QUESTION: Has an actor written a successful screenplay?
Some very famous actors have ventured into screenwriting, either as a primary pursuit or a creative extension of their acting careers. Perhaps the most impressive is Sylvester Stallone.
His muscular exterior conceals a fierce intelligence and he has written more than 20 screenplays, also starring in many of his pictures.
His debut feature, Rocky, won the Best Picture Oscar in 1977 and he was nominated for the Best Screenplay.
Stallone wrote all the Rocky films and co-wrote all the five Rambo films.
Among his other writing highlights are Staying Alive (which starred John Travolta), Cobra, Cliffhanger and three of the Expendables series.
Perhaps the most impressive is Sylvester Stallone. His muscular exterior conceals a fierce intelligence and he has written more than 20 screenplays, also starring in many of his pictures
His debut feature, Rocky, won the Best Picture Oscar in 1977 and he was nominated for the Best Screenplay
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting (1997), which won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay.
The pair also collaborated on The Last Duel. Affleck co-wrote Gone Baby Gone and The Town. Emma Thompson has proved herself as a screenwriter too.
She has adapted Jane Austen’s Sense And Sensibility, written the screenplays for Nanny McPhee and Nanny McPhee And The Big Bang, and co-wrote Bridget Jones’s Baby. She also did a fine job in 2019 co-writing her festive film Last Christmas.
Emily Hopkins, Blackpool, Lancs
QUESTION: Who coined the term ultra-processed food? What foods fall into this category?
Brazilian nutrition researcher Carlos Monteiro coined the term ‘ultra-processed food’ (UPF) in a 2009 article, Nutrition And Health: The Issue Is Not Food, Nor Nutrients, So Much As Processing.
Monteiro was trying to understand why obesity levels in Brazil were increasing while sugar consumption was decreasing.
He believed that the industrial processes used to make and preserve food, as well as its nutrient content, influence health.
Monteiro and his research team developed the NOVA classification scheme.
This identifies UPFs as industrial formulations made mostly or entirely of substances derived from foods, including oils, fats, sugar, starch and proteins, plus additives such as preservatives, flavour enhancers, colourings and emulsifiers.
Brazilian nutrition researcher Carlos Monteiro coined the term ‘ultra-processed food’ (UPF) in a 2009 article, Nutrition And Health: The Issue Is Not Food, Nor Nutrients, So Much As Processing
These foods are heavily processed and often designed to be convenient and long-lasting.
The classification’s name is from the title of the original scientific article in which it was published, ‘A new classification of foods’ (Portuguese Uma nova classificacao de alimentos).
Examples of UPFs include sugary snacks and sweets, soft drinks and energy drinks, instant noodles and soups, packaged baked goods (for example, biscuits, cakes and pastries), reconstituted meat products (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, etc), flavoured crisps and salty snacks, and mass-produced ready-to-eat meals (such as frozen pizzas and microwavable dishes).
Diane Richards, Great Haywood, Staffs
QUESTION: Following the recent discovery of tubarial glands, what are some parts of the body you never knew you had?
The tubarial glands are a recently discovered set of salivary glands located near the torustubarius, a region behind the nose and above the throat.
A team of Dutch scientists identified these glands in 2020.
They are thought to contribute to lubrication, playing a role in swallowing and speaking.
There are more than 600 muscles in the human body and most people would struggle to name more than a few of them.
The tubarial glands are a recently discovered set of salivary glands located near the torustubarius, a region behind the nose and above the throat
The levator labii superioris alaeque nasi, anyone?
That’s a facial muscle that raises the upper lip and dilates the nostril and is key for facial expressions.
Here are some features of the body of which we are mostly unaware:
The mesentery — an organ that connects the intestines to the abdominal wall and plays a role in immune function and fat storage.
The interstitium — discovered in 2018, the interstitium is a network of fluid-filled spaces within and between tissues. It acts as a shock absorber.
Wrisberg’s ligament — found in the knee joint, this ligament is a small but vital structure.
Von Economo neurons — these are specialised brain cells linked to social cognition and empathy.
They are found only in humans and a few other large-brained animals.
Plica semilunaris — this is a small fold of tissue in the corner of your eye, near the nose.
Coccygeal body — found near the tailbone, the function of this small structure may be to play a role in regulating blood flow.
Haversian canals — these are microscopic canals within bones that house blood vessels and nerves, essential for bone health and repair.
Dr Ian Smith, Cambridge
