Letters to the Editor

19017

Thank you for your update of the antics of those madcap scientists who continue to very creatively search for “dark matter.” Their frantic quest seems more and more like a comedy of the absurd. Exotic theories such as of “cold dark matter” have now been joined by desperate, contrived fantasies of “self-interacting” and “just warm […]

18940

In your article you refer to imploding “air bubbles” that are produced by shrimp. However, these cavities, which are formed by cavitation, are filled with water vapor, not air. As the shrimp claws move rapidly through the water, a low-pressure area is formed behind the claws. If the pressure is below the vapor pressure of […]

18962

I just read the article and I’m dying to know what motivated the patient to undergo such an experimental (transatlantic) form of an otherwise routine surgery. Any info available? Henry Jones Baton Rouge, La.Her doctors say the patient was simply interested in advancing medical science and that she knew that several surgeons were standing by […]

18961

I detect a blind spot in this article. Theorists were quick to offer explanations of why the fine-structure constant might have been different 12 billion years ago. But no one thought to question the chain of reasoning that led to that conclusion. We know that quasar spectra are drastically redshifted during their multibillion-year journey to […]

18969

If, as it appears from “Ill winds,” dust storms are so important, and if they can be tracked from space, it would seem as though the weather bureaus should give dust storm warnings, as they do for hurricanes, tornados, and thunderstorms. It might be difficult to get across to government bureaus that this is important, […]

18976

The story correlates red tides in Florida with Saharan dust storms. The cover story of the same issue (“Dust, the thermostat,” p. 200: Dust, the Thermostat) dealt, in part, with dust blowing across the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Are there “red tides” in these areas? Are they correlated with Saharan dust? David D. […]

18975

We read that the Chaco Anasazi builders used “large timbers” 5 meters long, 22 centimeters in diameter, and weighing 275 kilograms. As anyone who splits his own firewood could tell you, something is amiss here. The Handbook of Chemistry and Physics tells us that ponderosa pine has a density of about 0.5 gram per cubic […]

18974

Regarding “Constipation might signal Parkinson’s,” did anyone consider that the patients’ diet might be the reason for constipation and the Parkinson’s disease? Your article reads as if diet can’t affect constipation. Mark Bremer Benicia, Calif.The researchers accounted for smoking, coffee consumption, laxative use, jogging, and intake of fruits, vegetables, and grains. –N. Seppa

18968

I’ve just read your account of the “ekpyrotic model” of the universe. Although descriptive, “ekpyrotic” seems rather contrived and is hard to pronounce. Certainly it lacks the pizzazz of “Big Bang.” And “Big Crunch” has been used previously to refer to the “anti-Big Bang” catastrophe thought to be awaiting the universe. How about the “Big […]

18973

“Bt corn risk to monarchs is ‘negligible'” is full of manipulative words. How exactly was the “highly polarized atmosphere surrounding genetically modified crops . . . hampering attempts to rationally plan and evaluate research”? The companies that make the strains of corn discussed in the article are not named, of course. Nor are any ties […]

18967

Regarding “Neandertals show ancient signs of caring,” it seems to me that rather than “pounding, chopping, or cooking tougher food” for a friend or relative, these kindly Neandertals probably just masticated a mouthful before passing it on. This is something people do all over the world. Sharon Rudahl Los Angeles, Calif.

18972

Several key ideas seem missing from “Life on the edge”: 1) the fundamental nature of overpopulation and how it combines with technology to drive mass extinction; 2) the concept of functional extinction, an example being the decimated numbers and diminished range of elephants; and 3) a reasonable extrapolation of human technology. The statement that our […]