# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=866 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 867 --- ## [How the police handle abduction cases that require discretion](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-police-handle-abduction-cases-that-require-discretion/761261)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-the-police-handle-abduction-cases-that-require-discretion/761261 "2016-08-02T22:16:44Z")
(This is not a need answer fast situation.) :wink: It is something of a fiction and movie - and maybe even real life - trope for ransom kidnappers to threaten that any attempt by the abductee’s family to contact law en… --- ## [Rental/vacation property question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-vacation-property-question/761557)
**Author:** [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-vacation-property-question/761557 "2016-08-02T22:05:47Z")
We are looking to buy some property out in Colorado that we could rent out most of the time but use on occasion. Some questions: How would one find out how often a property was rented? What is the rental rate? How muc… --- ## [Do mail and packages move on Sundays?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mail-and-packages-move-on-sundays/761471)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-mail-and-packages-move-on-sundays/761471 "2016-08-02T22:01:45Z")
I was chatting with a friend and mentioned that while the US Postal Service, UPS and FedEx don’t deliver on Sunday that doesn’t mean that packages and letters aren’t moving toward their destinations. He said that everyth… --- ## [Star Trek Warp Drive formula wanted](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-warp-drive-formula-wanted/761419)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-warp-drive-formula-wanted/761419 "2016-08-02T20:29:26Z")
Bear with me, this is a factual question so I suppose it goes here rather than Cafe Society. In the original 1960s series it was canon that warp factors cubed equaled the superlight velocity. So warp 1 = lightspeed, war… --- ## [When did dance cards go out of style?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-dance-cards-go-out-of-style/761219)
**Author:** [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-dance-cards-go-out-of-style/761219 "2016-08-02T20:13:01Z")
I was watching an “etiquette” short film from 1949 about teenagers attending their prom and the proper etiquette for it, and they showed the couples filling out their dance cards, and making sure that one girl didn’t dom… --- ## [Livionex dental gel: overhyped or not?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/livionex-dental-gel-overhyped-or-not/761492)
**Author:** [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/livionex-dental-gel-overhyped-or-not/761492 "2016-08-02T18:13:01Z")
I’ve been hearing about a new dental gel called Livionix which apparently works by preventing plaque from sticking to teeth. The active ingredient is something called edathamil, which seems to be either the same thing as… --- ## [Ointments in Metal Tubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ointments-in-metal-tubes/761477)
**Author:** [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ointments-in-metal-tubes/761477 "2016-08-02T16:54:22Z")
ISTM that the advantages of plastic tubes are apparent. They don’t keep their shape, and so don’t get all gnarled up and impossible to empty, and they are also less likely to spring holes from repeated bending. But a lot… --- ## [Will holding an ice cream bar in front of a car's AC vent slow or speed its melting process?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-holding-an-ice-cream-bar-in-front-of-a-cars-ac-vent-slow-or-speed-its-melting-process/761055)
**Author:** [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-holding-an-ice-cream-bar-in-front-of-a-cars-ac-vent-slow-or-speed-its-melting-process/761055 "2016-08-02T16:42:50Z")
I’m spurred to wonder this by a “ten years ago” deal my wife just shared on Facebook. She was an undergrad then (this is before I knew her), and she and some friends were bringing the ice cream bars back to share with s… --- ## [What kind of ant is this?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434 "2016-08-02T16:41:36Z")
We seem to have an infestation of them. They don’t seem to be swarming over any food (I can’t find a food source that they are eating), but rather they appear from behind and above our cabinets - like they are living in … --- ## [Double thick door on strange hinge in 1940s office?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-thick-door-on-strange-hinge-in-1940s-office/761524)
**Author:** [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/double-thick-door-on-strange-hinge-in-1940s-office/761524 "2016-08-02T16:34:57Z")
I was watching the mini-series The Heavy Water War (which is pretty decent by the way). In the fifth episide, a manager’s secretary opens the door and tells the manager there is a visitor to see him. The door that she … --- ## [why are there usually big delays at border crossings to Canada?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-usually-big-delays-at-border-crossings-to-canada/761107)
