The Questions

Defy McQuaid!

Do you have something that’s been eating away at you for awhile? Perhaps a deep rooted factual question that’s been bugging you for decades?

Comment to this post with your question. Shaun McQuaid will do his best to find the answer for you.
If you’d like to see what questions have been asked and answered already, click on the “attempts”.

103 thoughts on “The Questions

  • 8/2/2005 at 10:00 pm
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    As a student of the guitar, I have come to learn that the standard tuning of a guitar is in the pattern EADGBE, going from the lowest pitched string to the highest. Of course, alternate tunings are also used (such as DADGBE, or drop-D), but why is this one so dominant in the modern musical world?

    Reply
  • 8/8/2005 at 2:07 pm
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    Dear Shaun McQuaid, Answer King of the Scots,

    I recently attended a wedding in which I witnessed the tradition of the boquet/garter toss… could you explain where this tradition came from? Why do the bride and groom get more luck if the garter is placed higher?

    Reply
  • 8/17/2005 at 5:03 pm
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    Oh great and all knowing Shaun…

    For some time I have been under the impression that you should limit the use of your car air conditioner because it uses more gas. However, yesterday on the news I heard that in reality this does not work. They claimed the having your windows down creates extra drag on the car, which therefore negates any savings. What is the real story?

    Also, some crazy guy in my life always insists that I leave my air conditioner on all year. The idea, I believe, is that it will produce a dry air, which is beneficial in the winter. Is there actually a benefit? And…am I using more gas than necessary by doing this in the winter, when my windows are up? Any clarification that you can offer as a NEUTRAL researcher would be greatly appreciated as we attempt to settle this issue once and for all.

    Reply
  • 9/1/2005 at 5:57 pm
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    When you click on the “Defy S. McQuaid” button on Mike D.’s homepage, you are brought to the page of previous answers. There’s a banner at the top of this special page. I’ve been wondering for a long time: what is that mysterious creature on the left of the banner? Is it a Jawa?

    Reply
  • 9/2/2005 at 3:11 pm
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    I was wondering something. If a bullet were to be fired at a persons head from, let’s say, 40 meters away, is it possible to use your hand to alter the path of the bullet to miss your head? Pretend the person times it perfectly and strikes the bullet with their hand on the side of the bullet. Would this affect the path enough to miss, or what would happen? Thank you!

    Reply
  • 9/7/2005 at 3:47 pm
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    Why was Worf allowed to have his klingon sash if the starfleet uniform code didn’t allow Ensign Ro Laren to wear her bayoran earring thingy?

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  • 9/20/2005 at 9:48 am
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    Dear Shaun,

    Is a turtle’s shell just like, an armor for the actual turtle, or does the shell actually contain all the turtle’s organs and stuff?

    Your sister,
    Meghan

    Reply
  • 10/7/2005 at 9:48 am
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    This has been bugging me for a bit…
    If ice is less dense than water, how come the Earth will flood when the polar ice caps melt? Wouldn’t the water level go down…or stay the same because of their height?

    Reply
  • 10/11/2005 at 4:33 am
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    How do baseball commentators come up with all those wacky statistics so fast?
    I was watching the 18 inning Astros v. Braves NLDS game 4 and they would talk about the records that were being broken (which doesn’t seem so hard) and then things like “he’s the seventh player in history to tie a postseason game with a home run with two outs in the ninth”. Now that’s obscure!

    Reply
  • 10/11/2005 at 5:21 pm
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    Dear Shaun(alias Dr. Hooganhymer) Recently I moved back to my hometown—a quaint little place I am thoroughly enjoying. Every time I drive down Main Street I see something either very interesting or very amusing. Yesterday, I beheld what seemed to be, a very agitated person beating up one of the parking meters with a large piece of wood. This got me to thinking—–just how long have parking meters been in existance? Where were they first installed? I sincerely believe the ones in my town are in mortal danger……
    Also, wasn’t that picture on the “Defy Shaun McQuaid” banner the same one that was on your bedroom door for years???

