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Last word

51¶¯Âþ's popular Last Word series gives readers the opportunity to answer each other's questions about everyday science phenomena, from the shape of scones to the evolutionary history of toenails. To answer a question or ask a new one, email lastword@newscientist.com

2XHMJ3E Mixed breed dog running through grass with large stick in mouth

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Why do dogs bring back a stick if you throw it? Part 2

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Sao Paulo, Brazil - November 26, 2015: Intense traffic in the Consolacao avenue, Sao Paulo, Brazil. It shows the dynamics of the traffic in that busy spot.; Shutterstock ID 347285747; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other:

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This week’s new questions

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The Garden spider is the UK's most common orb web spider and is abundant in gardens, grassland and woodland

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If I walk through a spider’s web, what are its chances of survival?

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Asteroi?d impact. The doomsday and extinction scene. Meteor hits the planet at high speed. ; Shutterstock ID 2645714679; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

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Could a massive asteroid that hit Mars or the moon affect Earth?

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3D illustration of A space station flies through the vastness of space. Spacecraft, spaceship design. High quality digital space sci-fi art in 5K - realistic visualization. Render; Shutterstock ID 2565680455; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

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What would the surface of a neutron star look like?

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2XHMJ3E Mixed breed dog running through grass with large stick in mouth

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Why do dogs bring back a stick if you throw it?

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Headshot of a 13 year old teenage girl with purple hair and braces. She is standing outdoors with buildings out of focus in the background. She is rolling her eyes and frowning slightly, a typical adolescent.

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This week’s new questions

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RBJEJN Woman talking to her baby lying on a bed at home. Mother caring and pampering her baby.

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Why do we speak to babies and pets in cute, silly voices? Part 2

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I want to warm up fast, should I put on my trousers or my top first?

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I want to warm up fast, should I put on my trousers or my top first?

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Ripples in the pond; Shutterstock ID 356810405; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

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What would happen if water had no meniscus or surface tension?

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Exposures of clocks, watches, Time-Pieces of various kinds and periods. Photograph ?? Santosh Verma

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Why are there 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour? part 2

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BCM7JY Rainbow above rolling farmland on the edges of Dartmoor National Park Devon England Spring April 2009. Image shot 2009. Exact date unknown.

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This week’s new questions

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