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Value for money
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of process that eventually led to energy-generating mitochondria in eukaryotic cells, as Lane rightly states “a lot of difficult co-adaptation” is required. So if another lineage of complex cells were to evolve when there was already a well-adapted lineage, the new arrival would probably be outcompeted and become extinct. Would this not prevent more than one lineage enduring, just as we observe? Could similar reasons also explain why life on Earth only appears to have arisen once? Canberra, ACT, Australia The editor writes: n It is possible, but there are reasons to think it unlikely. Bacteria thrive without mitochondria, and some complex cells have lost theirs, evolved alternative energy generating organelles called hydrogenosomes instead, or gained entirely new endosymbionts – outside organisms that are absorbed and become a functioning part of the cell, all without wiping out the competition or being wiped out themselves. There is even an amoeba that has acquired new “chloroplasts” in a separate event from all other plants. The origin of life is a different matter: early examples would have consumed the “soup” of organic molecules, forever changing the original conditions that gave rise to life.
It’s complex From John Campion As observation and much psychological research show, contrary to Philip Penton’s letter (7 July, p 31), not everyone cheats. The strength of people’s moral code varies hugely. It is this that is interesting and needs understanding. And, when I consider the complex and changing nature of my political beliefs and the
various circumstances that determine how I act, I do not feel that the crude, broad-brush research that was outlined on the same page by David Flint’s letter gets us far in understanding our value judgements. Linch, Hampshire, UK
Value for money From Niall Litchfield In your editorial (7 July, p 5) you assume that the $1 million it would take to keep an asteroidspotting telescope going for five more years is good value. Almost certainly, the expected number of lives saved by the $1 million spent on planetary defence would be dwarfed by the same amount spent on, for example, clean, reliable water supplies in African or South American slums. Worthing, West Sussex, UK
misery inflicted, the idea of surgery does have its appeal. London, UK
Trust is gone From David Flint John Sulston writes in his letter “the Rio declaration appears to agree so little”, later stating “we must trust [world leaders] to
From David Evans Your story on an insulin pill (23 June, p 20) states that it could spell the end for “painful injections”. In Australia, diabetes educators have for years taught good injecting techniques. It takes a truly clumsy person to make an injection hurt. Far too many parents teach their children terror of needles, syringes and injectables. Kensington, Victoria, Australia
deliver our future” (7 July, p 30). For 20 years we have watched world leaders duck, dive, obfuscate and lie whilst governments and corporations trash the planet in the name of profit and prosperity. We are now much closer to a tipping point that will produce catastrophic climate change. Indeed, as Stephen Battersby reports on page 32 of the same edition, climate change is already producing more extreme weather than predicted. As we walk towards the abyss, the last thing we owe to those who have led us here is trust. London, UK
Ball breaker
Mind over body
From Richard Glover In his letter, Richard Wilson suggests a more humane way of controlling the testosteronefuelled excesses of investment bankers than by castration (30 June, p 30). However, when you consider the damage done to economies worldwide by their greed and recklessness, and the resulting
From Dewi Jones Controlling robots with our minds through an fMRI scanner may offer hope for disabled people and those with locked-in syndrome (7 July, p 19). But wouldn’t it be better to link two humans in that way – for one to embody another? In places where skilled surgeons are not to be had, surgical robots may not be any use, but instead
This won’t hurt
surgeons could inhabit other doctors or even nurses, to perform vital and difficult operations. Above all, we may learn what it is like to be somebody else. Or how about inhabiting virtual bodies in virtual worlds. Then no one would have to be locked-in ever again. Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, UK
Tinted view From Marshall E. Deutsch Jeff Hecht discusses the possible benefit of being exposed to less blue light at night and more by day, and suggests varying the light sources to which we are exposed (30 June, p 42). This may be an ideal solution, but since light receptors are in the eyes, a far less expensive and more easily achievable way would be to wear appropriately tinted spectacles at different times of the day. Sudbury, Massachusetts, US The editor writes: n Night-time amber glasses, which cancel out blue wavelengths, are on the market.
Docs take note From John Watson Your special report on the treatment of lung cancer (30 June, p 6) is very illuminating. The UK’s National Health Service will be neglecting its duty if it does not ensure that this is drawn to the attention of all its chest specialists, oncologists and GPs. Darlington, County Durham, UK Letters should be sent to: Letters to the Editor, New Scientist, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8NS Fax: +44 (0) 20 7611 1280 Email: [email protected] Include your full postal address and telephone number, and a reference (issue, page number, title) to articles. We reserve the right to edit letters. Reed Business Information reserves the right to use any submissions sent to the letters column of New Scientist magazine, in any other format.
