# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=878 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 879 --- ## [boom supersonic plane. how the hell?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boom-supersonic-plane-how-the-hell/759308)
**Author:** [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Replies:** 51\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boom-supersonic-plane-how-the-hell/759308 "2016-07-08T18:55:48Z")
So a new startup claims that they’ll be able to design and build a 40 seat supersonic plane that has the range to fly Auckland - LA non stop, and they claim that ticket prices will be able to be comparable to business cl… --- ## [Why were touring cars so long?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-touring-cars-so-long/758724)
**Author:** [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-were-touring-cars-so-long/758724 "2016-07-08T18:28:55Z")
I’ve seen lots of pictures of 1910s/1920s touring cars but I don’t know that I’ve seen one in person- maybe that would answer the question. They seem long enough to easily have three rows of seats, but they generally jus… --- ## [Criminal Defense Attorneys--Bad warrant but exigent circumstances](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-defense-attorneys-bad-warrant-but-exigent-circumstances/758082)
**Author:** [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-defense-attorneys-bad-warrant-but-exigent-circumstances/758082 "2016-07-08T18:21:04Z")
Time for my monthly plea for help from you guys. :slight\_smile: Here’s the scenario. Officers come to a hotel room and suspect criminal activity. Under what are arguably exigent circumstances, the officers do not take… --- ## [Desert survival](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desert-survival/759041)
**Author:** [@Vicsage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vicsage)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/desert-survival/759041 "2016-07-08T18:19:12Z")
Maybe this is just in movies, but why do people crossing deserts never make an umbrella? I’ve seen many movies where people get stranded by a plane crash, car breakdown, or some other misfortune, yet they never make a … --- ## [Where did "That's Mighty White of You" come from, and what does it mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-thats-mighty-white-of-you-come-from-and-what-does-it-mean/145841)
**Author:** [@spiro51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spiro51)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-thats-mighty-white-of-you-come-from-and-what-does-it-mean/145841 "2016-07-08T15:59:10Z")
Hi all, My wife and I have been using this phrase between ourselves for some time, just because it sounds so awful. But, does it really refer to race? I don’t think so, but can’t think of an alternative. Does anyone … --- ## [Is there one correct abbreviation for millions in financial terms?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-one-correct-abbreviation-for-millions-in-financial-terms/759311)
**Author:** [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-one-correct-abbreviation-for-millions-in-financial-terms/759311 "2016-07-08T14:17:33Z")
There is varying usage of abbreviations for the term millions in financial writing. Sometimes it is shown as “M” and sometimes as “MM”. Those that subscribe to the “MM” usage refer to the roman numeral M as reference t… --- ## [The gritty argot of the underwoild -- "Cannon" = "Pickpocket" Huh?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gritty-argot-of-the-underwoild-cannon-pickpocket-huh/758556)
**Author:** [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gritty-argot-of-the-underwoild-cannon-pickpocket-huh/758556 "2016-07-08T10:56:34Z")
I take my lunch at work at about 2:30 a.m., and when I can get away with it, I turn the lunchroom television channel away from ABC’s “World News Now,”\* and switch on the Movies! TV channel \*(we only have OTA tv where I w… --- ## [Wholesaling/exporting from the US, company wrangles ..](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholesaling-exporting-from-the-us-company-wrangles/759126)
**Author:** [@up\_the\_junction](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/up_the_junction)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wholesaling-exporting-from-the-us-company-wrangles/759126 "2016-07-08T06:49:22Z")
Early research! I was looking at products that are legal in the US and not in the EU - all kinds of foods, cosmetics, etc. (probably the reverse as well). From a practical pov, I guess the plan would be to purchase from… --- ## [Nursing homes and money question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nursing-homes-and-money-question/759061)
**Author:** [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Replies:** 29\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nursing-homes-and-money-question/759061 "2016-07-08T06:10:04Z")
I have a relative who will probably be going into a nursing home in 2-3 years due to declining health. Right now we are working on selling his possessions and giving away his money because the word is that when you ente… --- ## [Photoshop question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-question/759031)
