Why do humans have a common sense of beauty for things like sunsets, and do other animals share this appreciation?
Robert Johnson
Ipswich, Suffolk, UK
Why can鈥檛 we cool water as quickly as we can heat it?
John Bailey
Farnborough, Hampshire, UK
Last Word is New Scientist鈥檚 long-running series in which readers give scientific answers to each other鈥檚 questions, ranging from the minutiae of everyday life to absurd astronomical hypotheticals. To answer a question or ask a new one, email lastword@newscientist.comTo answer this question 鈥� or ask a new one 鈥� email lastword@newscientist.com.
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