Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Letter: Why we all need to think outside the box (2)

Published 1 April 2026

From Sam Edge, Ringwood, Hampshire

I’m not against categorising things, because it helps with understanding, but we need to accept that there will always be things that don’t quite fit the model, rather than trying to force them into one box or another.

From Sam Edge, Ringwood, Hampshire, UK

The debate over whether certain collections of stars should or shouldn’t be called galaxies based upon location, size, shape or dark matter concentration reminds me of the furore when Pluto was “demoted” from planetary to dwarf-planetary status. Taxonomy has its uses, but “galaxy” is just a word, also used to identify a type of chocolate bar in the UK. Get over it!

 

Issue no. 3589 published 4 April 2026

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