Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

The Guardian - UK

Why do flies fly under a ceiling lamp during the daytime?

Ditherer … the common house fly — Ditherer … the common house fly. Photograph: Alamy

Why do flies fly under a ceiling lamp during the day time, in a curiously dithering way, then suddenly make a sharp turn, repeating this endlessly - and how do they make that sharp turn?

Anna Hughes, London, W4

• Post your answers – and new questions – below or email them to nq@theguardian.com. Please include name, address and phone number

Sign up to read this article

Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.

Already a member? Sign in here

Top stories on inkl right now

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Olympians will get a post-tax income boost ranging from about $48,350 to $73,146, according to a Fortune analysis based on today’s tax rates.

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Violence marred polling in Bangladesh's Gopalganj Sadar as a crude bomb injured two security personnel and a child. Another crude bomb blast occurred in Munshiganj, followed by a chase between rival supporters. Separately, a BNP leader died after a scuffle at a Khulna polling station, though party sources cited pre-existing…

The Times of India

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy have confirmed they are currently working on the belief she is "alive".

Australia to send special envoy to Laos to investigate 2024 methanol poisoning deaths

Australia to send special envoy to Laos to investigate 2024 methanol poisoning deaths

Foreign minister Penny Wong expresses frustration over ‘lack of transparency’ in legal processes in Laos

The Independent UK

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Switzerland to vote on far-right proposal to cap population at 10 million

Switzerland to vote on far-right proposal to cap population at 10 million

Referendum on immigration limit could threaten EU agreements and cripple economy, say Swiss businesses

The Guardian - UK

Day before polls, two Hindu men brutally killed in Bangladesh in seperate incidents

Day before polls, two Hindu men brutally killed in Bangladesh in seperate incidents

Two Hindu men were killed in separate incidents in Bangladesh ahead of Thursday's elections. A tea worker was found dead with his hands and feet tied in Moulvibazar, while a rice trader was hacked to death in his shop in Mymensingh. The International Crisis Group has warned of further attacks.

The Times of India

Related Stories

Top stories on inkl right now

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Every U.S. Olympian was promised a $200,000 payout, but how much they actually keep depends on where they live

Olympians will get a post-tax income boost ranging from about $48,350 to $73,146, according to a Fortune analysis based on today’s tax rates.

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Bangladesh polls marred by violence: Crude bomb thrown at polling stations

Violence marred polling in Bangladesh's Gopalganj Sadar as a crude bomb injured two security personnel and a child. Another crude bomb blast occurred in Munshiganj, followed by a chase between rival supporters. Separately, a BNP leader died after a scuffle at a Khulna polling station, though party sources cited pre-existing…

The Times of India

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities believe Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy is 'still alive'

Authorities investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie's mother Nancy have confirmed they are currently working on the belief she is "alive".

Australia to send special envoy to Laos to investigate 2024 methanol poisoning deaths

Australia to send special envoy to Laos to investigate 2024 methanol poisoning deaths

Foreign minister Penny Wong expresses frustration over ‘lack of transparency’ in legal processes in Laos

The Independent UK

One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites

Already a member? Sign in here

Switzerland to vote on far-right proposal to cap population at 10 million

Switzerland to vote on far-right proposal to cap population at 10 million

Referendum on immigration limit could threaten EU agreements and cripple economy, say Swiss businesses

The Guardian - UK

Day before polls, two Hindu men brutally killed in Bangladesh in seperate incidents

Day before polls, two Hindu men brutally killed in Bangladesh in seperate incidents

Two Hindu men were killed in separate incidents in Bangladesh ahead of Thursday's elections. A tea worker was found dead with his hands and feet tied in Moulvibazar, while a rice trader was hacked to death in his shop in Mymensingh. The International Crisis Group has warned of further attacks.

The Times of India

Our Picks

The Epstein scandal has punctured all the age-old myths about the French elite

Suddenly, venerable figures presumed immune to sordid compromise have been exposed – although some have shown that moral courage is possible, says political commentator Agnès Poirier

The Guardian - UK

Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Pickpocket Signs, Cleveland Balloon Release, Ivanpah Solar Power Facility (Vol. 20)

Good intentions, bad results

‘People Do Indeed Ask’: Katt Williams Drops Claims About What He Saw When People Hit Up Diddy’s Parties

Katt Williams bring his perspective.

Florida man picks up cold blooded iguana from under a tree and then makes tacos with its meat

TikTok user @gray.davis has a habit of making a meal out of everything, but no one was prepared for this one. Exactly a week ago, he uploaded a video on his profile in which he picked up an iguana from under a tree and used its meat to make tacos,…

‘They were disgusted that I was even talking’: Nashville dad takes kids to McDonald’s, ends up realizing they don’t want him there at all

Remember the golden age of McDonald’s? Bright red booths, a dedicated cashier who actually smiled, and a self-serve soda fountain that felt like a sanctuary of free refills. According to one Nashville father, those days are officially buried under a pile of sterile kiosks and gray paint.

Miami woman brought a family heirloom to Chicago airport and loses it to the TSA. But why is nobody feeling bad for her?

We’ve all had those mask-off moments at the TSA. The frantic realization that your expensive moisturizer is 4 ounces instead of 3.4, or the internal panic when you forget a stray water bottle in your bag. But one traveler just lived through a tragedy that has the internet screaming at…

Fourteen days free

Download the app

One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.

Download on the AppStore

Get it on Google Play