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Letters : Neptune's neighbours

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Birger Johansson refers to the “planetoid 1996 TL, beyond Neptune”
(Letters, 14 February, p 53).
1996 TL is a perfectly routine outer-mainbelt minor planet.
Your correspondent was probably referring to the object 1996 TL66, which is
beyond Neptune, but is only one of some 60 such objects that are known.

An up-to-date listing of these objects can be found on our website at:
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/lists/TNOs.html

Letters : Seafaring spirit

Asker, Norway

Reader Ronald Smith of Perth, Scotland, discovered that the gin he won in
Feedback’s Christmas competition was none the worse for travelling to Perth,
Australia, and back
(Feedback, 21 February).

For aquavit, the leader among native Scandinavian spirits, such journeys are
held to improve the drink. Norwegian Linje (“line”—the equator) Aquavit is
guaranteed to have crossed the equator twice in the hold of a ship, named on the
reverse of each label. Sloshing around in a cask with the roll and pitch of a
ship is thought to improve flavour.

The label on our current household bottle proudly proclaims that its contents
were on board the M/S Tourcoing on its round-the-world voyage via Australia,
from 22 April to 1 September 1997.

We paid the equivalent of £24.75 for the bottle. Reader Smith paid only
£14.62 to claim his gin, which had made an equivalent trip by air,
crossing the equator twice. Did he notice any improvement? A new field of
research beckons.

Letters : Sensitive ketchup

I have often been surprised by the ways in which we affect the things around
us emotionally.

Yesterday I noticed this inscription on the top of a bottle of Heinz tomato
ketchup: “Safety Button: Can be depressed once original seal is broken.”

This reminded me of the classic line from Mrs Beaton’s cookbook: “Gently
break the heart of a young lettuce.”

Letters : . . .

Melbourne, Victoria

I was driving in Christchurch, New Zealand, one winter evening when I saw a
gothic-style building with a neon sign reading “Grim Restaurant”.

I remarked at the time that it seemed a strange name to attract diners, but
driving past in daylight hours the next day, revealed some malfunctioning
letters—the full name was “Grimsby’s Restaurant”.

Letters : Food for thought

Dugin@enterprise.mail.net

So there are are “poorly understood” changes in things that have been microwaved
(“Fast and furious”, 28 February, p 34). Er . . . we eat this
stuff?

Letters : Time lag

Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire

Humans will never be satisfied with the kind of cyberspace visit to the stars
described by Paul Parsons, however good virtual reality gets—such a visit
would not be interactive
(Forum, 21 February, p 49).

Even a cyberspace visit to Mars will suffer from a feedback delay of between
9 and 42 minutes, and unless there is something fundamentally up-the-creek with
our current understanding of the structure of the Universe, there is nothing we
can do about it.

Letters : Hot metal

Perth, Western Australia

It was pleasing to read Jack Chapman pointing out that metal spraying is not new
(Letters, 21 February, p 54).

M. U. Schoop invented the process after he observed the way leads fused
together behind targets. He worked out the weight and velocity of the
projectiles and experimented with tiny particles picked up with compressed air
from pots of molten metal. This led to a technique whereby wires of various
metals were fed through an oxyacetylene flame. The metal droplets were picked up
and sprayed by a sheath of high-velocity air. The kinetic energy in these
particles was converted to heat when they were stopped by a solid object, so
they fused to each other as they landed.

The technique was used in Perth before the Second World War for ornamental
work in the Capitol Theatre and after the war it was extensively used in
high-class engineering and anti-corrosion work. In the hands of a skilled
operator, it is a very useful tool.

Letters : Troubled train

jmcminn@bigfoot.com

How can Feedback
(28 February) be so uncaring? The “aching train” mentioned
on the station noticeboard is obviously in a state of some turmoil and has
managed to subvert the message system at Camden Town to send out a cry for
help.

Shame on you, have you no pity?

Letters : Let diversity thrive

London

Mark Avery’s letter draws attention to the number and diversity of
organisations involved in funding biodiversity research
(Letters, 21 February, p 52).

It is right that a range of different bodies, each with their own operational
and policy responsibilities, including government departments, research councils
and agencies and industry, as well as nongovernmental organisations like the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, should contribute to biodiversity
research.

It has been a central thesis in the development of the Biodiversity Action
Plan that its success depends on all sectors—private, public and
voluntary—playing an active part, and research is no exception. We need a
spectrum of different types of research, including the underpinning science
funded by the research councils, the policy-oriented research usually carried
out by government departments and practical projects—of which so many good
examples can be found in the statutory conservation agencies and NGOs. These
interests would not be best served by a single “body with nationwide
responsibility for funding British biodiversity research”.

The government is committed to partnership and it makes good sense for the
organisation that is lead partner for a particular action plan, or one that
operates a particular agrienvironment scheme, to be responsible for
commissioning the research supporting that action plan or scheme. What we need
is a framework to enable cooperation between research funding agencies and to
provide a mechanism for coordination.

We have already made a start on this. The Joint Nature Conservation
Committee, on behalf of the UK Biodiversity Group, commissioned a review of the
research requirements arising from the Biodiversity Action Plan. The review
established that a high proportion of the practical research needs identified
are being addressed. However, it also identified some gaps and gave pointers to
the way forward. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions
will be working with its key partners—including the RSPB and Natural
Environment Research Council—to agree priorities and share results.

Interestingly, Britain is not alone in facing this issue. An international
workshop hosted by my department in January, to prepare for the review of the
operations of the Biodiversity Convention at the next conference of parties in
May, identified as a key challenge the need for the convention to improve its
scientific underpinning. A strong scientific base is crucial if we are to
address biodiversity depletion successfully, whether at home or abroad.

