Letters to the Editor
- Humans
Letters from the May 21, 2005, issue of Science News
Rascal rabbits Evidence of animals sensing where people are looking and what they’re seeing is interesting yet hardly new (“Monkey See, Monkey Think: Grape thefts instigate debate on primate’s mind,” SN: 3/12/05, p. 163). For years, I have observed that wild rabbits will remain motionless as long as I stare in their direction. But as […]
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19552
This article, on the deleterious effect of dams on coastal systems, contains a major conceptual error. It states that “another important cause of the ground sinking is the waning of sediment deposition by the Mississippi River.” But over the past 100 million years, the northern Gulf Coast region has been subsiding because of excessive sediment […]
- Humans
Letters from the May 14, 2005, issue of Science News
It’s kids’ stuff Regarding the therapeutic effects of sunflower-seed oil on infants (“Anoint Them with Oil: Cheap-and-easy treatment cuts infection rates in premature infants,” SN: 3/12/05, p. 165), has any research been done as to the health benefits of the oil in any other age group? Yael LevyNew York, N.Y. Research to date has focused […]
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19551
This article makes the common claim that self-replicating robots could be a boon for clearing minefields. In truth, a complex electronic device simply does not last long in the field. When it breaks and you are 3 days from the nearest town, where do you get a spare part or battery? Tools for removing land […]
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19550
This article states that “the resulting blurred view is good enough for spotting large objects such as mangrove roots.” It seems to me that the article is missing the crucial biological question presented by these eyes. My understanding is that the nervous system of a jellyfish contains no true nerves and no centralization. How can […]
- Humans
Letters from the May 7, 2005, issue of Science News
Clearer yet “Weighing In on a Star: A stellar size limit” (SN: 3/12/05, p. 164) includes three images of the Arches cluster near the center of the Milky Way, each taken with a different telescope. I’d be interested to know what the three telescopes are. John McKeeBrunswick, Maine In the trio of progressively sharper (left […]
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19549
It boggles my mind that someone paid for a study of the benefits of petroleum-based fuel in Africa when a superior, lower-cost solution is already available. For the cost of the study, solar cookers might have been provided to several thousand families, protecting the health of those families and saving them the time and expense […]
- Humans
Letters from the April 30, 2005, issue of Science News
Supplemental information Vitamin E Loses Luster: Nutrient tests show disappointing results” (SN: 3/19/05, p. 182) is the fourth time I’ve seen a report that vitamin E may not be appropriate for elderly people at cardiac risk. Detailed statistics are always given, but one fact is always omitted: what type of vitamin E was used in […]
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19548
I wonder if the enhanced learning that the researchers observed might have resulted not from the supplemental zinc per se, but from the zinc’s blocking absorption of fluoride in the juice. Most juice, especially grape and citrus, has enormous concentrations of fluoride from the pesticides used to produce it. Fluoride is known to cross the […]
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19547
It is frustrating to read of studies endeavoring to study brain activity as related to reading and thinking. What the researchers are observing, in my opinion, is brain activity related to building a lexicon. Animals and children “think” without a lexicon. “Ethan” was intensely interested in symbols but not exceptional in relating those symbols to […]
- Humans
Letters from the April 23, 2005, issue of Science News
The shark as red herring I’m sure you published “A Fishy Therapy,” (SN: 3/5/05, p. 154) in good faith, but I believe that claims for shark cartilage are not made seriously by anyone who studies the role of natural substances in cancer prevention. It was proved ineffective long ago. I think your article does a […]
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19546
In this article, the use of light therapy was shown to fight depression. I would suggest consideration of the possibility that the light therapy also increased the levels of vitamin D in these patients. Patrick AlbrightCresson, Pa. A review published last year by the Cochrane Library also found evidence that bright-light treatment is effective against […]
