# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=963 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 964 --- ## [The Akutan Zero.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-akutan-zero/744236)
**Author:** [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 26, 2016, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-akutan-zero/744236 "2016-01-26T07:04:47Z")
Wiki here. Basically, the Japanese Zero was superior to the American Wildcat, then we captured one intact. We test flew it and found its strengths and weaknesses. The result was the Hellcat with which we designed specif… --- ## [Cherry Trees in Los Angeles](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-trees-in-los-angeles/401023)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 26, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cherry-trees-in-los-angeles/401023 "2016-01-26T03:44:37Z")
I have always heard that cherry trees cannot grow in Southern California since the winters are not cold enough for them to have a dormant stage. I don’t care about fruit, but I would love a flowering cherry tree (a frui… --- ## [Simple way to remove air from potable water lines?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-way-to-remove-air-from-potable-water-lines/744211)
**Author:** [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [January 26, 2016, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-way-to-remove-air-from-potable-water-lines/744211 "2016-01-26T02:51:15Z")
We added a WaterRight air injectionsystem to remove a horrible amount of sulphur in our well water. It works fantastically well (heh), but there’s one very small, very first-world, but nonetheless very vexing problem. O… --- ## [What did roadrunners used to be called?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-roadrunners-used-to-be-called/744095)
**Author:** [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [January 26, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-roadrunners-used-to-be-called/744095 "2016-01-26T00:32:30Z")
This morning as I was ruminating on the wrong football team names that appear to be proliferating these days, I paused when I got to the RIGHT name for the team from Arizona. Now, it’s obvious that if you’re going to nam… --- ## [Please explain the architectural term "floating cloud effect"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094)
**Author:** [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [January 26, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-the-architectural-term-floating-cloud-effect/744094 "2016-01-26T00:20:40Z")
Hi When reading about the Sydney Opera House I keep coming across the term “floating cloud effect” but cannot find any definition of it. What does it actually look like? I’d appreciate some links to pictures. I look for… --- ## [Why is the rabies virus 100% lethal?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-rabies-virus-100-lethal/744047)
**Author:** [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-rabies-virus-100-lethal/744047 "2016-01-25T22:18:56Z")
Most diseases, even ones that have very high mortality rates, still have some survivors. However, rabies seems to be the exception with a 100% mortality rate once symptoms appear. Yes, the Milwaukee Protocol has had so… --- ## [A tribe or peoples in Artics who thought they were only inhabitants of earth](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tribe-or-peoples-in-artics-who-thought-they-were-only-inhabitants-of-earth/744082)
**Author:** [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-tribe-or-peoples-in-artics-who-thought-they-were-only-inhabitants-of-earth/744082 "2016-01-25T21:12:54Z")
Recall seeing a nature programme on TV a few years ago. It was based on a tribe in the artics who when they were found (around the middle of the last century) by explorers stated that they never saw any other humans apar… --- ## [Setting word wrapping and line breaks in text file](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-word-wrapping-and-line-breaks-in-text-file/744185)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/setting-word-wrapping-and-line-breaks-in-text-file/744185 "2016-01-25T21:11:16Z")
I’m hoping somebody can help me with this. I’m editing some text documents in WordPad. I want to save the text as close to plain text as possible without a bunch of HTML commands embedded in it. My problem is the origin… --- ## [Where did the matter that makes up the solar system come from](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-matter-that-makes-up-the-solar-system-come-from/743903)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-matter-that-makes-up-the-solar-system-come-from/743903 "2016-01-25T20:45:55Z")
From what I can find, the solar system was formed from a fragment of a giant molecular cloud about 60 light years across. Where did the cloud come from? Did the cloud form any other stars like proxima centauri? How does… --- ## [Oil Prices and the US Stock Market](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-prices-and-the-us-stock-market/743682)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oil-prices-and-the-us-stock-market/743682 "2016-01-25T20:31:09Z")
Help me understand something. There should be factual answer, I think. The price of oil continues to drop, which is obviously a bad thing for energy companies, but it’s a good thing, from a cost of goods perspective, fo… --- ## [Why do people (try to) bring guns on planes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-try-to-bring-guns-on-planes/743906)
