# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=698 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 699 --- ## [Spiral design in centre of front of jet engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiral-design-in-centre-of-front-of-jet-engine/792125)
**Author:** [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spiral-design-in-centre-of-front-of-jet-engine/792125 "2017-07-26T16:05:02Z")
I don’t know whether this applies to all engines on large passenger jets, or whether I tend to see mostly certain engine types on TV that just happen to have that design, but regardless; what is that little spiral for t… --- ## [Are there examples (bef. Borussia Dortmund bomber) of crimes of violence done for stock market gain?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-bef-borussia-dortmund-bomber-of-crimes-of-violence-done-for-stock-market-gain/784908)
**Author:** [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-examples-bef-borussia-dortmund-bomber-of-crimes-of-violence-done-for-stock-market-gain/784908 "2017-07-26T15:57:33Z")
Today 21 April a suspect in the 11 April 2017 bomb attack on the Borussia Dortmund football/soccer team has been arrested in the town where I work. Prosecutors say he hoped to maim or kill valuable players to profit fro… --- ## [Is it possible to remove broken key from inside lock?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-remove-broken-key-from-inside-lock/673092)
**Author:** [@Objective\_Observer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Objective_Observer)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [November 5, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-possible-to-remove-broken-key-from-inside-lock/673092 "2013-11-05T17:16:46Z")
Hi folks, My entry door lock and key are pretty old. A couple of days ago, when I inserted the key into the lock and twisted it to open the lock, the key broke off at the point of entry. So now I have an unusable lock w… --- ## [Who owns the Bottom of the River?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-bottom-of-the-river/792067)
**Author:** [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-owns-the-bottom-of-the-river/792067 "2017-07-26T14:41:25Z")
I found this. The thing is that it varies wildly. Here, in Durango, the City owns the bottom of the river. In Utah, the State owned the river bottoms, up to the High Water lines. I’m trying to figure out the legality o… --- ## [Mikhail Semenko/ Misha Semenko](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mikhail-semenko-misha-semenko/792131)
**Author:** [@Potestas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potestas)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mikhail-semenko-misha-semenko/792131 "2017-07-26T14:18:59Z")
Whatever happened to Mikhail Semenko/ Misha Semenko after being deported from the United States in 2010 for espionage? I tried to find the guy’s social media profile on the Russian social media network VK and came up wi… --- ## [Why are Medicaid and Medicare separate programs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-medicaid-and-medicare-separate-programs/791530)
**Author:** [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-medicaid-and-medicare-separate-programs/791530 "2017-07-26T13:37:01Z")
It seems to me there might be some advantages in combining Medicaid and Medicare – maintaining only one administrative operation, for example. Why were they established as separate programs? Why do they remain separate… --- ## [Can I still rescue my dried up contact lenses?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-still-rescue-my-dried-up-contact-lenses/33608)
**Author:** [@theuglytruth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theuglytruth)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-still-rescue-my-dried-up-contact-lenses/33608 "2017-07-26T12:28:47Z")
Last week in an inebriated state I accidentally put my soft daily wear contact lenses in a cup with saline solution but forgot to put on the lid. A week later I now have these two dried up pieces of plastic. I doused th… --- ## [How come you never hear of "home grown" cocaine?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-never-hear-of-home-grown-cocaine/100391)
**Author:** [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [March 29, 2002, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-you-never-hear-of-home-grown-cocaine/100391 "2002-03-29T15:18:45Z")
I know that cocaine production is much more involved than marijauna but im still surprised ive never heard of US coca growing facilities. I looked it up on the net and saw that it took roughly 250 lbs of coca leaves to … --- ## [What kind of bug bite was this?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-bug-bite-was-this/792132)
**Author:** [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-bug-bite-was-this/792132 "2017-07-26T10:12:46Z")
A couple weeks ago I woke and felt an itch on the lower part of my butt cheek. I started to scratch and felt two fairly large bumps. The felt larger than mosquito bites, so I assumed they were spider bites, but the loca… --- ## [Could you make an omelette of human eggs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-make-an-omelette-of-human-eggs/792070)
