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This week’s new questions

Why can squirrels run straight down a tree, and could my cat do the same thing if it had to? Also, why are at least four faces required to make a flat-faced solid in 3D?

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Last Word is New Scientist’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

Why can squirrels run straight down trees? And could my cat do the same thing if it had to?

Robert Morley

London, UK

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Why are at least four faces required to make a flat-surfaced solid in 3D? And does a similar lower limit apply in higher dimensions?

John Corey

Melrose, New York, US

To answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.

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