    Reply
  • 10/11/2005 at 8:04 pm
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    Just out of pure curiosity, what exactly would have to be different about a person’s body chemistry to allow them to alter the color of a bath towel simply by drying themselves with it? This is a purely objective question, mind you. I CERTAINLY don’t know ANYONE who has EVER done this…*coughshauncough*

    Reply
  • 10/26/2005 at 8:42 am
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    Dear Shaun McQuaid,

    Why the heck is there a cold season? This doesn’t make sense to me.

    The only two things that I could think that might cause it are
    1) cold weather. in which case… does Mexico or Mediterranian countries have cold seasons?
    2) kids go back to school. in which case… why doesn’t cold season last until June? It can’t be because we grow more immune, because if were were more immune then there wouldn’t be another cold season the next year.

    Shaun McQuaid… I’m lost and confused! Please help!

    sick of being sick,
    mike d.

    Reply
  • 10/27/2005 at 11:42 am
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    Dear Shaun,

    I have some burning questions about Halloween. I know the usual 2nd grade equivalent of All Hallow’s Eve, but I want to know more about where it originated and for what purpose. In addition, I’m particularly interested in how the transition from scary costumes (ghosts, bats) to less scary (Smurfette – what I am this year) and plain stupid (post-its, fish) came about. Further, what is the most popular candy given out on halloween? And moreso, what is the ettiquette for people living in apartments or top floors of houses? How are they supposed (are they?) logistically give out candy??

    Yours,
    Theresa E. DiDonato, ScM.

    Reply
  • 11/3/2005 at 2:38 am
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    Shaun,

    Being raised Roman Catholic, and attending a rather strict version of Sunday School, I had a lot of exposure to Christianity growing up. I’m also of a scientific, logical mind-set.

    Keeping in mind we can never know anything for certian, there is overwhelming evidence of evolution that a biologist cannot deny. From my experience, the majority of things in science reject any form of intelligent design. Still, all the matter in the universe came from somewhere. Even the big bang couldn’t have started on it’s own.

    So, my question is, is it hypocritical to believe that God created everything and also believe that humans evolved from apes?

    Reply
  • 11/3/2005 at 3:08 am
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    Follow-up question.

    Given:
    -Life on Earth is Carbon based.
    -The second most common element in the earth’s crust is Silicon (28% by weight, Oxygen is first).
    -Silicon Dioxide is the most common compound (42% by weight).
    -Carbon and Silicon both have room for 4 electrons on their outer orbitals, so their affinity for electrons should be equal.

    Question:
    Why is life on Earth Carbon based instead of Silicon based?

    (figures taken from http://education.jlab.org/glossary/abund_ele.html)

    Reply
  • 11/22/2005 at 3:33 pm
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    Shaun, simple question for you today:

    If I was to drive the Mass Pike from the beginning (NY border) to the end (Logan Airport) exclusively in the right lane, would i travel a longer or shorter distance than someone traveling in the left lane? (we can ignore the pesky middle lane since it only exists on like half the pike)

    Reply
  • 12/7/2005 at 8:23 am
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    Don’t forget the Right lane at around exit 9 becomes the middle due to the addition of the NYC traffic. So the right lane would become that pesky middle lane. And if you try to go the other way, the right lane would dissappear as it is the exit lane for Exit 9 (Rt84) Don’t forget to keep that in mind while calculating that all knowing Shaun.

    Reply
  • 12/7/2005 at 9:13 pm
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    What’s with the pink and yellow line painted on the tread of new tires?

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  • 1/20/2006 at 7:41 pm
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    You’d be driving a longer distance in the right hand lane.

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  • 2/11/2006 at 6:42 pm
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    Ok with the Olympics here, I have a question. Why is it that Pro Figure Skaters are no longer allowed to compete, but Pro Basketball players can? What are the rules??

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  • 2/28/2006 at 1:12 pm
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    okay, there’s this question out there. if you have a piece of paper, and you fold it in half (you following me?) and then you fold it in half again, and then you fold it in half again… there’s some theory out there that says there’s only so many times you’ll actually be able to continue folding it. is this true? couldn’t you find a way to break that rule, by either getting a piece of paper that is ultra-thin and a square mile wide? or making the paper wet. who comes up with these sorts of problem questions anyways, and what’s the actual applicable use for it (except in origami competitions, i suppose)?

