Letters to the Editor

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 […]

18992

In this article there is a graph showing sharp peaks of ghrelin at mealtimes and a rapid drop-off after the meal is eaten. There is also a peak during the night, but there is no meal responsible for the drop-off. Does the research indicate what happens to the ghrelin level during the day when a […]

19050

This article indicates that the researchers were surprised that the participants from “traditional societies” acted in some mode rather than pure self-interest. This isn’t surprising if you accept the notion that true self-interest is that which gives the most overall personal benefit both now and in the foreseeable future. All of the participants acted exactly […]

18984

You missed the papers that describe our experiments that produce ball lightning in our lab. We use a lightning-arc-producing apparatus. Clint SewardElectron Power SystemsActon, Mass. The ball-lightning article makes no mention of Nikola Tesla’s creation of ball lightning while generating megavolt discharges from gigantic Tesla coil arrays. Ted V. PowellBaldwin, N.Y.

18991

Maybe this article would be better titled “Don’t think and thrive.” As other reports tie stress to depressed immune function, any stress reduction (including intoxicant use) is expected to offer benefits in disease. Because ethanol use is already culturally ubiquitous, often with negative effects, outcome-oriented research serves the purpose of alcohol’s producers. Stephen DilibertoMiami, Okla.

19049

Shame on you. This article on the importance of fractals in earth sciences never mentioned the “father” of fractals, the Polish-French scientist Benoit Mandelbrot, nor Christopher Scholz, the solid-earth scientist of Columbia University who first recognized the importance of Mandelbrot’s mathematical genius. Eugene C. BoveeLawrence, Kan.

18990

The concluding comment in this article that both sexes preferred unsmeared birds doesn’t show any support for the researchers’ contention that non-UV-blocking smears didn’t impact the sexual behavior of birds. M.J. RaichykCincinnati, Ohio The researchers had noticed that birds preferred companions of the opposite sex with fluorescent feathers still glowing. But might this just be […]

18989

I have to tell you that your new look will keep your base audience and attract new readers. Your new design leaped off the kitchen counter and said, “Read me, read me!” It is still serious, as it should be, but so much more inviting. Becky MoserKings Mountain, N.C. I hate the new look. The […]

18988

I was disappointed to see Science News depart from its usual objective reporting to cite an antinuclear propagandist as sole authority on the “dangers” of nuclear waste. The Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) is a single-issue political action group. Such organizations have a right to exist, but they should be identified as such in […]