Letters to the Editor

19065

I was surprised to see no mention of small comets hitting Earth’s atmosphere over the eons as a source of surface water. This explanation, based on atmospheric observations, has gained growing acceptance over the past several years. Kenneth Saum Cotuit, Mass. Jonathan I. Lunine says that if local bodies provided water to Earth, then “Mars […]

18997

The article on star formation in the Eagle nebula badly misrepresents the implications of recent observations of this object. For example, the subtitle is “The Eagle’s EGGs: Not so fertile,” yet the stated conclusion of the recent work is that more of the Eagle’s EGGs contain young stellar objects than might have been expected. Rather […]

18996

In this article, Alan R. Templeton of Washington University used 10 sources of DNA for his geographic study of human origins. Peter A. Underhill of Stanford feels the population sampled was too small for statistical significance. How many would it take for an expanded version to be significant? Is there a chance such an enlarged […]

19054

In your coverage of the recent sonofusion work, you make the unsubstantiated and false remark regarding cold fusion and Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons: “However, neither the original pair nor anyone else could reproduce those findings, which have largely been discredited as a case study in mistaken science.” The peer-reviewed literature since 1989 does indeed […]

19053

As mavericks often are, Egon Brunswik was ahead of his time. It is becoming increasingly apparent that our cognitive abilities are the result of the gradual evolution of neurochemical brain processes that record the often-ambiguous sensory cues we perceive from our external physical and social environment, as well as internal cues from memory, habitual patterns, […]

18995

In this article, Bruce Tremper states how predictable avalanches are (more so than a stock market crash), yet the whole last page describes the opposite. Am I missing something? Jeff CottonLake City, Calif. Tremper didn’t quite say that avalanches are predictable. He said they don’t occur without warning signs. –S. Perkins

19052

The Dutch researchers featured in this article seem to have discovered something that has been known for a long time. They conclude that the people who make the best recovery from loss are those who “cite mainly positive feelings” about the deceased. Jews, who are among the human race’s experts in recovering from losses, have […]

18994

There is another mechanism besides muscle that gives energy to running and hopping animals. It enables such animals as kangaroos to run faster than their muscles alone can take them. What happens is the tendons act as springs that stretch and then snap back. There is no reason to think that a large and heavy […]

18993

Just a simple question from an avid subscriber. Is the homocysteine in this article the same as the l-cysteine or acetyl-l-cysteine that people take for health reasons in pill form? Paul A. PagnatoMcLean, Va. L-cysteine and acetyl-l-cysteine are quite different from homocysteine. l-cysteine is a detoxifying agent and free radical scavenger that’s the mirror image […]

19051

My olfactory sense was alerted while pregnant but stayed on guard. After 7 years, it’s sharper than ever. I can smell the minutest scents, which means my taste buds are equally sensitive. In some ways, it’s a blessing, but I end up smelling more than I want to: men too interested in me, a married […]

18992

In this article there is a graph showing sharp peaks of ghrelin at mealtimes and a rapid drop-off after the meal is eaten. There is also a peak during the night, but there is no meal responsible for the drop-off. Does the research indicate what happens to the ghrelin level during the day when a […]

19050

This article indicates that the researchers were surprised that the participants from “traditional societies” acted in some mode rather than pure self-interest. This isn’t surprising if you accept the notion that true self-interest is that which gives the most overall personal benefit both now and in the foreseeable future. All of the participants acted exactly […]