# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=692 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 693 --- ## [Question for IT people and developers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-it-people-and-developers/792692)
**Author:** [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2017, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-it-people-and-developers/792692 "2017-08-08T14:19:36Z")
I’m befuddled by something my company is doing. They’ve decided to do a hackathon and are really pushing everyone to participate in it. I used to be a software engineer, so I know what a hackathon is. A team of develo… --- ## [Plane crash question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plane-crash-question/792864)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plane-crash-question/792864 "2017-08-08T13:55:27Z")
The pilot ran out of fuel near the airport, and put down in someone’s driveway. How did the prop receive damage and not tear up the ground? --- ## [Any problem with insulating HWH flue?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-problem-with-insulating-hwh-flue/370644)
**Author:** [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-problem-with-insulating-hwh-flue/370644 "2017-08-08T13:22:49Z")
I recently bought a water heater blanket, not so much with the intention of saving gas, but the heater is in the kitchen, and it already gets hot enough in there when we are cooking, washing, etc. The flue is galvanized … --- ## [Rerecording a "talking" greeting card circuitboard.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rerecording-a-talking-greeting-card-circuitboard/353688)
**Author:** [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2017, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rerecording-a-talking-greeting-card-circuitboard/353688 "2017-08-08T13:01:15Z")
I got a talking (actually, singing) greeting card. The card is basically a double-layer of light cardboard with a circuitboard, batteries, and thin speaker sandwiched inside. Opening the card allows two electrical contac… --- ## [MS-Excel question: function for elapsed time?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question-function-for-elapsed-time/793009)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ms-excel-question-function-for-elapsed-time/793009 "2017-08-08T13:00:33Z")
I’m working on some historical data in an Excel spreadsheet and have a question. Is there a function where I can enter a date, and Excel automatically calculates how much time has elapsed since that date? So if I put i… --- ## [How can I research a surgeon's track record?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-research-a-surgeons-track-record/793057)
**Author:** [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2017, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-research-a-surgeons-track-record/793057 "2017-08-08T12:41:28Z")
I have found a surgeon who communicates well, and who anecdotally has a good reputation. But good hands are a higher priority than social skills. Googling just takes me to anecdotal review sites that I think are fair… --- ## [Ford Escape 12V outlet not working](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-escape-12v-outlet-not-working/792969)
**Author:** [@lukewaaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lukewaaler)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 8, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ford-escape-12v-outlet-not-working/792969 "2017-08-08T02:35:34Z")
Hello, I have a 2010 Ford Escape. Both the front and rear 12V outlets are no longer working. However, when I plug in a USB adapter into the socket, the LED on the adapter lights up. I have tried different USB adapters i… --- ## [Military maternity leave?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-maternity-leave/792746)
**Author:** [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-maternity-leave/792746 "2017-08-07T21:36:20Z")
Friend’s daughter is in the NJ/Army National Guard. She gave birth last Friday (7/28) & expected to report for drills this weekend, a mere 8 days after giving birth! Is there no such thing as maternity leave in the mil… --- ## [My beloved iPod Classic....](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915)
**Author:** [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-beloved-ipod-classic/792915 "2017-08-07T21:05:12Z")
Why can I not turn you off? Seriously… why was this thing designed to be unturn-offable?\* \*If the internet is to be believed a state of turned-offness can apparently be achieved by using some convoluted 100 step proces… --- ## [That cool switch from incorporated](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-cool-switch-from-incorporated/792978)
**Author:** [@Billsmith127](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billsmith127)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-cool-switch-from-incorporated/792978 "2017-08-07T20:59:02Z")
In the tv series “Incorporated” there was a scene in one of the episodes where the main character flips a couple switches on a floor hatch (but only certain switches) and it unlocks. I’m wondering if anyone can give me a… --- ## [Possible To Program A Webcam To Record At A Certain Time? HP Laptop, Windows 10](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-program-a-webcam-to-record-at-a-certain-time-hp-laptop-windows-10/793004)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possible-to-program-a-webcam-to-record-at-a-certain-time-hp-laptop-windows-10/793004 "2017-08-07T20:02:33Z")
I’m going to be out of town for the Eclipse, but I’d like to have some visual record of what it looks like from my front yard (99.98% totality vs. 100% where I’m going to be). Is there a way to program my webcam to start… --- ## [Computer Viruses](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-viruses/792922)
**Author:** [@abashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abashed)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-viruses/792922 "2017-08-07T18:12:24Z")
How does a computer virus disrupt software running on your PC? --- ## [Mountaineering question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountaineering-question/792985)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountaineering-question/792985 "2017-08-07T17:20:11Z")
Hi I’m interested to know if during the process of anchoring carabiners and passing ropes through them, whether or not climbers have names for the patterns formed by the ropes? the combination of anchors and where the… --- ## [Can viruses hide in the characters/text of a Word file (or PDF, etc)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-viruses-hide-in-the-characters-text-of-a-word-file-or-pdf-etc/792858)
**Author:** [@Hermes1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermes1)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-viruses-hide-in-the-characters-text-of-a-word-file-or-pdf-etc/792858 "2017-08-07T16:59:27Z")
Here’s my problem. Last week I brought my laptop to repair because it often froze and all my folders had a gray shade. They cleaned it and told me there were 20 viruses. :eek: Always had Avast and it never found ANY vir… --- ## [Are silver, gold, bitcoins, etc worth anything in Venezuela](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-silver-gold-bitcoins-etc-worth-anything-in-venezuela/792100)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-silver-gold-bitcoins-etc-worth-anything-in-venezuela/792100 "2017-08-07T16:44:38Z")
