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Colin Barras describes the mysterious prevalence of "surfer's ear" in skeletons found at the Stone Age village at Körtik Tepe in Turkey ( 9 June, p 8 ). Some were as young as 6. I find it hard to accept the idea that many people in the village engaged in prolonged leisure activities in the …

I suggest that the archaeologists who found "surfer's ear" at the Körtik Tepe site look for evidence of metal-working in and around the village. A possible reason for frequent diving into a cold river may have been to hunt placer gold nuggets, rather than fish. A few days' walk from Körtik Tepe, there are gold-bearing …

Nick Hunn describes the myriad pricing plans specified for smart meters in the UK (Letters, 16 June ). I was one of many experts the UK government collected to advise it on the introduction of smart meters. I was also a member of a body advising the European Commission, the only "demand side" representative alongside …

Physiology lectures in the 1960s referenced 'Standard Man'... race not specified Sue Perrin wishes things had moved on when it comes to including black men, say, in medical trials ( 30 June, p 15 )

Let us hope that the process to produce hydrocarbons by feeding carbon dioxide to artificial enzymes can be scaled up economically ( 2 June, p 17 ). Presumably it will be "powered" by low-grade heat. It would be perfect to site such a facility next to a brewery, winery, distillery or pharmaceutical plant. All these …

I was surprised to read you suggesting that plastic bags might do more environmental damage than cotton ones (Leader, 16 June ). For me, the primary and most urgent objection to plastic is not so much in its production but in the enormous and harmful effects of its waste, which (unlike cotton) survives and accumulates …

You quote musician Rick Beato saying that perfect pitch is "a tremendous advantage" ( 9 June, p 14 ). But what all musicians need is relative pitch – that is, accurate perception of the intervals between notes. If a musician's absolute pitch does not conform to the actual pitch of the instruments they are playing …

You call for us to see sweetness in football's disorder (Leader, 16 June ). As a lifelong sports participant and enthusiast, recognised for services to motorsport, and with a great interest in physics, I take exception. Objecting to the VAR (video assistant referee) system is tacitly approving cheating in sport. And cheats only cheat themselves, …

Sam Wong reports research into fur seals' sleep and mentions the hypothesis that REM sleep serves to warm up the brain ( 16 June, p 16 ). This should be easy to test. If warming is important, a given animal should have more REM sleep in a colder environment than in a hot one. It …

Alice Klein highlights the wide range of issues associated with the production of clothing, from plastics to pesticides, chemicals energy and water ( 16 June, p 22 ). One unequivocal fact, however, is that less is better. The fewer clothes people buy, the fewer resources are consumed in their production. The fashion industry will struggle …