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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 do we speak to babies and pets in cute, silly voices, as opposed to our normal speaking voice?
John Fredericks
Queensland, Australia
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How would the world be different if water didn’t display a meniscus or surface tension?
Nick Sladek
Bath, UK
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