Letters to the Editor
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19778
Morse code “fist” analysis can easily be defeated by a software buffer that conforms the intervals between all types of strokes. Actual Morse buffers are already in regular use among ham operators. “Writeprints” can also be defeated. “Clickprints” aren’t as easy to conceal, perhaps, but some clever software designer will devise a foil for them […]
- Humans
Letters from the January 13, 2007, issue of Science News
Sunny exposition “The Antibiotic Vitamin” (SN: 11/11/06, p. 312) reminds me that in preantibiotic days, tuberculosis patients were put on a fresh-air-and-sunshine regimen. Could the vitamin D so acquired account for the cures this system sometimes produced? Nancy AxfordSacramento, Calif. Researcher John J. Cannell points to TB sanitariums as anecdotal evidence that sunlight fights infections.—J. […]
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19777
At least on Earth, rock impacts result in charging of the particles. In space, wouldn’t this have a great effect on the motion of the rocks? Stuart HoenigTucson, Ariz. According to researchers, it’s true that the electrostatic charging of space dust and rocks may affect the motions of small particles. However, little is known about […]
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19776
Without a corresponding study of bone densities, it’s not possible to determine whether the link between proton-pump inhibitors and increased fractures in people over age 50 is due to increased numbers of falls (dizziness, etc.) or to bone damage. It would be extremely helpful to try to tease out the cause behind this linkage. Dan […]
- Humans
Letters from the January 6, 2007, issue of Science News
Gone with the heat? “Feeling the heat of an extrasolar planet” (SN: 10/28/06, p. 285) made me wonder how long a gas planet is expected to survive when one of its faces is more than 1,000°C. The conventional model of our solar system assumes that gas planets can form and survive only in a cold […]
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19775
The statement in the article that astronomers “don’t yet have” a probe to journey to the vicinity of a black hole is puzzling. As far as I know, the closest known black hole is V4641, more than 1,500 light-years away. Given that, the implied assumption that a probe will someday be able to reach a […]
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19774
I haven’t seen any reference to the similarity between the “morphing” wing in this article and the “warping” wing that the Wright brothers used on their gliders and powered aircraft. It seems we’ve come full circle in our quest to emulate the flight of birds. Paul BakerBrowns Valley, Calif.
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19773
This article seems to gloss over an important issue. With only 4,000 dragons left in the world, why was this female, one of only a thousand females remaining, not paired with a mate? I read several versions of this story, none of which touched on this topic. I believe this reveals an even more interesting […]
- Humans
Letters from the December 23 & 30, 2006, issue of Science News
Playing dead is a lively topic I am amazed that “Why Play Dead?” (SN: 10/28/06, p. 280) concluded that “Scientists have a long way to go to explain why” prey animals play dead. As a veterinarian, I have learned that there are separate centers in the brain dealing with predatory behavior and with hunger. The […]
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19772
This new mathematical method for equitable cake sharing actually leads to a version of Zeno’s paradox. The problem is that the cake remnant left after the referee gives the two eaters their respective, equally valued pieces is no more likely than is the cake as a whole to be homogeneously desirable, thus creating the same […]
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19771
Is the causal relationship between mood and immune system response so obvious? Could not a healthier immune system cause a more positive outlook, rather than the other way around? Lester WelchAiken, S.C.
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19770
The paucity of comments received by Nature in its Web experiment confirms the obvious: Few scientists can afford the time for peer reviews. Journal editors get paid for their work, so why not compensate outside reviewers? Furthermore, as professional rivalry is a genuine concern, why not eliminate the potential for bias by shielding the names […]
