# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=805 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 806 --- ## [Inputting Greek symbols to word/onenote](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inputting-greek-symbols-to-word-onenote/341984)
**Author:** [@pretend\_my\_name\_is\_witty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pretend_my_name_is_witty)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2016, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inputting-greek-symbols-to-word-onenote/341984 "2016-12-13T06:59:14Z")
I’m typing up some of my lecture notes using onenote at the moment (I know I’m missing out on a lot of it’s functionality by using a PC, but I like the structure of how it saves things). I’ve got to type in a lot of for… --- ## [Superrotation on Venus. Really?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superrotation-on-venus-really/774029)
**Author:** [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/superrotation-on-venus-really/774029 "2016-12-12T23:23:37Z")
I just learned about the superrotating atmosphere on Venus (from listening to Stardate). I just gotta say, wow. The universe is constantly astounding me. This is all neat and shit, but how do they know that the atmosphe… --- ## [What's this black oily gunk in my drain?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-black-oily-gunk-in-my-drain/774337)
**Author:** [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-black-oily-gunk-in-my-drain/774337 "2016-12-12T21:39:39Z")
I’ve tried looking this up by Google first, everything I’ve gotten says it’s grease, which I don’t think it is. I have a sink in my laundry room, the sink is attached to the floor drain and I think the kitchen drain as … --- ## [Why is Outlook Always Asking for Password?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-outlook-always-asking-for-password/774509)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-outlook-always-asking-for-password/774509 "2016-12-12T21:37:44Z")
This is really annoying, and I don’t know how to make it stop. Outlook is asking me to enter password like every second, and nothing makes it stop! Perhaps the SD can tell me what options to check? There must be like a … --- ## [Wau (Digamma)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wau-digamma/774325)
**Author:** [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wau-digamma/774325 "2016-12-12T20:27:47Z")
https://www.youtube.com/results?search\_query=wau According to the links above, this neat little number (which I never before heard of:dubious:) was known to the ancients. Is it a constant like sqrt2, pi, and e, with an… --- ## [Capitalization of race](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalization-of-race/774475)
**Author:** [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/capitalization-of-race/774475 "2016-12-12T19:01:12Z")
I was watching some news channel the other day and the usual ticker tape or whatever it is called was moving across the bottom of the screen. I don’t recall what the story was but race was integral part, maybe a police s… --- ## [The Straight Dope, Please, on Benefits to Reducing or Eliminating Caffeine in your Diet](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-please-on-benefits-to-reducing-or-eliminating-caffeine-in-your-diet/774247)
**Author:** [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-please-on-benefits-to-reducing-or-eliminating-caffeine-in-your-diet/774247 "2016-12-12T18:11:33Z")
I drink a latte almost every morning, and have about four diet caffeinated sodas through the day. I’m curious what is likely to happen if I get rid of caffeine in my diet. I don’t mean in terms of withdrawal symptoms. I… --- ## [Problem with dash lights dimming](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-dash-lights-dimming/774536)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-with-dash-lights-dimming/774536 "2016-12-12T18:08:44Z")
I researched this online and am stuck. It is not an alternator problem as neither my headlights or radio dim. 2005 Jeep Liberty if it matters. My dash lights will dim randomly just driving. They also dim (but not 100… --- ## [Frequentism vs Bayesianism--what's the practical distinction?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequentism-vs-bayesianism-whats-the-practical-distinction/774416)
**Author:** [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frequentism-vs-bayesianism-whats-the-practical-distinction/774416 "2016-12-12T14:59:53Z")
I’ve always been confused by discussions (okay, arguments) between Frequentists and Bayesians about the interpretation of probability. I can see that they are assigning different meanings to probabilities. But I have not… --- ## [Why are there so few English words ending with "v"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-english-words-ending-with-v/774374)
**Author:** [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-so-few-english-words-ending-with-v/774374 "2016-12-12T14:54:55Z")
As anyone into crosswords or Scrabble knows, there aren’t a whole lot of words in the English language ending with the letter “v”. Why is that? --- ## [Can my employer monitor my smartphone internet use?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-employer-monitor-my-smartphone-internet-use/647161)
