老外對(duì)自己也有諸多困惑。比如男性也會(huì)長(zhǎng)“橘皮”組織嗎？吃奶酪真的會(huì)讓人作噩夢(mèng)嗎？如果不小心吞下了口香糖，會(huì)發(fā)生什么？針對(duì)這些平時(shí)在老外腦中經(jīng)常閃過(guò)的古怪問(wèn)題，英國(guó)廣播公司《焦點(diǎn)》雜志對(duì)這些問(wèn)題進(jìn)行歸納并解答供大家來(lái)參考，英語(yǔ)原文附后。

　　1.OK這個(gè)單詞是什么的縮寫？
　　答：最普遍的觀點(diǎn)認(rèn)為－－OK是來(lái)自于拼錯(cuò)的詞組“oll　korrect”，原意是“all　correct”（什么都是對(duì)的）。最早來(lái)源于19世紀(jì)40年代的波士頓報(bào)紙，當(dāng)時(shí)非常流行用故意拼錯(cuò)單詞來(lái)造成幽默的效果。

　　2.如果口香糖不小心吞進(jìn)了肚中　是否真的無(wú)法消化而殘留數(shù)年？
　　答：不會(huì)�？谙闾堑拇_很難被消化，但它仍然沒(méi)能力逃過(guò)正常人類的消化系統(tǒng)，最多三天左右的時(shí)間便會(huì)被消化。

　　3.如果我們每人都成天呆在家里，流行感冒是否就會(huì)在人群中消失了？
　　答：是的。這樣就在理論上形成了全球性的免疫系統(tǒng)，但是如果有一個(gè)人走了出來(lái)，病菌就會(huì)馬上散播開(kāi)來(lái)。

　　4.能讓魚(yú)離開(kāi)水生活嗎？
　　答：可以。世界上有很多種雙棲魚(yú)。同樣，也有大約50種可以飛行的魚(yú)。

　　5.一些植物會(huì)老死嗎？
　　答：如果一直維持良好的生存環(huán)境與條件，某些植物能夠永生。但外界環(huán)境一旦有變，它們的壽命就會(huì)結(jié)束。

　　6.海洋性氣候?qū)θ梭w有益嗎？
　　答：并不完全如此。海風(fēng)的氣味讓人振奮是緣于一種沿海細(xì)菌的化學(xué)產(chǎn)物，盡管它在空氣中比例甚微。但近來(lái)的研究表現(xiàn)，海中的鹽分會(huì)與這些化學(xué)物質(zhì)發(fā)生反應(yīng)而釋放出有害氣體，對(duì)于海港的空氣造成污染。

　　7.自言自語(yǔ)是否是瘋癲的一種表現(xiàn)？
　　答：不是。無(wú)論人們?cè)诔錆M壓力時(shí)還是一個(gè)人獨(dú)處時(shí)，自言自語(yǔ)是再正常不過(guò)的行為。

　　8.男性也會(huì)有“橘皮”組織嗎？
　　答：是的。并不只有女人才擔(dān)心這些討厭的橘皮脂肪，男人們也有，并分布在身體不同的地方，像脖子或是腹部�！�

        9.恐懼到底來(lái)自哪里？
　　答：大約有10％的人們經(jīng)常承受著內(nèi)心的恐懼。一些可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致生理問(wèn)題，一些甚至導(dǎo)致外傷。研究表明，簡(jiǎn)單的恐懼癥可能與基因遺傳有關(guān)，而另一些是由于文化因素和歷史因素。打個(gè)比方，對(duì)蜘蛛的恐懼就來(lái)源于中世紀(jì)，因?yàn)楫?dāng)時(shí)認(rèn)為蜘蛛和瘟疫有關(guān)。

　　10.數(shù)碼快照可以長(zhǎng)期保存嗎？
　　答：可以。只要你把它們打印出來(lái)并避光保存或是存在光碟里。

　　11.細(xì)菌會(huì)寄生在細(xì)菌的身上嗎？
　　答：當(dāng)然。小的細(xì)菌會(huì)寄生在大的細(xì)菌上，并攻擊它們。

　　12.為什么坐在車的后座更容易暈車和不適？
　　答：這或許是因?yàn)槟阕�在車的后座就無(wú)法保證一個(gè)較好的視野。當(dāng)你耳朵里的平衡器官正在適應(yīng)著一種運(yùn)動(dòng)時(shí)，而眼睛卻無(wú)法有充足視野來(lái)認(rèn)定自己是在運(yùn)動(dòng)還是靜止時(shí)，暈車就更易產(chǎn)生。

　　13.我們是否只需水和簡(jiǎn)單補(bǔ)給就可以生存下來(lái)？
　　答：不行。碳水化合物，維他命，礦物質(zhì)，脂肪與蛋白質(zhì)缺一不可，它們不僅用于補(bǔ)足生命所需能量還對(duì)細(xì)胞的修復(fù)有重要作用。

