Q&A file

The Muse Fan Page

Question-and-Answer Column

These are all the questions that have appeared in the column. We're gradually uploading the answers. To read Robert's and Rosanne's answers that have been posted so far, click on the year or the ¿? symbol. When you're finished reading, hit your browser's "back" button to return here.
1999
¿? How come we don't have flying cars? ¿? Could you please tell me how to collect samples of bacteria from toilets, tables, etc., and put them in petri dishes? ¿? Can you give me a list of upcoming solar and lunar eclipses? ¿? You printed a photo of a cow named Lady and her clone, Elsie, but they had different markings on their bodies. If they're clones, shouldn't they look exactly alike? ¿? Why is outer space so dark?
2000
How are popcorn kernels made? Is fire a solid, liquid, or gas? ¿? Why are there 26 letters in the alphabet? ¿? [Four questions]: 1. Does it hurt a cat to be picked up by its scruff? 2. What is the answer to life, the universe, and everything? (I hope you can answer that one!) 3. How many hours of TV should a normal child watch each day? 4. What is the airspeed velocity of a European swallow (unladen)? ¿? Are llamas and alpacas close enough relatives that they could be bred together, like a horse and donkey equal a mule? ¿? Why does light sometimes behave like a wave and sometimes like a particle? If exploding meat to tenderize it costs so much money, why are peole doing it? I want to make a terrarium for my pet corn snake. Pet stores say I need expensive, treated branches. Is this true? If you found a dinosaur head in Africa and a tail in South America, how would you know if it was from the same dino? Do eyelashes grow? Which colors of lights work best for growing plants? How much does the average person's head weigh? How much does my head weigh, and how much will it grow? How can I tell if my goldfish is a girl or a boy? Why are dogs and cats called carnivores when I've seen both eat vegetation? How does earwax form, and what is its purpose? ¿? What if Napoleon had had a B-52 at the Battle of Waterloo? ¿? I've heard that smoke is highly flammable. How can that be true? ¿? Do fish drink water? Do all the planets line up in one line, and if they do, how often do they do it? Do cats favor one paw over the other? My dad says that cold water boils faster than hot. Is this true, and if so, why? Where does dust come from? What is it made of?
2001
How long does pollen live? After archaeologists uncover and examine mummies, do they put them back? If moths come out at night, why are they attracted to light? Do night-lights cause nearsightedness or other eye problems? Is solitaire good for your brain? I know starfish can grow new arms if they lose them. Can a broken-off arm grow a new starfish? Are there roller coasters that go underground? How did April Fools' Day get started? ¿? Do dogs know their masters even when they wear perfume or are very muddy? What's the difference between a lunar eclipse and the phases of the moon? ¿? Why do you sleep, and what makes you go to sleep? ¿? Who wrote the first book? ¿? Why does chocolate make people feel good? ¿? How many stars are there in the universe, and what are they made of? Why is the small intestine large and the large intestine small? Do space probes have plutonium reactors to power them after they leave the solar system? How many kinds of cats are there? Why does sweat stink? I thought it was just made out of water.
2002
¿? Is it possible to fill a swimming pool with Jell-O? How do they bury people in places where there is permafrost? Why do mosquito bites itch? ¿? What happens when a cobra bites itself? Why do teeth fall out instead of grow? Who named the planets? Are sulfur-eating bacteria in submarine vents related to the ones in Mexican caves? Jupiter's moon Io has sulfur-spewing volcanoes. Might sulfur-eating bacterial live there, too? Is any research being done on growing new blood or blood cells? ¿? Why do diet sodas float and regular sodas sink? ¿? How fast does hair grow? ¿? Why is a watermelon striped? ¿? How is a watermelon made seedless? ¿? Do lightning rods really work? ¿? My dad told me that a company actually did make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. How did they do it? Do ants and bees ever revolt against the leader of the colony? What is color blindness? How do people become color-blind? Why do dogs like to get petted? They can't pet each other. Why do some dogs drool so much more than others?
2003
¿? What causes hiccups? ¿? Although the tops of mountains are nearer to the sun than lowlands, why do mountains feel colder? ¿? Who was the first person to eat popcorn at the movies? ¿? What's the difference between sand, soil, dirt, and all those other things? ¿? Why do the chocolate chips in chocolate chip cookies stay soft and melty even when the cookie is not warm anymore? ¿? Is there a chemical in nail polish that shortens your life by one second for every coat? ¿? Why are mice so commonly used in experiments done by scientists? I want to find out if mice can memorize a maze. Could I use hamsters, or are mice better? ¿? I almost always get hiccups when I haven't eaten in a long time. Why is that? Why does Swiss cheese have holes in it? Why do your feet fall asleep? Do insects catch colds? How many vocal cords do dogs have? How many do cats have? ¿? Why do older people get sick less often than younger people? ¿? What was the first video game ever? ¿? Why is fruit usually green before it ripens? ¿? Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle? Why are antibacterial gels and lotions bad for you, and is it ever O.K. to use them? Do two checks hatch out of a double-yolk egg? Is there such a thing as a triple-yolk egg?
2004
¿? Is it true that sugar makes you hyperactive? ¿? Why don't [other] mammals have bellybuttons? ¿? Who invented dark chocolate and thought of making into weird shapes (like animals and stuff)? ¿? If you sprayed a whole can of Reddi-wip, would it fill a bathtub, closet, room, or house? ¿? How did the heart come to symbolize love, and why doesn't the heart symbol look anything like a human heart? ¿? Can mosquitoes pass any kind of virus, like flu, smallpox, or AIDS? ¿? Does wet firewood burn faster than dry wood, and if so, how is it possible? ¿? Why do fingernails curve when they get longer? ¿? Why, when lightning strikes the ocean, do all the fish not die? ¿? Do bugs sleep standing up, lying down, or not at all? ¿? When a person is blind, does he "see" black or something? ¿? Gems are nonorganic. If carbon is an organic material, why is a diamond—which is made of pure carbon—considered a gem? ¿? What happens when you pop your fingers or your back? What makes the popping noise? ¿? How come natural gas can burn underwater? ¿? How many helium-filled balloons would it take to lift someone off the ground?
2005
¿? Could pulling a perfectly taut rope with a bell at the end allow faster-than-light communication? ¿? Why is it that one tree will change into one kind of color scheme and pattern [in autumn] while another tree of the same species will change into a totally different pattern? ¿? Why do people swing their arms back and forth when they run? ¿? Why do all the birds in a flock seem to move all at once? ¿? How much does a cloud weigh? ¿? Can all the elements be destructive if their nuclei are split? ¿? What happens when someone tickles you? Why do you laugh? ¿? If the Y chromosome is progressively shortening, doesn't that mean it will disappear and there will be no human males? ¿? Why do we get shadows under our eyes when we lose too much sleep? ¿? How does a water filter work? Wouldn't the water get dirty because of the charcoal? Where did the atmosphere come from? What—scientifically—makes a person's face look older after puberty?