Will global knowledge mean global conformity?
I broadly applaud the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s decision to
launch Open CourseWare, suppressing the cynic in me who recognises its potential
for roping people into expensive updated versions at a later date
(14 April, p 3).
But there is perhaps a disadvantage to the system.
The Darwinian thinking on adaptation is that there is more diversity among
small isolated “islands” than in larger “continents”, which tend more towards
homogeneity. While the benefits of shared information are obvious and laudable,
is it not possible that, inadvertently, MIT might be laying the foundations for
a future “continent of thought” that is narrower and less able to evolve than is
currently the case? Eventually it might grow into a global curriculum without
means or incentive for alternative approaches to exploration or expression.
One cannot help but think of the explosion of thought associated with the
early Christian churches, which was followed by consensus, dogmatism and,
inevitably, the Inquisition.
I don’t put this forward as an argument for abandoning the project, but
simply as a reminder that the solution to one problem may turn out to be the
source of another.
Busy telescopes
I read with interest your article about the proposal by astronomers Ivan
Baldry and Joss Bland-Hawthorn to use polarising filters to reduce glare from
the Moon. However, large optical telescopes do not “sit idle” for 15 nights each
month, as your reporter seems to believe
(14 April, p 11).
Although much fainter objects can be seen in “dark time”, there are many
scientific programmes that can be performed in moonlight, as long as the target
is a fair distance from the Moon in the sky.
For example, during a full Moon the British William Herschel Telescope on La
Palma can observe objects a million times fainter than are detectable by the
human eye on a dark night, using an exposure time of just 30 seconds. So, due to
the overwhelming demand, the facilities are used by astronomers every clear
night. Of course, astronomers need to check that their targets are not actually
behind the Moon when they try to observe them!
Ivan Baldry writes: It is correct that plenty of observations are undertaken
while the Moon is up. For those interested in observing extremely faint objects
(background-limited observing), a polariser could improve imaging during these
bright Moon phases.
Floating breasts
Gillian Bentley proposes that women evolved enlarged breasts so that babies
with shorter faces would not suffocate while feeding
(14 April, p 18). While
this is a possible explanation, cause and effect may have been reversed. Had
women developed enlarged breasts under another, earlier evolutionary pressure,
this would subsequently have allowed shorter faces to evolve.
Drawing on the aquatic ape hypothesis (25 November 2000, p 28), when mothers
fed infants in the relative safety of the water, enlarged breasts would firstly
have kept the nipple clear of the water, and secondly have cushioned it away
from the chest, thus preventing wave motion from dislodging the infant and
interrupting the feed.
Contamination claims
Monsanto’s victory in the Canadian courts, which will force farmers to pay
the corporate giant for any genetically modified crops found growing on their
land, is yet another example of commercial greed triumphing over common sense
(7 April, p 3).
But the judge’s ruling could backfire on Monsanto.
If Monsanto is going to demand compensation from farmers whose land has been
contaminated with GM crops from a neighbouring farm, these farmers might
consider reclaiming their costs by suing the farmer whose GM crop contaminated
their fields. All farmers might then be forced to think twice before planting GM
crops, lest they be bankrupted by such contamination claims. End result: no more
customers for Monsanto’s miracle seeds.
Human origins
Your article on human origins dealt with the two leading models, the
“multiregional model” and “out of Africa”
(14 April, p 26). I write to correct
an impression created by the diagram accompanying the article. It suggests that
separate and isolated populations of Homo erectus evolved independently
into modern Homo sapiens, which is a biological impossibility. Such a
model in no way represents the multiregional model, which emphasises gene flow
between regions.
Letter
The interior cast or “endocast” of the SM3 H. erectus cranium has a
pronounced Broca’s cap, suggesting speech. But it is important to remember that,
as Ralph Holloway himself鈥攐ne of the proponents of this theory鈥攕aid,
“Broca’s caps are corroborative, but beware, as largish ones can be found on
chimpanzee endocasts.” Broca’s caps are not foolproof indicators of
language.
Paint the desert
In your news section you say that choppy seas take the edge off global
warming by reflecting sunlight back into space
(14 April, p 12), but in your
letters page a reader is advocating covering deserts with photovoltaic cells to
generate hydrogen via electrolysis (p 52).
Silicon solar cells are not very efficient. Only 20 per cent of incident
radiation is converted to electricity, a small amount being reflected back into
space and the rest being absorbed and turned into heat. If you compare the
reflectivity of pristine desert with one covered with solar cells, you may well
end up with a net warming effect, even after factoring in the savings in carbon
dioxide emissions from hydrogen fuel use. This is all the more ironic given that
the silicon in solar cells comes from desert sand. A better approach may be to
forget the solar cells and paint the desert white.
Knit one, purl one
Regarding power-generating clothes
(14 April, p 21), the difficulty in
connecting photovoltaic threads to a load would be greatly simplified if the
garment were knitted instead of woven.
A knitted garment uses a single strand of yarn for a full section of the
garment, so you would only need connections at the ends of the strand.
Letter
Regarding the article on photosensitive fibres, the German inventors stand to
clean up if they can develop suitable military camouflage with the photoelectric
properties. This would eliminate much of the need to mobilise heavy generators
and provide adequate covering, since the fabric can be tinted brown and
green.
Train of thought
I was amused by Peter Ayton’s piece on regret
(31 March, p 45). His
description of running for a train reminded me of an elderly couple I saw once
at Victoria railway station. Struggling with suitcases, he was urging her to
hurry. She was telling him to slow down and wait for her.
The inevitable happened and they missed their train by just seconds. His
comment?
“There, if you’d hurried, we’d have caught that train!” Her response? “If
you’d gone more slowly we wouldn’t have so long to wait for the next one!”
Sex and science
Following Katherine Hubbard’s comment about sex and science (14 April, p 52),
as a widower in my 70th year, I can vouch for the fact that when the chemistry
is right, the physics is pretty good too.
Correction
In “Out of the frying pan . . .”
(21 April, p 5)鈥攁 story
about gender-bending chemicals in sunscreens鈥攚e stated: “A study by the
[Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association], not yet published, shows no
effect from these chemicals in rats.”
The CTPA would like to make it clear that it has not carried out, or
commissioned, any tests or studies involving the use of rats or other animals,
and has not claimed to have done so.