**Author:** [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-my-employer-monitor-my-smartphone-internet-use/647161 "2016-12-12T08:06:55Z")
My office has a pretty strict policy regarding using the internet for non-work purposes, and makes no secret that our IT department regularly monitors which websites staff are visiting. So I was wondering whether this ap… --- ## [What is this old medical tool?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-medical-tool/774331)
**Author:** [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-old-medical-tool/774331 "2016-12-12T04:52:34Z")
Posted on Reddit, but I thought I’d see if someone knew here, it’s a spring-loaded medical tool that shoots basically a small spear out the end of the tube and retracts it- you cock it by pulling the lever in back, the… --- ## [Winter Windshield Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-windshield-wash/774462)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-windshield-wash/774462 "2016-12-12T02:24:35Z")
Can’t complain about our first snow falling in December, but when buying windshield wash once again wondered about differences. You can buy cheap blue wash advertising how it works above -35 degrees (Celsius is about th… --- ## [Mammalian larvae](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mammalian-larvae/774284)
**Author:** [@correlophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/correlophus)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mammalian-larvae/774284 "2016-12-12T00:45:05Z")
Modern mammals are ancestrally altricial, that is, having helpless and undeveloped young. All monotremes and marsupials have small, undeveloped, essentially embryonic young that must undergo many changes until they end u… --- ## [Layman Relativity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/layman-relativity/774324)
**Author:** [@EmbarrassingDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmbarrassingDad)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/layman-relativity/774324 "2016-12-12T00:04:29Z")
I kind of get the gist of relativity… a little. So I take off on a rocket from Earth and go .99 C for a while, come back and land, and I’m older than everyone. Relative to Earth, I’m moving very fast. But relative to … --- ## [Is it common for soldiers in big battles to run out of ammo?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-common-for-soldiers-in-big-battles-to-run-out-of-ammo/684884)
**Author:** [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Replies:** 90\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-common-for-soldiers-in-big-battles-to-run-out-of-ammo/684884 "2016-12-11T21:40:14Z")
Or perhaps each company has some guy who follows along carrying a ton of ammo? I just watched the opening scene of saving private ryan. They are trying to take out a machine gun position and Tom Hanks says “covering fire… --- ## [A queston on Human evolution](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-queston-on-human-evolution/772675)
**Author:** [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Replies:** 200\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-queston-on-human-evolution/772675 "2016-12-11T19:26:13Z")
Current scientific thought has Homo sapiens appearing about 50,000 years ago, I believe. At any rate, as far as 30,000 years ago, humans could be found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. My understan… --- ## [Amnesic drugs and medication](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amnesic-drugs-and-medication/774419)
**Author:** [@MaverocK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaverocK)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amnesic-drugs-and-medication/774419 "2016-12-11T18:21:24Z")
Is it possible that there are amnesic drugs (such as date rape drugs) which are not known to the public and to (the majority of) medical doctors? By amnesic, I mean anterograde amnesia: after taking medication the person… --- ## [YouTube audio creeps out of sync](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-audio-creeps-out-of-sync/774309)
**Author:** [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youtube-audio-creeps-out-of-sync/774309 "2016-12-11T15:55:11Z")
Hello, I tried to google this out and couldn’t get an answer that made sense to me. I’m working through an online recording studio class and the audio gets out of sync with the people teaching it. I noticed that it do… --- ## [How much would Godzilla sink?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-godzilla-sink/774423)
**Author:** [@cjackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjackson)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-would-godzilla-sink/774423 "2016-12-11T15:24:32Z")
The latest incarnation of Godzilla weighs 90,000 tons. Assuming he’s made of something other than flesh and bone, and is able to move around without collapsing, how far would he sink into the soil with each step? --- ## [Can POTUS be sued as a private citizen?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-potus-be-sued-as-a-private-citizen/774280)
