Q. What are sugarplums? Wee fruits in hot, dry lands? Ordinary purple plums coated in sugar? Fairy tale fancies? A. Tchaikovsky gave the fairy in charge of these mysterious edibles a signature Nutcracker Dance and a sparkling celesta accompaniment. . Nina Kaptsova. Bolshoi Ballet. 2010 . Poet Clement Moore celebrated

Q. What would it take to throw a wrench into the rigid world of Edwardian dinner parties? . A. Revenge is a dish best served backwards. In the fastidiously ritualistic world of Edwardian Britain, it was easy to exact revenge on one’s nemeses at dinner. Want to mortify the hosts?

Q. As beleaguered teachers work to enliven their lessons and fill online learning hours, it begs the question: which school time learning songs best caught your attention, helped you learn concepts, then actually stayed in your head? . A. When edutainment songs don’t work, they really don’t work. RIP awkward

Q. Is there anything you can do to inspire people to pay up when they’re not being monitored? . A. Well, you might start by painting some eyes in the vicinity. In one study, University of Newcastle researchers Melissa Bateson, Daniel Nettle and Gilbert Roberts kept their eyes on an

Q. Which songs and pieces from recent decades will people be able to enjoy well, well into the future? . A. We know of at least 25 more songs that are being actively preserved for future ears. Every year, the United States’ Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Board chooses