Letters: Should of known
So Ariadne (28 March) cannot understand how the advertisement for the
Philips Pocket Memo could have been written. It said ‘In the time it took
Dickens to write A Tale of Two Cities he could of told us of a dozen more.’
The explanation is simple. The author (and presumably the copy checkers)
are natives of the northeast of England. We Geordies use ‘of’ instead of
‘have’ all the time. Ariadne should of investigated further.
David Neville Cramlington, Northumberland
Letters: Shining light
I enjoyed the article on the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
(‘Europe’s shining new light’, 14 March). I must correct one small error,
however. While it is true that mechanisms for dealing with proposals to
use the machine have not yet been developed, it is quite clear that applications
will not be processed through the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Apart
from anything else, synchrotron radiation research in Britain is concentrated
at the Daresbury laboratory. I have no doubt, however, that British researchers
will be able to take full advantage of this remarkable new facility.
Mark Wilkins Science and Engineering Research Council Swindon, Wiltshire
Letters: Unseemly dream
Is John Daintith having us on with his Kekule-discovers-benzene-on-the-Clapham-omnibus
story (Letter, 14 March), or did Kekule think it unseemly to dream of snakes
on public transport, saving that fantasy for a later session by his fireside?
My understanding of the famous dream is: ‘I turned the chair to the fireplace
and sank into a half sleep. The atoms flitted before my eyes. Long rows,
variously, more closely, united; all in movement wriggling and turning like
snakes. And see, what was that? One of the snakes seized its own tail and
the image whirled scornfully before my eyes. As though from a flash of lightning
I awoke; I occupied the rest of the night in working out the consequences
of the hypothesis.’ (The Art of Scientific Investigation, W. I. B. Beveridge,
Heinemann, 3rd edition, 1957).
Steve Green Institute of Plant Sciences Victoria, Australia
Letters: Not innumerate
John Nicholson justly emphasises that Michael Faraday never learnt mathematics
(Forum, 7 March); but then he asserts that Thomas Young (the inventor of
Young’s modulus of elasticity) ‘was another who did not use mathematics’.
Thomas Young (1773-1829) was a man of impressively varied achievements
in physiology and other experimental sciences. The texts of his publications
are frequently obscure, but the mathematics which he employed extensively
is often clearer than his text. The bibliography of his writings includes
the book Elementary Illustrations of the Celestial Mechanics of Laplace
and five mathematical papers.
Garry Tee University of Auckland New Zealand
Letters: Long-lived mice
It has been known for many years that mice live slightly longer when
subjected to low-level radiaiton. No satisfactory explanation of this phenomenon
has been offered. Recently it has also been observed that hungry mice live
20 to 50 per cent longer than well-fed mice. Could there be a connection
between the two?
Could low levels of radiation cause the mice to lose their appetite,
eat less food, and live longer as a result?
Maybe some of your readers have some insight on this speculation. Did
anyone ever ask the opinion of Albert the Experimental Rat?
Robert Erck Argonne National Laboratory Illinois, US
Letters: Soccer coriolis
Having observed many television instances of the Mexican wave at events
in Europe it appears, without exception, to follow an anticlockwise movement.
My question is, does it follow a clockwise movement in the southern hemisphere?
Susan Thorpe Great Missenden Buckinghamshire
Letters: Correction
Correction: In the letter ‘Undue pessimism’ (29 February), the final
sentence should read: ‘In the meantime, it is less than helpful for the
university to make scaremongering comments damaging to the status and reputation
of the constituent colleges’, not, ‘in the meantime, it is less than helpful
to the university to make scaremongering comments. . . ‘
Letters: Patients in pain
We would like to congratulate Robin Youngson on his article (‘Pathways
to pain control’, 21 March). However, we would like to add that the concept
of patient controlled analgesia (PCA) is not a new one. It was introduced
in the 1960s, but the popularity of this technique has been curbed by clinicians’
awareness of several potentially serious problems encountered with it.
In addition to the well-known side effects of narcotics (respiratory
depression and hypoxia, drowsiness, nausea and vomiting), these agents provide
unsatisfactory pain control by today’s standards. Although earlier studies
claimed that intravenous infusion of opiates can reduce pain effectively,
thus decreasing the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications,
recent reports suggest that continuous infusion of narcotics neither improves
respiratory function nor reduces the incidence of postoperative pulmonary
complications that are encountered in 20 to 80 per cent of patients undergoing
abdominal surgery. Moreover, many seriously ill patients in the intensive
care unit are on a ventilator and are unable to use a PCA pump.
We have recently developed a greatly simplified technique of continuous
nerve block using the well-known longer acting local anaesthetic bupivacaine.
Our method proved to be very effective in providing postoperative analgesia:
93.4 per cent of our patients had good postoperative pain relief. No additional
analgesia was required in the first four days following surgery whilst the
system was in use. In addition no postoperative lung complications (infection
or otherwise) or adverse reactions to bupivacaine or the procedure were
encountered.
H. Hashimi Dewsbury District Hospital Yorkshire Amanda Stewart Leeds
General Infirmary, Leeds
Letters: Value system
In his article ‘Whose world is it anyway?’ (Forum, 7 March) Richard
Aronson suggests that the only effective way to save the planet is to assign
economic value to species and ecosystems. However, this view fails to recognise
the real cause of our planet’s current environmental dilemma.
A glance at history will show that many of today’s prominent values
and beliefs in the Western world stem from Judaeo-Christian principles.
Essentially this tradition has emphasised anthropocentric (human-centred)
values. Such human-centred thinking assigns value to species and ecosystems
in accord with the degree to which they provide utility to us.
