# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=679 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 680 --- ## [Q. about sharing and editing Google Docs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sharing-and-editing-google-docs/795395)
**Author:** [@giabinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/giabinh)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-about-sharing-and-editing-google-docs/795395 "2017-09-05T23:34:12Z")
I teach at a university. I have a university email address that i use for corresponding with my colleagues and my students. I have a regular old Gmail account that i use for my personal email. I keep these two addresses… --- ## [What is this coaxial cable adapter/something that I have here?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-coaxial-cable-adapter-something-that-i-have-here/795557)
**Author:** [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-coaxial-cable-adapter-something-that-i-have-here/795557 "2017-09-05T19:57:52Z")
What is this coaxial cable adapter/something that I have here? Part 1 is a black, cubic, wall-wort type of thing. It plugs into an ungrounded 120V outlet. It’s only outlet is a coaxial, male, f-type screw threads. On… --- ## [Harvey relief; who/what are reputable organizations?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141)
**Author:** [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-relief-who-what-are-reputable-organizations/795141 "2017-09-05T19:37:43Z")
(Not sure if this is the right forum, so please feel free to move as you see fit) Ms Bizz and I would like to make a contribution to help those most in need. Can anyone suggest any organizations that are especially eff… --- ## [Can I really just wash away radioactivity and suffer no ill effects?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-just-wash-away-radioactivity-and-suffer-no-ill-effects/795486)
**Author:** [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-really-just-wash-away-radioactivity-and-suffer-no-ill-effects/795486 "2017-09-05T19:24:46Z")
Lately I’ve been seeing articles reassuring people that if there were a nuclear war, we could simply shelter in buildings, then shower and launder away any radioactive particles, and pop back into our regularly scheduled… --- ## [What protections are there from an LEO from searching your car?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-protections-are-there-from-an-leo-from-searching-your-car/795261)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-protections-are-there-from-an-leo-from-searching-your-car/795261 "2017-09-05T18:14:45Z")
I’m talking about the cases we all are familiar. \May I search your car? \I do not consent to a search \Sniff, Sniff I smell alcohol. There is no alcohol, driver has not been dr… --- ## [Student Driver. Who is responsible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-driver-who-is-responsible/795336)
**Author:** [@TheZenPaperboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheZenPaperboy)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/student-driver-who-is-responsible/795336 "2017-09-05T17:55:07Z")
I was driving home this morning and saw a car with student driver plaque on top of car. They were going over the speed limit. I was wondering if stopped who gets the ticket. When I took driving classes the teacher had … --- ## [Reversing the Polarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversing-the-polarity/795450)
**Author:** [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reversing-the-polarity/795450 "2017-09-05T15:35:54Z")
In Star Trek, some problem is often solved by reversing the polarity of the the doo-hicky or channeling some-shit through the deflector dish. Anyway, how often in real life does reversing the polarity work? When record… --- ## [Fake e-mail from Apple](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-e-mail-from-apple/795408)
**Author:** [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fake-e-mail-from-apple/795408 "2017-09-05T05:18:12Z")
I just got an e-mail message supposedly from “Apple ID” that said it was confirming an Apple iTunes purchase. It had a PDF that had a receipt with a bunch of items I had never heard of. I then clicked on the “Apple ID” s… --- ## [Mystery structure on Rhode Island beach](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-structure-on-rhode-island-beach/795384)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2017, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-structure-on-rhode-island-beach/795384 "2017-09-05T02:16:51Z")
Even after bringing it to shore, people have no idea what it is. After hauling it up, one person said: OK. Sounds reasonable. But there’s that ‘probably’. What’s the definitive answer? --- ## [Muscle soreness after a long hike downhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscle-soreness-after-a-long-hike-downhill/795478)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muscle-soreness-after-a-long-hike-downhill/795478 "2017-09-04T22:08:17Z")
I’m not seeking medical advice, you are not my doctor etc. I’m trying to understand the underlying mechanism involved. Last Thursday I went on a 3 mile hike. I took a tram up to the top of a local mountain and proceeded… --- ## [Could my brother be the youngest known child of a WWI veteran...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-my-brother-be-the-youngest-known-child-of-a-wwi-veteran/795460)