**Author:** [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-potus-be-sued-as-a-private-citizen/774280 "2016-12-11T02:07:14Z")
A year ago, an 18-year-old woman stood up at a campaign rally and told the candidate she thought he was ‘no friend to women’. The candidate tweeted the next day that she is ‘an arrogant young woman’, and accused her of … --- ## [REAL 1 or 2 Terabyte thumb drive or SD memory card?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-1-or-2-terabyte-thumb-drive-or-sd-memory-card/774114)
**Author:** [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-1-or-2-terabyte-thumb-drive-or-sd-memory-card/774114 "2016-12-11T01:51:20Z")
I want to buy a 1 or 2 Terabyte memory card. Does not matter if it is a thumb drive or an SD card. (Just need it for backup.) But I have read all about phony memory cards (say they are 256gb but actually 16gb, etc.) and… --- ## [Malice Aforethought](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malice-aforethought/774053)
**Author:** [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malice-aforethought/774053 "2016-12-11T00:22:34Z")
I’m sure you all have read about the local Slager case, but if you haven’t here’s a Reuters account: Judge declares mistrial in ex-South Carolina policeman's murder trial | Reuters The case was recessed on Friday after… --- ## [Which loopholes is Trump making use of in retaining his business interests?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-loopholes-is-trump-making-use-of-in-retaining-his-business-interests/774260)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-loopholes-is-trump-making-use-of-in-retaining-his-business-interests/774260 "2016-12-10T23:08:41Z")
Hi I presume Trump’s decision to retain his position as executive producer of the Apprentice has been vetted by constitutional lawyers. My question is which loopholes is he making use of? Which previous modern presiden… --- ## ["Proof" on liquor](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-on-liquor/774372)
**Author:** [@Shinna\_Minna\_Ma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shinna_Minna_Ma)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-on-liquor/774372 "2016-12-10T22:49:07Z")
Where and why did putting “proof” on bottles of liquor develop? Why couldn’t the manufacturers simply write the percentage of alcohol? --- ## [Google: What Happened to that "Cache" option?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-what-happened-to-that-cache-option/773481)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/google-what-happened-to-that-cache-option/773481 "2016-12-10T21:34:55Z")
When one performed a Google search, one is bound to hit upon a few bad links. As I recall, it used to be that Google had a “cache” option that retained a small amount of info from an extinct website. At first, cached inf… --- ## [Who is this Trump greeter?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-this-trump-greeter/774332)
**Author:** [@HarryTheHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HarryTheHat)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-this-trump-greeter/774332 "2016-12-10T14:02:12Z")
Who is the Trump employee, the young woman pictured here, usually seen escorting cabinet candidates when they arrive at Trump Tower and the Bedminster golf course? Sent from my SM-T… --- ## ["Greetings" as iconic salutation from draft board? Who else used/uses it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greetings-as-iconic-salutation-from-draft-board-who-else-used-uses-it/774220 "2016-12-10T12:10:16Z")
First part of query: at least to my ears, it was a sort-of standard joke that a letter beginning with “greetings” was news from the draft board. Was the salutation widely used? I know it’s alternatives are figuring out … --- ## [Quiz show scandals - where was the crime?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-show-scandals-where-was-the-crime/774204)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2016, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quiz-show-scandals-where-was-the-crime/774204 "2016-12-10T07:26:10Z")
In the 50s the quiz show format was king on US TV until a standby contestant on Dotto found a notebook in the dressing room left behind by the current contestant in which the questions and answers were written down. He t… --- ## [How many SET cards can you have with no set present?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-set-cards-can-you-have-with-no-set-present/774314)
**Author:** [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 10, 2016, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-set-cards-can-you-have-with-no-set-present/774314 "2016-12-10T06:39:04Z")
SET is an interesting card game from a billion years ago which I haven’t thought about in a long time. There are 81 cards in the deck, and every card is unique. Each card has: \[ul\] \[li\]A shape (circle, diamond, or squ… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=804) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=806)