# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=768 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 769 --- ## [Electrical Question (12v DC on DB9)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-12v-dc-on-db9/781174)
**Author:** [@RememberMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RememberMe)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [March 3, 2017, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electrical-question-12v-dc-on-db9/781174 "2017-03-03T00:19:41Z")
I have a device that gets its power from a db9 connection but am missing the power cord. I would like to rig something up using a spare serial cable and 12v power supply. Given the attached image showing the pin-out, how… --- ## [I'm the target of debit card fraud/scam](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-the-target-of-debit-card-fraud-scam/780311)
**Author:** [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-the-target-of-debit-card-fraud-scam/780311 "2017-03-02T23:20:27Z")
About three weeks ago I discovered an unauthorized charge on my debit card. Someone had made some purchases of $10 and $35 out in California (I’m in Las Vegas and hadn’t travelled at all). These were obviously fraudulent… --- ## [Can Trump pardon minions who refuse to follow judicial/congressional orders?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-trump-pardon-minions-who-refuse-to-follow-judicial-congressional-orders/780865)
**Author:** [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-trump-pardon-minions-who-refuse-to-follow-judicial-congressional-orders/780865 "2017-03-02T22:49:11Z")
This may end up in great debates but I thought I would ask it here just in case there is a simple factual answer. I’m picturing the scenarios like the following Judge orders ICE to stop implementing Trump immigration … --- ## [True cost of various electricity sources](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-cost-of-various-electricity-sources/780677)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/true-cost-of-various-electricity-sources/780677 "2017-03-02T21:50:41Z")
I’ve seen a lot of debates about this, and I want a factual analysis. Assuming that there are no subsidies or tax breaks, which sources are really the cheapest per kWh? I’d like to see how nuclear, coal and natural gas… --- ## [Are Sea Levels Rising?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sea-levels-rising/781003)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-sea-levels-rising/781003 "2017-03-02T21:47:26Z")
First, let me say I have Googled around on this topic and only found many hits for maps of future projections if the polar caps were to melt 100%. But, my question is about the here and now. What is the current status of… --- ## [A knotty problem](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-knotty-problem/781069)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-knotty-problem/781069 "2017-03-02T17:24:20Z")
What started as a simple matter of string tying has ended in a quagmire of topology and polynomials, far beyond my education; so I’ll throw it out here to anyone interested: Doubtless you’ve seen, even if you didn’t kno… --- ## [Do they have "escaping poop" training on the ISS?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-escaping-poop-training-on-the-iss/695863)
**Author:** [@Artemis\_Tardis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Artemis_Tardis)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-they-have-escaping-poop-training-on-the-iss/695863 "2017-03-02T15:37:44Z")
It is not so easy to poop in space. You usually need a few contraptions to make sure that poop goes to the correct place. But… what if the poop-o-matic machine fails? What if you sneeze and a turd comes out flying with a… --- ## [How do they Carbon date stone carvings?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-carbon-date-stone-carvings/781148)
**Author:** [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-carbon-date-stone-carvings/781148 "2017-03-02T12:51:31Z")
I was watching a show on the History channel and they showed these large stones in Nevada, the stones had symbols carved directly into the rock. They then state “these carvings have been dated to more than 10,000 years … --- ## [does diarrhea have long-term health consequences?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diarrhea-have-long-term-health-consequences/781106)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diarrhea-have-long-term-health-consequences/781106 "2017-03-02T08:11:07Z")
Diarrhea is a common symptom for a whole bunch of diseases, ranging from foodborne illness to colorectal cancer. But does diarrhea itself cause any long-term health problems for otherwise-healthy adults? Example, suppo… --- ## [Use of Latin in secondary/collegiate education](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-latin-in-secondary-collegiate-education/781084)
**Author:** [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-of-latin-in-secondary-collegiate-education/781084 "2017-03-02T07:42:49Z")
In the U.S., Latin classes are rare in secondary education; they are much more common in colleges, if not widely taken. In the past, how common and popular were Latin courses? How common were they in other Anglosphere … --- ## [Climate change - levels of research funding on potential solutions ?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climate-change-levels-of-research-funding-on-potential-solutions/781175)