**Author:** [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-my-brother-be-the-youngest-known-child-of-a-wwi-veteran/795460 "2017-09-04T21:55:34Z")
… and how could I find out? Yes, he “could be,” but I’d like to know for sure. Background: Years ago I posted a thread entitled something like “My dad’s birthday can beat up your dad’s birthday”… and won. My father, … --- ## [PMP Certification: What is the correct critical path on this diagram?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pmp-certification-what-is-the-correct-critical-path-on-this-diagram/795476)
**Author:** [@PFisher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PFisher)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pmp-certification-what-is-the-correct-critical-path-on-this-diagram/795476 "2017-09-04T18:41:49Z")
Please take a look at this imageand help me understand what the correct sequence is for the critical path. I assume that the numbers in this image correspond to duration. https://postimg.org/image/47hg5d6np/ My underst… --- ## [Why is the recreational dose of ethanol so high compared to other recreational drugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-recreational-dose-of-ethanol-so-high-compared-to-other-recreational-drugs/795324)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-recreational-dose-of-ethanol-so-high-compared-to-other-recreational-drugs/795324 "2017-09-04T14:29:56Z")
Ethanol has a density of 0.789g/ml. A 10 oz glass of vodka has 118ml of ethanol in it. That works out to 93 grams of ethanol. Most other recreational drugs are measured in mg, ethanol is measured in grams. With a MW of… --- ## [Why do uneducated Filipinos call white men Joe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-uneducated-filipinos-call-white-men-joe/535287)
**Author:** [@loyaltubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loyaltubist)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-uneducated-filipinos-call-white-men-joe/535287 "2017-09-04T14:23:02Z")
I’ve been living in the Philippines for almost two years and people who have never seen white people before call white men Joe. I’ve heard this is because that it comes from G.I. Joe in World War II. But Vietnam vets tel… --- ## [Red Giants](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-giants/795291)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/red-giants/795291 "2017-09-04T13:26:32Z")
I’ve read the same glossy description…that standard text repeated in almost every reference that glosses over the details, but I remain unclear on the specifics, such as: When a main sequence star goes “red giant” and sw… --- ## [How do I purchase something from another country, in their currency?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-purchase-something-from-another-country-in-their-currency/795431)
**Author:** [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-purchase-something-from-another-country-in-their-currency/795431 "2017-09-04T12:46:18Z")
So call me ignorant. But I saw onlinw an item from Germany I’d like to buy, and the price is listed in Euros. How do I pay for it? Do I need to do it through a bank? --- ## [Potato as a silencer...?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-as-a-silencer/795396)
**Author:** [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/potato-as-a-silencer/795396 "2017-09-04T12:37:09Z")
I was reading a piece of news about a sordid affair (a mother lured and killed a man who apparently had raped her 6-year old daughter) and one particular aspect of the whole thing caught my attention. Copy-pasting the re… --- ## [Limitations on Local "Indecent Exposure" Laws](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limitations-on-local-indecent-exposure-laws/794936)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limitations-on-local-indecent-exposure-laws/794936 "2017-09-04T09:57:15Z")
Supposing you have a jurisdiction in which the majority of the population dresses extremely conservatively. Is there anything stopping the local government from passing a local ordinance forbidding anyone from dressing o… --- ## [Run these wires/cables under carpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/run-these-wires-cables-under-carpet/795438)
**Author:** [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/run-these-wires-cables-under-carpet/795438 "2017-09-04T07:06:57Z")
Re-arranging some furniture and things and need to re-run some wires around to do so, but I don’t want eyesores. I have 1.)coaxial cable 2.) an ethernet cable 3.)telephone wire. Is it safe to have these underneath ca… --- ## [Trouble with Google Play Music playing on Bluetooth etc](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-with-google-play-music-playing-on-bluetooth-etc/789014)