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  • 3/19/2006 at 10:51 pm
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    Where do we get the helium to put in tanks and balloons and such? If it’s lighter than air, wouldn’t all of the helium on earth just float to the top of the atmosphere?

    Reply
  • 3/25/2006 at 11:48 pm
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    According to Wikipedia, “On Earth it is created by the radioactive decay of much heavier elements (alpha particles are helium-4 nuclei produced by alpha-decay). After its creation, part of it is trapped with natural gas in concentrations up to 7% by volume.”

    Reply
  • 3/28/2006 at 1:35 pm
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    In celebration of this glorious spring, I beseech thee, McQuaid. Why do some animals hibernate during the winter, and others (like squirrels, which you would think would hibernate) don’t?

    Reply
  • 3/28/2006 at 4:56 pm
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    I was driving to work the other day, and there was an old Subaru in front of me at a stop light. And in the lane next to the old Subaru, there was a new Subaru. I noticed that they had different logos!

    The current logo has an oval with a large star in the upper left and a pattern of five smaller starts on the right side.

    The older logo had 5 of the 6 stars in the exact same place. However, the left-most little star was placed in a completely new location! In the current design, it is to the SE of the large star, but in the old logo, it’s decidedly to the SW, and when you see the metal badge on the rear of the car, that little star actually sits on the oval!

    Are you following me?

    Anyway, I was wondering what caused the change of star location and when it happened? I can understand a completely redesigned logo, but they just moved one little star. What was wrong with it before?

    Reply
  • 4/18/2006 at 1:42 pm
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    Dear Shaun,

    I recently discovered Dunkin Donut’s Dunkaccino. I want to be able to make this delicious beverage at home. My question is such:
    Can you figure out the recipe to Dunkin Donut’s Dunkaccino?

    Curious,
    mike d.

    Reply
  • 4/24/2006 at 12:59 pm
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    Have you ever noticed the signs on the highway which say “Begin Measured Mile”/”End Measured Mile”? What is the purpose of these signs? Aren’t the normal mileposts markers measured as well?

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  • 4/26/2006 at 10:01 am
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    Does soda go bad?

    I just got a Mountain Dew out of the coke machine and there is a “For Best Taste, Drink by this date” thing on the side like with certain american beers.

    So my question to the all powerful Oz (aka McQuaid) is can soda go bad while its in the can? What’s its shelf life? Will it outlive us all?

    Reply
  • 4/26/2006 at 10:59 am
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    Within 15 seconds of seeing both Subaru logos, and wondering what was going on, I thought of McQuaid, and how he could find an answer.

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  • 5/22/2006 at 12:39 pm
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    Horses and broken legs.

    Barbaro broke his leg in the Preakness this weekend, and all of these people are saying that after surgery, he only has a 50% chance of living. I’ve heard this before: that a broken leg is a death sentence for a horse.

    My question is: why?

    After surgery and screws and plates and casts, can’t they come up with some sort of arrangement that keeps the horse alive and it heals his leg?

    Humans break their legs all the time, and it’s a non-issue. Why is it a big deal for horses?

    Thanks in advance.

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  • 6/13/2006 at 10:09 pm
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    Why does every gas station charge an extra $.009 per gallon? I vaugly remember hearing something about taxes. However, why don’t the stations just round it up and keep the extra fraction of a cent? Personally, I’m happy they don’t round up, but it bothers me that they use a nonexistant monitary unit.

    Also, is there anything else in the world that is sold like this?

    Reply
  • 6/21/2006 at 8:05 am
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    Dear Mr. McQuaid,

    Long time reader, first time questioner (is that even a word). I was recently informed that if you are driving fast enough in a convertible with the top down while it’s raining then you, and the interior of the car itself, will not get wet. Is this true? And, if it is true, how fast must you be going in order to stay dry?

    Curious in Worcester,
    Bisol

    Reply
  • 7/12/2006 at 12:16 pm
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    Shaun McQuaid, who is never afraid, don’t be delayed or I’ll be dismayed. ..

    How much money could one save in gas by always staying to the inside of a curve by shifting lanes while driving on the highway? I’m not looking for an exact value, just a relative comparison between always on the outside of a curve, the middle, and always on the inside. You can ignore traffic and assume that all lanes are equal speed.

