What is a skunk? Where is this animal found? Why are some people referred to as skunks, in a derogatory manner?
-- Krishin Jethanand,Goregaon

The skunk is a carnivorous animal of the weasel family. It is known for the offensive smell produced by its glands, on either side of its anus. When it feels threatened, it turns its hindquarters towards the enemy and ejects a spray of foul-smelling liquid as far as 3.7 metres! People who are unpleasant and unhelpful are termed as skunks.

I have suddenly developed pimples, I see many advertisements on TV. Are the advertised products safe?
--Preeti Chatterji, Chembur, Mumbai

Pimples are a natural, though a troublesome aspect of adolescence. The distribution and duration of pimples depends on the genetic makeup, humidity and temperature. Avoiding anxiety and a correct diet could help.The skin should be kept clean. As regards the effectiveness of the advertised medicines, check with your family physician.

Why do coloured clothes tend to lose their brightness when dried in the hot sun?
--Amita J Chavan, Satara

The colour of clothes is due to dyes which are chemical agents. Some dyes are fast and some are not. Fast dyes are those which do not lose their brightness or colour even if they are exposed to sunlight, or by repeated washing in soap. Some dyes are fast, but may not be light-fast, that is, fast in the presence of bright sunlight. They may lose their brightness when exposed to it. This happens because the chemical responsible for the colour is affected by the oxygen and moisture in the air, in the presence of sunlight.

Millions of years ago, the earth was a fireball like the sun. How did water and life appear on it?
--Wille D'Souza

According to the Big Bang theory, after the bang, the clouds of gas and dust particles came together, partly due to electrostatic effect and later because of the gravitational pull. As a result, our sun and the planets were formed.

The earth took shape around 4.6 billion years ago. As the temperature went down, liquid was formed and the outer portion turned into solid. Hydrogen and helium gases were in plenty. Luckily, the earth's gravitational pull couldn't keep the hydrogen and helium in large quantities in its atmosphere. If they had not been thrown out, life would have been impossible. If the gravitational pull was too little, then our earth would not have been able to retain even heavy gases like oxygen, so essential for life. The earth's gravity seemed just right for life forms. Heavy elements like iron and nickel gravitated towards the centre of the earth. The lighter silicates and sulphides formed the outer mantle of the earth. The atmosphere developed later by the various gases that escaped from the interiors of the earth.There must have been some free oxygen in the atmosphere of the earth at the time. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere today is formed by a process called photosynthesis in plants. The first forms of life appeared in water, in simple forms like algae. Over millions of years life as we now know, evolved on earth.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.