Does Anything Eat Wasps? And 101 Other Questions - New Scientist > Reviews (5)

Does anything eat wasps is a book containing a compilation of questions and answers submitted to New Scientists magazine's 'Last Word' column. These questions have been submitted by magazine readers, and answered by all kinds of people - some scientists, some ordinary members of the public, and some - utter crackpots .

Whilst I've never read New Scientist, I have quite a questioning nature, and love these kinds of little books, filled with short articles that can teach me something new. Each of the questions usually has two or three replies , and these vary, some of them being incredibly easy to understand, and some being a little more difficult to get to grips with . With that said, I certainly don't think any great passion for, or knowledge of science, is required to read this book, which manages to keep a light hearted and informative tone throughout.

The questions vary over a range of categories : Our bodies, Plants and animals, Domestic science, Our universe, Our planet, Weird weather, Troublesome transport and The best of the rest. The book also includes an index at the back, making it easy to refer back to a specific topic.

Some of the answers given are more amusing than serious - for example, someone asked if it was standard practice to tie a knot in the umbilical cord of a newborn child, to which a number of people replied that actually the cord is too thick to tie a real knot in, and that standard procedure is to clamp it, and wait for the excess to drop off after a few days.

One person however, replied that their daughters cord was clamped, and that they found the plastic clamp the perfect size to seal up their bag of muesli. They then went on to say that after a few years the camp broke, and they were forced to have another child in order to continue to ensure their breakfast cereal stayed fresh !

This book is perfect for dipping into when you have a spare couple of minutes, as most questions only have a few answers that can be quickly read through . I also found it a very fascinating read though, and ended ujp reading it from cover to cover . I would recommend this for all adults, but also for older teens, as I believe they may well benefit from knowing just exactly how long a body can survive on just beer!

A fab book to dip into for a little extra knowledge - incredibly easy to read, educational, and great for those little snippets of information to impress your friends with .