Letters to the Editor
- Humans
Letters from the July 22, 2006, issue of Science News
First, count all the lawyers The study in “Legal Debate: Assumptions on medical malpractice called into question” (SN: 5/13/06, p. 291) fails to address the more disturbing issue: Most of the insurance money (apparently) goes to lawyers (both sides), and very little to those injured. Peter WilsonSimi Valley, Calif. The numbers in the story pose […]
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19710
I live in Northern California, where forest-biomass power plants are common. One power plant takes the ashes that result and places them where cows forage. I’m wondering to what level of concentration this process will accumulate the cesium in organic dairy products. Jesse NoellEureka, Calif. The amount of radioactive cesium-137 taken up by trees is […]
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19709
I was surprised to see in Science News, conclusions about causation made on the basis of correlational research. The variance in activity levels may have been a consequence of differing levels of energy among the participants at the outset of the study, perhaps due to differences in general health. We should be careful about this […]
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19708
On this article, real cats do this too. I have observed many adult cats teaching kittens (not necessarily theirs) to hunt. People who receive “presents” from their cats are not being gifted. The cats are trying to teach them how to hunt, but the cats probably think we are pretty dumb. Emily JohnstonWestminster, Md.
- Humans
Letters from the July 15, 2006, issue of Science News
People want to know “Sharing the Health: Cells from unusual mice make others cancerfree” (SN: 5/13/06, p. 292) reported that years ago it was discovered that certain male mice eradicate cancer cells and that white blood cells from these mice make normal mice cancer resistant. It also reported that it is superpremature to look forward […]
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19707
Scientists seek environments that are weightless, near-perfect vacuums in which to conduct experiments. If genuine cloaking were achieved, I would expect there would be a host of experiments that might be conducted in “perfect darkness”—environments free of various energy wavelengths. Bernard RiceHinsdale, Ill.
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19706
It seems more likely that a decline of total precipitation and humidity would be the direct cause of both temperature and fire incidence. It is fashionable to blame every weather problem on greenhouse gases and global warming, but in this case doing so may lead to false conclusions. Paul BadeMankato, Minn. Neither the study nor […]
- Humans
Letters from the July 8, 2006, issue of Science News
The grammar gene? While reading that starlings may be capable of discerning grammatical patterns (“Grammar’s for the Birds: Human-only language rule? Tell starlings,” SN: 4/29/06, p. 261), I recalled the FOXP2 gene. The gene seems to be involved in the development of areas of the brain involved in speech in humans. Variants of FOXP2 were […]
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19705
As a malacologist, I enjoyed this article. Although the holes look like what could be made with a stone tool, the Science paper acknowledged that a small percentage of naturally occurring holes look similar. Either the people deliberately selected shells with suitable holes or else they perforated them deliberately. Both options show effort at obtaining […]
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19704
When discussing how polarized light can help clarify our understanding of supernova mechanisms, this article initially quotes Doug Leonard’s explanation that “one does not see deeper into an object using polarimetry.” Later, the story says that “polarization studies viewed deeper and deeper layers of the explosion.” Which is it? Hal HeatonDamascus, Md. Polarization studies don’t […]
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19703
If the estrogenic properties of lavender oil and tea tree oil are actually sufficient to produce these effects in young boys, could they produce potentially more serious negative impacts on women with estrogen-positive breast cancer? I know that some oncologists recommend products containing tea tree oil to help relieve problems experienced by women undergoing chemotherapy. […]
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19702
The photo in this article looks to me more like a solar eclipse, complete with a clear-cut circular blackout in the center and flares. Mike PattersonGrand Rapids, Mich. The similarity is because astronomers used an occulting disk on the telescope to block the glare of the central star .—R. Cowen
