Take a peek up the nose
QUESTION
Do nostrils take turns to breathe? GERMAN physician Richard Kayser first described the nasal cycle in 1895. He demonstrated that nasal airflow is greater in one nostril than in the other, with four hours between cycles. This can vary from person to person and alter due to body position or nasal congestion.
This switch is achieved via nasal tissue that swells in one nostril, mostly blocking it, while shrinking in the other nostril, opening it up for breathing.
This is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, the mostly unconscious system that regulates bodily functions, such as the heart rate, digestion and respiratory rate.
Switching off airflow between nostrils prevents drying, crusting and infection that could occur if the airflow were static.
Engorgement of the nasal tissue works as a periodic pump to generate plasma exudate — a fluid that leaks out of blood vessels into nearby tissues — into the nasal cavity, which is an important respiratory defence mechanism.
It may play a role in the olfactory system. Differential rates of airflow enable scent molecules to degrade and absorb at variable rates, allowing enhanced detection of smells.
It may even cause you to alternate sides when sleeping.
The cycle may have surprising effects on body and brain. A 1988 study demonstrated that breathing through your right nostril significantly increases blood glucose levels, while breathing through your left nostril has the opposite effect.
It speculated abnormal nasal cycles may be a cause of diabetes so breathing techniques may be therapeutic.
Another study in 1994 demonstrated that when breathing through the left nostril, the right hemisphere of the brain is more active and vice-versa. The right hemisphere is your creative/imaginative side while the left is your logical side. Encouraging air through one nostril could alter the way you think.
The control of airflow through alternate nasal passages has been part of yoga for centuries and is said to help calm or stimulate the body. Hillary Clinton has described how she treated her anxiety during the 2016 presidential race with alternate nostril breathing.
Michael Knowles, Oxford.
QUESTION What was Scottish flyting?
THE original meaning of this term was quarrelling or contentious argument.
The 15th and 16th century Scottish poets, known as makaris, engaged in verbal abuse with each other. Though their tone was abusive, it usually came out of respect for the poetic language used by an adversary. The more original the invective, the greater the respect bestowed.
The tradition appears to have come from the Scottish fili, professional bards or poets, who would compose poems filled with invective about those who had slighted them.
This may have originated among the Scandinavian epic poems, one of which was The Flyting Of Loki in which a mischievous god bandies words with other Nordic deities.
The tradition of flyting continued in Celtic poetry. The Robbie Burns poem To A Louse, with its use of abusive language to describe the poem’s subject, is interpreted as flyting.
Irish writer James Joyce’s The Holy Office contains lines such as: ‘But all these men of whom I speak, Make me a sewer of their clique.’
In modern poetry, poets take the stage to insult each other in rhyme. The winner of such a slam contest is judged on audience applause. Other slam poetry contests are less confrontational with judges deciding the winner. Any subject can be slammed in these contests, but political topics are common.
Robert Sutherland, Edinburgh.
QUESTION Can electric cars tow caravans?
MOST electric cars are able to tow, but only a few models are rated to do so. The key problem with electric car take-up is range anxiety and towing reduces this by a half or more.
In theory, electric towing should be as good or better than traditional diesel or petrol. Electric vehicles have plenty of pulling power, reflected in their high output of torque, the engine’s rotational force. It’s measured in Newton-metres (Nm) and is provided alongside the horsepower (hp) figure.
Torque refers to the amount of work an engine can exert, while horsepower defines how quickly that can be delivered. It’s why torque is often referred to as pulling power, oomph or grunt.
Electric vehicles have high torque because the energy generated by the motor is instantaneously transferred to the wheels through the car’s transmission. Having an electric motor eliminates the need for a traditional gearbox.
In fuel-based engines, torque is generated through the burning of petrol or diesel to cause combustion, which then works to turn the crankshaft to power the turning of the wheels.
The problem is that towing requires a lot of energy. In an electric car, this means you greatly reduce the distance you can travel per charge.
There are a number of tow certified electric models on the market, but they are expensive.
The most powerful is the £82,000 Tesla Model X. It has a massive torque of 775nm, which can pull 2,250kg, easily enough for a big six-berth caravan. However, its 290-mile range per charge is reduced to 145 miles when towing.
Other decent towers are the £60,000 Audi E-tron (1,800kg), £65,000 MercedesBenz EQC and EQA, and the £40,000 Kia EV6 (1,600kg).
The most affordable model is the £35,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 (1,600kg), but its range is reduced from 250 to 125 miles when towing.
Jonathan Figgis, Coventry, Warks.
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