Straight Dope Archive

Was Andrew Jackson one of the world's most prolific mass murderers?
By Cecil Adams
October 18, 2002
Why is Teddy Roosevelt commemorated on Mt. Rushmore?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by John Corrado
October 15, 2002
Is "toxic mold" the next environmental threat?
By Cecil Adams
October 11, 2002
Why do we say "Caucasian" to mean a person of European ancestry?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
October 10, 2002
What's the origin of "whoops-a-daisy"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
October 8, 2002
Do Chinese lack sweat glands in their armpits? Why does spicy food make you sweat?
By Cecil Adams
October 4, 2002
What's the origin of "booby trap"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
October 1, 2002
How can a Nazi jerk like Martin Heidegger be considered the most influential philosopher of the 20th century?
By Cecil Adams
September 27, 2002
Who was Pyrrhus, and what made his victory so Pyrrhic?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Ken
September 24, 2002
Why do women experience menopause?
By Cecil Adams
September 20, 2002
Who invented pi?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by bibliophage
September 17, 2002
Is there a bush that spontaneously bursts into flame to reproduce?
By Cecil Adams
September 13, 2002
How can electrical outlets in space be grounded?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Chronos
September 10, 2002
What's the story on trepanation?
By Cecil Adams
September 6, 2002
Why is your vision blurred underwater?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Chronos
September 5, 2002
What's the origin of French fries?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
September 2, 2002
After the 1929 stock market crash, did investors really jump out of windows?
By Cecil Adams
August 30, 2002
Can plants be identified by their DNA the way humans can?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug and Colibri
August 29, 2002
What's the origin of "spotted dick"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
August 27, 2002
Are women paid less than men for the same work?
By Cecil Adams
August 23, 2002
What came first, Dick or "dick"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
August 22, 2002
What's the origin of "ahoy"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
August 20, 2002
Do CDs have a life expectancy of 10 years?
By Cecil Adams
August 16, 2002
What's the origin of the golf term "mulligan"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Sam
August 15, 2002
How many G's does my laundry pull during the spin cycle?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Karen Lingel
August 13, 2002
Is it possible to get "bruised ovaries" during sex?
By Cecil Adams
August 9, 2002
What's the origin of "to treat with kid gloves"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
August 8, 2002
Is "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" a real word referring to Irish hookers?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Euty
August 6, 2002
Can a microwave oven cause a pacemaker to malfunction?
By Cecil Adams
August 2, 2002
What's the story on the Sargasso Sea?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by MEBuckner
August 1, 2002
Does "assassin" derive from "hashish"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by DWeiss
July 30, 2002
How come Howard Hughes's "Spruce Goose" flew only once?
By Cecil Adams
July 26, 2002
How do animals recognize water?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug
July 25, 2002
What's the origin of "ten-gallon hat"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by JillGat
July 23, 2002
Are 150 people killed each year by falling coconuts?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 19, 2002
If Flatworm A eats Flatworm B, will it absorb Flatworm B's  knowledge?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug
July 18, 2002
Why do telephone keypads count from the top down, while calculators count from the bottom up?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
July 16, 2002
Is the world more dangerous now than when we were kids?
By Cecil Adams
July 12, 2002
Why does spinning a space station create artificial gravity?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Chronos
July 11, 2002
Can a baseball be hit farther at high altitude?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by bibliophage
July 11, 2002
Is there really such a thing as "black ice"?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by bibliophage
July 9, 2002
How many kids are found as a result of missing-child posters?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
July 5, 2002
Why is it easier to balance on a moving bike than a non-moving one (revisited)?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Karen Lingel
July 4, 2002
What's up with the notorious terrorist Carlos the Jackal?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by bibliophage
July 2, 2002
Did Sigmund Freud use cocaine on his patients?
A Straight Dope Classic by Cecil Adams
June 28, 2002
Why are citrus fruits segmented?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Doug
June 27, 2002
Do birds pee?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Colibri
June 25, 2002
Did Carlos Castaneda hallucinate that stuff in the Don Juan books or make it up?
By Cecil Adams
June 21, 2002
Who killed Jesus?
A Straight Dope Staff Report by Dex
June 16, 2002
Was Joseph Stalin once a seminarian?
By Cecil Adams
June 14, 2002
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