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This week’s new questions

If someone could have their life extended with no limit, would their brain eventually run out of storage space? And is the chemical composition of spider webs the same all over the world, or has it evolved differently in separate locations?

5 June 2024

Man looks to a huge brain. Mental capacity, cognitive processing, and human interaction. This is a 3d render illustration; Shutterstock ID 2341475275; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Orla/Shutterstock

If someone could have their life extended with no limit, would their brain eventually run out of storage space?

Tony Lang,

Epsom, Surrey, UK

2CTC368 Spider on spider web on blurred green trees background. Macro shot. Insect photography

Ivan Kmit/Alamy

Is the chemical composition of spider’s webs the same all over the world, or has it evolved differently in separate locations?

Carl Parker,

London, 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.…

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