From D. E. Pedgley
Wallingford, Oxfordshire
Feedback reports (22 February) that Andy Jones has nominated a paper in
Weather magazine last year (vol 51, p 95), “Drying patterns on roads in the
Scottish Highlands”, for a suggested new award for “fascinatingly dull
research”. Jones is wrong to do so, for the work described was neither research
nor dull.
The author, J. L. Monteith, was simply drawing attention to a widely
observable micrometeorological phenomenon and inviting possible explanations.
The physics is by no means obvious and therefore not dull, as many readers of
Weather, both professional and amateur, must have discovered, judging
by the fact that six replies were published.
Jones should take care to remember that science can be instructively applied
to the explanation of seemingly minor events.
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