Questions tagged [safety]
The balance of benefit versus harm of an activity, device, technology or substance.
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Is it dangerous to run with scissors?
It was common when I was growing up to be told not to run with scissors. It seems the adults were particularly concerned about the risk of severe injury should I fall. Is there evidence that running ...
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Does "reverse sound technology" make headphones safer?
Purebuds Earphones claims that their use of "Reverse Sound Technology" makes their earbuds safer, preventing hearing damage. I searched for a scientific study of this technology, or at least a good ...
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Is 2.4GHz IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) Dangerous? [duplicate]
Over the years, I've heard (and read about) various dubious claims and doubtful allegations regarding the dangers of WiFi & 2.4GHz wireless ISM band communications in general. The stories ...
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Is yellow the most conspicuous color?
It is often claimed that yellow (or a particular hue of yellow or yellow-green) is the most conspicuous color. This supposed fact is used in many industries from safety to advertising. This reasoning ...
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Has 98% of Europe banned water fluoridation? [duplicate]
I came across this gem on facebook today. It contains no sources, makes a bold claim with a numerical statistic to "back it up", and has been "shared" and "liked" thousands of times in the last ~48 ...
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Does the TSA have a fail rate of 95% in breach tests?
Does the TSA fail at a rate of 95% at detecting (fake, "test") terrorists in breach tests, as reported in this news story? The best information that I have about this is a news report. Is there any ...
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Does speeding increase the risk of accident? [duplicate]
The article, studies show higher speed limits do not increase accidents
, claims that increased speeding does not increase your chance of falling into an accident.
However, another article Speed and ...
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Are sprout seeds safe to eat?
In this article called “8 façons de t’intoxiquer à un barbecue” (which could be translated by “8 ways to poison yourself at a barbecue”), a Canadian skeptic talks about sprout seeds :
I would ...
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Is GHB safe to consume?
GHB is illegal and has received considerable media attention as a highly dangerous recreational drug,
However, there is a June 1997 article by Life Enhancement Magazine, that endorses the use of GHB ...
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Do loud motorcycles prevent accidents?
In my neighbourhood, there is one of these inconsiderate people who has a loud motorcycle. I've already told him that his motorbike wakes me up, and he politely apologizes, but then does nothing about ...
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Is food handled in China but available in Australia less safe than food handled in Australia?
Recently, there's been an incident involving frozen berries handled in China spreading Hepatitis A in Australia.
People are responding to this by arguing for better labeling of where food products are ...
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How effective are reflectors at preventing pedestrian deaths?
http://www.safetyreflectors.com/education.html has some claims about reflectors:
Studies have proven that the risk of being hit by a motorist in the dark is eight times lower when wearing a safety ...
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Do Bluetooth headsets pose any health risks?
What's the current state of knowledge concerning health risks caused by Bluetooth headsets?
What has been confirmed so far?
I lack the expertise to evaluate which reports are trustworthy and which ...
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Is driving stoned safer than driving drunk?
Some support that driving while under the influence of marijuana is safer than driving when drunk, saying that people who drive high always drive at slower speeds so even if they cause an accident, it'...
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Is it more dangerous to ride a motorcycle [with a helmet] than to drive a car?
Tell people you want to purchase a motorcycle and the usual response is "I hope you have your will made out" or "I don't want you to die" or similar. The implication is that motorcycle riding is more ...
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Are sharp knives safer to use than dull knives for preparing food when cooking?
There seems to be an agreement that sharp knives are much safer than dull ones when you are cutting vegetables, meat, anything you cut with a chefs knife when you cook and prepare food. The reason for ...
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Would lowering the speed limit in NYC by 5mph lower the number of pedestrian deaths by a factor of 2?
According to the Mayor of New York City, De Blasio: (my emphasis)
Excessive speed contributes to 25 percent of roadway fatalities on New York City Streets and is the leading cause of motor vehicle ...
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Are chicken haunches especially toxic?
There have been some health concerns raised (mainly through word of mouth) with regards to the toxicity of chicken haunches.
Apparently, in the industrial breeding and rearing of chickens many ...
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Do airbags reduce the risk of death or serious injury, assuming seatbelt is properly worn?
None of the statistics I've seen on airbags' impact on safety/crash survival make any mention of seat belt usage. I think it's obvious that airbags make a big difference overall, but given the likely ...
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Does fastening airplane seatbelts reduce the risk of death and injury?
The FAA states
To keep you and your family as safe as possible during flight, FAA
regulations require passengers to be seated with their seat belts
fastened:
When the airplane leaves ...
user17967
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Should I cut off black banana ending before eating?
I was always told that I should cut off the black ending of a banana before eating, because it would be dangerous. Sources for this claim can for example be found here (though that source is actually ...
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Does Charles Shaw wine contain animal blood & feces?
A post by Chris Knox on Quora was quoted on Gothamist, talking about Charles Shaw wine (aka "Two Buck Chuck"), says:
"And it not only grabs ripe grapes, but unripe and down right rotten ones as ...
user20862
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If I am holding the pins of a plug whilst plugging it in, will I be electrocuted? [closed]
In electrical safety, it is often considered dangerous to be in contact with the pins of a plug whilst plugging it in. Does the plug need to be fully in for conductivity between the pins and socket to ...
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Are British plugs safer than all other plugs?
There is a very interesting Youtube Video British Plugs Are Better Than All Other Plugs, And Here's Why that indicates some engineering reasons why the British power plug is safer than for example the ...
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Is it safe to stand by the windows during a thunderstorm?
