Letters to the Editor

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 […]

19066

The article says of physicists’ thinking about black holes in Earth’s atmosphere, “Those newly created black holes would then quickly decay, harmlessly raining subatomic particles down onto our planet and ourselves.” Surely not every physicist thinks the possibility of creating a black hole is not dangerous. Could we not hear from the opponents of make-your-own-black-hole […]

19065

I was surprised to see no mention of small comets hitting Earth’s atmosphere over the eons as a source of surface water. This explanation, based on atmospheric observations, has gained growing acceptance over the past several years. Kenneth Saum Cotuit, Mass. Jonathan I. Lunine says that if local bodies provided water to Earth, then “Mars […]

18997

The article on star formation in the Eagle nebula badly misrepresents the implications of recent observations of this object. For example, the subtitle is “The Eagle’s EGGs: Not so fertile,” yet the stated conclusion of the recent work is that more of the Eagle’s EGGs contain young stellar objects than might have been expected. Rather […]

18996

In this article, Alan R. Templeton of Washington University used 10 sources of DNA for his geographic study of human origins. Peter A. Underhill of Stanford feels the population sampled was too small for statistical significance. How many would it take for an expanded version to be significant? Is there a chance such an enlarged […]

19054

In your coverage of the recent sonofusion work, you make the unsubstantiated and false remark regarding cold fusion and Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons: “However, neither the original pair nor anyone else could reproduce those findings, which have largely been discredited as a case study in mistaken science.” The peer-reviewed literature since 1989 does indeed […]

19053

As mavericks often are, Egon Brunswik was ahead of his time. It is becoming increasingly apparent that our cognitive abilities are the result of the gradual evolution of neurochemical brain processes that record the often-ambiguous sensory cues we perceive from our external physical and social environment, as well as internal cues from memory, habitual patterns, […]

18995

In this article, Bruce Tremper states how predictable avalanches are (more so than a stock market crash), yet the whole last page describes the opposite. Am I missing something? Jeff CottonLake City, Calif. Tremper didn’t quite say that avalanches are predictable. He said they don’t occur without warning signs. –S. Perkins

19052

The Dutch researchers featured in this article seem to have discovered something that has been known for a long time. They conclude that the people who make the best recovery from loss are those who “cite mainly positive feelings” about the deceased. Jews, who are among the human race’s experts in recovering from losses, have […]

18994

There is another mechanism besides muscle that gives energy to running and hopping animals. It enables such animals as kangaroos to run faster than their muscles alone can take them. What happens is the tendons act as springs that stretch and then snap back. There is no reason to think that a large and heavy […]

18993

Just a simple question from an avid subscriber. Is the homocysteine in this article the same as the l-cysteine or acetyl-l-cysteine that people take for health reasons in pill form? Paul A. PagnatoMcLean, Va. L-cysteine and acetyl-l-cysteine are quite different from homocysteine. l-cysteine is a detoxifying agent and free radical scavenger that’s the mirror image […]

19051

My olfactory sense was alerted while pregnant but stayed on guard. After 7 years, it’s sharper than ever. I can smell the minutest scents, which means my taste buds are equally sensitive. In some ways, it’s a blessing, but I end up smelling more than I want to: men too interested in me, a married […]