21 July 2012 | NewScientist | 31
of process that eventually led to energy-generating mitochondria in eukaryotic cells, as Lane rightly states “a lot of difficult co-adaptation” is required. So if another lineage of complex cells were to evolve when there was already a well-adapted lineage, the new arrival would probably be outcompeted and become extinct. Would this not prevent more than one lineage enduring, just as we observe? Could similar reasons also explain why life on Earth only appears to have arisen once? Canberra, ACT, Australia The editor writes: n It is possible, but there are reasons to think it unlikely. Bacteria thrive without mitochondria, and some complex cells have lost theirs, evolved alternative energy generating organelles called hydrogenosomes instead, or gained entirely new endosymbionts – outside organisms that are absorbed and become a functioning part of the cell, all without wiping out the competition or being wiped out themselves. There is even an amoeba that has acquired new “chloroplasts” in a separate event from all other plants. The origin of life is a different matter: early examples would have consumed the “soup” of organic molecules, forever changing the original conditions that gave rise to life.
It’s complex From John Campion As observation and much psychological research show, contrary to Philip Penton’s letter (7 July, p 31), not everyone cheats. The strength of people’s moral code varies hugely. It is this that is interesting and needs understanding. And, when I consider the complex and changing nature of my political beliefs and the
various circumstances that determine how I act, I do not feel that the crude, broad-brush research that was outlined on the same page by David Flint’s letter gets us far in understanding our value judgements. Linch, Hampshire, UK
Value for money From Niall Litchfield In your editorial (7 July, p 5) you assume that the $1 million it would take to keep an asteroidspotting telescope going for five more years is good value. Almost certainly, the expected number of lives saved by the $1 million spent on planetary defence would be dwarfed by the same amount spent on, for example, clean, reliable water supplies in African or South American slums. Worthing, West Sussex, UK
misery inflicted, the idea of surgery does have its appeal. London, UK
Trust is gone From David Flint John Sulston writes in his letter “the Rio declaration appears to agree so little”, later stating “we must trust [world leaders] to
From David Evans Your story on an insulin pill (23 June, p 20) states that it could spell the end for “painful injections”. In Australia, diabetes educators have for years taught good injecting techniques. It takes a truly clumsy person to make an injection hurt. Far too many parents teach their children terror of needles, syringes and injectables. Kensington, Victoria, Australia
deliver our future” (7 July, p 30). For 20 years we have watched world leaders duck, dive, obfuscate and lie whilst governments and corporations trash the planet in the name of profit and prosperity. We are now much closer to a tipping point that will produce catastrophic climate change. Indeed, as Stephen Battersby reports on page 32 of the same edition, climate change is already producing more extreme weather than predicted. As we walk towards the abyss, the last thing we owe to those who have led us here is trust. London, UK
Ball breaker
Mind over body
From Richard Glover In his letter, Richard Wilson suggests a more humane way of controlling the testosteronefuelled excesses of investment bankers than by castration (30 June, p 30). However, when you consider the damage done to economies worldwide by their greed and recklessness, and the resulting
From Dewi Jones Controlling robots with our minds through an fMRI scanner may offer hope for disabled people and those with locked-in syndrome (7 July, p 19). But wouldn’t it be better to link two humans in that way – for one to embody another? In places where skilled surgeons are not to be had, surgical robots may not be any use, but instead
This won’t hurt
surgeons could inhabit other doctors or even nurses, to perform vital and difficult operations. Above all, we may learn what it is like to be somebody else. Or how about inhabiting virtual bodies in virtual worlds. Then no one would have to be locked-in ever again. Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, UK
Tinted view From Marshall E. Deutsch Jeff Hecht discusses the possible benefit of being exposed to less blue light at night and more by day, and suggests varying the light sources to which we are exposed (30 June, p 42). This may be an ideal solution, but since light receptors are in the eyes, a far less expensive and more easily achievable way would be to wear appropriately tinted spectacles at different times of the day. Sudbury, Massachusetts, US The editor writes: n Night-time amber glasses, which cancel out blue wavelengths, are on the market.
Docs take note From John Watson Your special report on the treatment of lung cancer (30 June, p 6) is very illuminating. The UK’s National Health Service will be neglecting its duty if it does not ensure that this is drawn to the attention of all its chest specialists, oncologists and GPs. Darlington, County Durham, UK Letters should be sent to: Letters to the Editor, New Scientist, 84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8NS Fax: +44 (0) 20 7611 1280 Email: [email protected] Include your full postal address and telephone number, and a reference (issue, page number, title) to articles. We reserve the right to edit letters. Reed Business Information reserves the right to use any submissions sent to the letters column of New Scientist magazine, in any other format.
21 July 2012 | NewScientist | 31