Letters to the Editor
- Humans
Letters from the March 19, 2005, issue of Science News
Chew on this As an occasional betel nut chewer, I note that the report “Palm-Nut Problem” (SN: 1/15/05, p. 43) doesn’t touch on possible positive aspects of the habit. Chewing sapari (coarsely powdered, sweetened, and clove-flavored areca nut) at the end of a meal leads to a sense of satisfaction and well-being, induces salivation, and […]
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19530
This article ends with the remark, “overall, ‘coercion plays a more important role than kinship in favoring cooperation in insect societies.'” But there’s no proof in the article of this being true in the wasps’ activities overall. Only some of their egg handling is mentioned. If the conclusion is true, it overthrows 40 years of […]
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19529
This 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 the study. Failing to explain what form of vitamin E was used makes the […]
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19528
You may be aware that nanoparticles from sources such as diesel engines have clearly been shown to be a major component of the exposures causing thousands of human deaths in the London smog of 1952. So, the news regarding synthetic nanoscale particles in this article is important but not terribly surprising. Jerrold L. AbrahamSUNY Upstate […]
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19527
Regarding the therapeutic effects of sunflower-seed oil on infants, 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 on newborns, says researcher Gary L. Darmstadt of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. However, a few studies have suggested […]
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19526
This article 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 to right) images, the leftmost one was taken in 1994 with a 3-meter […]
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19525
Evidence of animals sensing where people are looking and what they’re seeing is interesting yet hardly new. For years, I have observed that wild rabbits will remain motionless as long as I stare in their direction. But as soon as I avert my eyes or turn my head, the rabbit is gone. Clearly, they correctly […]
- Humans
Letters from the March 12, 2005, issue of Science News
Cheaters like us? The model for the emergence of a population of “cheaters” out of a population of “cooperators” described in “When Laziness Pays: Math explains how cooperation and cheating evolve” (SN: 1/15/05, p. 35) gives a fresh viewpoint on existing ecosystems—and much more. Might the evolution of asymmetric modern sex from symmetric DNA exchange […]
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19524
The many reports of the explorations of Mars looking for water seem to be motivated by mere curiosity. Even if water is found on Mars, the lack of a Martian magnetic field would expose any life on Mars to the ravages of radiation from space. The high-velocity sandstorms would also be adverse to any life […]
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19523
Your article didn’t specify how strong the ultrasonic waves were or if any special conditions were required for these bubbles to form. I am curious to know if there’s a difference between the ultrasonic waves mentioned in your article and those in ultrasound exams of pregnant women. Andrea BikfalvyDowagiac, Mich. The article made me wonder […]
- Humans
Letters from the March 5, 2005, issue of Science News
Way-up wander? It seems interesting that undersea flows have at least one characteristic different from rivers: “While river floods on land can create natural levees a few meters tall, the levees formed by [undersea] turbidity currents can grow up to 100 m[eters] high” (“Hidden Canyons,” SN: 1/1/05, p. 9). There are several sites on Mars […]
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19522
I’m sure you published this article 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 disservice to honest people who are trying to fight the […]