**Author:** [@JakeRS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JakeRS)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photoshop-question/759031 "2016-07-08T06:04:36Z")
I am a noob in PS, so there’s one thing that is really bugging me. Let’s say that I want to have a semi-transparent overlay over a map, for example there are a few countries and I want to ,highlight" just one of them… I… --- ## [Have fireworks gotten better over the last 20 - 30 years?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-fireworks-gotten-better-over-the-last-20-30-years/759099)
**Author:** [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-fireworks-gotten-better-over-the-last-20-30-years/759099 "2016-07-08T02:31:46Z")
I’m not a huge follower of fireworks so maybe this is a really self-evident question but has there been any significant technical improvement in the types of fireworks that can be set off? Have there been new colors or s… --- ## [Minimum range to which an ICBM can be launched](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-range-to-which-an-icbm-can-be-launched/759107)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-range-to-which-an-icbm-can-be-launched/759107 "2016-07-08T02:19:15Z")
Suppose that someone wanted to fire an ICBM such as the Minuteman III so that it hits a target just 10 miles away (don’t ask why they’d want to do this.) Is it possible to just fire it on an extremely weak trajectory so … --- ## [lethal dose of Nembutal: how fast does it kill?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lethal-dose-of-nembutal-how-fast-does-it-kill/666963)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lethal-dose-of-nembutal-how-fast-does-it-kill/666963 "2016-05-05T13:46:06Z")
In the 2011 documentary Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die, the final 10 minutes show a man at a Dignitas clinic in Switzerland drinking a lethal dose of Nembutal. There are a number of camera/editing cuts, and it’s not e… --- ## [Is there a name for this type of "sports fan"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-type-of-sports-fan/759321)
**Author:** [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 8, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-name-for-this-type-of-sports-fan/759321 "2016-07-08T00:00:25Z")
(Edit: I’m posting this in GQ instead of the Game Room because it’s more a psychology question than a sports question.) Over the years, I have encountered a number of “sports fans” who don’t seem to be fans of any parti… --- ## [Adding a Child's Middle Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-childs-middle-name/759325)
**Author:** [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adding-a-childs-middle-name/759325 "2016-07-07T23:56:08Z")
When our first daughter was born, we opted not to give her a middle name, but to let her choose one when she got older (with our full veto power of course). She chose one a couple years ago, we don’t hate it, and it seem… --- ## [What is a cliche?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cliche/759196)
**Author:** [@Medici](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medici)\ **Replies:** 43\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-cliche/759196 "2016-07-07T23:54:22Z")
I keep being told that something I have written is a cliche - with which, more often than not, I disagree. What exactly is a cliche? Please give a few examples. --- ## [What does 'osama bin laden' mean?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997)
**Author:** [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-osama-bin-laden-mean/81997 "2016-07-07T21:23:10Z")
(Sorry if this has been answered before. Searching on Osama-whatever is understandably providing a zillion useless hits) What does Osama Bin Ladin’s name mean, if anything? Is the ‘bin’ a filial (is that the word?) desc… --- ## [UK's leaving of the EU question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uks-leaving-of-the-eu-question/759228)
**Author:** [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uks-leaving-of-the-eu-question/759228 "2016-07-07T18:37:07Z")
So I was reading about this whole deal here and there’s one thing I didn’t really understand. The article says that the far-right UKIP “provoked” Cameron, who’s the Tory party leader into granting a vote on the issue of… --- ## [It is the year 2015 no Hologram, landspeeder or Mega vehicle.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-the-year-2015-no-hologram-landspeeder-or-mega-vehicle/709878)
**Author:** [@sweat209](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweat209)\ **Replies:** 56\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-is-the-year-2015-no-hologram-landspeeder-or-mega-vehicle/709878 "2016-07-07T15:45:18Z")
It is the year 2015 no Hologram, landspeeder or Mega vehicle. I just watched the movie Prometheus ,Serenity and Star Wars :eek: this weaken and got me thinking we are in the year 2015 no Hologram, landspeeder or Mega ve… --- ## [Nutitional Value of Pickled Vegetables](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutitional-value-of-pickled-vegetables/759263)
**Author:** [@Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rama)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutitional-value-of-pickled-vegetables/759263 "2016-07-07T15:07:55Z")
So I am trying to figure out how to calculate the nutritional value of pickled vegetables. Let’s say I use: 10 pounds of carrot 1 liter of vinegar 1 liter of water 250 grams of sugar. After getting rid of the waste… --- ## [Murder or "I thought it was a trick"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-or-i-thought-it-was-a-trick/759210)