**Author:** [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-you-make-an-omelette-of-human-eggs/792070 "2017-07-26T05:55:09Z")
…it should be obvious, but I will state for the record, that I know nothing of human anatomy. Something something unfertilized embryos are tiny, not like a hen’s, and get discarded every month? If some mad scientist want… --- ## [President as Commander-in-Chief: "Give me 50 pushups!"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-as-commander-in-chief-give-me-50-pushups/791701)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 82\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-as-commander-in-chief-give-me-50-pushups/791701 "2017-07-26T03:57:17Z")
Watching videos of basic training at the Air Force Academy recently made me wonder just how literally the president’s Commander-in-Chief power truly extends. Suppose the President is reviewing a parade of U.S. troops, a… --- ## [Why tell a reporter something "off the record"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-tell-a-reporter-something-off-the-record/791802)
**Author:** [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Replies:** 40\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-tell-a-reporter-something-off-the-record/791802 "2017-07-26T03:16:50Z")
This question is triggered by the latest NYT Trump interview. I understand why someone wouldn’t want a reporter publishing something, but then why tell a reporter at all? Why not just stay silent on the issue? Are the… --- ## [Is there still time for Jeff Sessions to jump into the race for his Senate Seat?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-still-time-for-jeff-sessions-to-jump-into-the-race-for-his-senate-seat/792098)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 26, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-still-time-for-jeff-sessions-to-jump-into-the-race-for-his-senate-seat/792098 "2017-07-26T00:22:01Z")
Sessions had a very secure R. Senate seat, 5 months ago. Is it still possible for him to jump into the primary of the Alabama special election? How about running as an independent? --- ## [Earthlink webmail 'classic' format](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-webmail-classic-format/792106)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/earthlink-webmail-classic-format/792106 "2017-07-25T21:18:48Z")
I’ve been avoiding EarthLink’s shiny new webmail page for years, because I didn’t like it. I preferred the ‘classic’ format I’ve been using since the '90s. Rather slyly, they put their ‘Change to bloody stupid New Form… --- ## [Did any American agent commit suicide during the cold war to avoid capture by the Soviet bloc?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-american-agent-commit-suicide-during-the-cold-war-to-avoid-capture-by-the-soviet-bloc/792059)
**Author:** [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-any-american-agent-commit-suicide-during-the-cold-war-to-avoid-capture-by-the-soviet-bloc/792059 "2017-07-25T20:13:30Z")
So Francis Powers and the other U2 pilots were famously given cyanide needles to commit suicide in the event of capture (and in fact he faced reprobation for not using his). Were they the only US intelligence agents\* wh… --- ## [ACA and supplemental cancer insurance](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-and-supplemental-cancer-insurance/792063)
**Author:** [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aca-and-supplemental-cancer-insurance/792063 "2017-07-25T19:12:07Z")
I go in tomorrow to sign up for benefits through my work. I currently have a supplemental policy for cancer. I was diagnosed with colon cancer in December, went through 12 rounds of chemo over 24 weeks, and was declared … --- ## [Is it Illegal to Write a News Story Based on Someone Else's News Story?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-write-a-news-story-based-on-someone-elses-news-story/792039)
**Author:** [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-write-a-news-story-based-on-someone-elses-news-story/792039 "2017-07-25T17:45:00Z")
I’m going to have the illustrious job of managing my company’s website, which involves us posting various news stories from around our industry. I’ve managed company blogs in the past, which always involved finding a ne… --- ## [Do humans with animal DNA already exist?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-with-animal-dna-already-exist/791619)
**Author:** [@protoboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/protoboard)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-with-animal-dna-already-exist/791619 "2017-07-25T17:18:33Z")
There’s two technologies that exist that I suspect might produce human-animal hybrids unintentionally, though I admit I’m not a geneticist and don’t have a scientifically informed opinion. The first is in vitro fertiliz… --- ## [Is there any upper speed limit to the human body?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-upper-speed-limit-to-the-human-body/792047)
**Author:** [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-upper-speed-limit-to-the-human-body/792047 "2017-07-25T16:38:30Z")
I’ve managed to find an infinitely long straight line in space that is a total and complete vacuum and will remain so forever. Thanks to the \[del\]magic\[/del\] science! of unobtainium, I am ageless, I have an infinite air … --- ## [Why doesn't everyone have bedbugs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-everyone-have-bedbugs/739450)
