urbazon/Getty Images
Do babies understand each other with their babbling?
Jo Dunn
Cape Town, South Africa
heliography/Stockimo/Alamy
I would like to know, scientifically speaking, is it more efficient to dry my towels with them hung up portrait or landscape? Which towel will dry quickest?
Alex Fraser
Bodmin, Cornwall, UK
Last Word is Âé¶¹´«Ã½’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
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.
Âé¶¹´«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.



