Letters to the Editor
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19902
In all the recent discussions regarding science education in the U.S., one factor that has not been mentioned is the antiscience attitude of many leaders and people in the media. It is fashionable to be ignorant of math, but not to be illiterate. This must have some effect on motivation to learn about science. Dennis […]
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19901
It’s not surprising that a study shows that “Too little sleep may fatten kids.” Less sleep leads to more snacking leads to weight gain. Irwin TylerSpring Valley, N.Y.
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19900
Lazarus taxa” is an appropriate name for species that seem to have been resurrected. However, the Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead was a householder who lived with his sisters, Mary and Martha, in Bethany (John 11). The beggar named Lazarus appeared in a parable that Jesus told to his followers (Luke 16). Linda […]
- Humans
Letters from the November 17, 2007, issue of Science News
Unequal opportunity “The Wealth of Nations” (SN: 9/1/07, p. 138) describes the difficulty of moving from exporting one product to exporting another in terms of a “distance” between various products. I would imagine, however, that a nation that already manufactures computers, for example, could easily move into calculators, but that the reverse might not be […]
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19899
Soil water picks up carbon dioxide generated when soil organic matter decomposes, and this then escapes to the atmosphere. This study should give pause to those who insist that man-made materials be biodegradable. When biodegradable materials decompose they add CO2 back into the atmosphere more quickly than otherwise. Nonbiodegradable materials serve to keep organic carbon […]
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19898
You refer to Lonesome George, the Galápagos tortoise, as “misanthropic”—meaning a hater of people. He certainly has good reason to dislike humans, but I wonder how the investigators could tell. Or did you mean that George doesn’t like other tortoises, and is therefore antisocial? Roman KozakOmaha, Neb. Lonesome George’s lack of gregariousness extends across species: […]
- Humans
Letters from the November 10, 2007, issue of Science News
Thinking it through Bjorn Merker says that “the tacit consensus concerning the cerebral cortex as the ‘organ of consciousness’ … may in fact be seriously in error” (“Consciousness in the Raw,” SN: 9/15/07, p. 170). But the real tacit consensus is that the cerebral cortex is the organ of conceptual consciousness, of thinking and reasoning, […]
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19897
This article suggests that Ritalin fails to “cure” attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Ritalin for ADHD is like glasses for a vision problem. True, it aids some functions and not others—visual memory, not executive function, for example. But for the right child at the right time, Ritalin can be tremendously helpful, especially combined with other support the […]
- Humans
Letters from the November 3, 2007, issue of Science News
Waste not, want not “Cellulose Dreams” (SN: 8/25/07, p. 120) ignored important research by David Tilman and Jason Hill of the University of Minnesota. They found that planting a crop of 18 different native prairie plants grown in highly degraded and infertile soil with little fertilizer or chemicals yielded substantially more bioenergy than a single […]
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19896
This article indicates that Adam appeared on the fifth day. The actual day of Adam’s appearance, according to Genesis, chapter 1, is the sixth day. Nathan S. ClemonsEtchison, Md. I found your reference to the Christian creation myth offensive. I’ll bet it brought the same feeling to anyone else who, like me, has worked to […]
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19895
Mild vibration encourages precursor cells to turn into muscle and bone. This seems like something NASA could use to keep astronauts fit. Rich DesiletsSanta Rosa, Calif. It would be interesting to some way check fat versus muscle cells in airline pilots and crew; ship crews; anyone who rides the subways to work or the passengers […]
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19894
This article says that chikungunya means “stooped over in pain” in an African dialect. But which one? Africa has a thousand languages, many of which have more than one dialect. Pol ShwingkCarlisle, Iowa The word comes from the language of the Makonde people of eastern Africa, although it has sometimes been labeled erroneously as Swahili. […]
