Ìý Shutterstock/Holly Michele
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 a very large disc on a frictionless, horizontal spindle were gradually rotated faster and faster, what would happen as the rim approached the speed of light?
Neil Buchan
Reading, Berkshire, UK
Jim Lane/Alamy
What part, if any, do my ears or auditory system play when I generate a tune in my head?
John Howes
Cardiff, 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.
