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Q&A's: New Scientist's Last Word sectionFlight pathThere is a tree outside my window that is frequented by bees. Any time I look out there are at least a few bees flying from leaf to leaf, and stopping to walk around the leaves they land on (see Photo). I've seen individual bees continue this behaviour for a while. Why are they doing this? Plant depressionWhen I was growing up in Luanda, Angola, I remember a peculiar bush. When you touched it, the area where contact was made wilted immediately, with all the leaves drooping. This lasted for only 2 or 3 minutes, after which the leaves slowly returned to normal. Does anyone know the name of this bush and why it behaves in this way? Visit the Last Word blog, where you can post your answers online and explore all the unanswered questions
ANSWERS PLEASEThe writers of all published answers receive £25 ($40)
Eye levelThe eye views images upside-down in the manner of a camera lens, but our brains reinterpret this input to allow us to see things the correct way up. Have there been any examples of damage to this part of the brain, causing people to see the world upside down? How does this happen, is the brain able to compensate and if so, how? Soda sootherWhenever I burn myself, I use my grandmother's old remedy to help relieve the pain and cool the wound: bicarbonate of soda, mixed with a little water and applied directly to the affected area. It works, but how? QUESTIONS PLEASEDo you have a scientific enquiry about everyday phenomena?
HUMOUR: New Scientist's Feedback ColumnHow to become superhumanBACK in the summer of 2005, Now Robert Cox calls our attention to www.dnaperfection.com, a website promoting "sessions" that appear to have identical ambitions. "Imagine if you woke up one morning and realised that you had dormant superhuman abilities that were waiting to be unleashed," the website says tantalisingly - and, following the Lifetech DNA Activator down to the last exclamation mark, it goes on:"Imagine activating 100 per cent of your 2-strand DNA, PLUS 10 additional strands!... You will... GIZMOSOUNDBITES"With regards to Neil Young, I really enjoy his music and have had a great appreciation of him as an activist for peace and justice."Biologist Jason Bond of East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, who has discovered a new species of trapdoor spider. He opted to name the spider Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi after his favourite musician (Reuters, 12 May) |