**Author:** [@Whiskey\_Dickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whiskey_Dickens)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [July 28, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-everyone-have-bedbugs/739450 "2016-07-28T02:01:48Z")
Disclaimer - I don’t have bedbugs (yet?) My understanding is that bedbugs are difficult to get rid of, and easy to spread. Given these two factors, why doesn’t every house have bed bugs? According to wiki bed bug infe… --- ## ["Bullpup" rifles: why not more common?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bullpup-rifles-why-not-more-common/791952)
**Author:** [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bullpup-rifles-why-not-more-common/791952 "2017-07-25T14:38:28Z")
Was watching a show that featured some British soldiers wielding “bullpup” style rifles–don’t know the brand as I’m not a weapons expert. As I understand it, the design allows for a more compact weapon. Wouldn’t this A… --- ## [Last name Yost?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-name-yost/69671)
**Author:** [@Clueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clueless)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/last-name-yost/69671 "2017-07-25T10:46:46Z")
What nationality is the last name of “Yost”? Russian? --- ## [Old stove making random loud noise?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-stove-making-random-loud-noise/792066)
**Author:** [@TheSundial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheSundial)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [July 25, 2017, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-stove-making-random-loud-noise/792066 "2017-07-25T04:11:39Z")
I live in an apartment with an old Sunray Centennial stove and for several months now it randomly makes a loud popping/clang sound even when it’s not in use. It will happen a few times a day and I just don’t get why it’… --- ## [Why do so many ocean survival stories feature shark terror elements when shark attacks are rare?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957)
**Author:** [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2017, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-ocean-survival-stories-feature-shark-terror-elements-when-shark-attacks-are-rare/791957 "2017-07-24T23:12:18Z")
The majority of open ocean survival stories that I have read or watched featured the fear of shark attacks as a major threat. Some of them claimed that sharks were constantly circling and even bumping them, their raft or… --- ## [Who is paying to host illegal movie uploads?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-paying-to-host-illegal-movie-uploads/792028)
**Author:** [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-paying-to-host-illegal-movie-uploads/792028 "2017-07-24T21:38:55Z")
There is some pretty common software out there that allows the user to view a lot of copyright-infringing content, namely movie and TV show uploads. It acts as a portal of sorts: you put in the name of the movie you wan… --- ## [What were these pills?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-pills/791261)
**Author:** [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-pills/791261 "2017-07-24T19:08:46Z")
I opened the front door of my apartment this morning and discovered a small baggie containing two white pills. “Caplet”-type pills (that is, capsule-shaped, but solid), white, and stamped with the letter “E”. No other ma… --- ## [Airline selling empty, paid-for, seat](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-selling-empty-paid-for-seat/791408)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 80\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2017, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/airline-selling-empty-paid-for-seat/791408 "2017-07-24T18:07:21Z")
Ann Coulter is angry, because Delta Airlines sold the empty seat she’d paid for to another passenger. When airlines are overbooked, they can bump passengers from a flight. Recently, a family was kicked off of a flight … --- ## [What rock is this?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rock-is-this/791972)
**Author:** [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-rock-is-this/791972 "2017-07-24T17:48:02Z")
With the recent threads touching on mineralogy and with a resident geologist, I think I’ll bring up this point of curiosity I’ve had for a while. Where I live here in South Carolina there is pretty much only one type of… --- ## [Problems with Google Chrome](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-google-chrome/791954)
**Author:** [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problems-with-google-chrome/791954 "2017-07-24T17:22:41Z")
Every month or so Google will decide that I’m German, and switch the screen language to German. Now, since about the only German word I know is dummkopf, this does not really make things any easier. So I have to go int… --- ## [VPN increasing my wifi speed. Any home options?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vpn-increasing-my-wifi-speed-any-home-options/743685)
**Author:** [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [July 24, 2017, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vpn-increasing-my-wifi-speed-any-home-options/743685 "2017-07-24T14:10:54Z")
My home wifi is throttled at 5 mb down (or less). Running Speedtest on my PC verifies that. But if I connect my work laptop to the same wifi and connect to the work VPN (Cisco Connect Secure), I’m running more like 30 mb… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=697) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=699)