Letters archive

Catherine de Lange discusses the hunt to understand consciousness ( 30 June, p 30 ). It may not be particularly tangible. Consciousness is associated with the information patterns carried by nerve signals. It is what information feels like when it reaches a certain kind of complexity. In artificial intelligence research, neural networks try to mimic …

It's sad how secret miscarriages are, or how much they are viewed as a taboo Gachiru responds to the news that women have more miscarriages than live births over their lifetimes ( 4 August, p 8 )

Linda Geddes writes that around 50 per cent of the difference in intelligence between people is due to genetics ( 21 July, p 33 ). There is certainly a correlation, but correlation does not necessarily imply cause. Indeed, you took a different approach in an article on sexism, arguing that the cultural amplification of small …

You report a study finding that robots won't be taking our jobs ( 21 July, p 5 ). In our societies, where individual welfare is largely determined by having a job, the displacement of human jobs is an important issue. But the increased spending that is supposed to follow might not be a cause for …

Discussing heat-related mortality, Michael Le Page says that more than a dozen deaths have been blamed on a heatwave in Canada ( 14 July, p 25 ). He concludes that without air-conditioners, large numbers of people will die in future heatwaves. Over 50 million people die in the world each year. It's estimated that around …

Katharine Hayhoe's perspective is a welcome Christian insight on approaches to climate change ( 7 July, p 40 ). It may be a surprise to some, but Christianity's prime directive is to love your neighbour as yourself . Looking at the current state of play, we have a big problem with this. In terms of …

Colin Foan suggests that smart electricity meters can reduce the problem of peak demand exceeding supply (Letters, 7 July ). This would be more directly true if the meters could communicate with smart appliances – for example, to ask your fridge to turn itself down for a while. The "smart" meters currently being rolled out …

What to do about plastic ( 19 May, p 25 )? On most roads in England I see miles of verge littered with thousands of pieces of plastic, much of which will end up in the rivers and sea. If governments are serious about plastic pollution, why not declare a month in which people bring …

Does anyone else question the wisdom of the UK's first spaceport being in the remote Sutherland area of Scotland ( 21 July, p 5 )? Consider the distance that payloads, fuel and staff will have to be transported, and uncertainty over any future relationship with Scotland, given that it may not remain a member of …

• The planet 55 Cancri e is nine times as massive as Earth ( 21 July, p 38 ). • The crucifix ground beetle is extinct in many localities but not in the UK as a whole ( 28 July, p 28 ). • Odds off: in the long run, a 50:50 chance of a …