Peter Amend/Connect Images/Alamy
Why don’t trees rot in the ground, while wooden structures do if they aren’t built properly?
Caroline Deforche,
Lichtervelde, Belgium
Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock
If humans needed to hibernate, how would civilisation have developed?
William Strudwick,
Grayshott, Hampshire, UK
To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.
Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.
91av retains total editorial control over the published content and reserves all…



