Anyone who relies on the strength
of a rope takes great care to prevent
knots forming in it, as they can reduce
the breaking strength by more than
50 per cent. The reason is that knots
create curved regions of rope whose
outer circumference is greater than
the inner part. This difference in
length creates stress across the
rope’s width when put under tension,
undermining its strength. RMWhy do knots
weaken a rope?
Most people’s don’t... but a significant
minority do report a sweet or floral smell
when they sneeze. This could be the smell
of ketones from your bloodstream, which
might be a sign of diabetes. But it is much
more likely to be the cocktail of chemicals
produced by the bacteria living in your
sinuses or ears. Be grateful that yours
smell of honey – some people’s sinus
bacteria give them the sneeze equivalent
of halitosis. LVWhy do sneezes smell
like honey?
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
12 February 2017The idea that left-handed people are more intelligent than right-
handers is a myth. There have been lefty geniuses in history like
Leonardo da Vinci, but this is not part of a larger pattern. If anything,
the opposite is true. In 2015, Dutch researchers combined the results
from over 30 previous studies involving over half a million people and
found no link between handedness and verbal ability and a small
advantage for right-handers in terms of spatial ability. Another recent
study based on data from tens of thousands of people actually found
that left-handedness was more common among people with very low
IQ than among people with typical IQ. CJAre left-handers smarter?
Does rain ever fall as pure water?
No. Water is an excellent solvent and rain always contains dissolved
gases from the atmosphere. Even in a remote, pollution-free region,
rainwater will still be slightly acidic because carbon dioxide in the air
reacts with water to form carbonic acid. Rainwater isn’t even pure
when the raindrop forms, because each drop precipitates around
a speck of dust, or an airborne bacterium. LVGETTY X4, ISTOCKSnot on toast,
anyone?12 February 2017