42Z")
I’m not talking about collector coins, rarities, or oddities. Just regular old circulated money. If you search Ebay for $20 bills, dozens of sellers come up, fetching $28.99 or more, and it looks like they sell hundreds… --- ## [How do you get a first bank loan?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-a-first-bank-loan/407179)
**Author:** [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Replies:** 135\ **Last updated:** [June 1, 2014, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-a-first-bank-loan/407179 "2014-06-01T21:28:22Z")
I am 44 years old, employed for almost 15 straight years, & I have never taken out a bank loan. I always borrowed from relatives. But now, I really need to establish credit. I have had my own credit card for more than… --- ## [Lawyer-Client Privilege Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyer-client-privilege-question/803791)
**Author:** [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyer-client-privilege-question/803791 "2017-12-11T23:07:06Z")
According to this article (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/06/us/donald-trump-jr-intel-committee.html), DJ Trump Jr. is claiming that his conversation with his father is protected by lawyer-client privilege because both … --- ## [How did the Federal Gov. gain control of public lands? (The BLM)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-federal-gov-gain-control-of-public-lands-the-blm/686045)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-federal-gov-gain-control-of-public-lands-the-blm/686045 "2017-12-11T20:04:56Z")
I’ve wondered about this for quite awhile and it was never explained in my history classes. At the beginning we had US territories. Settlers were invited to come and stake claims to homesteads. There were Federal laws kn… --- ## [Neurochemical related to non-lazy thinking?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neurochemical-related-to-non-lazy-thinking/804018)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neurochemical-related-to-non-lazy-thinking/804018 "2017-12-11T19:52:58Z")
Based on a few videos I have seen around how the brain works, it seems that it has a sort of “gut instinct” mode and a “critical thinking” mode that it can work in. But, interestingly, you can switch it from one mode to … --- ## [Do people who spend a lot of time on submarines need to decompress when they come up](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-who-spend-a-lot-of-time-on-submarines-need-to-decompress-when-they-come-up/803637)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-people-who-spend-a-lot-of-time-on-submarines-need-to-decompress-when-they-come-up/803637 "2017-12-11T14:32:59Z")
In the same way SCUBA divers do? And if not, why not? --- ## [Starting cars--the effect of engine temperature](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-cars-the-effect-of-engine-temperature/803966)
**Author:** [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2017, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/starting-cars-the-effect-of-engine-temperature/803966 "2017-12-11T06:03:04Z")
With winter upon us, I got to wondering about something. We know that cold weather reduces the effective capacity of car batteries. But when you drive a car for a few miles, then let it sit for 20-30 minutes, the engin… --- ## [Laptop power question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-power-question/804171)
**Author:** [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2017, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-power-question/804171 "2017-12-11T04:09:18Z")
My old Dell Inspiron is on its last legs, figuratively speaking. It’s around 10 years old, and I plan on buying a new one. I just want to get through the holidays first. The power button has been a pain in the ass latel… --- ## [Are there any chemical substances that darken the skin as opposed to lightening it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-chemical-substances-that-darken-the-skin-as-opposed-to-lightening-it/804037)
**Author:** [@rastafarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rastafarian)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-chemical-substances-that-darken-the-skin-as-opposed-to-lightening-it/804037 "2017-12-11T00:11:49Z")
Skin lightening is a more popular but controversial method than skin darkening that patients seem to inquire from dermatologists in many countries. The ingredient hydroquinone I believe has been either banned entirely … --- ## [Knighthood and the emoluments clause.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knighthood-and-the-emoluments-clause/801671)
**Author:** [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knighthood-and-the-emoluments-clause/801671 "2017-12-10T14:34:49Z")
Let’s say that President Trump goes to visit Great Britain. And let’s say the Queen, being the devious genius that she is, spontaneously decides to knight him. I think we can all agree that President Trump would be all… --- ## [Why was a Centurion in charge of just 80 men?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-a-centurion-in-charge-of-just-80-men/191686)
**Author:** [@G.Cornelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Cornelius)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2017, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-was-a-centurion-in-charge-of-just-80-men/191686 "2017-12-10T12:18:55Z")
In the Imperial Roman army, a century in fact consisted of just 80 legionaries. Why not 100? --- ## [Six things you can offer a witch?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-things-you-can-offer-a-witch/803793)
**Author:** [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2017, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-things-you-can-offer-a-witch/803793 "2017-12-10T12:08:14Z")
I’ve been reading a lot of articles about folklore lately, and not taking enough notes. Somewhere along the line I stumbled upon a list of six things, one of which you’d better have when you visit a witch. To the best o… --- ## [Crucifixion: Why the Crossbar?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crucifixion-why-the-crossbar/802901)
**Author:** [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crucifixion-why-the-crossbar/802901 "2017-12-10T02:36:48Z")
As I have mentioned before, I grew up in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and one of the beliefs that they were pushing as one of their great revealed truths is that Jesus Christ died on a straight stake instead of a cross. Now… --- ## [When did Allied forces in post-WW2 Germany cease to be classed as armies of occupation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-allied-forces-in-post-ww2-germany-cease-to-be-classed-as-armies-of-occupation/797439)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-allied-forces-in-post-ww2-germany-cease-to-be-classed-as-armies-of-occupation/797439 "2017-12-09T14:29:17Z")
