¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ

What percentage of a dog or cat’s food intake is used just to maintain their fur coats?

Richard Hughes
Leckhampstead, Buckinghamshire, UK

Ìý

Stars are orbited by planets, and planets by moons. So why are there no moons with natural satellites of their own?

Richard Grimmer
Trowbridge, Wiltshire, UK

Ìý

Last Word is ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ’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.comTo answer this question – or ask a new one – email lastword@newscientist.com.

Questions should be scientific enquiries about everyday phenomena, and both questions and answers should be concise. We reserve the right to edit items for clarity and style. Please include a postal address, daytime telephone number and email address.

The use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude) to write either questions or answers is forbidden, and any submissions found to have been written using AI tools will be withdrawn.

Terms and conditions apply