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1500 questions
38
votes
7 answers
What is the value of armed bystanders in preventing gun deaths?
On Nov. 5, 2009, 12 soldiers and one civilian were killed, and more than two dozen others were wounded, when a gunman walked into the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood and opened fire. Using not an assault rifle but a 357 magnum,…
toro
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38
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1 answer
Does your stomach shrink if you eat less?
I've heard people say this before; that eating less shrinks your stomach, making you desire less food in the future. When I looked it up online just now, the first few results conflict:
Eating less shrinks the stomach:
Among the dieters, gastric…
endolith
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38
votes
2 answers
Does a "mosquito line" exist, above which mosquitos do not travel?
Is there any scientific definition or evidence of such a thing as the mosquito line?
My first apartment in Manhattan was on the 25th floor of the Park Row building in the Financial District. The broker assured me I could keep the windows open…
Napoleon
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38
votes
1 answer
Did the computing term "bug" come from a moth stuck in a computer?
The story goes like this:
Back when computers still consisted of vacuum tubes, a system
went down one day and people started investigating the cause. They found that a moth
was stuck in the computer which fouled it up. When asked what was…
user6204
37
votes
1 answer
Are Elie Wiesel and Lazar Wiesel the same person?
This question is on a sensitive topic, and I would like to say up front that I am not looking for holocaust denial. My grandfather was a Nazi slave, my family on my mother's side was all but wiped out, and the denials are a stain on humanity.
Elie…
Ron Maimon
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37
votes
2 answers
Can cockroaches survive a nuclear war?
I am sure most people will have heard this claim in some form or another:
Cockroaches are so resilient that they will survive the nuclear holocaust.
source
Is this true?
Sklivvz
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37
votes
3 answers
Can acts of IP piracy be more beneficial than harmful?
There are several claims that piracy of Intellectual Property (IP) can help sales more than it hurts them.
For example, Edmund McMillan of Team Meat states in an interview at IGN:
McMillen believes that the more people who steal his games, the…
Sonny Ordell
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37
votes
3 answers
Is water fluoridation harmful?
There’s a controversy going around whether the benefits of water fluoridation outweigh the potential harms.
What is the evidence for the harm this may cause and what evidence supports the health benefits?
KMoraz
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37
votes
1 answer
Does a lobster feel little/no pain when boiled alive?
Image Source
I have just read Cracked.com's "9 Ridiculous Cooking Myths You Probably Believe", that claims:
[...] because [the lobster's] nervous system isn't very complex, so it's feeling little to no pain.
Emphasis added
It references an ABC…
Oliver_C
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37
votes
1 answer
Do houseplants have any impact on oxygen levels?
I usually hear that plants should be placed in working areas to supplement the higher oxygen needs of working humans, or on the other hand, that should never be grown in bedrooms because they drain oxygen for their own respiration during night.
I…
mbq
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37
votes
2 answers
What does Myers-Briggs Type Indicator tell about a person?
Does Myers-Briggs Type Indicator tell something objective and predictive about the persons decision making tendencies? In other words, can a Myers-Briggs score give you useful information about what decisions a person is likely to make in future…
Suma
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37
votes
5 answers
Has Biden spent 40% of his presidency on vacation?
Fox News states:
In a related story, Biden will be taking another long weekend at the
beach and has spent 40% of his presidency on vacation," Fox News
contributor Joe Concha posted
Has Biden spent 40% of his presidency on vacation?
Simd
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37
votes
1 answer
Did Einstein say "Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I assure you that mine are greater"?
I've seen the quote below attributed to Einstein in several places
Do not worry about your difficulties in mathematics, I assure you that mine are greater.
Even on sites where several other Einstein quotes are sourced (for example here) this quote…
Charles Hudgins
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37
votes
2 answers
Did Rudolf Steiner prove the contagiousness of varicella in 1875?
Pages like those from the National Vaccine Information Center NVIC or the Centers for Disease Control CDC make the following claim:
In 1875, Rudolf Steiner discovered that chickenpox was infectious to others after he took liquid from the chickenpox…
LangLаngС
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37
votes
3 answers
Did the EU prevent crown symbols being placed on pint glasses?
Boris Johnson has listed the return of crowns to pint glasses as one of the Brexit wins of 2021.
“But that’s not all. From simplifying the EU’s mind-bogglingly complex beer and wine duties to proudly restoring the crown stamp on to the side of pint…
Jontia
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