THE QUESTION: “I have never cut open a lime to find a seed,” writes Susan Reid of Toronto. She finds seed in all other citrus fruits, why not limes? How can they reproduce if they don't have seeds?
THE ANSWER: It's because Ms. Reid is buying Persian limes, writes Will Coukell of Toronto, which are parthenocarpic. “This means simply is that the flowers do not require pollen to produce fruit, much like a seedless watermelon. Another example of a parthenocarpic citrus fruit is the navel orange.” Other limes – such as key limes – do have some seeds.
FURTHER NOTICE
Brenda Guiled of Saltspring Island, B.C., read our item last week about the infectious nature of yawning. It was described as a kind of evolutionary signal that it was time for the group to go to sleep. She points to a different theory put forward by researchers at the University of Albany, who say the opposite – that it might have evolved to help groups stay alert against danger.
The researchers' findings, summarized on ScienceDaily.com, concluded that yawning acts as a brain-cooling mechanism. Our brains, like computers, operate more efficiently when cool, and yawning enhances the brain's function by increasing blood flow and drawing in cooler air.
HELP WANTED
How did the word pretty get to be used in sentences such as “that is a pretty ugly dog”? Grace Hickey of Kinmount, Ont., wants to know.
Why does the volume on the television increase when a commercial comes on, asks Frank Barber of Dartmouth. N.S.
“What would happen were small, domestic cats of the North American variety to find themselves among larger, African-variety kings of beasts? They all belong to the feline family,” writes Peter J. Heffernan of Lethbridge, Alta. Would the larger cats ignore them or view them as lunch?
Why do we use the term “11th hour” when we mean the hour between 11 and 12? That's the 12th hour, says Dell Texmo of St. John's.
“Apparently garden hoses develop a ‘memory,' writes Marcia Sweet of Burlington. “What is the easiest and most effective way to rewind one without a reel?”
Finally, a question from a certain Edward Greenspon, who spends large amounts of his time in The Globe newsroom. It's about baseball. When a batter is out and there are no men on base, members of the fielding team throw the ball "around the horn." Unless the out was made at first base, this throwing exercise always seems to exclude the first baseman. Is there a reason for this, and, if so, what is it?
Collected Wisdom publishes questions from readers and invites other readers to answer them. Send answers (and questions) to wisdom@globeandmail.com. Include your name, location and a daytime phone number.
