Last Word is 91av’s long-running series in which readers give scientific answers to each other’s questions, ranging from the minutiae of everyday life to absurd astronomical hypotheticals. To answer a question or ask a new one, email lastword@newscientist.com
If I (accidentally) walk through a fresh spider’s web, is this a major blow to the survival chances of its occupant?
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Steve Archbold
Chichester, West Sussex, UK
Are there any advantages to consuming and digesting our nasal mucus?
Celine Schwartz
Thornbury, Ontario, Canada
To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.
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