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Nature’s weirdest animals: Shoebill stork

NATURE’S WEIRDEST ANIMALS… Shoebill stork At times vilified for its supposedly menacing demeanour, the shoebill stork deserves better. Yes, it’s a solitary loner that picks off its prey one at a time. Yes, it has an enormous, shoe-shaped beak that can kill a baby croc or wrangle a lungfish. And yes, its stare is somewhat […]

How do you thicken a sauce?

How do you thicken a sauce? LAURA JACKSON, NORFOLK There are a few ways to thicken a sauce. To add texture to meat juices, you can simmer to allow some water to evaporate before simply whisking in fat to make an emulsion. You can also add gelatine, which comes from animal collagen and is almost […]

What’s the difference between an octopus and a squid?

What’s the difference between an octopus and a squid? ANDREW WHITE, HULL Octopuses and squid are close cousins with much in common. Both groups are remarkably brainy molluscs, especially compared to their relatives including snails, clams and slugs. They have complex nervous systems which, among other things, intricately control their colour-changing skin. A recent study […]

What is the life cycle of our Sun?

What is the life cycle of our Sun? SIMON GRUFFUDD, FLINTSHIRE 1. Hydrogen-burning phase Nuclear fusion is converting hydrogen into helium, releasing energy and radiation we see as sunlight. This phase began around 4.6 billion years ago and in around 3.5 billion years from now, the Sun will be around 40 per cent brighter. On […]

Should I take my shoes off inside the house?

Should I take my shoes off inside the house? STEPHANIE LEE, BRISTOL Keep them on, if you can stomach knowing what they carry on their soles. Tests have shown that shoes carry a host of faecal bacteria – including E. coli – which could come from the floors in public toilets as well as from […]

What’s on the other side of a black hole?

What’s on the other side of a black hole? KAREN SCOTT-MARTINET, NEW HAMPSHIRE A black hole is defined by its ‘event horizon’, the imaginary membrane that marks the point of no return for in-falling light and matter. If the Sun were to become a black hole – which is impossible since it is not massive […]