Letters archive

You report that a far less deadly version of the coronavirus will probably emerge naturally, because a relatively benign version in a living human can fulfil its objective to reproduce, whereas a deadly virus in a dying person is more likely to perish with its host ( 23 January, p 12 ). Would it be …

I was surprised that the research into parental burnout didn't seem to note whether the families involved were single parents ( 23 January, p 40 ). My experience is that sole parenting in Western cultures is likely to involve far more personal depletion, responsibility, work and often financial stress. It is possible that sole parents …

From 30 January, p 12 So someone whose views are moderated or downvoted on social media is more likely to become a conspiracy theorist? It seems clear to me that having your views suppressed could be construed as evidence of a conspiracy and that this conclusion isn't necessarily an irrational one. I stand by the …

The Dutch study of body language imitation when lying only looked at the behaviour of men ( 23 January, p 20 ).

Clare Wilson raises crucial points about the importance of formula milk supply for those who can't breastfeed, but I don't think food banks deserve to be a target for this ( 30 January, p 23 ). Under normal circumstances, food banks provide three days' supply of food for emergencies: they aren't meant to be a …

Doubters of the avalanche explanation for the demise of a Russian ski expedition in the 1959 Dyatlov Pass incident point to strange aspects of the tragedy, such as victims having little clothing on in freezing conditions, to support more mysterious ideas about what happened ( 6 February, p 18 ). However, it is well known …

The quantum internet is getting ever closer, as entangled photons are now deliverable by drone, which could eventually allow encrypted communication to be impervious to hacking ( 23 January, p 18 ). It is a valid scientific aim to pursue this, of course, but it has downsides, not least by possibly letting terrorists communicate in …

If we ever do find a Dyson sphere, it should set alarm bells ringing. That is because there is a good chance that this alien structure was made by an expansionist technological civilisation prone to infesting other planetary systems and ruthlessly harvesting resources in an effort to continue its unrestrained growth.

I find the idea that infrared radiation can be taken as an indication of a Dyson sphere a little odd. Surely if a civilisation was so advanced that it had taken steps to encircle a star to capture its energy, it would have ways of insulating this structure so that no energy was wasted, in …

I read with interest your article on the Denisovans, including the evidence that they occupied the Tibetan plateau ( 30 January, p 34 ). I wonder, given they were probably distinct from us, whether they are a possible candidate for the folk memory of the Yeti and other similarly large, mythic humanoids in the region.