Letters to the Editor

18926

In reference to “Boosting boron could be healthful,” it’s important to note that there’s no risk in aiming for a high-boron diet. Eighty percent of Americans fall short when it comes to dietary recommendations for fruit, nut, and legume intake. Eating four servings of fruit and a handful of nuts per day could bring boron […]

18925

“Oceans of electricity” was a fine article, but one line should have been added about the engineers of the ’30s who had plans to build wave-power electricity for the eastern United States. World War II interrupted the plans for cheap power without oil, however. Douglas O. Deshazer Omaha, Neb. The article mentions the lack of […]

18924

“Early Brazilians unveil African look” was a very interesting article containing an interesting idea. But some of us guessed the connection all along. Check out Olmec-age stones heads [in the Americas]. These images are African. However, it’s a good bet that migration came from both Asia and Africa. Gloria Harrison Raleigh, N.C.

18923

Regarding “Cold sliver may sense electron quiver,” micro-, nano-, and pico- are fine. But have mercy and explain zepto-! Joel Faitsch Pittsfield, Mass. The prefix zepto- refers to an amount represented by 10–21, or a billionth of a trillionth.–P. Weiss

18922

“Dyslexia gets a break in Italy” brought to mind a remark I learned in grade school decades ago. It is: In English, the word fish can be spelled ghoti. That’s gh as in tough, o as in women, and ti as in nation: “ghoti” = “fish.” English can be difficult. Norman C. Peterson Sata Monica, […]

18921

Depression is a common symptom of magnesium deficiency. Heart attacks, including fatal heart attacks, are also a common symptom of magnesium deficiency. It is thus no surprise that depressed people have a higher-than-normal rate of fatal heart attacks. Bernard Rimland Autism Research Institute San Diego, Calif.

18920

I was disappointed in “Blood relatives.” It ignored the pioneering work by people at the company Somatogen, now known as Baxter Hemoglobin Therapeutics. They first published work on a recombinant hemoglobin for use as a blood substitute in Nature in 1990. Later, they demonstrated definitively that many of the problems associated with blood substitutes were […]

18919

Your recent article on oxygen deprivation interested me greatly. As a jump pilot (hauling skydivers), I visit moderately high altitudes regularly. On a typical busy day, I may go to 14,000 feet 20 times. Granted that I don’t stay there very long, but I wonder if the harmful effects are cumulative. Peter Danes San Diego, […]

18912

As I recall, the Germans tried using diesels to power aircraft, but because diesels were not as responsive as gasoline-powered engines and heavier, they did not progress. That, it seems, was very fortuitous, given this surprising discovery that diesel-exhaust pollution increases with increased altitude. Anibal José da Silva Houston, Texas

18911

This article attributes the low visibility of the book Introductory Physical Science to the publisher’s limited means of promotion. This is only part of the story. Much more serious is the fact that many states’ mandated tests demand such shallow coverage of so many topics that they force bad textbooks on the schools. Uri Haber-Schaim […]

18908

In the March 17 issue, there was an article about arsenic pollution disrupting hormone activity (“Arsenic pollution disrupts hormones”) and another article concerned with satellite verification of greenhouse-gas effects from increased levels of carbon dioxide and methane (“Satellites verify greenhouse-gas effects”). Ironically, that same week, President Bush recommended that more stringent arsenic standards be set […]

18910

In the March 17 issue, there was an article about arsenic pollution disrupting hormone activity (“Arsenic pollution disrupts hormones”) and another article concerned with satellite verification of greenhouse-gas effects from increased levels of carbon dioxide and methane (“Satellites verify greenhouse-gas effects”). Ironically, that same week, President Bush recommended that more stringent arsenic standards be set […]