# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=694 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 695 --- ## [Phone question \[phone not sending texts\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-question-phone-not-sending-texts/792716)
**Author:** [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-question-phone-not-sending-texts/792716 "2017-08-03T22:16:30Z")
A friend of mine has purchased a phone from Amazon. It’s a Samsung Galaxy 5. He’s on the Sprint Network. The phone will not let him send texts. He can make and receive calls, send and receive calls and AFAIK do everythi… --- ## [Heat transfer in black holes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-transfer-in-black-holes/792700)
**Author:** [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-transfer-in-black-holes/792700 "2017-08-03T21:58:32Z")
This thread is inspired by the other thread on Black Hole Evaporation (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=832369) So say I have a black hole and have setup six measurement stations away from the black … --- ## [Weird fuzzy bursts on doppler radar.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-fuzzy-bursts-on-doppler-radar/792685)
**Author:** [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-fuzzy-bursts-on-doppler-radar/792685 "2017-08-03T21:56:40Z")
Besides my post on MPSIMS I had to post one more thing, a question before I sleep. I was checking the doppler radar for rain (forecasts are always wrong, but when the radar shows it, i get a better idea of what to expect… --- ## [Black Hole Evaporation](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-evaporation/792555)
**Author:** [@abashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abashed)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-hole-evaporation/792555 "2017-08-03T20:20:40Z")
Under what circumstances do black holes evaporate? I think it has something to do with the kind of black hole and also the role of ‘virtual particles’ but I’m very sketchy. Any info welcome. --- ## [Distance of event horizon from surface of black hole.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-of-event-horizon-from-surface-of-black-hole/792606)
**Author:** [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/distance-of-event-horizon-from-surface-of-black-hole/792606 "2017-08-03T19:19:03Z")
As a black hole grows. Does the event horizon move outward in larger steps than the surface of the black hole? If surface is even a proper concept. Would that hold true for any increase in size? Or is there a point where… --- ## [Do US bombers (B1 in particular) fly missions "with" air support always? (Nork photo)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-us-bombers-b1-in-particular-fly-missions-with-air-support-always-nork-photo/792584)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-us-bombers-b1-in-particular-fly-missions-with-air-support-always-nork-photo/792584 "2017-08-03T19:01:52Z")
Query is from some photos widely shown recently as the NK situation heats up: the B1 cruising flanked by what ISTRC are F-15s, which would make sense in my antiquated (?) notion of bombing runs. What with stealth bomber… --- ## [The size of the Queen's crown](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-the-queens-crown/792531)
**Author:** [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-size-of-the-queens-crown/792531 "2017-08-03T18:44:32Z")
So one of the main things associated with monarchs is the crown. My question is how do they adjust the size of the crown to fit the monarch. For example I wear a size 8 hat and if somehow I became King it is likely the t… --- ## [Can you ID this car window sticker?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-car-window-sticker/792703)
**Author:** [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-id-this-car-window-sticker/792703 "2017-08-03T17:03:49Z")
I saw a car parked in my parking lot at work with a couple of stickers in the rear window. One of them was an N7 logo from the Mass Effect games. This made me think that I probably should recognize the other sticker, but… --- ## [What the hell? The water coming out of my bathroom faucet is white.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634)
**Author:** [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-the-water-coming-out-of-my-bathroom-faucet-is-white/532634 "2017-08-03T13:47:02Z")
So uh, I plan on notifying the landlord first thing in the morning but I noticed something peculiar when I went to brush my teeth tonight… the water coming out of the bathroom faucet is really murky, as if it were soapy.… --- ## [A knotty problem](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-knotty-problem/792448)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-knotty-problem/792448 "2017-08-03T12:58:32Z")
Recently Ethan Segal on Starts With A Bang had this to say, in making an analogy with topological defects (bolding mine): Really? Can you actually get two opposite thumb knots to cancel each other, without passing the … --- ## [Dehumidification project](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dehumidification-project/784783)
