# Latest **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=64&state=muted [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 65 --- ## [When you are stuck in a room that won't move](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-are-stuck-in-a-room-that-wont-move/1031173)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-you-are-stuck-in-a-room-that-wont-move/1031173 "2026-07-02T18:32:02Z")
I just spent an hour and a half in an elevator near the third floor of a building after almost everyone had gone home. My personal phone was down two floors charging up, there was nobody to hear the alarm bell and the re… --- ## [What is the ideal fission reactor for energy production?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ideal-fission-reactor-for-energy-production/1031319)
**Author:** [@spacecadet86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spacecadet86)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-ideal-fission-reactor-for-energy-production/1031319 "2026-07-02T16:51:28Z")
I understand that PWR type reactors are ubiquitous because they are submarine reactors at a fundamental level. Shippingport was derived from submarine PWRs in 1957. However, there is another more simple type of fission r… --- ## [Destroying AI Scambots -- Very Funny (Kitboga)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/destroying-ai-scambots-very-funny-kitboga/1031356)
**Author:** [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/destroying-ai-scambots-very-funny-kitboga/1031356 "2026-07-02T16:19:36Z")
Kitboga is a well known Youtube scam baiter. In a recent video he interacts with an AI scambot, and the results are … amusing. He exploits the AI’s inclination to appear polite and helpful – beginning with requesting tha… --- ## [Is There Any Practical Way to Increase the Birthrate?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-practical-way-to-increase-the-birthrate/1012655)
**Author:** [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Replies:** 1594\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-practical-way-to-increase-the-birthrate/1012655 "2026-07-02T14:25:14Z")
Most countries’ birthrates are now below that needed to replace the current populations. Mostly we consider this a good thing. Put that aside for a moment. Many things have been tried to encourage women to have more chi… --- ## [Kendoka v. Sabreur](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kendoka-v-sabreur/1031354)
**Author:** [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kendoka-v-sabreur/1031354 "2026-07-02T13:23:32Z")
I’ve been trying to imagine a cross-martial arts competition that pits kendo against sabre fencing. The kendoka wields a shinai and wears fencing gear. The sabreur wields a sabre and wears kendogu (kendo gear). Matche… --- ## [Harvey Weinstein has been taken to the hospital](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-weinstein-has-been-taken-to-the-hospital/1031333)
**Author:** [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harvey-weinstein-has-been-taken-to-the-hospital/1031333 "2026-07-02T13:02:06Z")
Heart failure, they say, connected with pneumonia. I suppose I should hope he pulls through. --- ## [Best cello recordings](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cello-recordings/1030426)
**Author:** [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-cello-recordings/1030426 "2026-07-02T12:05:04Z")
Continuing the discussion from Best ambient music for masking conversation: Give me your music reviews. What are the best cello recordings / cello pieces / cello performances / cellists ? I’m most interested in landing… --- ## [How long would ice last in orbit?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-ice-last-in-orbit/1031310)
**Author:** [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-would-ice-last-in-orbit/1031310 "2026-07-02T11:58:45Z")
Let’s imagine that the Artemis astronauts had a train-style toilet that dumped into space. Actually, we don’t have to imagine that; Apollo and Artemis both vented urine to vacuum. Videos show a coruscating rush of glitte… --- ## [How far from your front door does "The Castle Doctrine" extend? \[Please answer for your specific state\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-from-your-front-door-does-the-castle-doctrine-extend-please-answer-for-your-specific-state/1031259)
**Author:** [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Replies:** 24\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-far-from-your-front-door-does-the-castle-doctrine-extend-please-answer-for-your-specific-state/1031259 "2026-07-02T11:24:23Z")
Ahhhhh, Facebook Reels. Endlessly tweaking algorithms to suit my fancy. For some reason, for the last few weeks I’ve been seeing a ton of home surveillance videos. Some daytime- usually porch pirates. Others nighttime. … --- ## [The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theodore-roosevelt-presidential-library-in-north-dakota/1031345)
**Author:** [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theodore-roosevelt-presidential-library-in-north-dakota/1031345 "2026-07-02T10:58:54Z")
The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is opening July 4 in North Dakota: “The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is unlike any other presidential library in the country,” says Robbie Lauf, executive director… --- ## [Who here likes reaction videos?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-likes-reaction-videos/1020873)