    Yer Pal,
    Jesse

    Reply
  • 7/18/2006 at 6:53 am
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    Who decided it was a good idea, in baseball, to denote portions of innings pitched as “.1” and “.2”? Some broadcasts use the proper notation of 1/3 and 2/3 innings pitched, but some—sometimes both are used on the same game!—use the mixed up .1 and .2. What’s a tenth of an inning anyway? Clearly one out is one third of an inning pitched.

    Reply
  • 7/24/2006 at 5:58 pm
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    I think this would depend on where you’re driving. If you’re driving a lot in Kansas, you’ll see a lot less curves then if you’re driving in West Virgina.

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  • 8/8/2006 at 7:46 am
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    Shaun,
    Why is it that after I chew my gum for several hours, and I do, the gum kinda falls apart in my mouth? It turns into some sort of semi-liquid & Semi-solid gross tasting concoction. Please help!

    Reply
  • 8/8/2006 at 5:16 pm
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    yes! this happens to me, too! and it falls apart so rapidly. there’s no warning. you’re just chewing along, and all of a sudden, you just have to get it out of your mouth ASAP. what is up with that?

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  • 8/10/2006 at 11:23 am
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    Whilst looking up ‘cupcake’ in google image search, I decided to click the link and look at other entries. Anyway, scroll down and there is Mike D with a Rubix Cube for a head.
    This made me ponder Shaun, how come I can never complete my rubix cube?
    What is the best and/or most logical way to do so?

    Reply
  • 8/14/2006 at 7:28 am
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    Shaun of Shaun’s,
    Another question for you. So out internal body temperature is ~98.7 Degrees F. How come when the temperature outside is 88 or 90 Degrees F, it feels hot out? Shouldn’t it feel slightly cooler? Similarly if it is 70 or so, it feels comfortable, but if our body gets to 70 degrees F we are pretty much gonna die? Answer that for me!

    Reply
  • 8/14/2006 at 9:49 am
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    Dear Shaun, why is it that people who can’t dance say they have “two left feet”? Why not two RIGHT feet? Are we descriminating against left feet?

    Reply
  • 8/14/2006 at 10:28 am
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    Four door cars. The windows on the rear doors. You may have noticed that most cars (but not all) have that vertical brace that separates that rear window into two pieces of glass.

    I’ve always been curious about that little brace. Does it have a technical term? Why is it there? (the front-door window is larger and it doesn’t need a brace). And, why do some cars have it, and other cars do not?

    Reply
  • 9/11/2006 at 8:00 am
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    Question Time!

    So I was reading about the recent shuttle launch in September and something occured to me. The foam and stuff that breaks off the shuttle they only watch it to see if i hits during the beginning of the launch. Now they say that if the debris falls off later in the flight it doesn’t have enough speed to damage anything. Now I thought the longer the shuttle was in the air the faster it would be going, kinda like a dude who smashes down on the accelerator the car keeps speeding up. Is there like a “terminal acceleration” to the shuttle and if so why does debris only at the beginning matter when determining if the shuttle was hurt? I’m no rocket scientist and neither are you, but I think you have one stashed away in your bitchin’ Basement.

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  • 9/11/2006 at 11:19 am
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    On radio commercials, when someone is announcing a prize giveaway for Super Bowl tickets, they seem to not be able to mention the term “Super Bowl”, so they’ll say something like “you’ll win tickets to that big pro football game in February!”. (My personal favorite was when they combined the word “soup” (with a microwave ding) + “Arrrrr” (with a pirate growling) + “Bowl” (over the sound of bowling pins being knocked down).

    Anyway, what’s with these radio spots (and possible other advertizing) not being able to say “Super Bowl”? I’m guessing it’s a copyright issue of some sort, and I’d like to know the “why” and the “how much does it cost?” aspects.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  • 9/11/2006 at 11:28 am
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    This is an easy one.

    The answer is air resistance.
    Once the Shuttle is high enough, debris can fall off and it will maintain its velocity and travel at about the same speed at the shuttle, so if they collide, there won’t be any damage to write home about. In the early part of the launch, debris falling off is significantly slowed down by the surrounding atmosphere and combined with the ridiculous force of the Shuttle, can then create some actual trouble.

    Reply

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