# Factual Questions **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=989 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 990 --- ## [Was "Hot Money" Ever Tried (Economic Stimulus)?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-hot-money-ever-tried-economic-stimulus/740082)
**Author:** [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Replies:** 55\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-hot-money-ever-tried-economic-stimulus/740082 "2015-12-13T13:54:15Z")
During the Great depression (1929-1940). economists recognized the need to spur consumption-one of the big problems back then was that people tended to hoard cash-they were worried and stopped purchasing. One of the pr… --- ## [What is a typical day for an analyst at a think tank link RAND?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-typical-day-for-an-analyst-at-a-think-tank-link-rand/740134)
**Author:** [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2015, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-typical-day-for-an-analyst-at-a-think-tank-link-rand/740134 "2015-12-13T07:46:45Z")
Anyone here work at RAND or the like? Do they sit in cubicles and read intelligence reports half the day, and play wargames the other half? How are these wargames conducted? What sort of degree/s might analysts have/n… --- ## [Tankless Hot Water issue](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tankless-hot-water-issue/740057)
**Author:** [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tankless-hot-water-issue/740057 "2015-12-13T03:08:01Z")
I installed a 10 LPM whole house Natural gas (80,000 btu) water heater in my wife’s sisters home. I am not happy with the flow rate of this system as in to flow 140 degree water the unit has to be throttle the water thr… --- ## [Identify this screw](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-screw/740061)
**Author:** [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Replies:** 27\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-screw/740061 "2015-12-13T00:26:26Z")
SDMB fail me not! What screw is this? I have a pocket watch pouch and the flap is held on by a bolt which has this screw at the end. The screw keeps coming loose and falling off. So I need to have some spares. The head i… --- ## [pushups and situps - how long before I should increase?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushups-and-situps-how-long-before-i-should-increase/740054)
**Author:** [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushups-and-situps-how-long-before-i-should-increase/740054 "2015-12-13T00:13:34Z")
I do a lot of walking and running, but I realized I haven’t been doing any strength exercises. I decided that I would try doing push-ups and sit-ups soon after I wake up in the morning. They’re pretty simple to do, I can… --- ## [Did Hitler ever meet any U. S. troops in person?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-hitler-ever-meet-any-u-s-troops-in-person/737408)
**Author:** [@Marine\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marine_One)\ **Replies:** 50\ **Last updated:** [December 13, 2015, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-hitler-ever-meet-any-u-s-troops-in-person/737408 "2015-12-13T00:04:56Z")
I’m thinking he never came within miles of any actual allied soldiers. I can’t come up with a valid Google search term for this. --- ## [Are there statistics for how many people successfully lose weight and keep it off?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-statistics-for-how-many-people-successfully-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off/627516)
**Author:** [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Replies:** 155\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-statistics-for-how-many-people-successfully-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off/627516 "2015-12-12T23:54:36Z")
I was reading an article in NYT, called The Fat Trap, about how it’s more difficult for an overweight person who has lost weight to keep it off than it is for an average-weight person to maintain his weight. When anyone… --- ## [any good sites or programs for translating entire documents](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-sites-or-programs-for-translating-entire-documents/738524)
**Author:** [@carlowplayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlowplayer)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-good-sites-or-programs-for-translating-entire-documents/738524 "2015-12-12T22:53:35Z")
have about 50 work documents am working on and need them entirely translated and am wondering are alternatives to google translate like software that can translate and produce a copy of the document in another language i… --- ## [Question on a large boundary dispute.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-a-large-boundary-dispute/739820)
**Author:** [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-on-a-large-boundary-dispute/739820 "2015-12-12T21:56:10Z")
I’m not talking about his fence is over the line by 3 inches. I noticed on a parcel map a significant area (over a quarter acre) that is “in dispute”. Apparently it is a COGO dispute which I don’t fully understand but … --- ## [Dropping Oil Prices](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-oil-prices/740181)
