Letters to the Editor
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19603
The discovery of the early raptor Buitreraptor may resolve one puzzle of the dinosaur-bird relationship. The late-Jurassic “first bird,” Archaeopteryx, seems closely related to dromaeosaurids, yet those animals appear to have lived later, in the Cretaceous. The realization that raptors were around much earlier makes the dinosaur-bird link even clearer. John DavisJackson, Miss.
- Humans
Letters from the October 15, 2005, issue of Science News
Sun, sky, or slather? “Sun Struck: Data suggest skin cancer epidemic looms” (SN: 8/13/05, p. 99) gives the impression that the increase in skin cancer among young people is caused by tanning in the sun. Environmental factors such as ozone depletion should have at least been referenced in the article. Cathy Hodge McCoidSacramento, Calif. In […]
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19602
Ewan Cameron, who in 1971 began to collaborate with Linus Pauling on vitamin C and cancer, typically initiated patients with 10 grams per day of vitamin C given intravenously for about 2 weeks, followed by an oral dosage continued indefinitely. The two Mayo Clinic trials referred to in this article, which failed to show any […]
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19601
Nothing was said in your article about the situation in Canada, where killing bears for their gallbladders and paws is a serious problem. I suggest that you contact TRAFFIC North America and the World Wildlife Fund–Canada for detailed information on the problem in Canada. Abby SchwarzVancouver, British Columbia The article states, “Traditional medicine has been […]
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19600
The recent discovery of “mature” galaxies at distances corresponding to the remote cosmic past mentioned in this article threatens more than galaxy-formation theory. It threatens to shatter the increasingly fragile Big Bang paradigm by showing that the composition of the cosmos is uniform in time and space. Michael J. DunnAuburn, Wash. If a Big Bang […]
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19599
In general, a judge is an independent legal expert. To expect a legal expert to be able to determine the validity of the scientific information is no more reasonable than to expect a scientist to be able to do a good job of making legal judgments. Thomas BradleyPoway, Calif. If I remember correctly, expert witnesses […]
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19598
This article is unfortunately murky. It’s confusing to state that accelerating charged particles to high speeds “therefore” produces cosmic rays. And what “charged particles”? Is the “energized” gas in fact “ionized”? “Energized” is too general a word. Finally, why are high-speed particles more easily compressed than slower-moving material? Fredric BlumMerion, Pa. “Energized” means that the […]
- Humans
Letters from the October 1, 2005, issue of Science News
Name game Does the name of Honda’s robot, Asimo, have a meaning in Japanese, or is it just a tip of the hat to Isaac Asimov (“Easy Striders: New humanoids with efficient gaits change the robotics landscape,” SN: 8/6/05, p. 88)? Dennis LynchGlenshaw, Pa. Asimo’s name stands for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility.—N. Moreira Under […]
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19597
This article didn’t mention the effect of large-scale conversion of cellulosic biomass to fuel on disposal sites. Here in southern California, we are running out of places to dump urban waste. Taking waste to a fuel-generating facility would reduce the environmental effects and might even cost less than burying it. Bob KosterNorth Tustin, Calif. Your […]
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19596
This article, as presented, doesn’t address the statement made in the headline. The article shows only that on days when no pesticides are ingested in food, no pesticides are excreted in urine. Charles WyttenbachLawrence, Kan.
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19595
Chloride concentration in streams should be a concern to everyone. However, projecting problems at century’s end based on the present rate of chloride increase is bad science. Salt use in some New England areas has roughly doubled in the past decade due to a change in winter highway-maintenance philosophy. But salt is expensive and there […]
- Humans
Letters from the September 24, 2005, issue of Science News
Monkey see, monkey smell That monkeys get “weirded out” by seeing themselves in mirrors doesn’t seem unexpected (“Reflections of Primate Minds: Mirror images strike monkeys as special,” SN: 7/23/05, p. 53). Were a familiar or an unfamiliar same-sex capuchin seen, the test subject would be bombarded not just by visual images but also by smells […]
