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2 February 2022
From Keith Hiscock, Plymouth, UK
David Hambling reports on the impressive accuracy of AI and mathematical modelling in predicting where drifting devices end up in the ocean, and speculates about its possible application to fish larvae ( 15 January, p 10 ). Some ecologists might try to use this to predict the trajectory, speed and landing site for larvae. But …
2 February 2022
From Bruce Denness, Niton, Isle of Wight, UK
Colin Heath's belief that replacing livestock with trees wouldn't deliver a sufficiently fast reduction of greenhouse gases because trees take 25 years to grow overlooks the immediate elimination of the animals' flatulence ( Letters, 15 January ).
9 February 2022
From Roger Morgan,Presteigne, Powys, UK
Some time ago, I helped develop a happiness rating scale for children ( 22 January, p 38 ). This involved asking a large reference group of children and teenagers to rate various statements according to how happy they thought someone agreeing with that statement would be. We picked the statements with the highest levels of …
9 February 2022
From Philip Stewart, Oxford, UK
When I was a teenager, if anybody asked me, "Are you happy?", I immediately started thinking of reasons why I wasn't. The same happened if I asked myself the question. I decided that happiness is the normal state of an active animal; if I got on with what I was doing, the question didn't arise. …
9 February 2022
From Chris Good,Maidenhead, Berkshire, UK
David Robson's excellent review of studies of happiness confirmed that it involves multiple factors. Perhaps the most important is being content with what we have, while continuing to learn. The second is realism, as summarised in the plea:"Give me the strength to change the things I cannot accept; the patience to accept the things I …
9 February 2022
From Paul Whiteley, Bittaford, Devon, UK
A seeker of truth is asked by a prophet what he desires most. To be happy is the reply. Surely, says the prophet, you wouldn't want to be happy when your parents or a child dies? Likewise, how can we be happy when we know that the world we love is dying in front of …
9 February 2022
From William Hughes-Games, Waipara, New Zealand
How great that hearing people are learning sign language ( 15 January, p 27 ). How sad that the signs aren't the same all over the world. If legend is correct, the early peoples of the Americas had thousands of different languages and dialects, but all understood the same sign language. What an aid to …
9 February 2022
From Guy Cox, Sydney, Australia
Patricia Brennan is, of course, right in saying the clitoris isn't just a mini penis ( 15 January, p 16 ). Indeed, in hyenas, both organs are the same size – real sexual equality. But we need to understand that orgasms aren't just a reward system to encourage copulation. In some mammals, the female climax …
9 February 2022
From James Ryan, Cambridge, Massachusetts, US
Perhaps I had too much quarantine time on my hands, but I tracked down every paper cited in your article on how to change the way we think about food ( 1 January, p 36 ). The median sample size of the 20 studies cited by the author is a paltry 51, and the largest …
9 February 2022
From Ed Prior, Poquoson, Virginia, US
Your article about the loss of cat-like animals in the US for millions of years was sad, but particularly so for the one poor US jaguar roaming alone somewhere in Arizona and searching for a non-existent mate ( 15 January, p 42 ). Why doesn't the US agency responsible for threatened wildlife find and capture …