**Author:** [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-there-usually-big-delays-at-border-crossings-to-canada/761107 "2016-08-02T16:00:28Z")
There is a bridge between Canada and the US at Buffalo/Ft. Erie called the Peace Bridge. For years, going back around 15, there was a call to erect a new bridge, a ‘Signature’ bridge, one that would relieve the constant… --- ## [New State: USA](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-state-usa/761394)
**Author:** [@Stinky\_Pete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinky_Pete)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-state-usa/761394 "2016-08-02T12:33:11Z")
Currently what are the requirements for a province or territory to become a new state of the USA? Could Puerto Rico end it’s finance woes by joining up? Could a dissatisfied nation like Greece leave the European Union an… --- ## [What is the qualitative difference between IQ scores](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-qualitative-difference-between-iq-scores/761406)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-qualitative-difference-between-iq-scores/761406 "2016-08-02T02:18:48Z")
So if IQ follows a bell curve distribution with an average of 100, what does that mean regarding how much ‘intelligence’ is gained or lost based on how far you deviate from the average? How much ‘smarter’ is someone wit… --- ## [Pleading guilty to a crime?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleading-guilty-to-a-crime/761503)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 2, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pleading-guilty-to-a-crime/761503 "2016-08-02T00:19:45Z")
Can someone plead guilty if they admit they did not commit the crime? I assume the answer is no. I guess they might take a plea if the lawyer does not think he can win the case . (but maybe in that case you nee… --- ## ["Divinely inspired" US Constitution?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divinely-inspired-us-constitution/761140)
**Author:** [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/divinely-inspired-us-constitution/761140 "2016-08-01T22:47:51Z")
There are some in America who believe that our Constitution is in fact divinely ordained. I assume these people are all or overwhelmingly evangelical Christians. –To what extent to these people believe in the divine pr… --- ## [Evolution of the use of the word ''chemotherapy''](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-of-the-use-of-the-word-chemotherapy/176437)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evolution-of-the-use-of-the-word-chemotherapy/176437 "2016-08-01T20:40:50Z")
OK, what’s the deal? I have no medical background, but I think that originally, the word “chemotherapy” was just a literal word–meaning “treatment with chemicals.” Technically, an aspirin qualified as “chemotherapy.” … --- ## [Gambling odds best predictor of presidential elections?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gambling-odds-best-predictor-of-presidential-elections/761472)
**Author:** [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gambling-odds-best-predictor-of-presidential-elections/761472 "2016-08-01T17:44:43Z")
You hear some people say that gambling odds are better at predicting elections than are polls, for various seemingly reasonable reasons. But how well do they do, really? --- ## [Could AI escape a computer?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-ai-escape-a-computer/760834)
**Author:** [@nate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nate)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-ai-escape-a-computer/760834 "2016-08-01T17:33:42Z")
Say you’ve created some software that when it runs it creates a slightly better version of itself. The initial program’s purpose is to spread itself to whatever device/computer it can and soak up as much knowledge as it … --- ## [Spinning Black Holes Twisting Space Time Like Taffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-black-holes-twisting-space-time-like-taffy/761386)
**Author:** [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spinning-black-holes-twisting-space-time-like-taffy/761386 "2016-08-01T16:16:40Z")
Okay, so what eventually happens to this fabric of space time? When you twist a rubber band, eventually you won’t be able to twist it anymore and it’ll break. When you twist taffy enough I assume it’ll eventually just bl… --- ## [USB Thumb Drive "Player" for the Home?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usb-thumb-drive-player-for-the-home/756236)
**Author:** [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/usb-thumb-drive-player-for-the-home/756236 "2016-08-01T15:56:54Z")
My car has a wonderful LARGE LCD screen which shows the folders and song titles of the CDs I have on my USB thumb drive. I can easily navigate to a particular CD, then play the music on that CD… So I thought by now ther… --- ## [Costco Visa Card Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/costco-visa-card-question/761073)
