# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=724 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 725 --- ## [Computer problem: No screen saver](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-no-screen-saver/787597)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-problem-no-screen-saver/787597 "2017-05-30T20:41:32Z")
I have a Dell Inspiron 570 Desktop, with Windows 7. Lately, an unattended screen will lapse into black, with the box indicating power saver, instead of going to my regular screen saver. Is there any way to correct this? --- ## [Do many American women actually raise one leg when they kiss someone?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-many-american-women-actually-raise-one-leg-when-they-kiss-someone/787624)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-many-american-women-actually-raise-one-leg-when-they-kiss-someone/787624 "2017-05-30T18:52:24Z")
OK, there was a 2003 thread on this but it was very short and didn’t answer the questions that interest me. Clearly, as evidenced by that thread, it does occur. But how far back does it go? What is the earliest known in… --- ## [THAT HELICOPTER IN "WHERE EAGLES DARE"......](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-helicopter-in-where-eagles-dare/50936)
**Author:** [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-helicopter-in-where-eagles-dare/50936 "2017-05-30T16:29:08Z")
(an early Clint Eastwood/Richard Burton flick)…really bugs me. I maintain that there were no helicopters used during WWII. Am I wrong? Thanks Q --- ## [Iranian military question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498)
**Author:** [@Potestas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potestas)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iranian-military-question/787498 "2017-05-30T15:46:04Z")
So in this video clip below these tourists were headed on a roadtrip that took them past an Iranian nuclear facility, alongside the road you can see large military equipment of some kind. My question is what kind of equ… --- ## [Can POTUS stop an-ex official/staffer from testifying?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-potus-stop-an-ex-official-staffer-from-testifying/787525)
**Author:** [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-potus-stop-an-ex-official-staffer-from-testifying/787525 "2017-05-30T14:09:35Z")
Can executive privilege be used to stop a former executive branch official from testifying before Congress? And how exactly would that work? If POTUS invoked executive privilege, but a current executive branch official… --- ## [Deer are born in Dearborn, Michigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-are-born-in-dearborn-michigan/125498)
**Author:** [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-are-born-in-dearborn-michigan/125498 "2017-05-30T13:27:03Z")
I have this dim memory of a song with this line in it. Something like: Anybody? --- ## [Do popes ever resign?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-popes-ever-resign/248617)
**Author:** [@King\_Eumenes\_II\_of\_Pergamum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/King_Eumenes_II_of_Pergamum)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-popes-ever-resign/248617 "2017-05-30T12:02:07Z")
I’m not talking about old-time popes, Medici or ancient, but modern popes. I know the current pope has Parkinson’s disease. Would he step down if it became impossible for him to meet or talk comfortably with others? I… --- ## [Can fat be metabolized anaerobically?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fat-be-metabolized-anaerobically/787691)
**Author:** [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-fat-be-metabolized-anaerobically/787691 "2017-05-30T11:34:53Z")
Once, I remember reading that glycogen and glucose can be used anaerobically by muscles, but fat cannot. So when you’re doing some kind of endurance excercise or marathon, you hit the wall once your muscles have run out… --- ## [Translation help? Russian?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-help-russian/787697)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translation-help-russian/787697 "2017-05-30T04:42:01Z")
Image: https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/projects/404/20612273.5442c8dee5646.png Purports to be Russian but no online translator I used could parse it. --- ## [Nepal/China border through Everest summit intentional?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nepal-china-border-through-everest-summit-intentional/787582)
**Author:** [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nepal-china-border-through-everest-summit-intentional/787582 "2017-05-30T04:18:30Z")
My question is about how the Nepal/\[del\]Tibet\[/del\] China border was established, specifically in respect to Mt Everest. Was the border intentionally run through the summit of Mt Everest, knowing its significance, or wa… --- ## [Unusual religious dietary restriction?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-religious-dietary-restriction/787603)