**Author:** [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climate-change-levels-of-research-funding-on-potential-solutions/781175 "2017-03-02T07:19:15Z")
Background : \*For addressing climate change, the most talked about solution in the main stream media is that of reducing CO2 emissions (cut down coal plants, reduce oil, etc.). Rarely, do I hear other solutions of solar … --- ## [Why can't people learn to control their palate while asleep?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-people-learn-to-control-their-palate-while-asleep/781074)
**Author:** [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-cant-people-learn-to-control-their-palate-while-asleep/781074 "2017-03-02T04:42:01Z")
When I was six months old, I would wet the bed, and was liable to roll out of it if there weren’t high rails, even when I was wide awake. By the time I was three years old, I had learned not to wet the bed or roll out o… --- ## [Animals recently found to be venomous](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-recently-found-to-be-venomous/780600)
**Author:** [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/animals-recently-found-to-be-venomous/780600 "2017-03-02T03:04:53Z")
I was just reading about the garter snake; long thought to be nonvenomous, it was recently (I do not know how long ago) found to have mild venom, not harmful to humans. This interesting factoid made me wonder – how many… --- ## [HDR Feature for UHD TV, why a TV feature?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdr-feature-for-uhd-tv-why-a-tv-feature/780958)
**Author:** [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hdr-feature-for-uhd-tv-why-a-tv-feature/780958 "2017-03-02T01:58:20Z")
It seems the ‘next big thing’ in TV, besides 4K is High Dynamic Range, or HDR. From my very basic understanding it adjusts contrast dynamically, so very dark areas are adjusted to bring out the differences, and very lig… --- ## [What's wrong with my car's satellite radio?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-my-cars-satellite-radio/776431)
**Author:** [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [March 2, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-wrong-with-my-cars-satellite-radio/776431 "2017-03-02T01:42:38Z")
The reception on my satellite radio has been getting progressively worse and worse, till now it’s at the point where I can’t even listen to a single song without losing sound. It can be a completely clear day with not e… --- ## [Genealogy Terminology Standards](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genealogy-terminology-standards/781038)
**Author:** [@Maurie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maurie)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genealogy-terminology-standards/781038 "2017-03-01T21:19:10Z")
The cousin sidebar in this thread got me curious about this. I am not a genealogy expert by any means, but have enough family members who are quite into it that it’s a pretty frequent topic of conversations at family ge… --- ## [Can Germans still read black-letter text?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-germans-still-read-black-letter-text/780973)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-germans-still-read-black-letter-text/780973 "2017-03-01T21:00:27Z")
I’m watching a short Youtube video of an episode of Die Deutsche Wochenschau from June 1944 describing German reaction to the D-Day invasion (basically, we’ve got it covered, folks!) Shown in the videos are Germans read… --- ## [What am I supposed to do after a car accident (in Texas and California)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-am-i-supposed-to-do-after-a-car-accident-in-texas-and-california/781088)
**Author:** [@Mr.Baggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Baggins)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-am-i-supposed-to-do-after-a-car-accident-in-texas-and-california/781088 "2017-03-01T19:20:40Z")
I’ve seen in popular media that after a crash, the drivers just “exchange insurance information” and go on their merry way (I’m assuming there were no injuries or explosions). After checking the DMV pages for both state… --- ## [Help me to remember changing the order of integration](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-to-remember-changing-the-order-of-integration/781049)
**Author:** [@Saffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saffer)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-to-remember-changing-the-order-of-integration/781049 "2017-03-01T16:10:01Z")
I’m trying to remember how to do this and I am looking at a problem. The details of the function are not germane to this question, but the limits of integration are. To clarify notation, let int(a,b)f(x)dx represent an … --- ## [Why do Appliance Li-Ion Batteries go flat in storage so quickly?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-appliance-li-ion-batteries-go-flat-in-storage-so-quickly/781017)
**Author:** [@Loyuod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loyuod)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-appliance-li-ion-batteries-go-flat-in-storage-so-quickly/781017 "2017-03-01T16:01:27Z")
My ipod & Laptop batteries are usually to flat for the device to turn on within a few months sitting in storage. I usually charge them up & store them. When I need them in 1-3months they are flat. Are they getting drain… --- ## [How spoiled are my kids, really? \[What percentage of kids have a car for their use?\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-spoiled-are-my-kids-really-what-percentage-of-kids-have-a-car-for-their-use/780657)
