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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
Why does water never move in straight lines? Even running down a windowpane, it wiggles. Is there any explanation for this?
Ron Dippold
San Diego, California, US
There are many forces acting on water, and what you see is the result of a fierce battle between all of them. If water just ran nicely down windows, we wouldn’t…
