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While viruses themselves evolve, they have also long driven our physical evolution, and the new coronavirus looks set to influence our social evolution too ( 23 May, p 41 ). It has highlighted the fragility of social systems and the dangers posed by present lifestyles. Hopefully the "new normal" will increase our chances of being …

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Oscar Wilde seems to have predicted these confusing times of covid-19. Scientists are searching for the means to forge the way ahead through collaborative and verified research. They admit to the gaps in their knowledge. Yet this doesn't appear to prevent politicians, industrialists and the media from …

Marine algae have undoubtedly brought many benefits to humankind and their cultivation could potentially play a greater role in a more sustainable future, as Michael Marshall describes ( 16 May, p 36 ). Unfortunately, the immense scaling-up of cultivation required to even begin approaching levels that would help prevent climate change will face substantial limitations. …

The premise that people will overeat carbohydrates and fats in a protein-poor but energy-rich food environment is described in your article as a hypothesis ( 23 May, p 30 ). Fair enough, but the end of the piece says that all you need to do to achieve a healthy, satisfying diet is eat enough protein …

It is good and probably useful to detect camouflaged frogs or soldiers with artificial intelligence ( 16 May, p 17 ). But I kept hoping your article would suggest that detecting hidden visual objects might be a good metaphor for detecting camouflaged verbal facts, like the ones that exist in the language of those who …

As pointed out in your analysis of contact-tracing apps, the big question about them is whether or not they will, technically speaking, work well enough ( 25 April, p 9 ). The amount of false positive and false negative contacts might be huge. The article describes a few situations that could lead to incorrect contact …

We are told that cold-causing coronaviruses may once have been as dangerous as the one that causes covid-19, but have weakened under evolutionary pressure ( 23 May, p 41 ). Jonathan R. Goodman's highly informative article also reveals that SARS-CoV-2 isn't evolving much. Perhaps it doesn't have to. It may already have it made. For …

I was saddened to read Michael Brooks's article and Sam Edge's letter in response, both seeming to pit philosophy against mathematics and science, particularly having recently reread Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy ( 2 May, p 40, and Letters, 30 May ). In this book, he highlighted the vital connections between the three disciplines. …

You state that "no nation capable of human space flight has signed the Moon Agreement , effectively rendering it moot ( 30 May, p 14 )." India has signed but not ratified the Moon Agreement, which indicates a statement of intent, if not an obligation in law. It is planning its first crewed mission into …

The Zoological Society of London hasn't yet received any financial aid from the UK government to help it through the pandemic ( 30 May, p 8).