**Author:** [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Replies:** 16\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dropping-oil-prices/740181 "2015-12-12T16:42:56Z")
The price of a barrel of oil is currently trading below $36. How can the law of supply and demand explain a 70% drop in the price of crude oil since August 2014? I realize there is a global economic slowdown, but more ca… --- ## [What do I need to show a prosecutor to prove a theft?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-show-a-prosecutor-to-prove-a-theft/740240)
**Author:** [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-i-need-to-show-a-prosecutor-to-prove-a-theft/740240 "2015-12-12T16:41:53Z")
I started a new job in February and recently discovered the fact that the person before me was stealing cash. I informed my boss and he has opened a case with the local prosecutor. Now I have to go back and recap an en… --- ## [Bartok's music and copyright](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bartoks-music-and-copyright/740075)
**Author:** [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bartoks-music-and-copyright/740075 "2015-12-12T14:32:06Z")
According to this page on IMSLP (sheet music resource,) if I understand correctly, written music (sheet music/compositions by classical composers) are out of copyright worldwide if both of the following conditions are fu… --- ## [DNA and the acid bath](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-and-the-acid-bath/740229)
**Author:** [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dna-and-the-acid-bath/740229 "2015-12-12T13:33:03Z")
Some of you may recall that I live in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. I was having a discussion with my neighbor about the 43 missing students of the state of Guerrero. The official position of the government is that … --- ## [Why are rats and mice so prone to tumors?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rats-and-mice-so-prone-to-tumors/740212)
**Author:** [@Brodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brodi)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-rats-and-mice-so-prone-to-tumors/740212 "2015-12-12T09:51:42Z")
Why are rats and mice so prone to getting various tumors? Is their (average pet store mouse or rat) gene pool really shallow? Is it some kind of “Founder Effect” going on? --- ## [If I've got a fission bomb, how hard is it to make a fusion bomb?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-ive-got-a-fission-bomb-how-hard-is-it-to-make-a-fusion-bomb/740123)
**Author:** [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2015, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-ive-got-a-fission-bomb-how-hard-is-it-to-make-a-fusion-bomb/740123 "2015-12-12T09:06:47Z")
North Korea is believed to possess fission bombs. They are now claiming that they also possess hydrogen bomb technology. AIUI, fission bombs haven’t proliferated much because they are difficult to make. The export of … --- ## [So what happened with the German fusion reactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happened-with-the-german-fusion-reactor/740189)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-happened-with-the-german-fusion-reactor/740189 "2015-12-11T22:30:33Z")
It got turned on today, but I am not seeing if it works as planned. Does it remain stable for a half hour or more ? Does it net produce energy affordably? If so, how long until they can manufacture them for industrial u… --- ## [fish oil--worth anything?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-worth-anything/740018)
**Author:** [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-oil-worth-anything/740018 "2015-12-11T19:42:48Z")
There are so many claims & rubbish out there : Is Fish Oil, as a nutritional supplement, actually of any medical benefit? --- ## [Electricity Generated = Electricity Consumed?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-generated-electricity-consumed/740150)
**Author:** [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricity-generated-electricity-consumed/740150 "2015-12-11T19:41:52Z")
Is there really such a thing as excess output in a country? I’m imagining a country’s generation and usage to be represented by V = IR, where V is your potential difference, I is the amount of electricity generated, and … --- ## [Magnesium bisglycinate and Vitamin D3 for healthy adults with healthy diets?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnesium-bisglycinate-and-vitamin-d3-for-healthy-adults-with-healthy-diets/740180)
**Author:** [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/magnesium-bisglycinate-and-vitamin-d3-for-healthy-adults-with-healthy-diets/740180 "2015-12-11T19:26:05Z")
Spin-off thread from here. Any reason to take magnesium (in bisglycinate form) and/or Vitamin D3 as supplements, even for healthy adults who otherwise follow a pretty healthy diet? Any real benefits from that, healthwi… --- ## [Windows 10 kills Norton 360?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-kills-norton-360/740139)