**Author:** [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Replies:** 154\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-likes-reaction-videos/1020873 "2026-07-02T09:26:02Z")
I like watching “first time” reaction videos of people watching movies. It’s most fun when it’s something like “Psycho” and they are too young to know about the shower scene or the big twist. I think I like it when the… --- ## [My bank offers 10.5% interest](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bank-offers-10-5-interest/1030803)
**Author:** [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Replies:** 41\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-bank-offers-10-5-interest/1030803 "2026-07-02T06:43:18Z")
They just started a new savings account called a “Savings Jar”. For every electronic debit you make they round up to the next dollar and place the change into the savings jar at 10.49% figured monthly. I’m up to three b… --- ## [WWII Battle of Iwo Jima...why not blockade vs siege?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-battle-of-iwo-jima-why-not-blockade-vs-siege/1031012)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wwii-battle-of-iwo-jima-why-not-blockade-vs-siege/1031012 "2026-07-02T05:46:30Z")
The Battle of Iwo Jima is famous in WWII US history for one of the hardest fought battles of the Pacific campaign. It amazes me how tough that tiny little island was to take. And by tiny I do mean tiny (eight square mil… --- ## [Chicago - Pick-Up Trucks - Restrictions Part II](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pick-up-trucks-restrictions-part-ii/1031341)
**Author:** [@19USMC69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/19USMC69)\ **Replies:** 9\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-pick-up-trucks-restrictions-part-ii/1031341 "2026-07-02T03:08:41Z")
A while back I inquired about non-commercial pick up trucks on Lake Shore Drive. Most replies indicated much was up to an officer’s discretion. Here’s Part II: A friend will be in Chicago soon. He’s from California. … --- ## [The 10 Best Songs: Using AI Well](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-10-best-songs-using-ai-well/1031303)
**Author:** [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Replies:** 3\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-10-best-songs-using-ai-well/1031303 "2026-07-02T02:18:28Z")
I read an article in a recent Economist about how global music has now become hyperlocal. Taylor Swift is popular - so might make one think things would lean towards international shared experiences. We all love Star W… --- ## [I don't quite get today's "Questionable Content" strip](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 2759\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-quite-get-todays-questionable-content-strip/535967 "2026-07-02T00:42:22Z")
Re today’s strip. He’s trying to comfort her after his rejection of her advances the previous night. Makeup hug - he holds her gingerly - he tries to disengage - her arms move from his waist up to his chest - then surpri… --- ## [What do you wonder about?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-wonder-about/1031062)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 136\ **Last updated:** [July 2, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-wonder-about/1031062 "2026-07-02T00:18:00Z")
This thread is for things that you wonder about (mundane, philosophical, historical, political, etc.). ​Below are examples of what I mean: I wonder how much Reagan knew about the Iran Contra affair. I wonder if there … --- ## [Missouri PBS station to air pro wrestling](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-pbs-station-to-air-pro-wrestling/1031288)
**Author:** [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/missouri-pbs-station-to-air-pro-wrestling/1031288 "2026-07-01T22:50:58Z")
The station manager sees a “fit” between the locally produced performances and its other entertainment shows. --- ## [How come there are no fun speculations about why Tom Kean Jr. has vanished?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589)
**Author:** [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Replies:** 131\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-there-are-no-fun-speculations-about-why-tom-kean-jr-has-vanished/1030589 "2026-07-01T22:25:39Z")
I think he has fallen victim to a shrink ray accident, and cannot look over a podium any more. Or maybe it’s an alien abduction. --- ## [Where could “AI” be actually helpful?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-could-ai-be-actually-helpful/1030463)
**Author:** [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Replies:** 45\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-could-ai-be-actually-helpful/1030463 "2026-07-01T20:00:39Z")
I’m not a big fan of AI. I don’t believe that machines should be thinking for people. But - I can see a very useful application of AI, or at least limited speech parsing. I have a Nikon Z8 camera, and there are way too … --- ## [Penelope Keith, RIP June 29, 2026](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penelope-keith-rip-june-29-2026/1031338)