**Author:** [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trouble-with-google-play-music-playing-on-bluetooth-etc/789014 "2017-09-04T04:36:21Z")
We have our music loaded onto Google Play on our Android phone. However, when we try to play the songs, they don’t sync to Bluetooth and when we use an actual cable and play them aux, it says it can’t recognize the forma… --- ## [iPad/Netflix/Roku Problem](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-netflix-roku-problem/795425)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ipad-netflix-roku-problem/795425 "2017-09-04T03:14:09Z")
Mrs. Homie made a video for her YouTube channel using her iPad Air. She is trying to upload the video from the device to her YouTube channel. She’s getting a message that says it’s trying to connect to the Roku; she keep… --- ## [Fire ant rafts in Houston](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-ant-rafts-in-houston/795344)
**Author:** [@Bones\_Daley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bones_Daley)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fire-ant-rafts-in-houston/795344 "2017-09-04T02:39:08Z")
Maybe I am missing something, but for the life of me I cannot see why the authorities don’t see the floods in Houston as an opportunity to decimate the fire ant population by using flamethrowers. These ants are formin… --- ## [Best way to block bouncemenet from my email?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-block-bouncemenet-from-my-email/795339)
**Author:** [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-block-bouncemenet-from-my-email/795339 "2017-09-04T02:37:18Z")
Best way to block bouncemenet from my email? --- ## [What is the form of water in a hurricane?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-form-of-water-in-a-hurricane/795389)
**Author:** [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-form-of-water-in-a-hurricane/795389 "2017-09-04T01:59:38Z")
I’ve been looking at some of the rainfall totals, in Texas, from Hurricane Harvey. 40"+ in just a couple of days boggles my mind. I can’t actually imagine a storm holding enough water vapor to drop that much rain. So wa… --- ## [A question about current jet engines](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-current-jet-engines/795424)
**Author:** [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-current-jet-engines/795424 "2017-09-04T01:16:13Z")
According to this site, \*"Ceramic matrix composites take flight in LEAP jet engine. A quarter-century ago, the Department of Energy began a program to support U.S. development of ceramic matrix composites. In 2016 a ne… --- ## [Are non Muslim women required to wear head scarfs or etc in Islamic countries?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-non-muslim-women-required-to-wear-head-scarfs-or-etc-in-islamic-countries/795368)
**Author:** [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-non-muslim-women-required-to-wear-head-scarfs-or-etc-in-islamic-countries/795368 "2017-09-04T01:14:48Z")
Are non-muslim women required to wear things like burqa’s headscarfs, veils and such in Islamic countries? You know, countries like Egypt, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. Even if … --- ## [Eclipse traffic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650)
**Author:** [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Replies:** 225\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eclipse-traffic/793650 "2017-09-04T00:14:37Z")
Like many Americans, I’m making plans to see the Great Eclipse. And also like many Americans, I didn’t make my plans as far in advance as I should have. Which means that we won’t be spending the night at my preferred l… --- ## [What was the Deal with Vietnam?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-deal-with-vietnam/163764)
**Author:** [@Gjorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gjorp)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-deal-with-vietnam/163764 "2017-09-03T19:05:48Z")
The war was over long before I was even born, so I have to ask what all the hullabaloo was about. It seems to have something to do with the draft, but there have been drafts before, so that couldn’t have been the whole … --- ## [Who was the first peron to travel to every country.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-peron-to-travel-to-every-country/795251)
**Author:** [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2017, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-peron-to-travel-to-every-country/795251 "2017-09-03T12:01:26Z")
Who was the first person credited with travelling to every country in existence at the time. The travels also should have been verifiable. Did Guinness records credit anyone with this? Travels not necessarily in one big … --- ## [Why 'h' for Planck's constant?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-h-for-plancks-constant/540768)
**Author:** [@Pacomalino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pacomalino)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2017, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-h-for-plancks-constant/540768 "2017-09-03T06:46:47Z")
I’ve wondered for a long time why Planck’s constant is called, ‘h’. I know, as a physics guy, Planck is going to be all into the math. Clever reasoning in letter selection for a constant is probably not something Planc… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=678) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=680)