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Last Word is Â鶹´«Ã½â€™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

I am in an arid desert with a flask of caffeinated coffee. Should I drink it, or will its diuretic effects speed my demise?

Adrian Moore,
Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK

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Animals seem to respond to music when it is played to them, but what do they hear?

John Grant,
Caloundra, Queensland, Australia

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To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.

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