**Author:** [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penelope-keith-rip-june-29-2026/1031338 "2026-07-01T19:59:34Z")
Just saw this today. Funny lady, found her niche in The Good Life, and pretty much stuck to it. It just occurs to me how much fun a crossover between To The Manor Born and Keeping Up Appearances could have been. --- ## [Honda vs. Toyota vs. Nissan vs. Mazda -Which are you and why?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honda-vs-toyota-vs-nissan-vs-mazda-which-are-you-and-why/1031164)
**Author:** [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honda-vs-toyota-vs-nissan-vs-mazda-which-are-you-and-why/1031164 "2026-07-01T18:39:17Z")
Continuing the discussion from Ford vs. Chevrolet vs. Dodge - Which are you and why?: @LSLGuy said ISTM that other than families who worked for the big 3, any brand loyalty in the 1960s-1990s was a form of ancestor wo… --- ## [Opinions on The War on Science, edited by Lawrence M. Krauss?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-war-on-science-edited-by-lawrence-m-krauss/1031241)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-war-on-science-edited-by-lawrence-m-krauss/1031241 "2026-07-01T18:19:53Z")
A friend recently extolled the virtues of this collection of essays, saying that while he did not agree with each individual one, they were thought provoking, and seemed to align with his opinion that facts should not be… --- ## [Apple's "Look Up" feature knows who we are!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-look-up-feature-knows-who-we-are/1031323)
**Author:** [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/apples-look-up-feature-knows-who-we-are/1031323 "2026-07-01T18:10:24Z")
In a thread about nutrition, a couple of posters made a reference to “living on reds, vitamin C, and cocaine”. Obviously a pop culture reference of some sort, but I wasn’t sure what, so I selected the phrase and right-c… --- ## [Popular sitcoms that suck(ed)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-sitcoms-that-suck-ed/599000)
**Author:** [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Replies:** 209\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-sitcoms-that-suck-ed/599000 "2026-07-01T18:07:04Z")
This has been done plenty here, but let’s do it again anyway. What are some sitcoms, past or present, that in your opinion were among the worst pieces of shit to ever be on television, shows that never should have made … --- ## [Blasts from the SDMB Past](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blasts-from-the-sdmb-past/1031309)
**Author:** [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Replies:** 12\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blasts-from-the-sdmb-past/1031309 "2026-07-01T17:57:07Z")
I was looking through the upcoming shows at one of our local performing arts venues, and “The Mavericks & Friends” will be playing at the end of next month. I like The Mavericks, but mostly because of Raul Malo and, sadl… --- ## [What is a 'murder book'](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-murder-book/1031278)
**Author:** [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-murder-book/1031278 "2026-07-01T17:47:47Z")
We were watching a crime show last night and in it they made reference to, and showed, a murder book. It was a folder about an inch thick. This wasn’t the first show we’ve seen referring to this. But what exactly is a m… --- ## [Proposed MLB Rule Change (Stolen Bases)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-mlb-rule-change-stolen-bases/1031157)
**Author:** [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Replies:** 47\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposed-mlb-rule-change-stolen-bases/1031157 "2026-07-01T16:53:10Z")
This is immediately prompted by a play in the Cubs-Mets game where Pete Crow-Armstrong was caught stealing on a walk, but it applies to all stolen bases in the era of replay review. I’m taken as a given the following (b… --- ## [Help me parse this 18th-century missive (about Independence Day celebrations)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-parse-this-18th-century-missive-about-independence-day-celebrations/1031299)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-parse-this-18th-century-missive-about-independence-day-celebrations/1031299 "2026-07-01T16:26:15Z")
John Adams placed himself on the wrong side of history, famously advocating, in a letter to his wife, that the 2nd of July (the date the Continental Congress actually voted to declare independence) would be forever celeb… --- ## [Monthly Photo Competition #43 – June, 2026 – “Racing” {poll added}](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monthly-photo-competition-43-june-2026-racing-poll-added/1030583)
**Author:** [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [July 1, 2026, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monthly-photo-competition-43-june-2026-racing-poll-added/1030583 "2026-07-01T15:32:25Z")
This is the monthly photo competition thread for June, 2026. The topic this month is “Racing” (car, bike, human, etc.) chosen by Spiderman. One entry per person per month. In this thread, please post only your photo and… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=63&state=muted) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md?page=65&state=muted)