NewScientist The Last Word - Tag 'plants' details

Tag 'plants' details

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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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On the tube I saw what looked like a huge tube of cloud floating just below a uniform blanket above rural Oxfordshire, UK, at 7.30 am on 11 December 2007 (see Photo). Anyone know why it formed?Shuvra Mahmud, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-11-05 18:00:00

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Categories: Weather .

Tags: plants, weather.

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Fungal goodness We are constantly being exhorted to eat five servings of fruit or vegetables a day, cut down on red meat, eat more fish and so on. But very few mention that other kingdom of gastronomic delights, fungi. What nutritional value does your average edible fungus have?Rachel Cave, Galway, Ireland(Image: stock.xchng, LarryLens)
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-10-29 18:01:00

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Categories: Human Body, Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: human body, unanswered, plants.

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Fly catcher The fungus in the photo (left) appeared on rotting, chopped-up trees used as mulch in our garden. It is about 10 centimetres in diameter and appears to feed on insects, and so has an appropriate stink of rotting flesh. What is it?Ted Webber, Buderim, Queensland, Australia
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-10-29 18:00:01

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Categories: Animals, Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: human body, animals, unanswered, plants.

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Skippy I have observed that, while small boys just run, small girls also skip as they run. Can anyone tell me why this is so?David Payne, Penarth, Glamorgan(Image: woodsy, stock.xchng)
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-10-08 18:10:10

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Categories: Human Body.

Tags: human body, plants.

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Foxy tale From a slow-moving train I saw a fox standing with its tail resting on the ground while two magpies repeatedly took turns to peck the tip of the tail, before running off. The fox merely flicked its tail each time. What were they all doing?Sue Murdochs, Marton cum Grafton, North Yorkshire, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-10-08 18:00:00

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Categories: Animals.

Tags: animals, unanswered, plants.

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This week's questions Readers have often contacted us to ask whether there is anything Jon Richfield - a prolific answerer of Last Word questions - does not know. Well, it seems there is. See below - Ed.
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-10-01 18:04:01

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Categories: Unanswered.

Tags: unanswered, plants.

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Fowl play

This guineafowl feather (see Photo, left) embodies a challenge to embryologists. How does the bird grow pigmented cells in patterns of spots that must change as the feather grows in order to maintain the pattern?These patterns also overlie a separate and independent pattern contained throughout many feathers, whose tissues cannot possibly react to the pigmentation in neighbouring feathers as they grow. So how is the overall pattern retained on the whole bird?Jon Richfield, Somerset West, South Africa

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-10-01 18:02:00

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Categories: Animals.

Tags: animals, unanswered, plants.

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Tomato attack

Every time I collect tomatoes in the garden, my hands end up covered with an invisible substance with a pungent smell. It seems to come from the tomato leaves and branches. When I wash my hands with soap, the substance becomes a very bright yellow-green - almost fluorescent - and it stains my soap, towel and wash basin. However, if I don't use soap to wash the substance off, it remains invisible. What is it?Alex Saragosa, Terranuova, Italy

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-08-28 10:48:27

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Categories: Domestic Science, Human Body, Plants, Unanswered.

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

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High-fibre mousse

I found a strange substance growing between a pile of plastic sacks containing bark mulch and a wall in my garden (see photo, left). It was July and the sacks had been piled against the wall for some weeks. At first I thought it was a piece of foam plastic, but when I touched it the stuff had the consistency of mousse. You can see the reddish mark where I prodded it.The second photo is a close-up of one of the holes and the surrounding fibrous structure. The patch was about 17 centimetres long and during the course of the day it dried, went crumbly and turned more pink. Does anyone know what it is?Alistair Scott, Gland, Switzerland