Letters to the Editor
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19500
In light of the findings reported in this article, it seems obvious that there’s a need for anthropologists to revisit the records of local “legends” as they study human development in any area. Doesn’t it seem absurd that anyone studying human history would discard actual reports from humans about their own history? Elizabeth BolltPotsdam, N.Y.
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19499
Your article has a graphic that appears to show an area that lifted by up to 5 meters and a vaguely equal area that was depressed by up to 2 m. This suggests an average increase in the distance of mass from the center of Earth. Yet a researcher claims that Earth’s rotation time has […]
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19498
I wonder if the upsurge in alien, invasive species in real estate boom areas is, at least in part, because of careless gardening. Many people introduce non-native plants into their landscape without regard to the potential for domination of these pretty plants over native species. Carol SenskeGreen Lane, Pa.
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19497
I envision a beautifully colorful potato salad utilizing multiple colors of potatoes. But would a cooked mixture be like carrots with potatoes (minimal bleed) or like beets with anything else (maximum bleed)? Lorraine BauderSudbury, Mass. The red and blue pigments in the new potato lines are “water soluble and will leach,” notes USDA’s Charles R. […]
- Humans
Letters from the January 1, 2005, issue of Science News
Just the facts My response as an educator to much of the outrageous science depicted in so many of the recent blockbuster hits is very different from that of many of the scientists quoted (“What’s Wrong with This Picture?” SN: 10/16/04, p. 250: What’s Wrong with This Picture?). The films provide a wonderful source of […]
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19496
This article mentions “ferricyanide, an electron-hungry molecule.” This puzzled me no end. Aren’t ferricyanide molecules, unlike their ions, electrically neutral? I’m trying to visualize ravenous molecules gobbling up innocent electrons. Ernest NussbaumBethesda, Md. Ferricyanide is indeed an ion, with a negative charge of –3. It’s electron hungry because, counterintuitively, it draws an electron from the […]
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19495
Your article reports that between 1973 and 1999, “the total area covered by almost 940 Swiss glaciers fell by 18 percent, an average rate of 1.3 percent per year.” An 18 percent loss over 26 years represents an annual rate of less than 0.8 percent. An annual loss of 1.3 percent would mean a total […]
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19494
Your article doesn’t state whether the people in the study were type 1 (insulin-dependent) or type 2 diabetics. As a long-time subscriber to Science News, I would appreciate it if you would try to state whether it is type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus, or both, in future articles. Carol Linn MillerNorman, Okla. The […]
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19493
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.” There are several sites on Mars where channels with loops can be seen. Although […]
- Humans
Letters from the December 18 & 25, 2004, issue of Science News
Think fast “Car deaths rise days after terror attacks” (SN: 10/9/04, p. 237: Car deaths rise days after terror attacks) mentions that the traffic volume was reduced following the attacks, yet fails to mention another likely factor in the increased deaths: Less traffic usually results in higher average speeds. Del DietrichSan Jose, Calif. Our sun, […]
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19492
When I read of the Hubble Space Telescope–repair controversy (this article and “Lean Times: Proposed budget keeps science spending slim,” SN: 2/12/05, p. 102), this question comes to mind: Why can’t an unmanned, powered vehicle latch on to Hubble and fly it to the International Space Station, where it could be repaired by the station’s […]
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19491
Reading this article, I puzzled over the statement that “domestication diverges from a standard model of evolution. . . .” Darwin’s primary evidence for The Origin of Species included observations of domesticated pigeons and other species, and even Mendel worked with garden peas. Yet hybridization and artificial selection have been considered evil or dirty for […]
