NewScientist The Last Word - Tag 'plants' details

Tag 'plants' details

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On the spike I was walking from Cowes on the Isle of Wight to Yarmouth along the coastal path in June. When nearing Yarmouth we saw this strange spike standing upright on a leaf (see photo). The top of the spike has broken off to the right.What created it? If it's of any use, the weather was warm.David Winstanley, Norwich, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-07-08 17:00:23

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Categories: Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: animals, unanswered, domestic science, plants.

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Bad soap I found this forgotten bar of soap after winter at my home in northern Sardinia. It had grown a coat of mould (pictured). What is the mould and how did it grow on soap, which is supposed to keep your hands clean?Patrizia Figoli Turcheteti, Bellaire, Texas, UK
(1 vote) average rating:5 There are 29 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-05-20 17:01:00

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Categories: Domestic Science, Plants, Unanswered.

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

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Apple melt The snow at the base of our small apple trees melts before snow elsewhere has melted. We've seen this under other trees too. Why? Robert Campbell, Uetendorf, Switzerland (Image: Mattox, stock.xchng)
Editorial status: In magazine. (1 vote) average rating:4 There are 31 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-05-06 17:02:00

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Last edited on: 2009-08-05 14:15:35

Categories: Weather , Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: unanswered, plants, weather, humanbody, domesticscience.

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Clear waters After an electrical storm, the water in my father's small fish pond is crystal clear, having previously been full of green algae. Similarly, my parents' drinking water comes straight from a nearby reservoir and often contains organic matter, but a storm also appears to clean it up. What could cause this?Michelle, Johannesburg, South Africa(Image: enrika79, stock.xchng)
(no votes) There are 15 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer

Asked by damian
on 2009-04-09 12:55:48

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Categories: Planet Earth, Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: unanswered, technology, plants, transport, planet earth.

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Why don't the best athletes win all their races?

When closely matched athletes are competing in events that involve running, swimming, throwing or lifting, why does one of them win one day and another the next? Surely whoever is the fastest or strongest will remain so, for a while at least. Often the original winner will return a few days later and win again, so why did he or she lose the race between the two victories?

Magda Loncic, Kiev, Ukraine

(Image: mordoc, stock.xchng)

Editorial status: In magazine.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-01-14 18:03:00

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Last edited on: 2009-09-18 16:10:08

Categories: Human Body.

Tags: plants, humanbody.

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Can't face it Why do we grimace when we eat sour or bitter food?Laura Offer, London, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-01-14 18:02:00

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Categories: Domestic Science, Human Body.

Tags: human body, animals, domestic science, plants.

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Black heads

After a while I find the shower heads in my bathrooms become clogged by black flecks of what is obviously some kind of organic material. A similar material accumulates in my cold-water taps if they have not been used for some time, but in this case it is in the form of a black ribbon.I recall from visits made to water-treatment plants in my student days that the passage of water through a filter leads to the build-up of a zoogloea - a translucent jelly-like layer of organic matter. But if something similar to this process is taking place in the shower, why is the material black and exactly what is it?David Payne, Penarth, Glamorgan, UK

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-01-14 18:01:00

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Categories: Domestic Science.

Tags: animals, domestic science, plants.

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Fooled in Blackpool? From the top of Blackpool Tower (approx 150 metres) on the UK's west coast, can you see the curvature of Earth along the Irish Sea horizon? I thought I could, but my friend disagreed. If I'm wrong, how high would we have needed to be?Mark Ford, Bolton, Lancashire, UK
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Asked by damian
on 2009-01-14 18:00:00

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Categories: Planet Earth.

Tags: animals, plants, planet earth.

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Fly trap?

When my family returned from a two-week holiday during the summer, we found a cluster of dead flies stuck to our porch window. Each was surrounded by a hazy mist on the glass.

We have lived in our house for 20 years and we have never seen this before. Even after two weeks, when the photograph was taken, nothing had changed. The flies hadn't moved and no predator had come to eat them.Can anyone explain what has happened?

Stephen Ryder, UK

Editorial status: In magazine.

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2009-01-07 18:01:00

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Last edited on: 2009-08-12 14:45:34

Categories: Domestic Science, Animals.

Tags: animals, plants, domesticscience.

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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
Editorial status: In magazine. (no votes) There are 11 answer(s) for this question. View answers \| Submit an answer