Ask Mr. Knowitall...

If it's Wednesday, it must be time for....Ask Mr. Knowitall.

A Mr. Ragdy Andie of Hasbro Pennsylvania asks..
Dear Mr. Knowitall...What causes freckles?

"Ragdy, except in the case of albinos, every person's skin has cells called Melanocytes, which produce a certain amount of Melanin, a dark pigment that absorbs ultraviolet light. These cells produce Melanin at increasing rates when the skin is exposed to sunlight..hence, the tan!
Some Melanocytes are more active than others. When groups of active ones are surrounded by groups of less active ones, the results are islands of pigment known as freckles".

A Mr. Steve King of Bangor Maine asks...
Dear Mr. Knowitall...Why do people get goose bumps?

"Dear Steve, Goose bumps are a vestige from the days when humans were covered with hair. When it got cold, the hairs were stood on end, creating a trap for air and providing insulation. The hairs have long since disappeared, but in the places where they used to be, the skin still bristles, trying to get warm".

A Mistress Chandra from Chicago Illinois demands...
Hey!!..Kneel!..OK, Big Boy...Where did the people who created "Star Trek" come up with the name of Spock's planet Vulcan?

"Mistress Chandra, at one time astronomers were sure there was actually a planet called Vulcan, located somewhere between the planet Mercury and the Sun. It's existence was first proposed in 1845 by The Frenchman Urbain Leverrier. It was his Hypothesis to explain a discrepancy in Mercury's orbit...But Einstein's general theory of relativity explained Mercury's odd orbit, and the existence of Vulcan was discredited".

A Mr. Alex ljiljak of Swartz Creek Michigan asks...
Dear Mr. Knowitall, Did W.C. Fields say.."Anybody that hates dogs and babies can't be all bad"?

"Dear Ajax, No!...But he DID say"....
'A woman drove me to drink, and I never wrote to thank her.'
'How do I like my children?..Boiled!'
'Never give a sucker an even break'

Mr. Knowitall grows weary.... Peace!
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