The Straight Dope 11/08/2002

The Straight Dope -- By Cecil Adams
http://www.straightdope.com

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THE STRAIGHT DOPE 11/08/2002

Dear Cecil:

Can a set of twins be born a month or two apart? I am working on my family 
tree and it appears that one of my ancestors delivered a child one month 
before having another, the earlier child dying and the latter child 
surviving. Was this once possible? --Ma Schu

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Cecil replies:

You think this is an impossible feat? On the contrary, it happens . . . well, 
maybe not all the time, but often enough that medical science has invented 
terms for it--delayed interval delivery, or sometimes just delayed twins. 
What's remarkable isn't when the first twin dies and the delayed one 
survives: if the literature is any indication, that's what happens more often 
than not in such cases. Once in a while, however, both infants survive. For 
decades the world record was held by two healthy children born 56 days apart 
in the early 1950s--imagine having to explain that your twins were born in 
different years.

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/021108.html


STAFF REPORT

Dear Straight Dope:

My hippie-type classmates during college in the 60s used to sing "Kumbaya," 
apparently in solidarity with the civil rights movement. They also used to 
sing "Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore." Who was Michael, and why was rowing the 
boat ashore such a great achievement? --henrich

SDSTAFF Dex replies:

It's not Michael rowed the boat ashore, it's row the boat. As mangled lyrics 
go, this isn't up there with "excuse me while I kiss this guy," but we pride 
ourselves on precision around here. 

For more, see: 
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mmichaelrow.html


STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC - 01221982

Dear Cecil: 

People often talk about dominant and recessive traits, but does anyone really 
understand what that means? I know, for example, that genetically speaking, 
brown hair is supposed to be dominant, blond hair recessive. But by what 
process does one gene (or chromosome) dominate? Does it involve leather? 
Whips and chains? Or is the word "dominant" just a shorthand way of 
expressing the statistical predominance of one of the outcomes when 
brown-haired people and blond-haired people mate? --William H., Chicago 

Cecil replies:

Admit it, Will, people do not "often" talk about dominant and recessive 
traits. I can't remember the last time I heard a good dominant and recessive 
traits story. Be that as it may, I can assure you that, as a general rule, 
the concepts of dominance and recessiveness refer to real chemical functions, 
not simply statistical correlations. 

For more, see:
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_121b.html

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