29 November 2006

A pox on you

Why does removing chickenpox scabs before they heal leave a scar, while removing normal scabs does not? Thomas Oxhey, Hull, East Yorkshire, UK

29 November 2006

Pasta puzzle

If you bend a piece of dried spaghetti it breaks into three pieces with the middle piece flying out. Why does this happen? (Continued) This question has for a long time perplexed The Last Word and its readers. Some theories were proposed in our 12 December 1998 issue, but nothing had been verified until Basile …

29 November 2006

Caught red-blooded

If I committed a crime the day after having a full blood transfusion and left some of my blood at the scene of the crime, would forensic scientists be able to detect my DNA in it? Or would their analysis result in confusion? I hasten to add that it is unlikely that I would feel …