　　14.熱飲能讓我們冷下來(lái)？
　　答：是的。熱飲會(huì)讓我們的身體感受到溫暖，而實(shí)際我們并沒(méi)有獲取同等的熱量，受這種溫暖的滿足感影響導(dǎo)致了我們的熱量加速流失。

　　15.頭的大小決定智商的高低？
　　答：不會(huì)。研究表示頭的大小最多只與腦的大小有關(guān)，與智商并無(wú)關(guān)聯(lián)。

　　16.過(guò)多食用奶酪會(huì)讓人做噩夢(mèng)嗎？
　　答：研究表明，睡前的高能量進(jìn)食會(huì)減少眼球速動(dòng)期睡眠（REM）的時(shí)間，這會(huì)造成多夢(mèng)的現(xiàn)象。但目前還未有明確結(jié)果表示奶酪會(huì)對(duì)睡眠、夢(mèng)，甚至是夢(mèng)的內(nèi)容造成什么明顯的影響。

The answers to the questions you've always wanted to know
        By Matt Roper

Ever wondered if men get cellulite, whether cheese gives you nightmares or what really happens if you accidentally swallow chewing gum?

If you answered yes to the above then you have just pondered some of the 101 Greatest Questions Of All Time, according to BBC Focus magazine.

What’s even better, they now have the solutions to all these baffling brainteasers. Here’s a selection of the best – and the answers of course.

What is ‘OK’ short for?

The most popular theory is that OK comes from “oll korrect”, a deliberate misspelling of “all correct”. It comes from Boston newspapers in the 1840s when it was fashionable to spell things incorrectly for humorous effect.

Does chewing gum really stay inside you for years?

No. Chewing gum is indigestible but it doesn’t have any magic property that allows it to escape the normal digestive transit. Three days is the usual limit.

Would the common cold die out if we all stayed at home?

Yes. Global quarantine would work in theory, but if just one person evaded it the disease would be free to spread again.
Can you have a fish out of water?

Yes. Several species of fish can breathe air and crawl on land. There are about 50 species of flying fish, too.

Do plants die of old age?

Given good conditions, some plants can live for ever. It takes a change in external conditions to finish them off. But annuals die soon after seeding.

Why is sea air good for you?

It isn’t, particularly. In Victorian England, seaside resorts got a reputation for having healthy air – maybe in comparison to the era’s city smogs.

The seaside’s “bracing” smell is caused by a chemical produced by coastal bacteria, present in very low concentrations. But a study last year found that sea salt can react with chemicals in marine exhaust fumes to worsen the atmospheric pollution in a busy port.

Is talking to yourself a sign of madness?

No. The phenomenon known as “private speech”, in which people talk aloud to themselves when stressed or alone, is perfectly normal.

Do men have cellulite?

Yes. It’s not just women who are cursed with orange peel skin, although in men cellulite tends to be in different places, usually around the neck and abdomen.

Where do phobias come from?

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around 10 per cent of the population suffer from phobias. Some may be triggered by a traumatic event while others are linked to physical problems. Studies suggest that simple phobias are partly genetic while others may be due to cultural history. For example, a fear of spiders may be passed down from the Middle Ages when spiders were associated with the plague, as victims’ deserted homes became shrouded in cobwebs.

Will digital snaps last?

Yes. If you print them out or store them on CD-Rs shielded from light.

Will evolution make us more attractive?

Evolution is already doing this. Sexual attraction is an evolutionary mechanism designed to help us choose a mate with healthy genes.

Can germs catch germs?

Yes. The germ would be an even smaller organism that attacks its host germ from within.

Why do I get more car sick in the back?

It’s probably because you don’t have such a good view of the horizon. Motion sickness occurs when the balance mechanism in your ear registers movement while your eyes are telling you that you are stationary.

Could We live on water and supplements?

No. As well as vitamins and minerals we need carbohydrates, fats and proteins for energy and cell repair.

Do dock leaves sooth nettle stings?

No. This myth arose from parents’ desire to find something nearby with which to placate a stung child.

Do hot drinks cool you down?

Yes. They make your body think you are hotter than you really are so you sweat more and that leads to heat loss.

Does the size of your head affect your IQ?

No. A study concluded there is a correlation between head size and brain size, but that IQ was not related to size.

Would it be possible to surf a tidal wave?

Sort of. Nobody has ever surfed a tsunami, but the Severn Bore is effectively a large tidal wave caused by water being funnelled along the river’s estuary and is regularly surfed.

Does cheese give you nightmares?

Any heavy meal before bed can make you spend more time in REM sleep and therefore you will dream more. But there is no evidence to suggest that cheese is particularly effective at causing dreams, good or bad.

Read the full 101 Greatest Questions of All Time in the March issue of BBC Focus – the award-winning science and technology magazine, on sale now, ?3.60. Find out more at www.bbcfocusmagazine.com