Asked by: Adrian Sinclair, Wiltshire
Yes, but not enough to make it worth doing. A metal spoon in a cup of tea will act as a radiator, conducting heat to the air. If you stir it as well, you are bringing the hotter liquid from the centre of the cup to the edges, where it can cool faster.
But experiments have shown that stirring a cuppa continuously for 10 minutes will only drop the temperature by 2°C, compared with just leaving it to stand. The fastest way to cool your tea down is to add a bit more milk, or a splash of cold water.
Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.
