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Playing footsie
THE LAST WORD
Last words past and present, plus questions, at last-word.com
Rotor imbalance
Benign research
A friend of mine says he’s seen a helicopter loop the loop at an air show. Is it really possible? And if it is, how? (Continued)
Why do benign tumours quit growing? Isn’t it possible that understanding benign tumours and why they are not life-threatening could help treat malignant growths?
n The photo below is proof that looping the loop is possible in a helicopter. It shows an army Westland Lynx AH7 pulling over the top of a loop. You can see by the shadows that the helicopter is actually inverted. It was a spectacular sight to see and, as explained by your previous correspondents (The Last Word, 17 September), not impossible. Flight Lieutenant Keith Campbell Air Warfare Instructor Sleaford, Lincolnshire, UK
n There is really no such thing as a “benign” or “malignant” tumour. All cancerous, or neoplastic, growths exist on a spectrum. What we tend to mean when we describe a tumour as benign is that it is unlikely to spread to other parts of the body or metastasise. Benign tumours tend to have a capsule that keeps them in situ, whereas malignant growths penetrate the basement membrane that separates
different tissue types before spreading through the blood or lymph systems. Although benign tumours do not metastasise, they are actually far from harmless. Their continued growth can put pressure on organs, nerves or blood vessels, and can also cause significant tissue damage. Endocrine tumours can produce vast quantities of hormones, which can be very harmful and may even induce other cancers in the individual. So a benign growth can cause significant health problems. Benign growths can also eventually become malignant. Hepatic adenomas are primary neoplasms of liver cells called
hepatocytes that are considered to be benign. But a mutation in the gene for the protein catenin is linked to a greater chance of their transformation into a malignant state. The longer any benign disease is allowed to progress, of course, the greater the chance of the
“Although benign tumours do not spread to other parts of the body, they are far from harmless” disease ultimately becoming malignant, which is why there is no true distinction. Sub-classification of tumours based upon gene expression is important for accurate prognosis and treatment options. Be reassured that the genetic pathways leading to neoplasms are areas of a great deal of research and are already leading to better treatment of neoplastic disease. Chris Starling Biomedical Scientist Institute of Liver Studies King’s College Hospital London, UK
This week’s question Playing footsie
Bare human feet can carry us over rocks, grass, snow, carpet and concrete with relative impunity, so why does a light finger touch on the sole of the foot feel so intense and make us recoil? Rick Hyde Palo Alto, California, US
Questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Include a daytime telephone number and email address if you have one. Restrict questions to scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena. The writers of published answers will receive a cheque for £25 (or US$ equivalent). Reed Business Information Ltd reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material submitted by readers in any medium or format.
New Scientist retains total editorial control over the content of The Last Word. Send questions and answers to The Last Word, New Scientist, Lacon House, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8NS, UK, by email to [email protected] or visit www.last-word.com (please include a postal address in order to receive payment for answers). For a list of all unanswered questions send an SAE to LWQlist at the above address.
Why can’t elephants jump? The latest collection: witty, brilliant, intelligent and packed with insight Available from booksellers and at www.newscientist.com/elephants
Last words past and present, plus questions, at last-word.com
Rotor imbalance
Benign research
A friend of mine says he’s seen a helicopter loop the loop at an air show. Is it really possible? And if it is, how? (Continued)
Why do benign tumours quit growing? Isn’t it possible that understanding benign tumours and why they are not life-threatening could help treat malignant growths?
n The photo below is proof that looping the loop is possible in a helicopter. It shows an army Westland Lynx AH7 pulling over the top of a loop. You can see by the shadows that the helicopter is actually inverted. It was a spectacular sight to see and, as explained by your previous correspondents (The Last Word, 17 September), not impossible. Flight Lieutenant Keith Campbell Air Warfare Instructor Sleaford, Lincolnshire, UK
n There is really no such thing as a “benign” or “malignant” tumour. All cancerous, or neoplastic, growths exist on a spectrum. What we tend to mean when we describe a tumour as benign is that it is unlikely to spread to other parts of the body or metastasise. Benign tumours tend to have a capsule that keeps them in situ, whereas malignant growths penetrate the basement membrane that separates
different tissue types before spreading through the blood or lymph systems. Although benign tumours do not metastasise, they are actually far from harmless. Their continued growth can put pressure on organs, nerves or blood vessels, and can also cause significant tissue damage. Endocrine tumours can produce vast quantities of hormones, which can be very harmful and may even induce other cancers in the individual. So a benign growth can cause significant health problems. Benign growths can also eventually become malignant. Hepatic adenomas are primary neoplasms of liver cells called
hepatocytes that are considered to be benign. But a mutation in the gene for the protein catenin is linked to a greater chance of their transformation into a malignant state. The longer any benign disease is allowed to progress, of course, the greater the chance of the
“Although benign tumours do not spread to other parts of the body, they are far from harmless” disease ultimately becoming malignant, which is why there is no true distinction. Sub-classification of tumours based upon gene expression is important for accurate prognosis and treatment options. Be reassured that the genetic pathways leading to neoplasms are areas of a great deal of research and are already leading to better treatment of neoplastic disease. Chris Starling Biomedical Scientist Institute of Liver Studies King’s College Hospital London, UK
This week’s question Playing footsie
Bare human feet can carry us over rocks, grass, snow, carpet and concrete with relative impunity, so why does a light finger touch on the sole of the foot feel so intense and make us recoil? Rick Hyde Palo Alto, California, US
Questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Include a daytime telephone number and email address if you have one. Restrict questions to scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena. The writers of published answers will receive a cheque for £25 (or US$ equivalent). Reed Business Information Ltd reserves all rights to reuse question and answer material submitted by readers in any medium or format.
New Scientist retains total editorial control over the content of The Last Word. Send questions and answers to The Last Word, New Scientist, Lacon House, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8NS, UK, by email to [email protected] or visit www.last-word.com (please include a postal address in order to receive payment for answers). For a list of all unanswered questions send an SAE to LWQlist at the above address.
Why can’t elephants jump? The latest collection: witty, brilliant, intelligent and packed with insight Available from booksellers and at www.newscientist.com/elephants