Dr. Know I saw a local-access TV show recently about the streetcar to Lake Oswego, and they mentioned NYC’s trains. The politician replies: “That’s a subway; this is light rail.” What’s the diffe   More

Dr. Know The Hawthorne Fred Meyer has signs posted outside along the sidewalks, “No skateboarding or rollerblading.” Does...   More

Dr. Know We used to have to separate our glass by color for recycling. Now it all goes in one bin and gets smashed together, so sorting post-pickup seems impossible. Why doesn’t it matter anymore that    More

Dr. Know (Author’s note: Final installment for “Oregon History Month.” By now, you should almost believe it’s real.) Was it once illegal to be African-American in Oregon? I’ve heard that black t   More

Dr. Know (Author’s note: In honor of Oregon History Month, an observance I made up, I’m devoting July to history questions.) I recently...   More

Dr. Know Oregon was the last British territory in the U.S.—did the English stick around when the New...   More

Dr. Know We all know that the Spaniards were in Oregon before the British. Is it true that the name Oregon comes from the Spanish surname Obregón? Like Álvaro Obregón? —Puscifer If you wanna believe    More

Dr. Know My dad says back in the ’50s he used to play up on Mount Tabor, and on a cold day he could see steam rising from the crater. How dormant/active is Mount Tabor, and is it true Rocky Butte is ac   More

Dr. Know What is up with Plum Krazy? And on the opposite end of the eyesore spectrum, what about the middle-finger flag flotilla? Can anyone anchor anything semi-navigable freely forever on the Willame   More

Dr. Know Is it true that 80 percent of the male bass fish in Washington’s major river are now exhibiting female traits as a result of contraceptive pills being flushed into the water? Say it ain’t so   More