**Author:** [@2Bits](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2Bits)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dehumidification-project/784783 "2017-08-03T10:14:55Z")
Other than noisy, energy-wasting, labor-intensive\* dehumidifiers is there any way to keep my basement dry(er)? \[\*labor-intensive because I am unable to have it empty directly into floor drain.\] --- ## [No Postage Neccessary if mailed in the U.S.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-postage-neccessary-if-mailed-in-the-u-s/312007)
**Author:** [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-postage-neccessary-if-mailed-in-the-u-s/312007 "2017-08-03T09:58:23Z")
If I place the postage paid envelopes I receive in the mail for the various promotions or gimmicks in the mail with an item I was saving for heavy trash day, would the item be shipped to the solicitor? OK. Maybe that is … --- ## [Why do ships that carry oil use one propeller while other ships use more than one?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ships-that-carry-oil-use-one-propeller-while-other-ships-use-more-than-one/792424)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-ships-that-carry-oil-use-one-propeller-while-other-ships-use-more-than-one/792424 "2017-08-03T09:53:09Z")
Title says it all. It is not just ships that carry oil but seemingly most cargo carrying ships. Yet naval ships frequently have two, three or four propellers. I get that the design considerations are different for the… --- ## [Is changing your eye color with a laser real or BS?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-changing-your-eye-color-with-a-laser-real-or-bs/792681)
**Author:** [@cowardsflight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowardsflight)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-changing-your-eye-color-with-a-laser-real-or-bs/792681 "2017-08-03T09:44:22Z")
My mother wants to get this surgery done for $5,000 and it’s not the idea of vanity that puts me off or the health concerns as much as whether it actually is possible. CNN Article Apparently, it’s hasn’t been approved … --- ## [Why 15 psi max on pressure cookers?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-15-psi-max-on-pressure-cookers/386149)
**Author:** [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [October 27, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-15-psi-max-on-pressure-cookers/386149 "2015-10-27T16:31:17Z")
All the pressure cookers I have seen have 15 PSI as their max pressure, which is the ‘normal’ pressure one would cook with in a pressure cooker. Many have no other setting. The ones that do have other choices usually h… --- ## [What saint has the highest body count?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058)
**Author:** [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-saint-has-the-highest-body-count/792058 "2017-08-03T05:54:39Z")
Inspired by this Orcs of New York post. Saint Olga allegedly killed 5000 men for failing to pay their taxes on time (you thought the IRS was bad) and burned a city down to boot. Any saints who have killed more people i… --- ## [Slamming your car into park](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slamming-your-car-into-park/475002)
**Author:** [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slamming-your-car-into-park/475002 "2017-08-03T05:49:08Z")
I’m driving down the freeway and I decide I want to slam the transmission into reverse or park. What will happen? Will I need a new transmission? This didn’t happen, I’m just wondering. --- ## [Could someone be amputated by own request?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-be-amputated-by-own-request/682787)
**Author:** [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-someone-be-amputated-by-own-request/682787 "2017-08-03T03:23:59Z")
Let’s say that I decide that I no longer like my left arm and I want it gone. I talk with psychologists, social workers, bla bla bla bla bla bla, and everyone agrees - I don’t want my left arm. It is in perfect working c… --- ## [Non-human souls in the Bible](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-human-souls-in-the-bible/792523)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-human-souls-in-the-bible/792523 "2017-08-03T02:40:39Z")
AFIAK, many or most Christians believe only humans have souls. (Maybe that’s why Heaven is often depicted as being in clouds – there aren’t any plants or animals up there! :stuck\_out\_tongue: ) I assume the Bible states… --- ## [Weight training--even muscles?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-training-even-muscles/792594)
**Author:** [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weight-training-even-muscles/792594 "2017-08-03T01:47:00Z")
I recently started lifting some light dumbbells and my left arm is as usual not as strong as my right (dominant) arm. I’ve always wondered–are you supposed to do extra reps on the weaker side until they even out? Or th… --- ## [Identifying license plates](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-license-plates/792655)
