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Kudzu ( Pueraria lobata ) flowers. Fabbaceae perennial vine. Dark blue-purple fragrant butterfly-shaped flowers bloom in racemes from July to September. The roots are edible and medicinal.; Shutterstock ID 2360739029; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

This week’s new questions

All the climbing plants and weeds in my garden twine anti-clockwise. Is there an evolutionary advantage to this? And do any twine clockwise? And what happens to the electrons, protons, neutrons and photons that exist in living beings when they die?

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What voodoo dolls can teach us about toxic masculinity

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Tom Gauld on the early stages of a project

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Twisteddoodles on a site where people can pay to watch … research

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Life

See these exquisite images of starling murmurations around Europe

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CB8PYJ Old photographs.

Mathematics

Are we all related to Henry VIII’s Master of the Mint?

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In this Voyager 2 image of Saturn, obtained Aug. 11, 1981, from a range of 14.7 million kilometers (9.1 million miles), north is at the upper right edge of the disc. Seen above the planet are the satellites Dione (right) and Enceladus. This false-color print shows a green spot at the south edge of a yellow band; in true color, the spot would appear brown and the band white. A bright yellow spot slightly above and to the left in this image moves eastward relative to the green spot at a rate that allows it to pass the green feature in about 50 days. The convective clouds that appear between the two spots are typical of the region. Here, the smallest visible structures measure about 270 kilometers (170 miles). The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia01959-voyager-2-image-of-saturn

What is the probability that Voyager 1 or 2 will hit a planet or star?

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Yellow wash scrub sponge placed on wet blue background covered with drops of water in light room during household chores; Shutterstock ID 2167323189; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Why does a slightly damp sponge absorb water better than a dry one?

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2F4D4YW Two American crows sitting on a bare branch communicating with each other.

This week’s new questions

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Can you make batteries from tiny black holes? Maybe, say scientists

Feedback continues investigating both the whereabouts and the usefulness of black holes, in the process uncovering new research suggesting the cosmic phenomena could be used as rechargeable batteries

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Tom Gauld on the first work day of the New Year

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Twisteddoodles on a volcanic eruption

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Life

Massive pliosaur skull sheds light on ancient sea reptile

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Space

The stargazing events to watch out for in 2024

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