Do bras really keep breasts from sagging as you get older? -Curious Oh, bras probably do something. It’s just that nobody can agree on what it is. I won’t pretend […]
The Straight Dope
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Air embolisms
What’s the deal with air in your bloodstream being lethal? Is this true? I have to assume it is; presumably it’s the reason for tapping on a syringe to get […]
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Don’t Tase me, bro!
How lethal are Tasers? I know there’s talk about police being Taser-happy and torturing people with these devices, but has anyone been Tasered to death? -Dugie C., Calgary News a […]
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Killer beets
I recently heard a rumor that sugar processed from beets contains traces of a poison used as a combat weapon in World War II. Is this true? What’s the difference […]
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Who dies first: Smokers or tanners?
My girlfriend and I were fighting over which led to a greater chance of getting cancer, smoking or tanning. I probably average a cigarette a day, and my girlfriend usually […]
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The truth about anal sex
What are the risks of anal sex if the partners are heterosexual and monogamous? Could one contract some disease? And if so, how bad is it? -guerita2kool Let’s get one […]
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Can you really extend your lifespan?
With modern medicine and hygiene and diet, we’ve extended life expectancy far beyond what it’s ever been. Yet we all still get old and die. Few make it past 80 […]
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What’s the ‘God Particle?’
I saw a special on the Large Hadron Collider, which, among other things, hopes to find evidence of the “God particle.” Since physics is not my strong suit, I’ve tried […]
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Drum ’til you pee blood!
I’ve heard and read stories about musicians, specifically hand drummers, pissing blood after playing a long set. The great Armando Peraza, Santana’s longtime bongo and conga player, told an interviewer: […]
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Are Americans really dumb?
In a Straight Dope report I read online, the writer kindly reminded readers of the symbol for the euro. As a European, it seemed to me to be unnecessary until […]
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Why isn’t porn prosecuted as prostitution?
Why is it that if you film an act of prostitution and call it porn, suddenly it’s legal? The only difference I can see is that the male performer is […]
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Can hermaphrodites get pregnant?
Is there such a thing as a true intersex person? If so, could they get themselves pregnant? Would their baby be a clone? —Atrehyeu, via e-mail I’ll give you credit […]