During the great recession some people in the US were stockpiling gold, silver, bitcoins because they felt if the US economy collapsed they could use them as currency. But Venezuela is collapsing. Does silver or gold wo… --- ## [Gravitons and Curved Movement](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitons-and-curved-movement/792986)
**Author:** [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravitons-and-curved-movement/792986 "2017-08-07T13:44:14Z")
Chronos’ post in this thread made me wonder, if a graviton is a particle, then that would imply that an object would continue to move in a straight line until a graviton warped space to turn it. That would mean that an o… --- ## [How do we know what colors animals see? Are any creatures able to see more colors?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-what-colors-animals-see-are-any-creatures-able-to-see-more-colors/33430)
**Author:** [@Wooster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wooster)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-what-colors-animals-see-are-any-creatures-able-to-see-more-colors/33430 "2017-08-07T13:10:11Z")
I guess we all know bulls don’t really see red as a color, and flys don’t think a yellow bulb is lit. And I’ve often heard most animals are colorblind. But I wonder. Bears seem to have no trouble picking out the red be… --- ## [Did dinosaurs carry on?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-dinosaurs-carry-on/792895)
**Author:** [@abashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abashed)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-dinosaurs-carry-on/792895 "2017-08-07T12:38:14Z")
Apart from birds, did some dinosaur species carry on living after the asteroid event 65 m.y. ago? --- ## [Human Extinction](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-extinction/792755)
**Author:** [@abashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abashed)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/human-extinction/792755 "2017-08-07T11:15:53Z")
Why did humans nearly die out around 70,000 years ago and how did they survive? --- ## [White Holes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-holes/792689)
**Author:** [@abashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abashed)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-holes/792689 "2017-08-07T08:08:42Z")
Why are there no white holes to be found in the universe? --- ## [How did immigration work in Europe from 1750-1900?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-immigration-work-in-europe-from-1750-1900/792850)
**Author:** [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-immigration-work-in-europe-from-1750-1900/792850 "2017-08-07T03:26:23Z")
I’ve been reading a lot about various classical musicians, composers, and artists in Europe from around 1750-1900. One thing that strikes me as interesting as how easily they’d move from country to country to live and wo… --- ## [Do animals eat onions?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-eat-onions/792883)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [August 7, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-animals-eat-onions/792883 "2017-08-07T00:07:40Z")
I had never thought about this before… DO any animals eat onions? --- ## [Can a local business get in trouble for keeping a GRAND OPENING sign up for years?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-local-business-get-in-trouble-for-keeping-a-grand-opening-sign-up-for-years/792894)
**Author:** [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-local-business-get-in-trouble-for-keeping-a-grand-opening-sign-up-for-years/792894 "2017-08-06T22:57:12Z")
At least in my city, there’s a weird scam that every single local business does once it opens up. It gets a huge white banner that says GRAND OPENING and then underneath it advertises some special that is time limited du… --- ## [How do car makers surive losing money on high-end models?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-car-makers-surive-losing-money-on-high-end-models/792710)
**Author:** [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-car-makers-surive-losing-money-on-high-end-models/792710 "2017-08-06T21:36:50Z")
According to Top Gear and various other news sources car makers (e.g. Ferrari, Lamborghini) often lose money on their top-of-the-line models (or at least, some of them). Specifically, they set a price and production-run … --- ## [Making acrylic sphere round](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-acrylic-sphere-round/792578)
**Author:** [@shinnen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shinnen)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-acrylic-sphere-round/792578 "2017-08-06T18:15:48Z")
Hi, A while ago I decided that (rather than buy an acrylic sphere) I would make one, from an acrylic block. (I want the sphere for photography) This turned out to be much much more difficult, and laborious, than I had e… --- ## [Will jehovah witness bank their own blood before major surgeries? (Need answer fast)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-jehovah-witness-bank-their-own-blood-before-major-surgeries-need-answer-fast/792662)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-jehovah-witness-bank-their-own-blood-before-major-surgeries-need-answer-fast/792662 "2017-08-06T17:53:03Z")
Found out today my 1st cousin is scheduled for surgery tomorrow to replace his heart valve. He’s jehovah witness and has been since marrying one forty years ago. Would they typically bank their blood before surgery? Ou… --- ## [Chicken pox vaccine - no immunity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pox-vaccine-no-immunity/792661)
**Author:** [@Ella9991](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ella9991)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicken-pox-vaccine-no-immunity/792661 "2017-08-06T17:24:14Z")
I really need some advice on this. I never got the chicken pox as a kid. When I moved to the US, I had the varicella (2doses) shots. I volunteered at a hospital and thus was required to do some blood work. Found out that… --- ## [People that can't feel pain. How's exercising like to them?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-cant-feel-pain-hows-exercising-like-to-them/792926)
**Author:** [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-that-cant-feel-pain-hows-exercising-like-to-them/792926 "2017-08-06T17:22:11Z")
Some people have a rare disorder where they can’t feel pain, so I always wondered why they aren’t super athletes. Do they still feel physically tired when working out? --- ## [Why do some foods squeak when I chew them?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-foods-squeak-when-i-chew-them/792900)
**Author:** [@Nippless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nippless)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-some-foods-squeak-when-i-chew-them/792900 "2017-08-06T16:57:37Z")
Mushrooms, grapes, some kinds of peanuts and crunchy peanut butter are a few. What is it that’s squeaking? --- ## [When frozen do fats and liquids reach the same temperature?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-frozen-do-fats-and-liquids-reach-the-same-temperature/792902)
**Author:** [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [August 6, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-frozen-do-fats-and-liquids-reach-the-same-temperature/792902 "2017-08-06T16:43:09Z")
I can’t think how to google this succinctly enough, so - will something that is fat based reach the same low temperature as a liquid when chilled or frozen. I know that its structure will be affected differently, but, fo… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=691) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=693)