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Question: How come when you lick something really cold, your tongue sticks to it??
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anon answered on 21 Jun 2010:
keah, I presume this happens because your tongue is always moist and if it touches something very cold the moisture on your tongue freezes too, forming a bridge between the thing and your tongue.
This is not a sport I’d recommend. The tongue should be preserved it is a very useful piece of equipment.
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anon answered on 21 Jun 2010:
Hi xxxkeahxxx! Your tongue is moist, and that thin layer of moisture freezes when it encounters a cold surface that conducts heat too rapidly for the tongue’s warmth to melt the ice. The tongue bonds well with the ice, because it has a porous surface:)
Comments
andrewleitch commented on :
Oh dear Paula, a better paraphrase or a reference needed for above comment! Little bit plagiarism-tastic
‘Your tongue is moist, and that thin layer of moisture freezes when it encounters a cold metal that conducts heat too rapidly for the tongue’s warmth to melt the ice. The tongue bonds well with the ice, because it has a porous surface.’ is from:
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071202125611AAYVmJZ
Of course, I only know this because I read that answer too.
paulagilfillan commented on :
Hi Andrew L – as I only have limited access to this site (due to MOD restrictions) for 2 hours a day and loads of other questions to answer, plus my own work to do…………..a little plagiarism goes a long way to letting me answer the other questions!!!!:)
Keith commented on :
So, plagiarism is ok if you run out of time? Don’t think so … I examined a PhD thesis where the candidate used the same argument. We (the two examiners) recommend “no award”, and the university launched an academic misconduct inquiry which upheld that decision.
andrewleitch commented on :
Agree Keith. Important students hear that message despite friendly atmosphere here.
Andrew commented on :
Although there’s a big difference between conveying information (as here) and generating new information (as in a thesis)!
andrewleitch commented on :
Agree Andrew but important to allow students to know where answers are sourced from. Good for them to know that we don’t have all the answers in our heads (even if they are at our fingertips). I think that regardless of opinion this is an important discussion.
paulagilfillan commented on :
Thank you Andrew for bringing this issue into context.
xxxkeahxxx commented on :
Thanks! I just really wanted to know that, i watched it on ice age and wanted to know why it happened! Now you have all told me, it seems really obvious!
omegaginge commented on :
I wanna try licking a really cold lampost, seems like the kind of thing i’d do but i dont really fancy my tounge being cut off…