Daylight Savings

Last Problem

Is the following true or false?

You should not freeze water in plastic bottles, as it can release carcinogenic dioxins from the bottle into the water.

Answer:

False

This is a hoax that was circulated on the Internet a few years ago. Althought there are likely to be  dioxins in plastic water bottles (and there is still some debate on that issue), freezing them is not known to cause a chemical release to occur.

Today’s Question:

Who was the first person to propose the idea of daylight-saving time?

Word Garble

Last Problem:

What word can you remove one letter from it to make a new word, then take another letter off and get yet another word, and so on until there is only one letter left, still making yet a different word?

Answer:

“restarted”

restarted, restated, restate, estate, state, sate, sat, at, a

Today’s Challenge:

Turn the word “peach” into the opposite of “expensive.”

One Letter Left

Last Problem:

What rule can you apply to each of the following words to make new words of them all?

adds, ants, inks, ohms, sheer, star

The answer is to…

Answer:

Replace each letter with the next letter of the alphabet – adds becomes beet, ants becomes bout, etc.

Today’s Problem:

What word can you remove one letter from it to make a new word, then take another letter off and get yet another word, and so on until there is only one letter left, still making yet a different word?

What is the Word Rule Here?

Last problem:

What is the common link between these words:

threshold, taciturn, signature, redress, misspelling, lambaste, hockey, decoration

Answer:

Each word is made up of two shorter words which are joined by a common letter. The second word starts on the same letter as the first word ends on. threshold => thresh and hold, taciturn => tacit and turn, etc.

Today’s Problem:

What rule can you apply to each of the following words to make new words of them all?

adds, ants, inks, ohms, sheer, star

The answer is to…

What is In Common?

Last Question:

Why do you get Goose bumps? What purpose do they serve?

Answer:

Goose bumps are your body’s attempt to retain heat when you get cold. Small muscles raise the hair on your arms and legs in order to trap an insulating layer of warm air near your skin and prevent heat loss. Humans aren’t as hairy as in prior centuries. This biological response is probably not as effective as it was for our distant ancestors.

Today’s problem:

What is the common link between these words:

threshold, taciturn, signature, redress, misspelling, lambaste, hockey, decoration

Goose Bumps

Last question:

What causes avalanches?

Answer:

An explosion or perhaps a gunshot can rigger an avalanche, but it is more likely the result of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stepping, skiing, or snowmobiling across a weak spot in the snow can cause a huge slab of snow to split off and tumble down the slope.

Today’s Question:

Why do you get Goose bumps? What purpose do they serve?