More psychiatrists today but still only 1 to 16,400 —  Although the total number of psychiatrists in the United States has increased 21% in the last three years, there are still very few in proportion to the population, especially in remote regions away from the big cities.… The U.S. now has on an average one psychiatrist for every 16,400 persons. But in North Dakota there is only one for every 72,000 persons. South Carolina and Alabama also have ratios of more than 65,000 persons to each psychiatrist. The psychiatrists in the U.S., few in number though they are, do not devote all their time to treating patients …. Only 15% are engaged solely in private practice. Others must devote part of their time to ...teaching, research, hospital work and clinic work.

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Slumber science Your October 24 issue featuring sleep research was very interesting and helpful. However, it did not cover any research being done — there may be none — relating to the human brain and modern changes to the nighttime environment. For most of human history, not much activity could take place at night. The diurnal cycle of light and darkness and the yearly seasons north and south of the equator must have had great influences on our development, response, brain activity and sleep. Man and the other biota with brains all developed when these cycles of inactivity dominated their lives. It has only been relatively recently that the human environment has had light for the entire 24-hour day. Being able to be awake for long durations allows human activities such as 24 hours of essentially instantaneous worldwide communications, global business activities and ...

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November 18 Last day entries for the 2010 Intel Science Talent Search will be accepted. Download forms at www.societyforscience.org November 24 Biologist E.O. Wilson and others lecture at Harvard on the 150th anniversary of Darwin’s Origin of Species. Sign up for viewings at darwinlecture4.eventbrite.com November 30 Meeting for scientists and policy makers on Antarctic research begins in Washington, D.C. See www.atsummit50.aq

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Russians release photos of moon’s far side — Russian scientists have released a photograph of the far side of the moon as taken from U.S.S.R. satellite Lunik III. The photograph on the cover of this week’s Science News Letter shows the far side of the moon. Soviet astronomers identify the long solid lines as the moon’s equator. The heavy broken line at the left separates the part of the moon visible from the earth from the portion that cannot be seen....The apparent lack of craters and seas across much of the far side of the moon seems to corroborate a theory that predicted this side would be largely smooth.

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Sore words I don’t usually write to magazines, and I’ve never written to yours before, though I’ve enjoyed and learned much from it for many years thanks to it being produced in Braille. But I couldn’t let your article on swearing relieving pain [“%&#$!” makes you feel better,” (SN: 8/1/09, p. 9)] go by. Without wishing to offend anyone or sound like a self-righteous prig, I still must say it’s sad when science and research gives folks an excuse for doing what so many people do too much of already. Why didn’t those studying this subject check out a couple other things? Like having people yell “ow!” or “phooey” or some other innocuous exclamation, or even just make wordless vocalizations that expressed whatever pain or emotion about the pain they were experiencing? And then, if the researchers did that, why not check that against pain alleviati...

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November 4–8 Clinicians and researchers meet in San Diego to discuss advances in psychiatric genetics. Visit www.ispg2009.org Through November 21 Watch Gearing Up, a documentary about the FIRST robotics competition. For local listings, see www.gearingupproject.org December 15 Nominations deadline for the Kavli Prizes in nanoscience, neuroscience and astrophysics. Get form at www.kavliprize.no

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Sons with ulcers have dominant mothers — Men who get duodenal ulcers early in life tend to have dominant mothers and submissive fathers. In a Medical Research Council report, a research team recorded that two-thirds of a group of men who got ulcers before they were 25 had mothers who were “dominant and controlling personalities and made the major decisions in their families.” These mothers were often “very conscientious women with a high sense of duty who were exceedingly houseproud and devoted to efficient routine.” … Among the various factors considered were the fathers of the ulcer sufferers. Many of them, said the scientists, “showed a characteristic steadiness and unassertiveness both at work and at home.”

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Biofuel feedback “The biofuel future” (SN: 8/1/09, p. 24) proved very enjoyable reading. However, the future and direction of biofuels will be determined by politicians, not scientists. Scientists seem to use crazy things like facts, research and logic to determine the most efficient way to convert plants to fuel. I find it incredible that we are now converting food-grade corn into fuel, when so many children in the world are starving. Seems like it would be better to swap corn for crude oil and feed people. Richard Garon, Gonzales, La. I very much enjoyed this article. It takes a complex subject and makes it approachable to the, ahem, less scientifically inclined. The writing is fresh and entertaining. Nicely done. Shelley Dayton, San Francisco The march towards biofuels is necessary, as we need to move away from fossil fuels. However, no real environmental ...

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Science Future for October 10, 2009

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