Letters to the Editor

19001

I am deeply disturbed by the research involving manipulation of a rat’s brain to remotely control its behavior. Why does this article mention the researchers’ qualms about possible danger to the animal in entering risky situations but not the danger to the integrity of what we consider its conscious life? Ruth HousmanNewton Center, Mass.

19000

I’ve been hosting an interactive forum on the Web for the past 7 years. Our community is made up of people with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases and their families and friends. The nature of these diseases is such that sufferers tend to be socially isolated, and finding each other on the Web has opened up […]

19058

I am surprised at the matter-of-fact sounding statements in this article: “Dark matter reacts only to gravity. Unlike visible matter, it can’t be pushed by winds.” We hypothesize the existence of dark matter to explain observations that could be attributed to gravitational forces, but we don’t know what dark matter might be. How can one […]

19057

In this article, what, other than hubris, allows the modelers to conclude that the assumptions upon which their calculations are based are more valid than those upon which the genetic and paleontological calculations are based? Letting a computer do the number manipulations doesn’t change “garbage in, garbage out.” Leonard StoloffDelray Beach, Fla.

18999

Let me preface my comment by saying that I have been providing Faith M. Walker with access to semitame and hand-raised southern hairy-nosed wombats for her studies. You didn’t mention that Faith’s work has an application in studying the effects of habitat fragmentation, which is a major cause of the species’ decline. On a more […]

18998

Are you sure you quoted Mark J. Nieuwenhuijsen accurately in this article? To wit: “. . . he was surprised to find that [the factors most influencing trihalomethane production in pools] include water temperature, large numbers of swimmers, and high concentrations of organic compounds.” Elevated temperature generally accelerates chemical reactions. More swimmers mean more grunge. […]

19056

In this article John L. Hubisz mentions that his research shows that 80 percent of elementary school teachers have never taken a physical science course yet are required to teach physical concepts. Disturbing as this is, the larger problem would seem to be parents who home school and have never taken the classes necessary to […]

19055

Shame on Nature for saying, “the evidence available is not sufficient to justify the publication of the original paper.” The fact that transgenes get into maize is cause for caution. The agribusiness conglomerates are spending millions to stifle any intelligent debate about the risks and benefits of genetically engineered crops and modern chemicals. Without information […]

19070

According to this article, osmium is the least compressible of materials. When I looked at an encyclopedia article about osmium, I was surprised to discover that its name comes from a Greek root that means “odor.” I’d always thought it was named after the generic Anglo-Saxon word for a god, which is “os.” Gerald BakerCedar […]

19069

This article says that Rift Valley fever and the Ebola virus are linked to shifts from dry to above-average rainfall. It seems to me that Africa has a tremendous number of hibernating animals. They explode out of the ground when it rains. They and the animals that feed on them would be handled and eaten […]

19068

If an animal can boost its immune system in response to shortening days, why would it not keep its immune system operating at that higher level all the time? Is there some physiological cost to maintaining a higher level of immune response? Michael LehnerGreenfield, N.H. According to Staci D. Bilbo of Johns Hopkins University in […]

19067

At certain points in this article, the word evolution is directly tied with a verb in ways that perpetuate (however unintentionally) the misconception that evolution proceeds with a purpose or goal, perhaps even with a guiding sentience. It is obvious that you are simply using such phrases to make the articles easy to read and […]