There is widespread belief in my culture that we should not stay near door or windows during lightning. So people advise others to stay inside house with doors and windows closed to be safe from ...
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Is using a phone while driving more dangerous than driving while drunk?
There have been numerous studies that show how using a phone while driving is more distracting than other non-driving tasks and even worse than driving while intoxicated.
Here was a study done in the ...
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Is a weaver's knot more secure with both ends on the same side?
There are two different ways one can make a weaver's knot.
One has both ends on the same side (a) the other on opposite sides (b).
Pictures and a statement "the two free ends should end up on the ...
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Do onions become toxic or otherwise dangerous within a day of a being cut open?
I saw a new "health advice" meme on Facebook today:
Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and ...
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Is the risk of explosion increased by calling and charging a cell phone at the same time?
I have often heard that charging a cell phone and calling in the same time may cause the cell phone to explode.
Here is a Facebook page that has pictures of what is claimed to be one such example. [...
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Do smoke alarms save lives?
Almost all fire safety organizations and codes require the use of smoke alarms in new business and residential construction. The idea is that they save lives, as mentioned in this article from FEMA.
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Does the establishment of a legal upper speed limit on highways lead to a reduction in traffic deaths and accidents?
The conventional wisdom is that established speed limits lead to an increase in safety.
Speed limits are usually set to attempt to cap road traffic speed; there are several reasons for wanting to do ...
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Do directional tread patterns on tires reduce hydroplaning?
Treaded car tires are said to be better at avoiding hydroplaning than smooth tires (slicks) in the rain. In particular, directional treads are thought to be the best.
The following is an example of ...
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Is inhaling helium dangerous?
Inhaling helium and talking with a funny voice used to be a great party trick for chemists with access to it and has now become more popular as helium supplies have become accessible for filling ...
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Has olanzapine (Zyprexa) caused 200,000 deaths?
In an editorial titled "Should journals stop publishing research funded by the drug industry?
" in the British Medical Journal the authors make the following claim:
Another dire example is ...
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Does prohibition make illegal drugs less safe?
In a recent article in Mises Daily, Benjamin Wiegold argues:
The Drug War Makes Drugs Less Safe
Is his argument right that legalising recreational drugs would improve the quality of supply and ...
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Is water that can be set on fire safe to drink?
In this newly release video by RT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1A3x7AyIVo
A man sets water on fire that is pouring from his well, the narrator reads:
The local government of Texas, tells ...
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Does marijuana impair driving?
Is the use of cannabis/marijuana/THC associated with risks when driving a motor vehicle, similar to impairment from the use of alcohol?
The conclusions of public studies seem inconsistent. For example,...
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Is it safer for bicyclists to be allowed to roll through stop signs?
The Idaho Stop rule for bicycles (Idaho Code 49-720) allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs. Its practical application is described in this video.
A study by Jason Meggs if often cited (...
user5582
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Do longer yellow lights increase traffic hazards?
CBS SF Bay Area published an article about the debate surrounding CA Assembly Bill 612, which would increase the duration of yellow signals for intersections with red-light cameras.
An opponent of the ...
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Do fire shelters save lives?
19 wildfire firefighters died in Arizona today, and the articles mention that they appear to have used their fire shelters:
the 19 firefighters were found in an area that also had 19 fire shelters ...
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Is storing food in opened tin cans dangerous?
The UK National Health Service advises:
never put open cans in the fridge, as the metal may transfer to the
can's contents – place the contents in a storage container or covered
bowl instead.
...
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Is there formaldehyde in the glue of bamboo cutting boards? Is it dangerous?
Many purveyors of bamboo cutting boards make a point to advertise that the cutting board is made from formaldehyde-free glues.
There seems to be fairly widespread advise to avoid formaldehyde in ...
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Is a repaired car tire as good as a new one?
I recently had one of my car tires punctured by a screw. It lost pressure only very slowly, it probably took a couple of days before I noticed the tire was below pressure. The guys from the tire ...
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Are you more likely to suffer a head injury walking than cycling?
An Olympic cyclist, Chris Boardman, recently made the claim that people are more likely to suffer a head injury walking, rather than cycling.
[...] cycling is safe. You would have to wear a helmet ...
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Is it dangerous to stand or squat on a toilet seat?
I got a recent junk mail with the photo attached
https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xk5Ex.png (Warning: graphic images of the alleged injuries)
About the danger in pooping standing position and its result. ...
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Will using auto-darkening welding helmets damage your vision?
I've been told in person, and seen repeated on many a forum, that auto-darkening welding helmets are dangerous and that anyone who uses one eventually needs glasses.
However, I have been unable to ...
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Is there a "sweet spot" of secondary engagement that makes driving safer?
From Playing games while driving? BrightDriver's challenging proposition (emphasis added):
At first blush, playing games while driving sounds like the kind of thing only the accident-prone would ...
user792
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Are annual physical examinations valuable?
It seems to be commonly accepted that having a physician do a physical exam every year is beneficial. However, others seem to have concluded otherwise, for example see the Oct 17, 2012 article in the ...
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Is there credible evidence that a child using an iPad will have their eyesight affected?
I have been told by several people that allowing my young children (aged 2 and 5 at the time of writing) to use an iPad, or similar device, would affect their eyesight. I have found the following ...
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Does wearing a helmet cause/aggravate hair loss?
A person I know (and his colleagues) does not wear his civil engineers helmet because they believe that it causes or contributes to hair loss. An ehow post also makes the same claim regarding ...
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