Good Questions: Earth, American Flags & Wrinkly Hands

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It's Friday night, so that means we're answering a few of your Good Questions that we couldn't get to this week.

Landry, 6, from St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater wants to know: Why does the Earth feel flat?

Experts say that we only see a very small part of the Earth's surface, so it feels flat to us. The curvature works out to be about 8 inches to the mile. It's not much, and with our human eyes it would be hard to notice.

Gary from Roseville wants to know: What's the best way to dispose of a worn-out American flag?

Veterans say there is a respectful way to put Old Glory to rest -- Burning is actually the the proper way to dispose of a flag. The VFW even suggests reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and then throwing the flag into a fire.

After it's burned, the ashes should be buried in the ground -- never thrown away.

Harlow from Maple Grove wants to know: Why do our fingers get wrinkly if they're in the water too long?

It's actually more about being waterproof, or lack there of. Our skin is protected by an oily substance called sebum. It helps waterproof our hands and feet.

But if you spend a lot of time in the bathtub or pool, you wash away that sebum. Water gets into your skin and your hands look like they've aged 30 years.