Letters archive

The idea that fast evolution is the norm (2 April, p 32) doesn't wash. Researchers in the field do consistently observe rapid evolution because that is all the evolution that can take place in the short time spans they are looking at. But a rapid-evolution model is not well suited to explaining the gradual divergence …

I first took Geoffrey Miller's piece on the role of mating intelligence in the courtship of Prince William and Kate Middleton (23 April, p 36) to be a spoof. Reading on, I realised it was an intentional panegyric, being highly selective with the attributes of both and stretching a point well beyond credulity. It is …

Regarding the "Lonesome galaxy" feature (2 April, p 37) . In terms of what you can see with the naked eye, for the most part the universe is already a dark, lonely place. The only reason we see anything at night this way is because we are located in a galaxy that is itself located …

The hypothesis of competition for resources on a cosmic scale creating the conditions for the evolution of discreet extra-terrestrials (16 April, p 19) , who lie low to avoid exploitation, is interesting but speculative. There is another possible reason for ET staying quiet – our biologies could be different and contact could be a hazard. …

I accept Francis Crick's suggestion that we "are nothing but a pack of neurons" and that free will is an illusion, as mentioned in New Scientist 's feature (16 April, p 32) , yet I do hold people morally responsible for their actions. This is because I care not so much about what free will …

I enjoyed the feature on rebuilding civilisation from scratch (26 March, p 40) . I applaud the idea that we would stop using expensively treated drinking water to flush away waste. I'd like to add another: I believe we waste energy in constructing and operating buildings more than, say, 10 storeys high. At the same …

With regard to the article "Rule book rewrite for megaquakes" (23 April, p 6) , your diagrams seem to refer to the wrong plate. I thought Japan was part of the Eurasian plate, not the North American plate. Edinburgh, UK • The editor writes: Views on which is the correct plate differ among geologists. New …

Good to hear that scientists have caught on to the idea that paying for results can backfire (9 April, p 40) , even if it is rather late in the day. The Gift Relationship by London School of Economics academic Richard Titmuss, published in 1970, gained classic status for arguing that blood donation is largely …

Having read about the success of cockroaches (16 April, p 40) , can I suggest one method of control. Whenever I leave my glass with red wine dregs on the kitchen bench overnight, there is sure to be at least one drowned roach in it the next morning. The beneficial effects of red wine compared …

The "um" and "er" hesitation sounds analysed by Richard Aslin (23 April, p 27) are particularly useful to polite speakers of English. The choice between "an" before a word starting with a vowel and "a" before a consonant is tricky for those still thinking about what to say, so polite people drop in such vowel-based …

In his letter on the evolution of fingers and thumbs (9 April) , Chris Owen describes how members of an older generation press doorbells with their index fingers, while those from "generation Y" almost universally use their thumbs. However, those of us familiar with the story of how guests on one floor in a Hong …

In your article "Higgs could die a colourful death" (16 April, p 8) , there appear to be two containers of captured technicolour particles that would make the Higgs unnecessary in the right foreground of the photo. Perhaps all the technical personnel are too focused on the Tevatron display to notice the target of their …