# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=907 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 908 --- ## [Car question: Does this sound like a resonator problem?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-question-does-this-sound-like-a-resonator-problem/530420)
**Author:** [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-question-does-this-sound-like-a-resonator-problem/530420 "2016-05-12T23:36:40Z")
When starting my car from cold, it is pretty loud…not just high-rpm loud, but exhaust-noise loud. It’s loud while idling and loud while driving around. Once it warms up, the sound becomes much less noticeable. A local… --- ## [Russian Olympics and metenolone, trenbolone and oxandrolone: mechanisms?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-olympics-and-metenolone-trenbolone-and-oxandrolone-mechanisms/754639)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-olympics-and-metenolone-trenbolone-and-oxandrolone-mechanisms/754639 "2016-05-12T22:54:22Z")
According to an upcoming documentary and 5/12/16 report in the NYTimes, apparently the 2012 Summer and 2014 Winter Olympics were infiltrated at the highest level by the Russian government to allow doping (and urine subst… --- ## [Local news finding people](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-finding-people/754578)
**Author:** [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/local-news-finding-people/754578 "2016-05-12T22:35:03Z")
Every time there is a big story our local TV news somehow finds a local person who is at the city/place. Recent examples: Paris terror attack Belgium terror attack Nepal Earthquake Canada Wildfire How do they kn… --- ## [What were these cops looking for?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-cops-looking-for/754592)
**Author:** [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-these-cops-looking-for/754592 "2016-05-12T18:39:05Z")
I saw two cops questioning two guys today. I heard afterward that they were caught smoking pot. Or one of them was, anyway. At one point, the cop asked one of the guys to close his eyes and lean his head back. Then t… --- ## [why do we have fingernails instead of claws?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails-instead-of-claws/754496)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails-instead-of-claws/754496 "2016-05-12T16:51:07Z")
Humans, chimps, and gorillas (and I suppose some other primates I don’t know about) all have fingernails instead of claws. Claws actually seem pretty useful, so why did we evolve away from them? --- ## [What was the deal with Abe Lincoln's eyes.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-deal-with-abe-lincolns-eyes/754264)
**Author:** [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-deal-with-abe-lincolns-eyes/754264 "2016-05-12T15:48:15Z")
I cam across this image. His left eye is clearly out of alignment vertically; I’ve known folks with eyes out of line on the horizontal axis, but never this. Did it give him any particular difficulty? --- ## [Do fish ever die due to a forest fire?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fish-ever-die-due-to-a-forest-fire/754350)
**Author:** [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-fish-ever-die-due-to-a-forest-fire/754350 "2016-05-12T15:00:41Z")
During or soon after a bad forest fire, do fish ever die from cooking in the heated water, oxygen depletion, burned up vegetation at the shoreline or covering the pond, overhead burnt trees dropping into the water, or ra… --- ## [Economic limit to wood pellet fuel](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economic-limit-to-wood-pellet-fuel/754541)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/economic-limit-to-wood-pellet-fuel/754541 "2016-05-12T14:52:17Z")
Wood pellets are becoming a more popular fuel to heat with. Their main selling point is that they are cheap. They are cheap because they are made from waste products. If all sawmill waste was converted to fuel pellets… --- ## [Oil well water disposal question (related to 60 Minutes 5/8/16)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-well-water-disposal-question-related-to-60-minutes-5-8-16/754351)
**Author:** [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-well-water-disposal-question-related-to-60-minutes-5-8-16/754351 "2016-05-12T14:14:20Z")
60 Minutes presented a segment on the dramatic increase in Oklahoma earthquakes and its relation to the increase in oil production. OK had an average of 3 magnitude 3.0 or greater per year before 2009. Last year they h… --- ## [What's a 911 community?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-911-community/754495)
**Author:** [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-911-community/754495 "2016-05-12T12:15:05Z")
Just watched this Canadian documentary on Youtube about a murder in Chatham, Ontario in 1988. One shot shows a roadsign saying ‘CHATHAM - This is a 911 community’. So what does that mean? It can hardly be advertising th… --- ## [artillery: high arc, or low arc?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artillery-high-arc-or-low-arc/754569)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/artillery-high-arc-or-low-arc/754569 "2016-05-12T11:59:51Z")