**Author:** [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-kills-norton-360/740139 "2015-12-11T18:30:44Z")
I bit and converted my 2nd line laptop (HP) from W7 to W10 but have not converted my favorite laptop (Lenovo) from W7 and I use the Lenovo for everything that I do on a home computer. I haven’t used the W10 in the month … --- ## [What are the monthly costs of various ways of dealing with the severely mentally ill](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-monthly-costs-of-various-ways-of-dealing-with-the-severely-mentally-ill/740179)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-monthly-costs-of-various-ways-of-dealing-with-the-severely-mentally-ill/740179 "2015-12-11T17:51:20Z")
It is my understanding when a seriously mentally ill person becomes homeless it is cheaper to give them an apartment than to leave them on the streets due to higher medical and police expenses of the latter. People in an… --- ## [Mercedes Benz Blue Tech ??](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercedes-benz-blue-tech/740044)
**Author:** [@Nightaudit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightaudit)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercedes-benz-blue-tech/740044 "2015-12-11T17:45:30Z")
I’m looking at buying a 2014 Mercedes E class diesel. couple of questions before I buy… exactly what is the blue tech system? and what happens if I never refill the system. just for FYI the last Mercedes diesel i had … --- ## [Mac OS X Yosemite: Buggy POS, or is my Mac just dying?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-os-x-yosemite-buggy-pos-or-is-my-mac-just-dying/715643)
**Author:** [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mac-os-x-yosemite-buggy-pos-or-is-my-mac-just-dying/715643 "2015-12-11T16:13:50Z")
I have been a Mac user for nearly 20 years. My first Mac ran System 7.6.1, and since then, four Macs later, I have happily upgraded to each new version of the Mac OS as soon as it became commercially available. Each and … --- ## [Bus/Train travel fro Seattle to Vancouver BC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-train-travel-fro-seattle-to-vancouver-bc/740108)
**Author:** [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bus-train-travel-fro-seattle-to-vancouver-bc/740108 "2015-12-11T16:12:19Z")
I may need to go to Vancouver BC in a few weeks, from Seattle. Do any Dopers know what train and bus options are available, and what they are likely to cost? --- ## [Will magnets harm an iPhone](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-magnets-harm-an-iphone/740142)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-magnets-harm-an-iphone/740142 "2015-12-11T15:40:43Z")
I saw a pretty nifty phone holder the other day. I didn’t buy it because of the price. So I started looking around for a cheaper one but I started thinking that magnets might damage some components of my iPhone. Here’s a… --- ## [how do they get ink in the ball point pen cartidge](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-ink-in-the-ball-point-pen-cartidge/740115)
**Author:** [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-they-get-ink-in-the-ball-point-pen-cartidge/740115 "2015-12-11T15:06:32Z")
I was at a boring accounting seminar today. How do they get the ink into those very narrow tubes that make up the cartidge. It seems the ink is very viscous so it won’t pour very well. I suspect a very narrow needle th… --- ## [Repairing Outlook safe mode on a network](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-outlook-safe-mode-on-a-network/740138)
**Author:** [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repairing-outlook-safe-mode-on-a-network/740138 "2015-12-11T13:27:30Z")
Microsoft update 314409 causes Outlook to run in safe mode. I am a Novell guy, and no longer the Network Admin since we went to Windows server. Unfortunately, the Admin isn’t much more knowledgeable than I. You can repai… --- ## [Diamond Myths](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-myths/740133)
**Author:** [@Leonard33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leonard33)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/diamond-myths/740133 "2015-12-11T13:10:33Z")
Hello peoples of the message board. My friend Socrates (Ironic, really he’s as dumb as a rock). He claims that you can smash a diamond into a liquid. Sigh I told him that you can burn a diamond. It is pure carbon. It is … --- ## [Windows 10 font size question](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-font-size-question/740104)
**Author:** [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-10-font-size-question/740104 "2015-12-11T12:39:49Z")
Since I downloaded and applied 10, the font size on the screen changes randomly as I maneuver my cursor from one spot to another. I can fix it with CTRL + or - but I’m wondering why this is happening and if I can stop i… --- ## [Aftermarket Radio Installation: 12v constant, memory, etc...](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aftermarket-radio-installation-12v-constant-memory-etc/740060)
**Author:** [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [December 11, 2015, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aftermarket-radio-installation-12v-constant-memory-etc/740060 "2015-12-11T10:20:39Z")
I have a 2002 Dodge Durango. I bought an aftermarket Pioneer DEH X181, or something like that. Everything is dandy on it, except that I can’t get it to retain memory. I connected the yellow 12v constant wire to the red … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=988) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/factual-questions/9.md?page=990)