**Author:** [@TheSundial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSundial)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identifying-license-plates/792655 "2017-08-03T00:44:11Z")
I’ve been collecting license plates from the Duel truck (there are 8 in total, one is on the back), https://s1.postimg.org/lf0xlgf8v/dueltruck4.jpg And the closest I have is Nevada. I managed to find a red 1970/71 wit… --- ## [South Carolina State Flag Crescent: Origin of story that it represents a gorget?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-state-flag-crescent-origin-of-story-that-it-represents-a-gorget/790917)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [August 3, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-carolina-state-flag-crescent-origin-of-story-that-it-represents-a-gorget/790917 "2017-08-03T00:26:08Z")
The SC State Flag has a rather simple design, a white palmetto tree in the center, and a white crescent to the left and above it. Sometime in the past 20-30 years, it has been proffered that the crescent represents a go… --- ## [What type of screwdriver do I need for this screw?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-screwdriver-do-i-need-for-this-screw/792554)
**Author:** [@cowardsflight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowardsflight)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-screwdriver-do-i-need-for-this-screw/792554 "2017-08-02T21:51:56Z")
Canon camera I would like to disassemble my Canon IXUS camera but I don’t have the correct screwdrivers. I’ve lost many screwdrivers given to me by my more knowledgeable uncle and don’t want to use a blunt blade since I… --- ## [Is there instrumentation that can "record" taste?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-instrumentation-that-can-record-taste/792567)
**Author:** [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-instrumentation-that-can-record-taste/792567 "2017-08-02T20:36:38Z")
Is there some device that can analyze an arbitrary sample and create a “taste profile” of it that can later be reproduced? Or would something like a mass spectrometer be able to distinguish the compounds in a thingie eno… --- ## [How bad would it be to eat mealworms that you have fed styrofoam?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-would-it-be-to-eat-mealworms-that-you-have-fed-styrofoam/792625)
**Author:** [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-bad-would-it-be-to-eat-mealworms-that-you-have-fed-styrofoam/792625 "2017-08-02T20:35:19Z")
I’m interested in growing mealworms by feeding them styrofoam and some potatoes for moisture. From what I understand, mealworms will happily consume styrofoam. Styrofoam has always been a bug up my ass due to the ubiquit… --- ## [My solitaire is gone . . .](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-solitaire-is-gone/792624)
**Author:** [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-solitaire-is-gone/792624 "2017-08-02T20:33:48Z")
I upgraded to Win 10 some time ago, and the solitaire was gone. Checked online, downloaded it, and got it up and running. Bliss. Last week, two weeks ago, Microsoft pushed an update at me. Now solitaire is gone, again. … --- ## [Can anyone identify this lake?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-lake/792602)
**Author:** [@TheSundial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSundial)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-identify-this-lake/792602 "2017-08-02T17:52:26Z")
I have this unmarked picture that I found taken from a Youtube video with no other details. It’s from a person I used to know that I don’t have contact with anymore. I know for sure that’s it in the US. https://s2.pos… --- ## [Insect identification, or, how I may never sleep again...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-or-how-i-may-never-sleep-again/792566)
**Author:** [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insect-identification-or-how-i-may-never-sleep-again/792566 "2017-08-02T16:59:51Z")
Oh my god. I found one of these crawling on the wall and captured it in a jar. What the heck is it? It is about 1 inch long and full of terrors. … --- ## [Nonbacterial prostatitis + age related enlarged prostate](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonbacterial-prostatitis-age-related-enlarged-prostate/792619)
**Author:** [@SeniorCitizen007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeniorCitizen007)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nonbacterial-prostatitis-age-related-enlarged-prostate/792619 "2017-08-02T16:45:11Z")
'I’ve got my head around most of the symptoms of this “24 hour struggle to cope” condition … what I need is advice about how to relax my anal sphincter (“poppers” are probably not safe for me to use due to my age … but … --- ## [Dark matter, black holes, and hawking radiation, a discrepancy?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-matter-black-holes-and-hawking-radiation-a-discrepancy/791958)
**Author:** [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-matter-black-holes-and-hawking-radiation-a-discrepancy/791958 "2017-08-02T16:24:41Z")
So, something I have never seen in scientific talks or papers that I have read, is how dark matter deals with black holes, so, I have some quick questions if this has been addressed. First I will start with some premise… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=693) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=695)