Â鶹´«Ã½

In your look at the small intestine, you mention that overnight fasting causes the valve between its last section, the ileum, and the colon to close, leading to partially digested food being retained in the ileum. This results in a surge in microbial numbers and in the production of short-chain fatty acids, created by fermentation …

I was interested in your piece on Leonardo da Vinci's "aerial screw" design for a helicopter. The story focused on theoretical modelling showing it could have flown with modern materials and motors. Readers might be interested to learn that in 2022, Austin Prete at the University of Maryland developed a quadcopter in which each rotor …

It was great to see your article on ticks, as I live in a hotbed area. I can add some more advice on avoiding bites. Spray insect repellent on your outer clothing, especially on socks pulled up over your trousers. Remove all outer clothing after going for a walk and either leave it outside or …

Your story mentions that lone star ticks are spreading and are triggering allergies in people to red meat. Perhaps becoming allergic to animal-derived ingredients is a blessing. Many folks know they should go vegan, and itching and blotches can be powerful incentives. PETA published The Lone Star Tick Cookbook: Easy, tasty, vegan bites to help.

The fate of small, isolated bands of ancient Homo sapiens who died out during harsh conditions as they tried to establish a presence in Europe millennia ago reminded me of proposals for colonies on Mars. It seems any foothold there would need a continuous resupply of people, as well as essential supplies, to keep the …

So new research finds Denisovans had very impressive physiques( 28 June, p 10 ). Isn't this proof that sightings of abominable snowpeople and the like are, in fact, remnants of Denisovan communities living happy, untroubled lives away from so-called civilisation?

Lori Marino at New York University featured in our story on orca gifts ( 12 July, p 19 ).

The story on human habitations on Mars that could be built from bioplastics filled me with horror. We have already polluted our own planet with plastics to such an extent that they are found everywhere and in every species. We are now proposing to pollute another world. Not only that, but the algae we end …

From 28 June, p 35

Geoengineering projects are nothing new: mining, coal, oil, etc. have impacts beyond borders and create mounting environmental problems. In the main, these industries are for profit and answer to shareholders. Because of the environmental damage they cause, we may need to consider geoengineering solutions that could have wider impacts too – possibly good, possibly bad. …