Letters archive

Fred Pearce's article on underground coal gasification (15 February, p 36) misrepresents both the science and the words of explanation given by three of the directors of UK energy firm Five-Quarter on its method of obtaining unconventional gas from rocks. Five-Quarter's process – called "deep gas winning" – involves different chemical processes from the endless …

Your feature on whether invertebrates feel pain (22 February, p 38) captured my attention, as my research has focused on cephalopods. Our knowledge of the neural pathways that underlie behaviour has allowed us to search for the site of pain in these animals, but it is still unclear. Recent changes in European animal welfare legislation …

Research into whether invertebrates feel pain is worthwhile, but misses the bigger point. They are living creatures that should be handled with respect and sympathy, even if it turns out that they don't feel pain. Port Melbourne, Australia

I find the frequent puffing of the fusion power dream very depressing (15 February, p 11) . We get these optimistic announcements of "getting there" at intervals, as we have for decades. Even if one day scientists really manage to make a fusion reactor work – and I have to admit to being very sceptical …

I was delighted to see your report on generating power from ocean heat exchanges (1 March, p 48) . However, I was disappointed to see the warmed, nutrient-rich water from below the thermocline described in terms of unwanted algal blooms. This water should be compared with the natural upwelling caused by deep ocean currents which …

As a cynical retired engineer, I note the lack of any discussion of the major issue that bedevils all active structures in the ocean. Growth of marine organisms on and in the pipes, pumps and heat exchangers will rapidly reduce heat transfer efficiencies and require regular costly maintenance. At an onshore gas processing plant of …

I quickly became indignant at your leader (22 February, p 5) implying that UK flood defences cannot be given any priority because they would cost unspecified large amounts of money. Reading further, your special report (p 8) puts the figure of £500 million over four years as a requisite. Compare this with the oft-quoted £30 …

Adam Corner writes that "definitive proof that this weather is the result of climate change is currently beyond us" (22 February, p 28) . As a retired statistician, this "currently" worries me more than a little. How can we ever definitively prove a single weather episode was caused by anything? If my uncle Bill died …

As a practising mental health nurse, I found Clare Wilson's article on treating schizophrenia (8 February, p 32) interesting on a theoretical level, but less insightful about the practicalities of patient management. While the Mental Health Act can impose seemingly draconian treatment on individuals, experience tells us that patients who do not take their antipsychotic …

Your item on ultraviolet vision (22 February, p 7) reminded me of the time I discovered I could see a little way into the ultraviolet. In my first year at university, we were measuring the wavelengths of the spectral lines in the potassium vapour spectrum. I was taking much longer than the rest of the …

There is clear value in being able to fix a broken heart (15 February, p 26) , especially for the battered spouse. At the same time, how about developing an elixir for those whose genes or upbringing, or both, has left them unable to love. Abused children, orphans, and some reoffending criminals might all benefit. …

Your article on the faeces-trapping plant Nepenthes (1 February, p 43) was fascinating, but I have a quibble. When I visited the padang of Bako National Park in Borneo some years ago, I saw vegetation rich in four different types of insectivorous plants ( Nepenthes, Drosera , myrmecophytes, Utricularia ) growing on the sandy soil. …

A key question on returning environments to their wild state is to what are we comparing these environments (1 March, p 40) ? There is a tendency to compare novel alternatives with an idealised natural or native ecosystem. However, especially in terms of long-lived species, the impacts of environmental change are likely to reshape the …

Your special report on faecal transplants (1 March, p 10) mentioned "a nasogastric tube, which runs from the nose down through the stomach and into the colon". Having swallowed jejunal tubes to access the upper part of the small intestine, I can tell you that passing an oral or nasal tube that could reach the …

• Our article on the Wikipedia-sized mathematics proof (22 February, p 11) suffered a rogue edit: the researcher's name is Boris Konev. • We got turned around when locating parts of the brain (8 February, p 38) . Broca's and Wernicke's areas are typically found on the left hemisphere.