November 23–24 Global health experts and researchers meet in Toronto to discuss swine flu. Visit new-fields.com/isfc_canada December 5–9 The American Society for Cell Biology hosts its annual meeting in San Diego. See www.ascb.org/meetings December 7–18 World leaders and U.N. representatives meet in Copenhagen to hash out a global climate agreement. Visit en.cop15.dk (p. 4)

More psychiatrists today but still only 1 to 16,400 —  Although the total number of psychiatrists in the United States has increased 21% in the last three years, there are still very few in proportion to the population, especially in remote regions away from the big cities.… The U.S. now has on an average one psychiatrist for every 16,400 persons. But in North Dakota there is only one for every 72,000 persons. South Carolina and Alabama also have ratios of more than 65,000 persons to each psychiatrist. The psychiatrists in the U.S., few in number though they are, do not devote al... (p. 4)

Slumber science Your October 24 issue featuring sleep research was very interesting and helpful. However, it did not cover any research being done — there may be none — relating to the human brain and modern changes to the nighttime environment. For most of human history, not much activity could take place at night. The diurnal cycle of light and darkness and the yearly seasons north and south of the equator must have had great influences on our development, response, brain activity and sleep. Man and the other biota with brains all developed when these cycles of inactivity domi... (p. 29)

November 18 Last day entries for the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search will be accepted. Download forms at www.societyforscience.org November 24 Biologist E.O. Wilson and others lecture at Harvard on the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s Origin of Species. Sign up for viewings at darwinlecture4.eventbrite.com November 30 Meeting for scientists and policy makers on Antarctic research begins in Washington, D.C. See www.atsummit50.aq (p. 4)

Russians release photos of moon’s far side — Russian scientists have released a photograph of the far side of the moon as taken from U.S.S.R. satellite Lunik III. The photograph on the cover of this week’s Science News Letter shows the far side of the moon. Soviet astronomers identify the long solid lines as the moon’s equator. The heavy broken line at the left separates the part of the moon visible from the earth from the portion that cannot be seen....The apparent lack of craters and seas across much of the far side of the moon seems to corroborate a theory that predicted thi... (p. 4)

Sore words I don’t usually write to magazines, and I’ve never written to yours before, though I’ve enjoyed and learned much from it for many years thanks to it being produced in Braille. But I couldn’t let your article on swearing relieving pain [“%&#$!” makes you feel better,” (SN: 8/1/09, p. 9)] go by. Without wishing to offend anyone or sound like a self-righteous prig, I still must say it’s sad when science and research gives folks an excuse for doing what so many people do too much of already. Why didn’t those studying this subject check out a couple oth... (p. 31)