Which of the major world powers is the most delusional?
Britain – it still thinks it is a major world power!
Alan Williams-Key, Madrid, Spain
• The US in its pursuit of long-term global supremacy.
David Tucker, Halle, Germany
• Austin.
Jim Dewar, Gosford, NSW, Australia
• Liechtenstein.
David Isaacs, Sydney, Australia
• They all seem pretty much on a par with each other, in their own nationalistic way.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills, Victoria, Australia
• Delusion is a human universal and among our many delusions is the conviction that others are more deluded than us.
Stuart Williams, Kampala, Uganda
• The one that thinks it is least subject to delusion. Any guesses?
Harvey Mitchell, Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
• In the midst of current instability, they all look backwards. Iran in confusion looks to its revolution in 1979; Saudi Arabia to its emergence in 1932; Russia to Lenin and Stalin around 1922; Britain to HMS Dreadnought, 1906; France to the Marseillaise, 1792; China to the Central Kingdom and telling off Britain’s George Macartney in 1793; the United States to the 1788 ratification of its allegedly “democratic” constitution, while Germany is just utterly confused. So, take your pick!
Philip Stigger, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
A heart has its own reasons
Is there a reason for everything?
Only if you believe in some controlling divine power. In reality things happen because of opportunity, proximity, serendipity and even hard work.
Ursula Nixon, Bodalla, NSW, Australia
• Many aspects of human behaviour continue to baffle us with their apparent lack of reason, but the insight of Blaise Pascal in his 17th‑century Pensées may help a little: “The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of.”
Margaret Wilkes, Perth, Western Australia
• The Big Bang?
Richard Orlando, Westmount, Quebec, Canada
• Always.
Charlie Bamforth, Davis, California, US
• No.
Stuart Cryer, Aylmer, Quebec, Canada
• No, there is no reason for my wife to put up with my many failings.
Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
• There is not always a reason, but there is always a cause.
Edward Black, Sydney, Australia
• Not so much as there being everything in reason.
R De Braganza, Kilifi, Kenya
We need every syllable
Do diacritics matter?
Certainly. Without a diacritic mark my granddaughter Chloë loses a syllable.
Anthony Walter, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
• Yes, but when missing it’s seldom grave.
Rob Gaizauskas, Sheffield, UK
• It depends what they are diacriticising. Perhaps only pedants care.
Joan Dawson, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Any answers?
Why do women paint their faces? Why do men generally not?
Terence Rowell, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
What is the ultimate algorithm?
Noel Bird, Boreen Point, Queensland, Australia
Send answers to weekly.nandq@theguardian.com or Guardian Weekly, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, UK
