NewScientist The Last Word - Tag 'science' details

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On the trail I wonder whether anyone knows what this pattern is that I found on my north-facing window sills earlier this year? It looks like some kind of footprint and seems to come in two sizes. A few months on, it's still there...Andrew Rolph, Horley, Surrey, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-06-25 18:36:20

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Categories: Domestic Science, Animals.

Tags: animals, unanswered, domestic science, weather.

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Eggstraordinary

I found this formation at the bottom of a bowl after beating a couple of eggs in it the day before (see Photo, left). The only additives to the eggs had been a pinch of salt and ground black pepper. The bowl base is 90 millimetres in diameter, and each of the yellow "spokes" is up to 1.5 millimetres wide, arching upward by about 1 millimetre in their mid-portions, leaving those darker clear-glass gaps between the spokes.Besides drying and contraction, what specific eggy or other factors may have determined the formation and proportions of this pattern (which remained unchanged for a week until I needed the bowl again)?John Smaje, Manchester, UK

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-06-18 19:41:25

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Categories: Domestic Science.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Kitchen calamity

While reducing red wine and olive oil in a flat frying pan on the stove, the mixture exploded with an audible pop, spraying the wine - but not the oil - up to 2 metres away from the pan. Significantly, the wine was not hot enough to scald me. I hadn't stirred the pan for at least a minute, and the wine and oil had separated. What happened?Alan Gammons, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UKSeveral ideas about what went on here. If anyone feels the urge to find out for themselves which scenario is correct, please exercise extreme caution - Ed

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-06-11 19:24:02

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Categories: Domestic Science.

Tags: human body, unanswered, domestic science.

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Omelette mushroom Whilst walking through woods in the Wye Valley we came across this fungus growing on some rotten tree bark. What is it, and why did it only grow on this one tree and not on any others which had also fallen down and were in a similar state?Kay Bagon, Hertfordshire, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-05-28 14:32:01

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Categories: Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: unanswered, domestic science, plants.

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Inflation theory If a balloon were inflated with helium and released into space, what would happen to it?Kathryn Bergin, Rosewater, South Australia
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-05-21 17:57:39

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Categories: Planet Earth, Technology.

Tags: unanswered, domestic science, technology, planet earth.

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Plant depression

When 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 on that branch drooping. This lasted for only 2 or 3 minutes, after which the leaves slowly became erect and returned to normal. Does anyone know the name of this bush and why it behaves in this way?Luis M. Luis, Virginia, US

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-05-14 19:00:00

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Categories: Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: unanswered, domestic science, plants.

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Slime time

I travelled to Scotland recently where I took this picture of an organism (see Photo). It was smooth, glossy and transparent like melting ice, and quite hard to the touch. It was not alone; there were four others close by, the biggest of which was about 20 centimetres across. Can any reader tell me what it is?Alexander Markov, London, UKThere are lots of ideas about what this object is, none of which are conclusive. It does seem as though there is an army of different jelly-like objects invading our coasts. Check out "Lump life" from The Last Word of 24 July 2004 - Ed

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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-05-07 19:01:00

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Categories: Animals, Plants, Unanswered.

Tags: animals, unanswered, domestic science, plants.

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Chain gang My father used to hang a chain which dragged along the road from the back of our car. He said it would prevent my sister from getting car sick. I thought it was some kind of placebo effect but later I discovered that my husband's family did this for their car-sick dog. Does it work and, if so, how?Ginette Andress, Allambie Heights, New South Wales, Australia
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-04-30 18:21:53

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Categories: Human Body, Transport.

Tags: human body, domestic science, transport.

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Klingon technology In a box of childhood rubbish, I discovered a rubber pencil eraser and a plastic disc - once fired out of a toy Klingon spaceship - that over the years had somehow welded themselves together (see Photo). There was some transitionary rubber/plastic substance at the join. How did this happen?Stephen Battersby, London, UK
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Asked by Michael Marshall
on 2008-04-30 18:21:37

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Categories: Domestic Science.

Tags: animals, unanswered, domestic science.

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Milk white A friend recently managed to scrawl ink from a ball-point pen over her white linen top. My wife came to the rescue with a technique her grandmother had taught her: she soaked the stained garment in milk. Three hours later the ink had completely vanished. How?John Badman, London, UK
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