# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=797 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 798 --- ## [Spectroscopes - whose job is it to create a narrow linear light source?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectroscopes-whose-job-is-it-to-create-a-narrow-linear-light-source/775861)
**Author:** [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2016, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spectroscopes-whose-job-is-it-to-create-a-narrow-linear-light-source/775861 "2016-12-31T16:01:51Z")
In looking at spectroscopes and spectrum tubes, it seems like there are two different approaches to having a narrow line to view with some dispersing aid. So is it the job of the spectroscope to make the light source a n… --- ## [What happens to a big bottle of vodka in a freezer?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-a-big-bottle-of-vodka-in-a-freezer/664530)
**Author:** [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-a-big-bottle-of-vodka-in-a-freezer/664530 "2016-12-31T14:33:05Z")
In 2001 we had a housewarming and someone left a big bottle of vodka in the freezer. Recently when moving to a smaller home the wife threw it out - we don’t drink very much, you see. Anyhow, wondered if one could have … --- ## [When did canned goods Net Wt change?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canned-goods-net-wt-change/289625)
**Author:** [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2016, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-canned-goods-net-wt-change/289625 "2016-12-31T04:56:01Z")
As a kid in the 1970s, I remember when new labelling laws came into effect. Among other things, all canned goods started displaying “Net Weight” or “drained weight” in the front of their labels. (Before that, they simply… --- ## [Why is Palmyra Atoll the only incorporated territory?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-palmyra-atoll-the-only-incorporated-territory/775864)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-palmyra-atoll-the-only-incorporated-territory/775864 "2016-12-31T04:52:57Z")
The US Constitution does not fully apply in the territories. With one exception: The uninhabited Palmyra Atoll. What is the history behind this? Also, Is it true that if a foreigner gives birth there, the child would a… --- ## [Oldest outstanding scientific prediction?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-outstanding-scientific-prediction/775696)
**Author:** [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2016, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-outstanding-scientific-prediction/775696 "2016-12-31T03:11:28Z")
I was just reading how Einstein predicted gravity waves a century ago and it was only proven this year. Are there other similarly long-outstanding scientific predictions waiting to be proved? Which has been outstanding t… --- ## [What to do with holiday gift with nano particles?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-holiday-gift-with-nano-particles/775902)
**Author:** [@kiffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiffa)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 31, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-holiday-gift-with-nano-particles/775902 "2016-12-31T00:15:50Z")
I try to do my part in reducing harmful junk I let go into the environment, but I haven’t been able to decide what to do with an exfoliating hand soap I received as a gift. It has small little particles (like the teeny … --- ## [Asian kids game? Fluttering hands?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-kids-game-fluttering-hands/775798)
**Author:** [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2016, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asian-kids-game-fluttering-hands/775798 "2016-12-30T23:48:46Z")
Just saw a girl of about 6 playing this with her mom. It very well could be just a family activity between the two of them, but it sort of looked like it could be a more common Asian kids game. If so, I’d like to learn… --- ## [probability of picking 2 out or 150 within 10 tries](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-picking-2-out-or-150-within-10-tries/775903)
**Author:** [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2016, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/probability-of-picking-2-out-or-150-within-10-tries/775903 "2016-12-30T19:48:51Z")
given 150 marbles numbered 1 to 150, what are the odds that 2 of the numbers between 1 and 10 will be picked within the first 10 tries. marbles are picked without replacement. If that happens, what are the confidence l… --- ## [British Electrical Code Oddities](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-electrical-code-oddities/774740)
**Author:** [@GMANCANADA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GMANCANADA)\ **Replies:** 156\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-electrical-code-oddities/774740 "2016-12-30T17:12:50Z")
I was in London recently staying at a friend’s flat and noticed a couple of odd electrical things which piqued my curiosity and I’m hoping someone can explain: Why are there no electrical receptacles in British bathro… --- ## [Best way to make an underground wire splice?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-make-an-underground-wire-splice/775657)
