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Stump
Me Questions Answered in May 2004
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Q.: Why do the blades of a household fan always spin clockwise?
- Zsonic
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A.: This
is one of those times where a definitive word like
"always" changes the statement entirely. While
many only spin one way, there are a number that spin both ways
(I have a few in my house that can rotate in both
directions. All I have to do is change a switch on the
fan's motor casing). Fans spinning counterclockwise push air downward,
but fans set on the clockwise setting pull the air towards the
ceiling.
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Q.: Which word, when mimed, looks as though you are saying
"I love you?" I heard this question on the radio, but
can't remember the answer.
- Antony P.
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A.: There's
a few of them out there, but the most commonly used one is
"Elephant shoes."
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Q.: I've been watching
The Cosby Show on Nick at Nite and noticed in the later episodes that Bill Cosby seems to always were the same pin on his shirt. Can you tell me what that pin is?
- Jason C.
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A.: It's
a tribute to Cosby's good friend Sammy Davis, Jr., who died
sometime around the 7th or 8th season of the show. The pin
contains the initials "SDjr."
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Q.: Why does a cat scratch have a burning sensation on human skin?
- No Name Given
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A.: I asked a
good friend of mine (and fellow Sig Ep) and was told that it's
something called Bartonella henselae infection, also
known as cat scratch disease. The following is from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC):
Cat scratch disease (CSD) is a bacterial disease caused by Bartonella
henselae. Most people with CSD have been bitten or scratched by a cat and developed a mild infection at the point of injury.
Lymph nodes, especially those around the head, neck, and upper limbs, become swollen. Additionally, a person with CSD may experience fever, headache, fatigue, and a poor appetite.
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Q.: In December of 1782 a certain line was drawn on the map of the
U.S. What was the line?
- Mac & Bonnie
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A.: The
Mason-Dixon line, which had been surveyed 15 years earlier by
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon. In 1782, Col. Alexander
McClean completed the survey.
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Q.: Can you tell me the longest field goal kicked in NFL record?
- Andrew
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A.: Two
people have kicked 63 yard field goals in regulation games
(regular season and playoffs). Tom Dempsey of the New Orleans Saints
did it in 1970, and Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos tied the
record in 1998.
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