The best and worst body and soul questions

By Merill Haseen

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IT'S BEEN an interesting week for questions on Body & Soul. They split neatly into two - the very medical and the really alternative.

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Starting with the really alternative, Mayastar wanted to know if feng shui works. Feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of arranging living and working space to enhance health and happiness, has never been more popular in the West. 'However,' points out SMILL48, there have been no studies of feng shui in the West. There is strong anecdotal evidence that it works, but it isn't clear whether it's do with the flow of 'qi' or the fact that you are taking control of your living and working arrangements.'�

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Bazzer isn't quite so charitable: 'I take the view that the country that started it all doesn't seem that successful, healthy or happy, unless you happen to be one of the ruling classes. I refuse to believe that my health, wealth and happiness depends on where I put my waste paper basket.'

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Do you have an experience of feng shui, good or bad Post your answer here, or join the discussion on our message boards.

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Also from the Far East is ginseng - what is it asked ATOB2. Woolley replied that there are two types - Chinese and Siberian and that they are aphrodisiacs.

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Smartboy states that this is the wrong usage: 'Ginseng is widely used by the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese as medical remedies for numerous maladies, especially to maintain vitality and energy for males and females.' he says.

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If you know of any other uses, please add them here.

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Jam17p came up with the most challenging question of the week - how can we go about self-developing ourselves

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But daletyler was up to the challenge. Dale advises that the most important thing is to start learning about yourself. 'It gives you a better idea of what you want to do and what aspects of yourself you should be improving.' Dale comes up with a great list of suggestions. You can read them, or add your own thoughts, by clicking here.

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(By the way, Dale recommends the Mind Map Book - the Millennium Edition by Tony and Barry Buzan costs �7.99 from BBC books.)

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On the medical side, mum121 wanted to know which was the heaviest organ in the body. The answer is skin. Not usually thought of as an organ, this vital covering is an average 20 square feet, weighing 5.6lb.

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And what may sound like the silliest question could be serious if it concerns you! After a vasectomy, Larsson wanted to know, what happens to the sperm that was still being produced in the testes The answer is that it is reabsorbed by the body, as is all unused sperm, whether you have a vasectomy or not!