I ask because I was in the British Army on the Rhine in the 60s and I wondered if I could truthfully say I was in the army of an occupying power. --- ## [There's no way an airliner can get off the ground...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-way-an-airliner-can-get-off-the-ground/803941)
**Author:** [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theres-no-way-an-airliner-can-get-off-the-ground/803941 "2017-12-09T13:25:34Z")
… but I need help with the physics Introduction: there are four forces acting on an airplane. Two are thrust and drag that influence the forward motion. And two are lift and weight that influences the upward motion. I’m… --- ## [What if nuclear war happens, but you're far from any target sites?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-nuclear-war-happens-but-youre-far-from-any-target-sites/803338)
**Author:** [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2017, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-nuclear-war-happens-but-youre-far-from-any-target-sites/803338 "2017-12-09T06:04:54Z")
There are many rural places in both NA and Europe that are far from any military or civilian potential targets in a nuclear war. I personally live in east Europe in a city where there’s a potential target some 80 miles n… --- ## [Transferring data and files from OnePlus3 to Galaxy S8](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transferring-data-and-files-from-oneplus3-to-galaxy-s8/803990)
**Author:** [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2017, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/transferring-data-and-files-from-oneplus3-to-galaxy-s8/803990 "2017-12-09T04:28:54Z")
I’ll try to make this concise. I switched from a OnePlus 3 to a Galaxy S8 tonight. When I got home I found that Samsung hasn’t updated the Smart Switch app to Oreo yet. The OP3 updated to 8.0.0 a month ago so I can’t dow… --- ## [Credit card information.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-information/803802)
**Author:** [@pianodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pianodave)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-card-information/803802 "2017-12-09T02:19:57Z")
Dear Straight Dope, Say I surreptitiously swipe someone’s credit or debit card. I write down their card number, cvv code, expiration date, and find out their zip code for good measure. I then put back the card without … --- ## [Energy expenditure and efficiency walking vs running up stairs.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/energy-expenditure-and-efficiency-walking-vs-running-up-stairs/803903)
**Author:** [@jonpluc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonpluc)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 9, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/energy-expenditure-and-efficiency-walking-vs-running-up-stairs/803903 "2017-12-09T01:21:02Z")
People have different approaches to climbing long flights of stairs. I am one of those rip the bandaid off fast and get it over quick people so i run up stairs two at a time and partially pull myself up with my hands on … --- ## [What are some extinct species whose loss has impacted humans?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-extinct-species-whose-loss-has-impacted-humans/803460)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-extinct-species-whose-loss-has-impacted-humans/803460 "2017-12-08T20:07:09Z")
Basically, is there anything that we now really, really wish we hadn’t wiped out? The passenger pigeon? The Quagga? The Tasmanian tiger? I don’t mean something that’s gone that we now say “Gee, what a shame”; I mean is t… --- ## [Dates of states joining the union](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-of-states-joining-the-union/803881)
**Author:** [@Smudge777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smudge777)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dates-of-states-joining-the-union/803881 "2017-12-08T19:54:49Z")
As a filthy foreigner, I was surprised to find out from another Cecil reply that Oklahoma only joined “the union” in the 20th century. This led me to wonder when each state joined, which I found at http://www.ipl.org/di… --- ## [Humans having less sexual instinct than animals](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-having-less-sexual-instinct-than-animals/803725)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/humans-having-less-sexual-instinct-than-animals/803725 "2017-12-08T18:35:56Z")
I was reading a book last night in which part of it mentioned about how some people, even at a fairly old age (i.e., early teens?) think that kissing can lead to pregnancy, and there have also been Internet posts talking… --- ## [Does the safe charge rate for lead acid batteries change as they age?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-safe-charge-rate-for-lead-acid-batteries-change-as-they-age/803773)
**Author:** [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-safe-charge-rate-for-lead-acid-batteries-change-as-they-age/803773 "2017-12-08T18:30:08Z")
The recommended safe maximum charge rates for wet lead acid is around 10% of the battery capacity & with AGM is 20-30%. Since the batteries capacity naturally diminishes as it ages, does this mean the safe charge rate … --- ## [What does medical abbreviation bx mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-medical-abbreviation-bx-mean/615979)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-medical-abbreviation-bx-mean/615979 "2017-12-08T16:05:48Z")
I have a copy of some medical transcripts that I’m trying to understand. I’ve got most of the \*x abbreviations figured out – Dx, Rx, Sx, Hx, etc. But I haven’t figured out or found out what “bx” means, and I haven’t ma… --- ## [Tunicate identification](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunicate-identification/803863)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 8, 2017, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tunicate-identification/803863 "2017-12-08T11:49:09Z")
Can anyone direct me to a website where I can type out a tunicate? It was collected in the Florida Keys. It is reddish orange, and the surface is rough. It is symmetrical, the siphons are the same size. What size food… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=641) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=643)