NewScientist The Last Word - Tag 'humans' details

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Soda soother Whenever 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?Alexandra Winter, Dundee, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-01-07 11:31:59

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Categories: Domestic Science, Human Body.

Tags: human body, domestic science.

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Hot to trot Mustard and chillis are both hot, but the burning sensation from a chilli stays in the mouth for ages while the sensation from hot mustard disappears in a few seconds. Why is this?Dominic Lopez-Real, no address supplied
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-01-07 11:24:55

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Categories: Domestic Science, Human Body.

Tags: human body, domestic science, transport.

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Eaves droppings While repairing a gutter on my roof I spotted a small patch of what looked like tiny eggs under the brick eaves (see photo, left). The patch was no larger than 2 centimetres by 1 centimetre. Each egg was the size of a pinhead. What are they, what creature is responsible and are they common in the UK?Steve Roderick, Bishops Itchington, Warwickshire, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-01-07 11:21:33

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Categories: Animals, Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: human body, animals, unanswered, plants, transport.

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Video: Double egg dilemma To accompany the new Last Word book, Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?, we've put together a short series of videos tackling some of the questions answered in the book.This first one deals with the mystery of the double-egged egg.
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-12-17 16:36:42

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Categories: Domestic Science.

Tags: human body, domestic science.

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A matter of timing

When I use a stopwatch to time events, I know that the accuracy of the result is subject to my ability to stop the watch at the correct instant. I am also aware that I must often be at least a few hundredths of a second out.Before the advent of electronic timing, world records such as those in athletics or swimming were measured with manual stopwatches. How accurate were these timings? Was more than one watch used and how did officials ensure they were as accurate as possible?Alan Mann, Truro, Cornwall, UK(Image: Daino_16, stock.xchng)

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-12-03 18:02:01

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Categories: Human Body, Technology.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science, technology, plants.

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In the clink My father-in-law used to tape family mealtime conversations. When played back, the background noise - like silverware hitting plates and doors closing - is surprisingly prominent. Why is it that we filter these sounds out as they happen, but seem unable to filter them out when we listen to the recording?Gary Yane, Oldenburg, Indiana, US
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-11-26 18:03:00

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Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, animals, transport.

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Fat chance During a recent health check, the scales I was weighed on also gave a read-out of the percentage of my weight that was body fat. The scales had a pair of metal plates which I had to stand on with bare feet while gripping an electrode in each hand. How do they work?Arthur Ambler, London, UK(Image: peter_w, stock.xchng)
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-11-26 18:01:01

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Categories: Human Body, Technology.

Tags: human body, animals, technology.

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Cavorting cavities

I have often noticed that my fillings feel a bit strange when I'm bouncing on a trampoline. Several other people I know also report this. Oddly, it doesn't happen on the landing, when I am experiencing greatest deceleration, but on the apex of a bounce, at the point when I am momentarily weightless or just beginning to fall.What causes this? Does anybody know if jumping astronauts notice any filling-based irritation while horsing around in zero gravity?Jasper Fforde, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, UK(Image: firehawk77, stock.xchng)

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-11-19 18:02:01

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Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, animals.

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Quackers

I was watching a duck and her eight chicks walking in a line across the grass. All of a sudden a couple of other chicks entered the group. The mother duck immediately weeded out the stranger chicks and sent them on their way. To us they looked identical, so just how did the mother duck achieve her feat? Is it just that animals are exquisitely sensitive to visual differences between members of their own species? Or was the mother duck relying on non-visual information as well, and if so, what?Byung O Ho, San Jose, California, US

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-11-19 18:01:01

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Categories: Animals.

Tags: human body, animals.

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Reverse charge Having watched high jumpers in slow motion, I cannot work out why it is easier to jump over a high-jump bar backwards using what was originally the "Fosbury flop" technique that was introduced in 1968, than it is to go forwards over the bar. What facets of human mechanics enable jumpers to jump higher when travelling backwards?Felipe Hernandez, Mexico City, Mexico
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