**Author:** [@Kamaski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamaski)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-way-to-make-an-underground-wire-splice/775657 "2016-12-30T16:34:07Z")
Im trying to tap into an underground wire that goes to a lamppost to run more lights off that wire. Is there some kind of an underground junction box for this task. --- ## [Place names with both first and last names](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-both-first-and-last-names/775639)
**Author:** [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Replies:** 78\ **Last updated:** [December 30, 2016, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/place-names-with-both-first-and-last-names/775639 "2016-12-30T09:52:50Z")
Places are frequently named after people. Usually it’s just the last name (when named for men, that is, which are the bulk of such names; when named for women, it’s usually the first name). But occasionally, they’re name… --- ## [401(k) loan question...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/401-k-loan-question/775868)
**Author:** [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/401-k-loan-question/775868 "2016-12-29T23:41:22Z")
OK, let’s say I were to apply for a $1,000 dollar loan from my 401(k) account, then switched jobs or quit or whatever. According to the Transamerica site, it says " If you terminate employment, plans usually require that… --- ## [Does sweeping compound really work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sweeping-compound-really-work/548627)
**Author:** [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-sweeping-compound-really-work/548627 "2016-12-29T22:13:53Z")
I remember the janitors in elementary school sprinkling green powder on the floor and then sweeping it up. The general consensus of us kids was that they were doing it to look busy. It seemed pointless. In fact, it still… --- ## [What's this kitchen gadget?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-kitchen-gadget/775753)
**Author:** [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-kitchen-gadget/775753 "2016-12-29T20:17:04Z")
Visiting friends, we discovered this item in a kitchen drawer. No one knows what it is - it kind of looks like the love child of a cheese slicer and a tweezers. It’s chrome-plated, about 6 inches long, and kind of flimsy… --- ## [Area code - should they be entered in Contacts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-code-should-they-be-entered-in-contacts/775792)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-code-should-they-be-entered-in-contacts/775792 "2016-12-29T19:55:08Z")
I screwed up badly one time in 1996 by entering the area code on a modem access number. it was a local number. End of the month my mom got a $350 phone bill. OMG. It had been getting billed as a long distance call. Ever… --- ## [Amazon Echo and recording laws](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852)
**Author:** [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-echo-and-recording-laws/775852 "2016-12-29T19:51:51Z")
So devices like the Echo Dot are connected to a server and every sound they pick up is recorded there. There’s currently a case where the authorities are asking for the recordings to see if there’s evidence of a murder. … --- ## [How to unlink Outlook email accounts?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unlink-outlook-email-accounts/775797)
**Author:** [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-unlink-outlook-email-accounts/775797 "2016-12-29T15:31:37Z")
I’m really sorry to ask this question here but I’ve spent quite some time trying to google an answer and getting increasingly frustrated. I have an Outlook account (previously Hotmail) which has two seperate email addre… --- ## [Did people care about having a White Christmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-people-care-about-having-a-white-christmas/775620)
**Author:** [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-people-care-about-having-a-white-christmas/775620 "2016-12-29T15:18:20Z")
Prior to the Song? --- ## [Tonsil Stones (not for the squeemish)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonsil-stones-not-for-the-squeemish/603728)
**Author:** [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tonsil-stones-not-for-the-squeemish/603728 "2016-12-29T05:26:19Z")
http://www.tonsilstones.com/ (SFW) I’ve had these for a while. My doctor (ex-doctor now) told me they were “probably” polyps… Anyway, anyone know of cheap, easy ways to expel them? They seem to get stuck in my throat,… --- ## [Strange particles on mattress cover](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-particles-on-mattress-cover/775659)
**Author:** [@Paxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paxx)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-particles-on-mattress-cover/775659 "2016-12-29T09:55:30Z")
This morning, I was taking apart my bed and I noticed some strange particles on the mattress cover. They are brownish, smooth and quasi-cylindrical, hard and brittle. About 2 mm, or less than 1/10 of an inch. Doesn’t l… --- ## [LED Bulbs In Fixtures](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulbs-in-fixtures/775687)
