The Straight Dope 04/16/2004

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 04/16/2004

Dear Cecil:

After years and years (and years) of watching TV, I've begun to wonder:
Can people really get amnesia from a bonk on the head? Can they get
their memories back from another bonk on the head? What really causes
amnesia and what things do you forget? Is there any way I can induce
amnesia without a cranial accident of some sort? --Zeb B., Biloxi,
Mississippi

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Cecil replies:

We need to clarify your question, Zeb. It's not whether you can get
amnesia from a blow to the head (or, for that matter, from some purely
psychological trauma). It's whether you can get Hollywood amnesia,
defined for our purposes as forgetting all or part of your past with no
impairment of your ability to deal with the here and now--from which
condition, moreover, you can recover in time for the final reel. The
brain being the mysterious organ that it is, I won't say that such
things never happen. But they don't happen a whole hell of a lot.

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040416.html

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STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

According to Newton, every force has an equal and opposite force. So  
how does anything move? If I am going forward with the force of 10
newtons, there is a force of 10 newtons pushing me back. Wouldn't the
forces cancel each other out? What's the straight dope on stuff moving?
--Daniel L.

SDSTAFF Karen replies:

I'm not sure the Straight Dope is the ideal place to deal with basic
physics, but if the schools have failed our young people, I guess it's
up to us.

Your question brings to mind the canonical physics exam question: A cup
sits on a saucer on a table on the earth. The earth's gravity pulls down
on the cup. What is the equal-and-opposite force required by Newton's
second law? Half the students will say the saucer pushing up on the cup.
WRONG! It's the cup's gravity pulling up on the earth!

The key to dealing with equal-and-opposite forces is . . .

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mequalopposite.html

STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 04/30/1976

Dear Cecil: 

One evening during an orgy of hard-core trivia, we were suddenly and
frustratingly stumped by a truly baffling item. Even the most devoted
trivia freaks among our friends drew blanks when we presented them with
this one. If you can answer it for us, Cecil, we'll finally be able to
sleep nights. What they hell was the name of Dudley Do-right's horse?
--The Smithies, Chicago

Dear folks:

Dudley's horse was named Horse. That's it--Horse. Bet you could kick
yourself, huh? 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_359a.html

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