**Author:** [@MmeRose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MmeRose)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-religious-dietary-restriction/787603 "2017-05-30T03:38:19Z")
A few years ago, a patient (from India but living in the US) was admitted to the hospital where I worked. He refused to eat the hospital food, saying that his religion prohibited food prepared by anyone who might be thi… --- ## [Finding all the house numbers on a street?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-all-the-house-numbers-on-a-street/587179)
**Author:** [@aaelghat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaelghat)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [June 29, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/finding-all-the-house-numbers-on-a-street/587179 "2011-06-29T15:42:30Z")
Given a street in a city, is it possible to find all the house numbers on that given street? This is for a mailing that will be sent to the homes on about a dozen different streets. The city in question is Northbrook, … --- ## [What the heck is this? A Hummingbird bum??](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-this-a-hummingbird-bum/787674)
**Author:** [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 30, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-this-a-hummingbird-bum/787674 "2017-05-30T00:55:01Z")
So what the heck is this little ball of feathers I found in my yard? There is no flesh on it at all, just a teeny, tiny ball of feathers that looks like a hummingbird bum. … --- ## [homing pigeons](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homing-pigeons/787671)
**Author:** [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homing-pigeons/787671 "2017-05-29T21:52:34Z")
I presume it is possible to train a pigeon to a boat on a fixed mooring, right? Or maybe I’m wrong. Suppose you took the pigeon to a distant location, and released him. Meanwhile you move the boat a short distance. Cou… --- ## [Is there a scientific term for heating metal in a furnace?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-scientific-term-for-heating-metal-in-a-furnace/787570)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-scientific-term-for-heating-metal-in-a-furnace/787570 "2017-05-29T21:28:28Z")
Hi Is there a scientific term for heating metal in a furnace? I couldn’t find any. I look forward to your feedback. --- ## [Spanish question: present tense](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-question-present-tense/579703)
**Author:** [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spanish-question-present-tense/579703 "2017-05-29T18:58:05Z")
I have a question about the present tense in Spanish. I am refreshing my Spanish skills with Live Mocha. But the Spanish they teach seems to be different than the Spanish I learned in college and at a language school i… --- ## [Good Website to Learnez-Moi Francais?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-website-to-learnez-moi-francais/609160)
**Author:** [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-website-to-learnez-moi-francais/609160 "2017-05-29T18:56:26Z")
I need to brush up on my appalling French. I took high-school French and can ask where the bathroom is, and discuss the pen of my Aunt being on the table, but I cannot understand a single word that is said to me in reply… --- ## [Welfare programs in the US](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welfare-programs-in-the-us/787238)
**Author:** [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Replies:** 69\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/welfare-programs-in-the-us/787238 "2017-05-29T13:52:26Z")
Two of my husband’s coworkers have complained bitterly about the same situation: They work hard themselves, but have (they say) relatives who live pretty well off welfare programs. One of the coworkers is a white man i… --- ## [Supernatural Being Called A "Lind"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supernatural-being-called-a-lind/787611)
**Author:** [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supernatural-being-called-a-lind/787611 "2017-05-29T09:31:30Z")
On Deviant Art, I found a collection of images called “Angels, Demons And Lind”. The first two I get, but I could identify anything from the third classification. Note–some images are NSFW What is a “Lind”? --- ## [Limits on Supreme Court's powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limits-on-supreme-courts-powers/787338)
**Author:** [@Tom\_Terrific](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Terrific)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limits-on-supreme-courts-powers/787338 "2017-05-29T04:44:53Z")
I have been reading the GQ thread about judicial review and it reminded me of a longheld question. Just who has the power to rein in the supreme court? Liberals and conservatives alike over the years have complained abou… --- ## [How widespread is "tine"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-widespread-is-tine/786485)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 89\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-widespread-is-tine/786485 "2017-05-29T04:28:45Z")
