kali9/Getty Images
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 people tut and roll their eyes when they are annoyed?
Alexandra Thompson
London, UK
Stock-Asso/Shutterstock
What is the best way to pack a suitcase to get the most clothes into it? Is it with as few folds as possible? Or is it to roll the clothes up tightly? Is there any mathematical basis behind the answer?
Derek Long
Cambridge, 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.
Â鶹´«Ã½ retains total editorial control over the published content and reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material that has been submitted by readers in any medium or in any format.