**Author:** [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/costco-visa-card-question/761073 "2016-08-01T15:42:55Z")
I assume quite a few Dopers shop at Costco and have now signed up for the Costco Visa card. It comes with a variety of “cash back” arrangements. We’ve been using a Southwest Airlines Visa card which provides frequent f… --- ## [Restoring Windows 10, need help](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-windows-10-need-help/761466)
**Author:** [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/restoring-windows-10-need-help/761466 "2016-08-01T15:14:20Z")
Ok I have reinstalled Windows 10 and used Tweakhound’s guide to clean it up and optimize it a bit. But they’ve either changed Windows or I deleted something I shouldn’t have. There used to be a Windows Update option on … --- ## [Guy revived in ER from overdose of purported BrandX heroin: MD tell cops?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guy-revived-in-er-from-overdose-of-purported-brandx-heroin-md-tell-cops/747631)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guy-revived-in-er-from-overdose-of-purported-brandx-heroin-md-tell-cops/747631 "2016-08-01T14:41:07Z")
Say a comatose person is revived, tells ER he shot heroin–which they have no reason to doubt–and when he bought it he tells them, or they find a packet stamped BrandX (which is not that unusual for some markets). I’ve … --- ## [Can Netflix actually block proxy servers and VPNs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-netflix-actually-block-proxy-servers-and-vpns/743199)
**Author:** [@BACI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BACI)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-netflix-actually-block-proxy-servers-and-vpns/743199 "2016-08-01T14:05:23Z")
So Netflix has committed to enforcing the geographic restrictions placed on its content. If one was in a country with a watered down version of Netflix, and if one chose to overcome that deficit through use of a proxy se… --- ## [Using water as armour on tanks?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-water-as-armour-on-tanks/761280)
**Author:** [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Replies:** 31\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/using-water-as-armour-on-tanks/761280 "2016-08-01T13:27:32Z")
Yes, I realise this is not in fact a brilliant idea but I am not an engineer and I was wondering what the effect would be. I recently watched a Youtube clip about firing various guns into a swimming pool, to the surpris… --- ## [Can Geographical Location Alter Temp?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-geographical-location-alter-temp/761452)
**Author:** [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-geographical-location-alter-temp/761452 "2016-08-01T10:01:23Z")
I’m having a disagreement with a friend concerning this. He maintains the following: The temperature of a glass of water filled with crushed ice will vary depending upon your location. Example: This glass of ice water c… --- ## [Electric plug sockets being replaced by USBs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-plug-sockets-being-replaced-by-usbs/761237)
**Author:** [@MrLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrLee)\ **Replies:** 58\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-plug-sockets-being-replaced-by-usbs/761237 "2016-08-01T08:17:02Z")
Hello all I just came across this, from an admittedly less-than-trustworthy Cracked.com Photoplasty page. (The graphic says that normal wall plug sockets will soon become obsolete, and that they will become replaced by… --- ## [Gender Fluidity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-fluidity/761233)
**Author:** [@Reyemile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reyemile)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-fluidity/761233 "2016-08-01T06:12:04Z")
What’s the current state of research science on Gender fluidity/nonbinary identification? As I understand it, the science is fairly compelling at documenting transgenderism as a phenomenon. Scientists havereported diffe… --- ## [How do I change an image background?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-an-image-background/761319)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-an-image-background/761319 "2016-08-01T03:37:10Z")
I have logo which I got from Clipart and modified that has a white background. It looks fine when I place it against a white background in PowerPoint or Word, but I can’t put it against a colored background. Here it is … --- ## [What's the straight dope on hypnotherapy/hypnosis?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-hypnotherapy-hypnosis/761218)
**Author:** [@teddybound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teddybound)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [August 1, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-hypnotherapy-hypnosis/761218 "2016-08-01T03:00:39Z")
Recently I was planning to take up a course on hypnosis. However the courses are expensive. What’s the science on it? Any credible body that recognizes it as a therapy or profession? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=865) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=867)