Today, two English speaking Canadians (one from Montreal, one from Toronto) astonished me by never having heard the word “tine”. I won’t say it is the commonest word in my ideolect, but both my wife (from NYC) and I (fr… --- ## [Have we been able to construct vacuum buoyant structures yet?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-been-able-to-construct-vacuum-buoyant-structures-yet/787114)
**Author:** [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-been-able-to-construct-vacuum-buoyant-structures-yet/787114 "2017-05-29T03:31:49Z")
If you build a structure that is simultaneously light enough and rigid enough to stand up to atmospheric pressure, you could suck out all the air and make it float. Have we developed the engineering prowess to make somet… --- ## [How to find out about the pharmaceutical product approval](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-out-about-the-pharmaceutical-product-approval/787585)
**Author:** [@Snownator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snownator)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-out-about-the-pharmaceutical-product-approval/787585 "2017-05-29T02:20:46Z")
Most e-pharmacies supply generic sildenafil citrate for less than $1/pill. The generic is approved for treatment of hypertension if I am not mistaken. Is the generic form an FDA-approved for ED? How to find out about the… --- ## [Fixing a broken side mirror using glue](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fixing-a-broken-side-mirror-using-glue/787512)
**Author:** [@Marcus\_Flavius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marcus_Flavius)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fixing-a-broken-side-mirror-using-glue/787512 "2017-05-29T02:00:04Z")
The other day, some unknown jackass broke the side view mirror assembly off of my car. It was just dangling there by the power cord. Since I really do not want to spend $150+ on such a minor repair, I’m attempting to rep… --- ## [Is marijuana (a) weed? Bonus query: do they still say "head shop?"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-a-weed-bonus-query-do-they-still-say-head-shop/787209)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-marijuana-a-weed-bonus-query-do-they-still-say-head-shop/787209 "2017-05-29T00:58:33Z")
See queries, which actually do share a single prompt: I vape/smoke e-cigs, which are for liquid, and I remember a friend at an established vape-only store lamenting when management decided to start selling devices (Pax,… --- ## [Bitcoin limitation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitcoin-limitation/787542)
**Author:** [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 29, 2017, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitcoin-limitation/787542 "2017-05-29T00:45:04Z")
I can’t seem to find a clear answer to how a limit of 21 million bitcoins could work as a full currency. Does it mean there are only 21 million possible wallets? Only that many users? Or is there another layer of transac… --- ## [How dangerous is old dynamite?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-old-dynamite/487414)
**Author:** [@Stathol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stathol)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-dangerous-is-old-dynamite/487414 "2017-05-28T23:54:34Z")
I’ve seen this as a plot device in various movies and TV shows, and I know it has a factual basis. Old dynamite, especially if stored in a hot environment, will sweat nitroglycerin, which usually crystallizes on the surf… --- ## [Speaking non existant language](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-non-existant-language/787596)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speaking-non-existant-language/787596 "2017-05-28T21:51:54Z")
Yesterday afternoon my girlfriend freaked me out. She woke u from a nap talking a language that I have never heard of. Sounded very roughly like eastern European but I am sure that has no connection. Her grandmother was … --- ## [marketing strategy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marketing-strategy/787425)
**Author:** [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2017, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marketing-strategy/787425 "2017-05-28T21:29:03Z")
What is the name (I assume there is one) for the following pricing/marketing strategy? A theater sells buckets of popcorn in three sizes for the following prices: Small - $4 Medium - $7.25 Large - $8.00 The theater … --- ## [Why does hitting a jar topper help to loosen it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-hitting-a-jar-topper-help-to-loosen-it/787578)
**Author:** [@Dero\_Bsawi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dero_Bsawi)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 28, 2017, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-hitting-a-jar-topper-help-to-loosen-it/787578 "2017-05-28T21:12:16Z")
It seems like a simple enough question that someone’s more than likely to already have asked, but why does smacking a knife or blunt utensil end on the top of a jar help to loosen and remove the lid? My Gran does it all … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=723) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=725)