**Author:** [@JMLVT68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JMLVT68)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-spoiled-are-my-kids-really-what-percentage-of-kids-have-a-car-for-their-use/780657 "2017-03-01T10:04:20Z")
My two teenagers are arguing about the car we have made available to them for their exclusive use. It got me to wondering, what percentage of teens in the US have such a thing, even if they purchased it themselves, or ha… --- ## [Tattoo of dots - what does it mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884)
**Author:** [@wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wiggler)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tattoo-of-dots-what-does-it-mean/231884 "2017-03-01T08:32:33Z")
I’ve always been fascinated why people have 4 individual dots tattoed on their four fingers just above the knuckle in the place where sometimes others have “love” and “hate” written there. Hopefully the diagram below … --- ## [How did "buying a commision" in the British army work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-buying-a-commision-in-the-british-army-work/781033)
**Author:** [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-buying-a-commision-in-the-british-army-work/781033 "2017-03-01T04:05:49Z")
I’ve seen mention of it in various historical romances and such. Generally that the second or third or whatever son of Lord Whozie bought a commission, which appears to mean becoming an officer, in the British Army. (I… --- ## [Will the status of a car insurance claim indicate the repair costs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-status-of-a-car-insurance-claim-indicate-the-repair-costs/781041)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-status-of-a-car-insurance-claim-indicate-the-repair-costs/781041 "2017-03-01T03:49:27Z")
I bumped a car while trying to merge onto a busy street. I was focused, intently looking backwards, down the road for an opening in the traffic. I assumed the car in front had pulled out as I did. Instead they were stil… --- ## [Yes or no, Can Trump take the US out of NATO?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-or-no-can-trump-take-the-us-out-of-nato/780792)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yes-or-no-can-trump-take-the-us-out-of-nato/780792 "2017-03-01T02:56:47Z")
Can he simply sign an executive order withdrawing from the founding treaty? If not what would the procedure be? --- ## [Woman's Dress Terminology.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womans-dress-terminology/780957)
**Author:** [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [March 1, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womans-dress-terminology/780957 "2017-03-01T02:56:10Z")
What do all the different terms for women’s dresses actually mean in terms of what they look like and such? I get that you can divide them up between casual and formal, like something you’d where to the beach or store vs… --- ## [Compound Interest (not HW)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-interest-not-hw/780799)
**Author:** [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2017, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-interest-not-hw/780799 "2017-02-28T23:35:23Z")
I am trying to get my math in order, been a while since I’ve done this kind without a calculator and I want to be good enough to handle my own taxes (no H&R block). So here’s the question. What is the best way to figure … --- ## [splitting a 220v circuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-a-220v-circuit/780970)
**Author:** [@Joehimself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joehimself)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/splitting-a-220v-circuit/780970 "2017-02-28T21:38:07Z")
I’ve got a red-black-white 220v outlet that I want to use as a junction box to split off into two 110v circuits. The newly created junction box would be 18" away from an existing 110v (grounded) receptacle on a different… --- ## [Life on tidally locked exoplanets](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-tidally-locked-exoplanets/780501)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2017, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-on-tidally-locked-exoplanets/780501 "2017-02-28T16:32:30Z")
Today’s NASA announcement, of multiple tidally-locked Earth-sized planets found in the habitable zone of a small nearby star, made me think of the possibility of life on such planets. Without an atmosphere, it’s explain… --- ## [Radio transmitting through the ground](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-transmitting-through-the-ground/310633)
**Author:** [@stanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stanger)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [February 28, 2017, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-transmitting-through-the-ground/310633 "2017-02-28T16:11:19Z")
OK, I know that radio waves don’t really work well in the ground, but it is the best analogy I could think of for this question. Back in the mid 1960’s, I remember reading an article in Popular Electronics, or similar m… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=767) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=769)