Letters : . . .

Swindon, Wiltshire

The role of the research councils is to provide underpinning research,
education, training and capability. Research to meet specific government policy
objectives is commissioned by the relevant departments or agencies. Thus it is
not correct to imply that research councils and government departments or
agencies have similar responsibilities for specific research to implement the
Biodiversity Action Plan.

In addition to the core strategic work supported by the Natural Environment
Research Council, the NERC Centres and Surveys carries out commissioned work for
a range of public and private sector customers. Avery’s concern about the
research requirements for the Biodiversity Action Plan should focus on ensuring
that the relevant government departments commission appropriate research from
NERC centres as well as other research providers.

Letters : Wrong fly

Cairns, Queensland

The picture of a bloodsucking mosquito accompanying your article about malaria
(This Week, 28 February, p 15) is eye-catching to the point of
scratching. But New ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ has missed the itch. The mosquito
pictured is not the dreaded anopheles mosquito, the only group of mosquitoes
responsible for vectoring malaria. It is the equally sinister Aedes
aegypti, carrier of yellow fever and dengue.

Perhaps the slip is fortuitous: dengue has emerged as one of the most
significant tropical diseases, with a pandemic now occurring in the world’s
tropical belt.

Letters : Nine-year decade

Aylesbury, Bucks

The recent “is it 2000 or 2001?” debate
(Letters, 14 February, p 51) reminds
me of a story about an autistic person who had a talent for naming the day of
the week upon which a date fell—any date, past or future.

This person was asked, “Does the new century start in 2000 or 2001?”

“2000,” he replied.

“How is this so, since the first year was 1?”

“The first decade only had 9 years,” he replied. And hence, we deduce, the
first century had 99 years, and the first millennium was only 999 years in
length. But from then onwards, everything has the correct “decimalised” quantity
of years, and we can celebrate years with neat round numbers with conviction.

This correspondence is now closed—Ed

Letters : From small beginnings

Arlington, Virginia

Jeff Hecht’s article expressed concerns about shrimp farming, but failed to
report the positive aspects also presented at the recent meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science
(This Week, 21 February, p 11). It is
true that shrimp farmers made some early mistakes, not unlike the growing pains
of any new industry. However, they have advanced considerably.

They have learnt that it makes no ecological or economic sense to destroy
mangrove forests. First, these areas are not well suited for shrimp farming,
because the elevation is too acidic for productive shrimp ponds. Also, mangrove
forests benefit shrimp farming by purifying coastal waters used to replenish the
ponds. Shrimp farmers have developed a Code of Practice for Mangrove Protection,
and satellite imagery has shown that mangrove forests are already increasing in
some shrimp-producing regions.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization consultative meeting on 11 December
1997 in Bangkok, Thailand, concluded that “sustainable shrimp culture is
practised and is a desirable and achievable goal that should be pursued”. In
this spirit, shrimp farmers are working together to develop best management
practices to ensure that the delicate balance between human development and the
environmental health of our resources is not disturbed.

Shrimp farming is changing rapidly from its semi-wild origins to modern
animal husbandry complete with domesticated lines, pathogen-free stocks, and
highly efficient, environmentally friendly production systems. It is generating
$6 billion in revenue at the farm level and providing thousands of jobs
in some of the world’s poorest countries. Technological advances are rapidly
improving efficiency and environmental compatibility. The real news in this
young industry is its rapid progress and bright future.

Letters : Repellent peril?

New Delhi, India

Debora MacKenzie’s report says that phthalates added as plasticiser to PVC
may cause testicular cancer
(This Week, 24 January, p 13).

Phthalate derivatives (such as dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate and
N-butyl phthalimide) are common constituents of mosquito repellents sold in
India. Repellent is applied to the skin in very high concentrations or even
undiluted. Is there any information on the possible cancer risks of these
substances?

Letters : Intrusive insurers

House of Commons London SW1A 0AA

Just before Christmas the Human Genetics Advisory Commission recommended a
two-year moratorium on the insurance industry’s use of genetic tests
(This Week, 3 January, p 10).
Before the ink was dry, the Association of British Insurers
(ABI) rode roughshod over this recommendation. Their new Code of Practice allows
members to ask individuals if they have taken certain genetic tests and for the
results.

My advisory group of scientists, which includes experts working at the
cutting edge of genetic engineering at the Norwich Research Park, and I are
unanimous in our opposition to the use of genetic tests by the insurance
industry. We fear that this will lead to discrimination, and that it will deter
people from taking tests which could have resulted in better prophylactic
measures and earlier and better treatments. Future research efforts, which may
one day save lives, may also be jeopardised.

The ABI’s code now permits insurance companies to use the results of some
single-gene tests. Only a few companies have failed to fall into step with the
ABI, and have pledged not to ask applicants for the results of any genetic
tests.

There should be legislation to prevent all insurance companies from
compelling an applicant to take a genetic test and from using the results of
these tests. This is already the practice in some European countries and in some
states in the US. The use of genetic tests is an unnecessary intrusion on
personal privacy because enough information to assess risk can be gleaned from
an individual’s family history— a practice that we have lived with for
many years.

Breakthroughs in modern science, which can deliver many benefits to society
and the health of individuals, should be used appropriately. Without the right
to privacy, confidence in the new science will be undermined. That is why I
would like anyone to write to me if they consider that they have suffered unfair
or unacceptable discrimination by the insurance industry as a result of taking a
genetic test. I would also like to hear from anyone who considers that they have
suffered similar discrimination at the hands of their employers.