You know the feeling - you're in the middle of greedily tearing open a party invitation and then suddenly you emit a yelp of horrified pain. A paper cut has sliced through the delicate skin on your hands and it hurts like hell. But ever stopped to wonder why something so   tiny can cause grown men to weep? The humble paper cut hurts more than, say, losing a limb, because air exposure makes open wounds hurt more, and paper cuts don't heal over straight away with a blood-clot like a deep gash would. Handy tip: next time, wear boxing gloves or use a letter-opener. Also worth knowing: the mere mention of a paper cut on the tongue is enough to bring tears to the eyes of most sane people. Try it. MP

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