**Author:** [@Chihuahua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chihuahua)\ **Replies:** 39\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-try-to-bring-guns-on-planes/743906 "2016-01-25T19:32:06Z")
So looking at some statistics on TSA’s instagram (Travel Tips & Dad Joke Hits 🎶 (@tsa) • Instagram photos and videos) they claim to have intercepted 2,653 guns last year. I find this astonishing and unbelievable. If so… --- ## [Mountain lion with deformity](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-lion-with-deformity/744087)
**Author:** [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mountain-lion-with-deformity/744087 "2016-01-25T19:19:54Z")
Recently a mountain lion with teeth growing out of his head has been seen on the internet. All kinds of theories as to what could have happened. It appears to me that the lower jaw on the mountain lion is also deformed. … --- ## [are google apps secured?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-google-apps-secured/744171)
**Author:** [@sabernode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sabernode)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-google-apps-secured/744171 "2016-01-25T17:22:06Z")
Does anyone here work in an IT company? I got a couple of questions about google apps. We will be using google drive in the office soon, so all our excel files will be uploaded to google drive for easy sharing. I heard t… --- ## [Calculating water pressure from flow rate + hose radius](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculating-water-pressure-from-flow-rate-hose-radius/743624)
**Author:** [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calculating-water-pressure-from-flow-rate-hose-radius/743624 "2016-01-25T16:45:05Z")
We have a few things at work whose instructions say to run water through them at a specific pressure (in pounds per square inch). We have a hose that attaches to our faucet and has the proper connection to the objects in… --- ## [Does affirmative action in college admissions currently take wealth into account?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions-currently-take-wealth-into-account/743951)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions-currently-take-wealth-into-account/743951 "2016-01-25T16:33:07Z")
This isn’t a debate about the merits or demerits of AA. What I want to know is, as it currently stands, does the AA process in college admissions take wealth into account? If it doesn’t, then, could a wealthy black or … --- ## [Explanation of the 'Ground Nuts Order'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explanation-of-the-ground-nuts-order/743568)
**Author:** [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Replies:** 23\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explanation-of-the-ground-nuts-order/743568 "2016-01-25T15:35:40Z")
I think at least part of the gist is saying that in the “Nuts Order,” the word “nuts” refers to nuts other than peanuts (ground nuts). What I don’t get is the ‘unground’ part. Does that simply mean ‘nuts other than p… --- ## [Question about Google or Yahoo email accounts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-google-or-yahoo-email-accounts/744176)
**Author:** [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-google-or-yahoo-email-accounts/744176 "2016-01-25T15:29:01Z")
I have a Google email account, as well as a Yahoo account. I rarely use the Yahoo account. I find I need a new email address to be associated with an organization where I hold an office. Is Gmail going to allow me to s… --- ## [Have all hydrogen atoms in the universe been created during the Big Bang?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-all-hydrogen-atoms-in-the-universe-been-created-during-the-big-bang/744064)
**Author:** [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-all-hydrogen-atoms-in-the-universe-been-created-during-the-big-bang/744064 "2016-01-25T11:25:52Z")
…in the first three minutes after the Big Bang? Thats what I have read? Are there any other subsequent process which have created new hydogen atoms? Perhaps some fission reactions? Or is every hydrogen atom in the univ… --- ## [Wifi irregularities](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-irregularities/743828)
**Author:** [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wifi-irregularities/743828 "2016-01-25T10:29:57Z")
I have Fios 50 upload/50 download. In the evenings I frequently have multiple devices going at once: My TV streaming Netflix while I flip through stuff on my phone My wife streaming some other show on her ipad while f… --- ## [Does a State's Capital Have to be in the State?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-states-capital-have-to-be-in-the-state/743954)
**Author:** [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-a-states-capital-have-to-be-in-the-state/743954 "2016-01-25T05:20:44Z")
Title is the question, basically. I’m talking USA states here. I don’t see anything about it in the Constitution; do any state constitutions allow for (that is, fail to explicitly prohibit) farming out capitalical dutie… --- ## [Bush cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-cherry/744132)
