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Do eyeballs grow and, if so, how much?

April 3, 2004

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Do eyeballs grow and, if so, how much?

At birth, the head and structures within it, such as the eyes and brain, are more developed in proportion to the rest of the body. The head and eyes increase in width by only 1.5 times up to the age of 5 years, and after that only a very small proportion more until early adulthood. So the eyes do grow slightly, probably only a matter of millimetres, and only up to age 5 or so.

John Frith, Paddington

Why don't pet food manufacturers make mouse and bird-flavoured cat food?

Pet food manufacturers do make "bird-flavoured" cat food - chicken and turkey. However, they don't make mouse-flavoured cat food because they think the moggie can catch its own, whereas tackling a cow, a salmon or a lamb would present a bit of a problem.

Pam Morris, Potts Point

Why are all the planets round?

All the planets are round for the same reason a bubble is round. The shape of the sphere is the least energy-consuming of all the shapes, which is why when a bubble is made in a cube-shaped wire net, it will still try to make itself round. The planets work on the same principle. When they were formed, they were formed in the easiest possible way, hence a sphere.

Tony Shaw, Wagga Wagga

Where do John and Jane Doe come from?

If we knew where Jane and John Doe were from, we would be part way to knowing who they were, or at the very least, where to search for their dental records.

Di Mansell, St Leonards


Franc Vaccher, Lane Cove

Why don't dogs chase cars any more?

It was always only male dogs who ever chased cars, and that was in the good old days before it was considered de rigueur to castrate dogs. The truth is that these days dogs simply don't have the balls to chase cars.

Terence Lee, Chatswood

The metro-dog is in touch with his inner-bitch and would not dream of scuffing his nails on the road or upsetting his perm. The underlying problem though is a lack of appropriate male role models. Let's hope Mr Latham will address this.

Robin Dickson, Canberra

If helping others gives you an ego boost, are your actions altruistic?

R. Doherty's response (March 27-28) that altruism can only occur by measuring it against your own standards is ridiculous, and quite sad. Altruism is helping someone unselfishly: for their sake, not yours. If you enjoy this, even when it costs you in other ways, so much the better. But when you do good because it makes you feel good, rather than because you want to help another, that's not altruism.

Andrew White, Ingleburn

Who invented vertical blinds, and can they be prosecuted for crimes against aesthetics?

A designer woke in bed one morning, gazed at the Venetians from a prone position and realised that, viewed horizontally, they looked just as good that way as when he sat up. Dead flies and dust would drop off them. What's more, they would echo the vertical direction of plant growth in nature and thrash about delightfully like long grass in the slightest breeze.

Paul Roberts, Lake Cathie

Any answers?

- Why do waves at the beach arrive in sets?

- Is there a word for fear of commitments?

- What does a rugby scrum smell like?

- Would traffic flow more smoothly if all traffic lights were turned into roundabouts?


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