In suggesting that our environment should be above all valued for its
economic benefit, Aronson is caught by the logic which brought about the
perceived need for ‘debt for nature swaps’ in the first place. Our ideas
about the economy are embedded in the anthropocentric values of our culture.
Such a value system has given rise to such environmental catastrophes as
overpopulation, habitat destruction and depletion of the ozone layer.
What is needed is a critical rethink of the relationship human beings
have to the biosphere. Aboriginal Australians’ cultural perspective may
serve as a focus for such a rethink. Aboriginal Australians existed in harmony
with their environment for more than 40 000 years because they conceived
of the environment essentially as an extension of themselves. It was not
so much the species or ecosystem that was valued, but the relationship between
themselves and species and ecosystems that was and still is important to
Aboriginal Australians.
‘Debt for nature swaps’ without this change in values will not change
the economic imbalance between the developing and the developed world. In
answer to ‘Whose world is it anyway?’, it is clear that it depends on how
we assign value. How we do so will determine our planet’s survival.
Rob Brunton Melbourne, Australia
Letters: Chain gang
John Emsley (New 杏吧原创, Science, 14 March), describes some of the
components needed to fabricate a machine of molecular size but fails to
address the problem of how to assemble it.
Biological enzymes use hydrophilic and hydrophobic sequences of groups
to achieve the correct adhesion in a structure. Perhaps a sequence of cubes
or tetrahedra in a chain without rotational freedom could be used. The chemical
character of each face would allow a block consisting of parallel chains
to be built. One chain after another would be added. Only a chain with the
correct sequence along two sides would bond onto the block.
His rings and rods would then have a structure into which they could
be incorporated.
David Robertson Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Letters: Letter to the bank
The provision of clean water and sanitation essential to the prevention
of cholera in Latin America (This Week, 28 March) has recently been highlighted
in a letter to be sent to Lewis Preston, newly apointed president of the
World Bank. This has been circulated to MPs and already signed by 207 in
Britain and over 700 worldwide. The letter calls for the World Bank to honour
its commitment to primary health care and to support the provision of clean
water for all, promised at the World Summit for Children in September 1990.
It is to be hoped that this low-cost and effective way of alleviating
suffering in developing countries will receive the support it deserves from
our MPs.
Heather Ringrose Ramsgate, Kent
Letters: Junk paradise
Your Netherlands correspondent Peter Spinks and his home town of Egmond
seem to have created the worst possible scenario for themselves (Forum,
22 February; Letters, 28 March). Here in Viernheim, Germany, we have three
bins: brown for biodegradables; green for clean paper, including small cartons;
grey metallic for other rubbish.
We started by separating paper. Then, faced with a 40 per cent rise
in waste disposal costs and an ever growing rubbish mountain, last year
bio-bins were introduced. The bio-bins are for waste food, cooked and raw,
plant or garden waste, and used paper hankies or kitchen towels. Peter Spinks
would have no trouble with his teabags here: they all go into the bio-bins.
A collection timetable area by area is produced early in the year. A
local firm collects everything from the streets on different days in different
monster vehicles. We don’t rely on Scouts, schoolchildren or other do-gooders.
The bins only have to be wheeled out of yards or gardens, the vehicles do
not suffer hernias. It seems to function.
Other recycling facilities include bottle and can banks close to people’s
homes, unwanted clothing banks on other corners and mostly returnable beer
and soft drink bottles. For unwanted furniture, including the beloved mattresses
so often adorning the UK countryside, there are special collections about
four times a year. A favourite, though illegal, pastime for people moving
house or inveterate frequenters of flea markets is secretly to inspect the
piles of junk in the gloaming for bike parts last seen 30 years ago or an
replacement motor for the washing machine.
I’m off now to pick up some well-rotted compost (free) from the composting
area, probably disposing of some bottles and cans at the bottle bank on
the way (by bike, along the cycleway).
Judith Forsyth Viernheim Germany
Letters: Help us to observe
Upice Observatory has played an important role for many years in researching
the activity of the Sun and monitoring the Sun’s relationship with the Earth.
It has also been active in educational work and in environmental protection
Now, however, it is threatened with closure. Its day-to-day finances
are in a critical state because of lack of funds for cultural and scientific
work in our country. Badly needed reconstruction work has had to be postponed
and parts of the building have still not been completed.
For this reason, we have created the Upice Observatory Foundation, and
call on your readers to contribute towards the completion of the observatory
and the continuation of our work under modern, safe conditions.
Further details can be obtained by writing to me at the address below.
Eva Markov Director, The Observatory 542 32 Upice, Czechoslovakia
Letters: Moving story
The predictions about Aldermaston in your article ‘Efficiency’ may break
up DNA fingerprinting team’ (This Week, 28 March) are unnecessarily gloomy.
The Home Office Forensic Science Service is fortunate in having a DNA
research team that is among the world leaders. We have no intention of breaking
it up or of stoppping DNA or any other research which supports our aim of
providing a first class service.
However, we aim to improve what we do, how we will do it and its cost.
One of the ways in which we propose to do this is by locating all our core
functions, including research, in one place. Most are already in Birmingham.
This will improve communications, make for more effective working and reduce
our overheads. We are at present consulting staff on this proposal and on
the implications for the Aldermaston operational laboratory, located in
the same building. There is no intention of moving this to Birmingham, contrary
to what is said in the article.
It is natural that people are reluctant to move from an area where they
and their families have ties. When the final decision is taken on relocation,
every assistance will be given, and past experience has shown that people
respond positively in such a situation. I believe that the proposed moves
will greatly help the FSS and the service it gives.
Janet Thompson Forensic Science Service London