When firing mortars or other ballistic ordnance, there is a particular launch angle (a little below 45 degrees, owing to wind drag) that results in the maximum possible distance downrange. For any shorter distance, ther… --- ## [Why do people throw up if they drink a lot?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-throw-up-if-they-drink-a-lot/754493)
**Author:** [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-throw-up-if-they-drink-a-lot/754493 "2016-05-12T11:52:50Z")
Would you still throw up if you drank an equal amount of water? Or soda? --- ## [What is the scientific explanation for these observations? \[Lighthouses seen from a distance\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scientific-explanation-for-these-observations-lighthouses-seen-from-a-distance/754424)
**Author:** [@Bones\_Daley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bones_Daley)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-scientific-explanation-for-these-observations-lighthouses-seen-from-a-distance/754424 "2016-05-12T11:23:25Z")
Assuming that at least some of these assertions are true, why are some objects visble at greater distance than geometry says they should be? The Port Nicholson Light in New Zealand is 420 feet above sea-level and visi… --- ## [What are these buildings for?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339)
**Author:** [@RememberMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RememberMe)\ **Replies:** 44\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-buildings-for/754339 "2016-05-12T03:57:12Z")
Like the title says, I pass these buildings in rural Georgia as part of my commute. They seem to have no windows, and a small hatch in the bottom. There are three identical ones all near each other. The land they are on … --- ## [Can I heat a Pyrex beaker (600 mL) on a stove top?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-a-pyrex-beaker-600-ml-on-a-stove-top/689973)
**Author:** [@EndlessEntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EndlessEntropy)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [May 12, 2016, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-heat-a-pyrex-beaker-600-ml-on-a-stove-top/689973 "2016-05-12T02:07:39Z")
I usually use a microwave but I don’t have access to one now and I need to heat up some solution for research. I just need to bring the solution to a slow boil, will the heat from the stove be too much for the beaker tho… --- ## [Lunar Lava Tubes and Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-lava-tubes-and-water/754580)
**Author:** [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lunar-lava-tubes-and-water/754580 "2016-05-11T23:10:50Z")
There have been some recent discoveries on the moon that are very interesting. The first is that data from the GRAIL gravity mapping mission has added evidence that the moon has large underground voids created by flowin… --- ## [Flushing baby wipes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370)
**Author:** [@UCBearcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UCBearcats)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flushing-baby-wipes/754370 "2016-05-11T21:29:16Z")
I like using baby wipes to clean up in between showers. I have been flushing them one at a time. My wife says this will cause damage to the sewer lines and and an expensive repair. Will this really cause any problems? --- ## [Harriet Tubman's legacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubmans-legacy/754571)
**Author:** [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harriet-tubmans-legacy/754571 "2016-05-11T21:03:42Z")
Do you think it would be possible to find persons who’s ancestors were rescued by Tubman? --- ## [How did diamonds become a girl's best friend?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-diamonds-become-a-girls-best-friend/754498)
**Author:** [@DtypeJag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DtypeJag)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-diamonds-become-a-girls-best-friend/754498 "2016-05-11T19:26:32Z")
The thread on which hand a wedding or engagement ring goes on vary’s with the culture brings up the question of when did the diamond become the standard for these rings. I have heard that it was the result of perhaps th… --- ## [Bullet Proof Glass](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bullet-proof-glass/754518)
**Author:** [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bullet-proof-glass/754518 "2016-05-11T15:58:19Z")
I need an expert or someone knowledgeable about bulletproof glass. Is this material prone to develop what appear to be small, internal scratches, perhaps thermal stress cracks, but very short and small, appearing as a c… --- ## [Renting vs buying question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renting-vs-buying-question/754533)
