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This week’s new questions

What happens when a hammer hits a nail? Do hammer electrons hit nail electrons? If not, what drives the nail in? Oliver Howes, Sydney, Australia

26 June 2024

Builder or carpenter working on the roof - silhouette with strong back light; Shutterstock ID 84416038; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Shutterstock/Nagy-Bagoly​ Arpad

What happens when a hammer hits a nail? Do hammer electrons hit nail electrons? If not, what drives the nail in?

Oliver Howes,

Sydney, Australia

HUD Matrix particles grid. Virtual reality. Grid core. Magic explosion star with particles. Acceleration race. Glow lines. Colorful flash. Big bang. Light trails. Glitch effect. Deep space.; Shutterstock ID 1590869041; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Shutterstock/Dmitriy Rybin

Did abstract mathematics, such as Pythagoras’s theorem, exist before the big bang?

John Woodgate,

Rayleigh, Essex, 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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