老外對自己也有諸多困惑。比如男性也會長“橘皮”組織嗎？吃奶酪真的會讓人作噩夢嗎？如果不小心吞下了口香糖，會發生什么？針對這些平時在老外腦中經常閃過的古怪問題，英國廣播公司《焦點》雜志對這些問題進行歸納并解答供大家來參考，英語原文附后。

　　1.OK這個單詞是什么的縮寫？
　　答：最普遍的觀點認為－－OK是來自于拼錯的詞組“oll　korrect”，原意是“all　correct”（什么都是對的）。最早來源于19世紀40年代的波士頓報紙，當時非常流行用故意拼錯單詞來造成幽默的效果。

　　2.如果口香糖不小心吞進了肚中　是否真的無法消化而殘留數年？
　　答：不會。口香糖的確很難被消化，但它仍然沒能力逃過正常人類的消化系統，最多三天左右的時間便會被消化。

　　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，但是如果有一個人走了出來，病菌就會馬上散播開來。

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

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

　　6.海洋性氣候對人體有益嗎？
　　答：并不完全如此。海風的氣味讓人振奮是緣于一種沿海細菌的化學產物，盡管它在空氣中比例甚微。但近來的研究表現，海中的鹽分會與這些化學物質發生反應而釋放出有害氣體，對于海港的空氣造成污染。

　　7.自言自語是否是瘋癲的一種表現？
　　答：不是。無論人們在充滿壓力時還是一個人獨處時，自言自語是再正常不過的行為。

　　8.男性也會有“橘皮”組織嗎？
　　答：是的。并不只有女人才擔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.恐懼到底來自哪里？
　　答：大約有10％的人們經常承受著內心的恐懼。一些可能會導致生理問題，一些甚至導致外傷。研究表明，簡單的恐懼癥可能與基因遺傳有關，而另一些是由于文化因素和歷史因素。打個比方，對蜘蛛的恐懼就來源于中世紀，因為當時認為蜘蛛和瘟疫有關。

　　10.數碼快照可以長期保存嗎？
　　答：可以。只要你把它們打印出來并避光保存或是存在光碟里。

　　11.細菌會寄生在細菌的身上嗎？
　　答：當然。小的細菌會寄生在大的細菌上，并攻擊它們。

　　12.為什么坐在車的后座更容易暈車和不適？
　　答：這或許是因為你坐在車的后座就無法保證一個較好的視野。當你耳朵里的平衡器官正在適應著一種運動時，而眼睛卻無法有充足視野來認定自己是在運動還是靜止時，暈車就更易產生。

　　13.我們是否只需水和簡單補給就可以生存下來？
　　答：不行。碳水化合物，維他命，礦物質，脂肪與蛋白質缺一不可，它們不僅用于補足生命所需能量還對細胞的修復有重要作用。

　　14.熱飲能讓我們冷下來？
　　答：是的。熱飲會讓我們的身體感受到溫暖，而實際我們并沒有獲取同等的熱量，受這種溫暖的滿足感影響導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。研究表示頭的大小最多只與腦的大小有關，與智商并無關聯。

　　16.過多食用奶酪會讓人做噩夢嗎？
　　答：研究表明，睡前的高能量進食會減少眼球速動期睡眠（REM）的時間，這會造成多夢的現象。但目前還未有明確結果表示奶酪會對睡眠、夢，甚至是夢的內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