**Author:** [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/murder-or-i-thought-it-was-a-trick/759210 "2016-07-07T14:26:46Z")
So, hypothetical legal question here. I watched Penn and Teller do a trick where they talked about how long someone can survive without breathing, then had an audience member lock Teller into a cylinder filled with water… --- ## [Can people in prison have their writing published?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-in-prison-have-their-writing-published/759150)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-people-in-prison-have-their-writing-published/759150 "2016-07-07T14:25:40Z")
For example, if an accountant or scientist was sent to prison or a psychiatric facility and wrote an article while there, could it be published provided he didn’t get paid and it had no connection to their crimes? I’m th… --- ## [How deep a footing on a 5 foot wall enclosure?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-deep-a-footing-on-a-5-foot-wall-enclosure/759274)
**Author:** [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-deep-a-footing-on-a-5-foot-wall-enclosure/759274 "2016-07-07T13:39:27Z")
I’m building a dry stack 24’ by 32’ 5 1/2’ tall concrete block enclosure (four walls) with a small opening. Its a garden area. (The trade winds off the ocean are relentless.) I know that if it were a free standing wall, … --- ## [I have some questions about electrons and neutrinos](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-some-questions-about-electrons-and-neutrinos/759257)
**Author:** [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-some-questions-about-electrons-and-neutrinos/759257 "2016-07-07T07:32:37Z")
Hi. I’ve just spent quite awhile reading the wiki pages on these topics. (and a bunch of hyperlinks.) There were some things I didn’t understand or just wanted to know. Please forgive me if these questions are ignorant. … --- ## [One Kindle Does, One Kindle Doesn't?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-kindle-does-one-kindle-doesnt/759092)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-kindle-does-one-kindle-doesnt/759092 "2016-07-07T05:49:13Z")
My son and I both have Kindle Fires. His is a HD-7. Mine we are unsure, but it is newer. Anyway, his stores Minecraft PE files under “Games” (off the root directory). In the process of copying this entire folder to a PC … --- ## [Dual Citizenship](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship/758248)
**Author:** [@Rama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rama)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dual-citizenship/758248 "2016-07-07T04:28:17Z")
This Brexit and all the news surrounding it got me thinking. I am not British. I currently hold a Dutch citizinship + passport. I was born in Ireland however. This link tells me that I can apply for an Irish citizinshi… --- ## [Do pet ferrets always smell 'musky'?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-pet-ferrets-always-smell-musky/759254)
**Author:** [@ripply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ripply)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-pet-ferrets-always-smell-musky/759254 "2016-07-07T02:48:09Z")
I would love to have one as a pet but after handling a few, I’ve noticed that the smell is pretty hard to remove. Even when they’re neutered. I’ve heard people saying that they don’t have a smell if you change their bedd… --- ## [What is the foreign language equivalent of America's "Well, duhhhhhh"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924)
**Author:** [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Replies:** 34\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-foreign-language-equivalent-of-americas-well-duhhhhhh/758924 "2016-07-07T00:23:39Z")
In case you don’t know it, the American phrase “Well, duhhhhhhh” is a sarcastic phrase that conveys the idea of “Well, isn’t that statement so obvious that it’s like being hit in the face with a board?” The French equiv… --- ## [What kind of moth is this?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-moth-is-this/759200)
**Author:** [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [July 7, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-moth-is-this/759200 "2016-07-07T00:00:36Z")
This guy Just flew in my window a few minutes ago, making so much noise with his robust and sizeable self that I thought it was one of the cats. He is about 3" long, and 5" wide. He kept perching places and vibrating… --- ## [Economics question: Ads for Clickbait.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economics-question-ads-for-clickbait/759151)
**Author:** [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 6, 2016, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economics-question-ads-for-clickbait/759151 "2016-07-06T20:51:57Z")
When browsing the SDMB there are often ads at the bottom of the screen for some clickbait (on my iPad anyway). How does this work? I presume the SDMB sells advertising spaces to doubleclick and doubleclick sells that spa… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=877) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=879)