Letters from the November 18, 2006, issue of Science News
By Science News
Sunny side heads up
“Rare Uranian eclipse” (SN: 9/9/06, p. 166) tells us, “Because the moons of Uranus orbit at the planet’s equator, the sun seldom illuminates them directly.” I think what you mean is that the moons seldom pass directly between Uranus and the sun. But surely the sun still illuminates them, even when they’re not casting shadows on the planet.
Gregory Kusnick
Seattle, Wash.
Economic depression
“Mood disorder cuts work performance” (SN: 9/23/06, p. 206) said that people with bipolar disorder tend to have more lost workdays than those with major depression do. The data shows this is true. However, the authors point out that in the sample of 3,378 workers, 1 percent suffered from bipolar disorder while 6 percent experienced major depression. Clearly, the greater impact on employers is depression.