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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
What makes some mirrors “flattering” and others not?
Daniel Kitto
Norwich, Norfolk, UK
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How much difference would it make to global temperatures if the roofs of all the buildings on Earth were painted white?
Mary Rose
Hindmarsh Island, Australia
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