**Author:** [@UncleFred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleFred)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/led-bulbs-in-fixtures/775687 "2016-12-29T09:43:50Z")
Many LED bulbs say 'not for use in enclosed fixtures. This is usually attributed to heat buildup. However, someone pointed out that a cell-phone charger, delivering a comparable 12W, typically consists of a virtually-clo… --- ## [Connecting Roku3, DVD player, router & TV](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-roku3-dvd-player-router-tv/775806)
**Author:** [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/connecting-roku3-dvd-player-router-tv/775806 "2016-12-29T03:42:04Z")
My 10-year old dvd player finally expired and I bought this one today: Sony BDP S3700. I don’t have cable or satellite. I do have a Roku3. The DVD player has a port to connect an HDMI cable to the TV, and so does the Ro… --- ## [Paying hospitals for population health instead of service](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-hospitals-for-population-health-instead-of-service/775648)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paying-hospitals-for-population-health-instead-of-service/775648 "2016-12-29T03:34:27Z")
Representatives from struggling rural hospitals in Maine have said in the media recently that they want to see their hospitals paid for the health of the local population, instead of for the services they provide. How w… --- ## [How Should I Dispose of Freezer Packs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-dispose-of-freezer-packs/775721)
**Author:** [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-i-dispose-of-freezer-packs/775721 "2016-12-29T02:30:41Z")
Like most of America, Ms. Cups and I are on the “meals delivered at home” kick. We don’t do it too too often, but when a deal comes up we’re there. An unfortunate side effect of these is we have, like, 1000 of those fre… --- ## [Is there any airline that will let me fly with a 30lb dog in the main cabin?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-airline-that-will-let-me-fly-with-a-30lb-dog-in-the-main-cabin/773446)
**Author:** [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Replies:** 175\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-airline-that-will-let-me-fly-with-a-30lb-dog-in-the-main-cabin/773446 "2016-12-29T01:55:02Z")
We are traveling cross country and would like to take our 30lb dog (medium sized mutt). We do not want her to travel in cargo and would buy her a ticket if they would let her travel in the main cabin. Does anyone know a … --- ## [Mogul base](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mogul-base/775802)
**Author:** [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mogul-base/775802 "2016-12-29T01:13:00Z")
I am having trouble with the operation of a table lamp (literally–the table and lamp are one unit, which we bought 45 years ago at a now-defunct furniture store). The problem is with the bulb socket, which is “mogul base… --- ## [Cold ocean water is sometimes described as rich in nutrients](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-ocean-water-is-sometimes-described-as-rich-in-nutrients/595612)
**Author:** [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold-ocean-water-is-sometimes-described-as-rich-in-nutrients/595612 "2016-12-29T01:11:58Z")
Cold ocean water is often described as rich in nutrients for sea creatures. Why is warm ocean water not even richer in nutrients? --- ## [Garbled Japanese mythology: what could a "ryuku doji" be?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garbled-japanese-mythology-what-could-a-ryuku-doji-be/775795)
**Author:** [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garbled-japanese-mythology-what-could-a-ryuku-doji-be/775795 "2016-12-29T01:10:19Z")
I’m playing a mobile game that has characters from mythologies of different cultures. One is a “ryuku doji”, which looks like a cute boy with a turtle on his head like a hat and carrying a glowing ball in one hand. From… --- ## [How do sharks "smell" blood so far away?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-sharks-smell-blood-so-far-away/775761)
**Author:** [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 29, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-sharks-smell-blood-so-far-away/775761 "2016-12-29T00:30:48Z")
Maybe it’s an exaggeration that a shark can smell a drop of blood from a mile away, I’ve read that they do have a remarkable sense of smell. But wouldn’t it take a long time for molecules of blood to spread so far in th… --- ## [Is salty replacing bitter as an adjective to describe that emotion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-salty-replacing-bitter-as-an-adjective-to-describe-that-emotion/775723)
**Author:** [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [December 28, 2016, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-salty-replacing-bitter-as-an-adjective-to-describe-that-emotion/775723 "2016-12-28T23:42:48Z")
Some of the younger people in my family use the word salty instead of bitter to describe someone who is feeling bitter. I thought this was something unique to these particular family members until I read an article this … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=796) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=798)