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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

If I (accidentally) walk through a fresh spider’s web, is this a major blow to the survival chances of its occupant?

Steve Archbold

Chichester, West Sussex, UK

Are there any advantages to consuming and digesting our nasal mucus?

Celine Schwartz

Thornbury, Ontario, Canada

To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.

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