**Author:** [@Henga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henga)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bush-cherry/744132 "2016-01-25T04:58:34Z")
Has anyone ever heard of a Surinam bush cherry? I bought one from Lowes in 2011 or 2012 and the tag says it can’t survive north of Tampa Florida without winter protection. I am a good 400 miles north of Tampa and I hav… --- ## [Expiration Dates on medical sharps.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expiration-dates-on-medical-sharps/744136)
**Author:** [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/expiration-dates-on-medical-sharps/744136 "2016-01-25T04:34:44Z")
My friend who’s a nurse has noticed that everything like lancets, needles, syringes, ear piercing studs, and whatnot now have expiration dates on. They didn’t used to as late as the 1990s. So why did this change? Since… --- ## [Do all LED christmas lights have a strobe-like flicker?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-led-christmas-lights-have-a-strobe-like-flicker/558333)
**Author:** [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [January 25, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-all-led-christmas-lights-have-a-strobe-like-flicker/558333 "2016-01-25T02:18:13Z")
I know it’s not Christmastime yet, but I use X-Mas lights year-round in the basement bathroom because the light switch is hard to find in the dark. Today I purchased some LED lights which advertised a huge energy savings… --- ## [Home Economics(Darning egg)--edited title](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-economics-darning-egg-edited-title/743895)
**Author:** [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [January 24, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-economics-darning-egg-edited-title/743895 "2016-01-24T23:26:08Z")
This thought just came to my mind the other day, and I thought that the SBMB would be a good place to get the answer. Does anybody ever own and use a darning egg any more? Both my grandmother (born 1865) and my mother … --- ## [What Would Happen if the Earth Gained a Significant Amount of Mass?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-the-earth-gained-a-significant-amount-of-mass/743912)
**Author:** [@leavesoflight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leavesoflight)\ **Replies:** 13\ **Last updated:** [January 24, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-happen-if-the-earth-gained-a-significant-amount-of-mass/743912 "2016-01-24T22:44:47Z")
I’ve pondered this question for years, and despite hours of research, I can’t find a substantial theory. I imagine such a situation is nearly impossible, but the question still lingers: What sort of consequences would o… --- ## [Priests' "Pedigree" in the Catholic Church](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-pedigree-in-the-catholic-church/744113)
**Author:** [@A\_Man\_A\_Plan\_A\_Canal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Man_A_Plan_A_Canal)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 24, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/priests-pedigree-in-the-catholic-church/744113 "2016-01-24T21:44:56Z")
Hello! I asked a question that has previously been answered. Thanks…AMAPAC. --- ## [Substances used as both drugs and flavorings](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substances-used-as-both-drugs-and-flavorings/743882)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 36\ **Last updated:** [January 24, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/substances-used-as-both-drugs-and-flavorings/743882 "2016-01-24T20:48:30Z")
How many substances are there that can be used in very small amounts as a flavoring in food/drinks, or in larger amounts as a drug? Two obvious examples I can think of are caffeine and methyl salicylate. --- ## [Planet X - where would it have formed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-x-where-would-it-have-formed/743965)
**Author:** [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [January 24, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-x-where-would-it-have-formed/743965 "2016-01-24T18:46:12Z")
So, if the speculation is correct that there is a large Neptune sized planet way out there, how would it have formed? Could it be a captured isolated planet? A planet that formed in the Solar System but somehow got eje… --- ## [Cars: fuel consumption at idle?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-fuel-consumption-at-idle/743983)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [January 24, 2016, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-fuel-consumption-at-idle/743983 "2016-01-24T15:57:28Z")
I have close engineering familiarity with heavy-duty diesel engines. A 15-liter diesel engine can idle on about a gallon of fuel per hour, which means a big-rig with 150 gallons of fuel on board could idle for six days … --- ## [Planet X : time to credit the Sumerians](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-x-time-to-credit-the-sumerians/744080)
**Author:** [@Nansbread1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nansbread1)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [January 24, 2016, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/planet-x-time-to-credit-the-sumerians/744080 "2016-01-24T15:38:48Z")
Yes we know that 2 astronomers have predicted the existence of a large planet called the Planet x or planet 9. But the ancient Sumerians predicted this a long time ago. How come no newspaper has mentioned their achieveme… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=962) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=964)