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If the lambda-CDM model of the universe doesn't seem to be working, perhaps the reason is that one of its assumptions is wrong: that the distribution of galaxies is a cosmic web. It could equally be a cosmic foam, which would look much the same. The difference would be that the voids contain an active …

The spread of disinformation by social media has the potential to destroy rational thought and judgement. Every child should be taught that consumption and acceptance of demonstrably incorrect information is tantamount to contamination of the most important organ in the body, the brain, with potential negative consequences( 16 September, p 36 ). How to filter …

The fundamental truth is that open, uncensored debate is still the best way to expose and defeat falsehoods.

In your report on the potential for mass deaths in heatwaves provoked by climate change, two experts quoted seem to downplay the risk because "even if it's hot outside, it doesn't mean that it's hot inside" and "all heat-related impacts on human health... are preventable". These are true to an extent, but fail to account …

Of course we need to be concerned about hotter conditions, but we should be more worried about another facet of climate change. It seems to be generally accepted that 2 metres of sea level rise is unavoidable, yet we don't seem to be fully considering what that will mean, especially for low-lying nations. And will …

Biophobia may stem from many sources. In the 1970s, we became dependent on prepacked food, supermarkets, microwaves and takeaways. In recent years, gardens have become manicured, with conservatories, ornaments, decking and non-native plants – in other words, with little that is truly natural. Horror films often feature a dark, sinister forest or other isolated wild …

Having worked on Emmerdale and other soap operas, I know Chanda Prescod-Weinstein has a point about timescales in such shows making no sense, even if she was exaggerating a bit. I can recall at least one case of a prepubescent cast member vanishing only to be replaced soon after by an actor several years older. …

Thanks to Guy Cox for noting that, 100 years ago, chloroplasts were known to be structures in cells. In my article, I was referring to the state of knowledge in the 1920s and 30s about human cells. Outside the nucleus, the only structures known then were mitochondria, whose function was unknown, and putative Golgi bodies, …

In our report on restoring US prairies ( 16 September, p 41 ), we should have quoted Shannon Eddy, director of the Large-scale Solar Association, on land-use changes on the opening page. In addition, the caption with the Daphne Prairie Preserve image should have referred to a planned solar facility near prairie land outside Mount …

The critique of UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's watering down of climate policies was well received, particularly in conjunction with the interview in the same issue with Simon Sharpe on how to speed up decarbonisation ( p 37 ) ( 30 September, p 13 ). Sunak's stance can be countered with a simple piece of …