Most people can remember little from before the age of 3, but do "photographic" memories start earlier? And are the earliest photographic memories retained fully formed, unlike fragmented normal memories? Help Laex find an answer. 

Flies are not known for having long memories, which could be why they seem never to tire of flying into windows. Ben12!? would like to know why they don't appear to do themselves any damage when they do this at high speed.

Most memories fade or get corrupted over time, but our sense of time passing is highly variable and little understood. jamie534 is interested in whether the way we measure time affects the way we perceive its passing.

Our brazen attempt to make memory and time the theme of the week runs into the sand with the next question – though there is a never-ending quality to housework: Alexa’s father insists it's harder to wash up in cold water, but she reckons the temperature of the water makes no difference. So which of them is right?.

Finally, remember when you used to write things on paper? Have you ever wondered whether the direction of a writing script indicates the "handedness" of those who invented it? Help grannybuttons answer this intriguing question.

Peter White, Cardiff, UK

Having just watched a TV programme called QI 

A question came up 

What came first Spiders or fly's 

Unfortunately they did not answer it.

Anybody? 

This is a question my four year old cousin asked me yesterday, after hearing that they could spent most of their life on the wing.  After finding that I couldn't answer her I decided to log in here!

During my holiday in Greece, we stopped at a roadrestaurant near the town of Kalavryta. 

We were sitting on the terras, and there were bags of water hanging from the terras . The water was in transparant plastic bags. (see this picture: http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jkIfO7IHGAg/Srycwj48oaI/AAAAAAAAObo/qh60tNJ7m-g/s800/GRE_Kalavryta_2009_Sept_32.jpg )

)

We tried to come up with all kind of theories what the purpose of these bags was. 

Obviously not a first aid for a forrest fire. A thermometer to see when the first frost hits the valley,... 

At the end, we asked the owner, and he told us it was used to keep away the flies. 

I have to admit that there were no flies. But there were no bears either, so it might work for that too. 

The owner looked quite serious, so I don't think he was pulling my legg. 

So my question is, if there would be a theory why this might work, if it works at all as a fly-protection mechanism.

Does it have something to do with the defraction of the light in the water bags and the way a fly 'sees' this. 

Kind regards

Pascal

Today I watched for 10 minutes a flock of pigeons flying round the domes of a mosque across the road. There were other pigeons sat on one of the domes, and occasionally some of these would join the flock while some of the flyers would settle on the dome. There was no haste in the flying, so they couldn't have been chasing insects, no aggression, so there was no conflict between birds, so what were they doing?

I know swallows flock and fly around before 'going to bed' at night, but this was in the middle of the day and featured common pigeons.

Do all bird species do this 'orbiting' of landing spots and if so why?

I saw this kittiwake flying upside down (see photo) in Norway's Svalbard archipelago - about 79 north - while we were stuck in the sea ice. This and other kittiwakes were feeding on polar cod (about 13 centimetres long) that had become uncovered as our ship broke through the ice.

What is it doing and why? How many other birds can do this?

Bill Reed, US

When I was wandering around my garden one evening I noticed a European honeybee hanging strangely from a lillypilli flower.On closer inspection I saw a well-camouflaged spider holding the bee in place and a number of small flies covering its body (see photo, right).

I can understand the spider's role in all this, but what are the flies doing?

Robert McKinlay, Balgownie, New South Wales, Australia