**Author:** [@Consequences](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Consequences)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/renting-vs-buying-question/754533 "2016-05-11T15:39:49Z")
Not really sure where to put this…but here goes. I am going to use an example where the property costs a lot. But you can divide down respectively. I was looking at a penthouse apartment in London. Cost? £10m You can … --- ## [Identify this Native American relic.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-native-american-relic/754260)
**Author:** [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Replies:** 25\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-native-american-relic/754260 "2016-05-11T15:31:44Z")
This relic was plowed up in Talking Rock, Pickens County, Georgia. What are we looking at here? Knife blade? Spear point? Any further thoughts on classification or dating? So far, I haven’t found anything on the inter… --- ## [Phones, GPS, and Faraday Cages](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phones-gps-and-faraday-cages/754429)
**Author:** [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phones-gps-and-faraday-cages/754429 "2016-05-11T14:45:33Z")
So, wrapping a car in copper window screening might not be practical (earlier thread). What is I simply don’t want my phone blabbing my position to the world. Yes, Settings =\> Location =\> GPS + ‘OFF’. Maybe I don’t be… --- ## [Translate this Chinese writing?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-this-chinese-writing/754546)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/translate-this-chinese-writing/754546 "2016-05-11T14:03:55Z")
Video of letter starts at about 10:31, onscreen for about 10 seconds. You can hear the \*woman in the Kabuki-ish outfit translating it, and Bert Freed completing their version of the translation afterwards. \*BTW, this i… --- ## [Military Draft Question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-draft-question/754522)
**Author:** [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/military-draft-question/754522 "2016-05-11T13:19:34Z")
When did the Selective Service System come into being and when did the Draft begin and end? --- ## [Foreign ownership of essential services](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-ownership-of-essential-services/754526)
**Author:** [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foreign-ownership-of-essential-services/754526 "2016-05-11T12:29:05Z")
Over the years the UK’s energy and water companies have been privatised and sold off. We now appear to be in a situation where a high percentage of our energy and water supplies are owned by foreign investors. How comm… --- ## [Can I turn off "pending restart" updates in Win10](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-off-pending-restart-updates-in-win10/753351)
**Author:** [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-turn-off-pending-restart-updates-in-win10/753351 "2016-05-11T03:20:16Z")
The latest cumulative update (KB3147458) will not install. A google search on this update shows many, many people are having the same issue. When you reboot it will try to install the update, get to 30%, then say unab… --- ## [My lawn grass has stopped growing](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lawn-grass-has-stopped-growing/754254)
**Author:** [@cornopean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornopean)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-lawn-grass-has-stopped-growing/754254 "2016-05-11T03:01:29Z")
Last year (spring 2015), I fertilized my front yard. Since then, my grass there has refused to grow. It is this sickly pale green color and last year, I probably mowed it maybe six times and that was more to just knock… --- ## ["bade:" past tense for "bid" in the auction sense?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bade-past-tense-for-bid-in-the-auction-sense/754440)
**Author:** [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bade-past-tense-for-bid-in-the-auction-sense/754440 "2016-05-11T01:41:10Z")
I was doing a crossword puzzle today, and I ran across a clue that said, “offered,” and the answer was “bade.” I’ve never heard it used that way, so I looked up “bade” in the dictionary (online) and it said “simple past… --- ## [What would make a person's heart no longer able to pump?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-a-persons-heart-no-longer-able-to-pump/754455)
**Author:** [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [May 11, 2016, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-make-a-persons-heart-no-longer-able-to-pump/754455 "2016-05-11T00:44:13Z")
This is an attempt to understand something horrible that just happened to someone at my office. He’s a really nice guy, in his mid-50’s I’d guess, quite active (as in he biked ~ 10 miles a day each way to and from work … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=906) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=908)