Letters archive

Florian Neukart argues that a form of memory is "baked into" cells of space-time in such a way that is more or less permanent. This seems to imply that those cells are of the one-and-done variety. They can't be reused and overwritten, per se. That also implies there is an unlimited supply of new, unused …

I learned a lot from your article on static electricity, but not why my husband has always been more affected by it than me. For example, there used to be a department store called Schofields in Leeds, UK, that he avoided because touching the banisters on any of its staircases gave him a painful shock. …

In your look at the small intestine, you mention that overnight fasting causes the valve between its last section, the ileum, and the colon to close, leading to partially digested food being retained in the ileum. This results in a surge in microbial numbers and in the production of short-chain fatty acids, created by fermentation …

You seem to have omitted the religious connotation usually associated with the "strong" anthropic principle. Those who believe in these things tend to assert that, as the universe was clearly designed to such an exquisite degree to permit life, it therefore follows that there must have been an omniscient designer( 28 June, p 32 ).

I can't see that self-righting shape being of use in re-orienting moon landers. It would work only on a smooth and level surface. A design reminiscent of Weebles (self-righting toys) would be better. A weighted sphere floating in oil in a hollow sphere would be better still( 5 July, p 11 ).

I was interested in your piece on Leonardo da Vinci's "aerial screw" design for a helicopter. The story focused on theoretical modelling showing it could have flown with modern materials and motors. Readers might be interested to learn that in 2022, Austin Prete at the University of Maryland developed a quadcopter in which each rotor …

The idea you report on to possibly reinforce the vital AMOC ocean current in the Atlantic raises a question: could this only be done using sailing ships or kites? The problem is that a standard ship's propellers push it along by creating a stream of water in the opposite direction. Adding northwards momentum to AMOC …

It was great to see your article on ticks, as I live in a hotbed area. I can add some more advice on avoiding bites. Spray insect repellent on your outer clothing, especially on socks pulled up over your trousers. Remove all outer clothing after going for a walk and either leave it outside or …

Your story mentions that lone star ticks are spreading and are triggering allergies in people to red meat. Perhaps becoming allergic to animal-derived ingredients is a blessing. Many folks know they should go vegan, and itching and blotches can be powerful incentives. PETA published The Lone Star Tick Cookbook: Easy, tasty, vegan bites to help.

The fate of small, isolated bands of ancient Homo sapiens who died out during harsh conditions as they tried to establish a presence in Europe millennia ago reminded me of proposals for colonies on Mars. It seems any foothold there would need a continuous resupply of people, as well as essential supplies, to keep the …

So new research finds Denisovans had very impressive physiques( 28 June, p 10 ). Isn't this proof that sightings of abominable snowpeople and the like are, in fact, remnants of Denisovan communities living happy, untroubled lives away from so-called civilisation?

Lori Marino at New York University featured in our story on orca gifts ( 12 July, p 19 ).