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THE LAST WORD Beach balls
covered debris that has washed up on or near the shoreline. Anthony Wilkins Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK
What could have caused these soft little balls of beach sand (see photo, right) to form? There were huge numbers of them stretched along about 700 metres of this beach about 100 kilometres north of Auckland.
n The prime suspect would be what are commonly called sand bubbler crabs, a name that covers animals which can belong to the genera Scopimera or Dotilla. After these crabs have sifted through a batch of sand for microscopic food, they discard it as balls about half a centimetre across. That said, I would expect the balls to be more densely packed around the crabs’ burrow, but the photo suggests a fairly even distribution. Moreover, although the crabs are widespread in the Indo-Pacific region, New Zealand may be just beyond their range. Mike Follows Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, UK
This week’s questions Off colour
As a child I lived on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of the UK, and I used to accompany my father on digging trips to the area on the east side of the pier at Ryde, an excellent spot for finding lugworms. In certain tidal conditions, when constant currents are moving slowly over shallow areas, some of the mounds of coiled sand cast off
by the burrowing lugworms can become dislodged from the seabed. Then, rather than simply disintegrating, they form into small balls or beads of sand which are left behind when the tide recedes. This happens particularly where the sand is slightly oily, such as when the beach is contaminated with pollutant-
n These could be the casts of the lugworm or sandworm, Arenicola marina. The small sandy heaps, typically looking like miniature coils of cable, are usually between 1 and 3 centimetres tall. The casts often cover large areas of sandy beach at low tide. The worms make excellent bait for all sorts of fish and crabs. Fishers looking for them find their casts to be useful indicators, because the worms themselves lurk between 10 and 30 centimetres beneath.
The writers of answers that are published in the magazine will receive a cheque for £25 (or US$ equivalent). Answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a daytime telephone number and an email address if you have one. New Scientist retains total editorial control over the published content. Reed Business Information Ltd reserves all rights to reuse all question and answer material that has been
I spotted this blackbird in the garden (see photo, bottom). It is not black but light grey, and it did not have pink eyes so I guess it is not an albino. It spread its wings and lay in the sun; in due course it flew off. I’ve never seen a blackbird with this colouring before. Can anyone tell me more about it? Eric Bignell Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK tree time
It is generally accepted that the increase in day length in the spring is what prompts deciduous trees to begin growing their leaves. But how does a tree know that the days are getting longer? Ray Sheldon Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, Canada feeling the pressure
When we took a flight recently, we noticed an unopened packet of potato chips inflate because the cabin air pressure fell with altitude. At the same time, a member of my family commented that they felt bloated and uncomfortable. Is it possible that a similar effect was taking place in their gut? Duncan Guthrie Edinburgh, UK
submitted by readers in any medium or in any format and at any time in the future. Send questions and answers to The Last Word, New Scientist, 110 High Holborn, London WC1V 6EU, UK, by email to [email protected] or visit www.newscientist.com/topic/lastword (please include a postal address in order to receive payment for answers). Unanswered questions can also be found at this URL.
Question Everything The latest book of science questions: unpredictable and entertaining. Expect the unexpected Available from booksellers and at newscientist.com/questioneverything
THE LAST WORD Beach balls
covered debris that has washed up on or near the shoreline. Anthony Wilkins Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, UK
What could have caused these soft little balls of beach sand (see photo, right) to form? There were huge numbers of them stretched along about 700 metres of this beach about 100 kilometres north of Auckland.
n The prime suspect would be what are commonly called sand bubbler crabs, a name that covers animals which can belong to the genera Scopimera or Dotilla. After these crabs have sifted through a batch of sand for microscopic food, they discard it as balls about half a centimetre across. That said, I would expect the balls to be more densely packed around the crabs’ burrow, but the photo suggests a fairly even distribution. Moreover, although the crabs are widespread in the Indo-Pacific region, New Zealand may be just beyond their range. Mike Follows Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, UK
This week’s questions Off colour
As a child I lived on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of the UK, and I used to accompany my father on digging trips to the area on the east side of the pier at Ryde, an excellent spot for finding lugworms. In certain tidal conditions, when constant currents are moving slowly over shallow areas, some of the mounds of coiled sand cast off
by the burrowing lugworms can become dislodged from the seabed. Then, rather than simply disintegrating, they form into small balls or beads of sand which are left behind when the tide recedes. This happens particularly where the sand is slightly oily, such as when the beach is contaminated with pollutant-
n These could be the casts of the lugworm or sandworm, Arenicola marina. The small sandy heaps, typically looking like miniature coils of cable, are usually between 1 and 3 centimetres tall. The casts often cover large areas of sandy beach at low tide. The worms make excellent bait for all sorts of fish and crabs. Fishers looking for them find their casts to be useful indicators, because the worms themselves lurk between 10 and 30 centimetres beneath.
The writers of answers that are published in the magazine will receive a cheque for £25 (or US$ equivalent). Answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a daytime telephone number and an email address if you have one. New Scientist retains total editorial control over the published content. Reed Business Information Ltd reserves all rights to reuse all question and answer material that has been
I spotted this blackbird in the garden (see photo, bottom). It is not black but light grey, and it did not have pink eyes so I guess it is not an albino. It spread its wings and lay in the sun; in due course it flew off. I’ve never seen a blackbird with this colouring before. Can anyone tell me more about it? Eric Bignell Southwell, Nottinghamshire, UK tree time
It is generally accepted that the increase in day length in the spring is what prompts deciduous trees to begin growing their leaves. But how does a tree know that the days are getting longer? Ray Sheldon Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, Canada feeling the pressure
When we took a flight recently, we noticed an unopened packet of potato chips inflate because the cabin air pressure fell with altitude. At the same time, a member of my family commented that they felt bloated and uncomfortable. Is it possible that a similar effect was taking place in their gut? Duncan Guthrie Edinburgh, UK
submitted by readers in any medium or in any format and at any time in the future. Send questions and answers to The Last Word, New Scientist, 110 High Holborn, London WC1V 6EU, UK, by email to [email protected] or visit www.newscientist.com/topic/lastword (please include a postal address in order to receive payment for answers). Unanswered questions can also be found at this URL.
Question Everything The latest book of science questions: unpredictable and entertaining. Expect the unexpected Available from booksellers and at newscientist.com/questioneverything