The Hindu Business Line : Why do people have eyebrows?

Is it only a stupid bird that eats wasps and then gets stung in the mouth? What will happen to us if an alien spaceship were to come along and drag the moon away? Are fat people bullet-proof because the fat layer would prevent the bullet from reaching the vital organs?

These are only some of the posers that find a place in Does Anything Eat Wasps? from Viva (www.vivagroupindia.com) . The Q&A collection, edited by Mick O'Hare, is from the `Last Word' column of New Scientist, a weekly feature since 1994, with a focus on `everyday science questions and answers provided by readers'.

O'Hare narrates how his e-mail system gets inundated every week "with readers' new questions". Almost as rapidly, those questions are answered by their peers, he adds.

Log on to www.newscientist.com/lastword.ns, invites the editor. For, you can pose your own question there, or answer another.

"The Last Word has even spawned a research project and scientific paper in the journal Physica A."

There is a caveat, though: "The Last Word is devoted to the small questions in life." Don't expect, therefore, to find answer to the mystery behind the meaning of human existence, or if there is life in another galaxy. "But we can tell you why your tea changes colour when you add lemon juice," assures the O'Hare. "We do know how to make bubbles in your chocolate bar."

Trivial, may be, but the queries can be important. Such as, `Why do bruises go through a range of colours before they fade?'

This poser from the UK elicits responses from readers in Australia, who explain how the breakdown product of haemoglobin, bilirubin, is yellowish in colour, and so forth.

"Bruises sometimes take a long time to appear because the damage can occur deep in the body tissues," cautions a consultant occupational physician from the UK.

"Why do people have eyebrows?" asks Ben Holmes from Canada.

"Your eyebrows divert sweat droplets and raindrops from running directly into your eyes. You would be very uncomfortable without them," points out Valerie Higgins of the UK.

And the Ed adds his comment: "Eyebrows are important in expressing emotions. Perhaps most important is the `eyebrow flash', a rapid up-and-down flick of the eyebrows that conveys recognition and approval."

John Eden wants to know, "How long can a human being live for if their sole source of food or drink is beer?" Chris Jack responds, "I'm 39 and still alive."

D.J. Thompson expresses a fond wish: "After my death I would like to become a fossil." Crucial in the answer, from Tony Weighell, are three things, viz. location, location, location. For, "You must find a place to die where you won't be disturbed for a long time... . Alternatively, you need a rapid burial."

A book that kindles scientific thinking, even when you don't know the answer to questions like these: "When condensation forms on a clean bathroom mirror, you can draw pictures in it.

When the condensation evaporates, the pictures disappear. But when it forms again, they reappear. Why?"

Why does it squeak when you wipe glass with bare hands? "Is there a formula for working out how much excrement is produced from a certain amount of food?" How long after beheading would the chopped-off head be aware of its plight? And more...

SayCheek@TheHindu.co.in