Join the conversation in New Scientist's Letters section, where readers can share their thoughts and opinions on articles and see responses from experts and enthusiasts across a range of science topics. To submit a letter, please see our terms and email letters@newscientist.com
12 October 2022
From Denis Watkins, St Just in Roseland, Cornwall, UK
"Rather than ramp up action to support our environment, this government appears, however, to be heading in the opposite direction," said Hilary McGrady, head of the UK's National Trust, as reported in your story on the UK government's plan to foster economic growth 1 October, p 7 . These fears are echoed by many others. …
12 October 2022
From Sam Edge, Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
I agree with Lee Margetts that fusion is an engineering problem, but to claim it is becoming well understood seems like hubris. Rather than the 30-second reactor run you reported on, the most important recent advances are occurring in applying deep-learning systems to analyse plasmas, as previously covered in your magazine ( 26 February, p …
12 October 2022
From Hillary Shaw, Newport, Shropshire, UK
Reader Larry Stoter suggested the formula for body mass index needs a shake-up, perhaps being more like density, so based on the cube, rather than square, of height Letters, 1 October . I have researched this: BMI was invented by Adolphe Quetelet. He stated that the proper power for height to determine BMI was 3 …
19 October 2022
From Martin Sigrist,<br/>Newbury, Berkshire, UK
Your plea to embrace new ways of thinking about mental health conditions caught my attention. As far as I can tell, the methods psychiatry uses today and the theory, or lack thereof, on which they are based don't seem to have changed since the 1980s Leader, 1 October . As you pointed out, a central …
19 October 2022
From Steve Blyth,<br/>Roade, Northamptonshire, UK
Like many others, I am bemused and alarmed by the lack of action taken by the UK government to mitigate climate change. Is its latest policy emphasis on "growth" going to help? Surely not. A more realistic approach would be "dynamic stability", in which, as outmoded industries shrink, more eco-friendly ones are encouraged to grow: …
19 October 2022
From Guy Cox,<br/>Sydney, Australia
In her look at status signals, Solitaire Townsend wrote that Charles Darwin believed "male peacocks' ostentatious feathers prove to females that they are so adept" they can afford to grow big, bright, utterly wasteful plumage 24 September, p 25 . If Darwin really did think this, he can't have spent any real time watching peacocks …
19 October 2022
From Sam Edge,<br/>Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
I enjoyed Mark Harper's call for Britons to do more outdoor, cold-water swimming 17 September, p 25 . It is sad that many lidos, once common in the UK, have closed. Compare this with Germany, where municipal Freibäder (outdoor pools) are part of the culture and very popular, at least in the summer months, while …
19 October 2022
From Eric Kvaalen,<br/>Les Essarts-le-Roi, France
The estimated 177 million cubic metres of gas that leaked from the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is less than 120,000 tonnes of methane 8 October, p 8 . The effect of that on our climate is negligible in a world where we emit about 30 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
19 October 2022
From Paul Broady,<br/>Christchurch, New Zealand
There is no need to mine the moon, especially for profit, or to establish bases belonging to individual nations. Both are a recipe for conflict 17 September, p 38 . We should be using our wealth and expertise to solve the many increasing problems here on our wonderful Earth. The moon can be left for …
19 October 2022
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