BBC Focus - 04.2020_

FATIMA,MANCHESTER

WHYDOESCRYINGGIVE

ME A HEADACHE?

Cryingfromfearorsadness(ratherthan

happiness)involvesmorethanjusttears.

Thestresshormonesadrenalineand

cortisolmakethemusclesofyourfaceand

scalpscrunchup.Thisincreasespressure

onyourskull,whichcancausea tension

headache.A longcryingsessionalsoworks

yourfacialmuscles,andthelacticacidand

othermetabolicby-productsofmuscle

fatiguewillbuildup.Thesechemicals

aren’tsoeasilyflushedaway,becausethe

bloodvesselsaroundyourfacearealso

constrictedbythemusclecontractions.

Theresultinginflammationandnerve

irritation turn into a dull aching pain.LV

Apolloastronautsreportedthatlunar

dustfoundinsidetheirlanderssmelt

likeburntgunpowder.Sincethere’s no

chemicalsimilaritybetween

moondustandgunpowder,thesmell

couldhavebeenthedustreactingwith

oxygenand/orwaterinsidethelander,

or due to the release of charged

particlesfromtheSunthathad

becometrappedinthedust.Curiously,

though,lunardustsamplesbrought

backtoEarthfromtheMoonare

odourless.Sowhatevercausedthe

smellreportedbytheApollo

astronautsmusthave been

temporar y.AGu

PHILIPWELPLY,STALBANS

WHAT DOES LUNAR DUST SMELL LIKE?

Q&A

Sincethemid-20thCentury,plasticproductionhas

increasedexponentially,andtheresultingpollutionhas

becomea globalenvironmentalissue.Littlebylittle,we

arereplacingplasticswithmoreenvironmentallyfriendly

options,butwhatabouttheplasticthat’salreadyout

there?MaybeMotherNaturecanhelpout.Meetthe

waxworm:traditionallythoughtofasa pest, its love of

beeswax may have a surprising benefit.

HOWITWORKS:PLASTIC-EATING

C ATERPILL ARS

Waxmothslaytheireggs

in beeswaxin beehives.

Whenthecaterpillars

wriggleout,theytunnel

throughthecombs,

munching as they go.

Beeswax,thecaterpillars’

naturaldiet,andLDPE,a

plasticusedtomake

shoppingbags,aremade

fromalmostidenticalchains

of carbon and hydrocarbon.

Thecaterpillars’gutbacteria

candegradeandprocessthe

plasticasa traditionalfood

source,producing

biodegradableglycolasa

metabolicby-product.These

glycolexcretionscouldbe

reducedbyantibiotic

treatment, a study has found.

It is hopedthatthese
‘plastivores’mayholdthekey
tobetterunderstandinghow
thebiodegradationofplastic
works,andmayevenassistin
reducingthevolumeof
plastic in landfills.