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1500 questions
69
votes
2 answers
Were World War II scrap drives in the United States truly necessary for the procurement of raw materials?
I’ve been reading up on World War II scrap drive efforts in the United States, and am wondering if these (mostly) community-based efforts actually contributed enough raw materials to the war effort for them to actually be viable?
Meaning, I am…
Giacomo1968
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69
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2 answers
Did 122 Guantanamo prisoners released by Obama return to the battlefield?
A recent tweet by Donald Trump says:
122 vicious prisoners, released by the Obama Administration from Gitmo, have returned to the battlefield. Just another terrible decision!
According to a Business Insider article, the president was probably…
Santropedro
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69
votes
3 answers
Is food still safe to eat within 5 seconds after being dropped on the floor (5 second rule)?
Today in the cafeteria my friend dropped a chicken wing on the floor and immediately picked it up and ate it. Afterward he claimed that the chicken wing was still safe to eat if it was consumed within 5 seconds after being on the floor. He said that…
James
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69
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1 answer
Does the Red Cross sell $2.1 billion worth of blood annually?
This recent image on cracked.com claims that the Red Cross grosses USD 2.1 billion a year from selling blood. It also claims that the Red Cross is a business which sells donated blood for $400 a pint.
Are there any verifiable sources for this claim…
March Ho
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69
votes
1 answer
Did smiling, female Israeli soldiers pose with "We kill Children" placards during Gaza War?
This image is widely shared on social media.
Did they really do that?
The photo seems real because there is what appears to be Hebrew letters in the background and the uniforms look right.
user21713
68
votes
4 answers
Is gun control effective?
I have seen numerous arguments about gun control, in the sense of laws restricting gun ownership or possession, and whether widespread gun possession affects crime rates, and each side is happy to pull out studies that are favorable to their side. …
David Thornley
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68
votes
1 answer
Was Bill Gates' mugshot photo used in 2010 as a template for Outlook contacts?
This claim recently came up in a Reddit post but linked to this article from news.softpedia.com which states:
Getting back to the Gates mug shot being used as the generic profile
picture in Outlook 2010, Ars discovered that the silhouettes in…
BmyGuest
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68
votes
2 answers
Are one-third of Americans 'killed by strangers' killed by police?
According to Granta - Violence in Blue,
One-third of all Americans killed by strangers are killed by police.
Is this true?
Simd
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68
votes
2 answers
Is DRM effective?
Reddit is all abuzz about DRM, piracy and all related topics. I don't really know much about the details in the technology here, but people were throwing around statements like these (all pulled from the same thread):
DRM would only affect pirates…
MrHen
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68
votes
2 answers
Does a COVID-19 test in USA cost consumers more than $US3000?
Yesterday a famous Italian singer, Vasco Rossi, posted on Instagram saying that confirmed COVID-19 cases in USA are low because very few people are checked due to the test costing $3,200. (In Italy, the National Healthcare network is testing every…
Zucch
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68
votes
2 answers
Is this a satellite image of Australian bushfires?
This image has been widely shared on Facebook and other social media platforms:
Is this a satellite image of Australia, taken recently to show the currently burning bushfires, or is it a computer render to demonstrate the extent?
Tim
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68
votes
1 answer
Did Einstein say imagination is more important than knowledge?
I see lots of posters and pictures online of Einstein regarding the following quote:
Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to…
a13a22
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68
votes
1 answer
Do drop bears exist?
A drop bear is a carnivorous bear that is known well for hanging in the tops of trees, and dropping down on potential prey to attack, hence the name. They eat medium-large mammals, often times many times larger than itself. While there is some…
tuskiomi
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68
votes
1 answer
Do bras prevent you from getting saggy boobs?
I've heard this one repeated by women I know a few times, but it sounds like a product of confirmation bias to me. Is there supporting evidence for the claim that if you don't wear a bra you should expect saggier boobs at old age?
Kit Sunde
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67
votes
4 answers
Do 33% of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives?
I've seen this statistic reported on several sites (for example, Those Who Don't Build Must Burn and Want To Do Meaningful Work? Keep Reading. Literally), along with a list of other startling numbers.
33% of high school graduates never read another…
Bill the Lizard
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