Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Letters archive

Join the conversation in Âé¶¹´«Ã½'s Letters section, where readers can share their thoughts and opinions on articles and see responses from experts and enthusiasts across a range of science topics. To submit a letter, please see our terms and email letters@newscientist.com


17 September 2025

At least human drivers are capable of empathy

From Matthew Stevens, Sydney, Australia

As a cyclist who has ridden in many cities and countries over the decades, I have learned not to trust any driver. But I have to disagree with Matt Sparkes in his hope that AI-controlled vehicles might reduce danger on the road. Drivers instinctively recognise me as a fellow human. There is no way an …

17 September 2025

When you can't hear the bleeps anymore

From Elizabeth Schiralli, Wellsville, New York, US

I have just read your review of Clamor , a book about noise issues. It mentions the problem with medics not hearing the beeps from hospital machines after a while. I have a daughter with type 1 diabetes. She doesn't hear the beeping related to blood glucose sensors coming from her phone anymore. After spending …

17 September 2025

It is hard being allergic to cheese but not milk

From Keith Appleyard, London, UK

I greatly appreciated your article on lesser-known food allergens. For some 70 years, I have experienced heart palpations and projectile vomiting when I eat cheese, but I don't have an adverse reaction to milk or yogurt. As cheese doesn't appear separately on the UK Food Standards Agency's list of allergens that must be highlighted on …

17 September 2025

Right to free internet may cost more than thought

From Sam Edge, Ringwood, Hampshire, UK

I understand Merten Reglitz's argument that internet access should become a human right. However, spending the best part of half a trillion dollars on this wouldn't automatically give people access to clean water, enough food, basic healthcare or the means to make a decent living to pay for these things, which they might consider a …

17 September 2025

An answer for those who equate natural with better

From Dyane Silvester, Arnside, Cumbria, UK

It is very refreshing to read Sophie Attwood's comments around the (often unwarranted) assumption that "natural" materials are automatically better than "modified" or "synthetic" versions. My response to people telling me that something is "totally natural" in this context has always been: "So is arsenic, but it's still going to kill you( 30 August, p …

17 September 2025

Many types of infinity are lurking out there (1)

From Guy Cox, Sydney, Australia

Your article on infinity deals with very large and very abstruse concepts of it. But what about smaller, everyday infinities? The number pi is something we use often enough, but it can only be expressed accurately with an infinite series of digits. This doesn't make it large – we all know that 4 is a …

17 September 2025

Many types of infinity are lurking out there (2)

From Ross Hawkins, Logan City, Queensland, Australia

Could it be that the number zero is another infinity? Does a perfect vacuum exist? Does absolute zero temperature really exist? It seems to me that both the physical and the mathematical worlds are bounded by at least two infinities.

17 September 2025

A way to avoid being taken for granted

From Jane Pearn, Selkirk, Scottish Borders, UK

Regarding David Robson's piece on how bosses tend to exploit their loyal employees: in my career in the National Health Service, I often worked with newly qualified therapists who didn't feel they could say no to anything managers asked and were in danger of early burnout. I advised them to say: "Yes, I'd love to …

17 September 2025

How to solve the rare-earth mineral problem

From John Kitchen, Kettering, Northamptonshire, UK

Almost all of the problems with the mining of minerals vital to renewable technologies like electric cars can be solved by newer technologies: zero-rare-earth magnets, zero-rare-earth electric motors, zero-lithium supercapacitors( 23 August, p 36 ). The only remaining requirement will be copper. It is even possible that a form of carbon could replace copper in …

17 September 2025

For the record

Jupiter's moon Ganymede could be used to detect large dark matter objects, which are likely to be composed of many particles ( 23 August, p 8 ).

Issue no. 3561 published 20 September 2025

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop