Letters.Turn on the bubble machine Regarding "Besieged be·siege tr.v. be·sieged, be·sieg·ing, be·sieg·es 1. To surround with hostile forces. 2. To crowd around; hem in. 3. tadpoles send chemical alert" (SN: 6/12/99, p. 375), how can two chambers separated by a screen that allows water to pass freely be acoustically separated? Since water conducts sound about 4 times better than air, I presume the tadpoles could hear each other quite well. Even something as subtle as a slightly elevated heart rate could be enough to alarm other members of a group. Ammonium in the water might be a byproduct by·prod·uct or by-prod·uct n. 1. Something produced in the making of something else. 2. A secondary result; a side effect. Noun 1. of a fear reaction. Many species, including humans, will eliminate waste in extreme situations. Charles McAlexander New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , N.Y. Study author Joseph Kiesecker says that during the trials, all tanks had active airstones that would have made it highly unlikely that any sound produced by the tadpoles could have exceeded the background level. "Our conclusion that the signal is chemical in nature is further supported by the results of experiment two and experiment three," he adds. "Experiment two clearly shows that tadpoles release ammonium when disturbed, and experiment three shows that receiver tadpoles respond to ammonium with antipredator behavior." --S. Carpenter Give germs their due The article "Lead and bad diet give a kick in the teeth" (SN: 6/26/99, p. 405) doesn't acknowledge the real pathology at the root of dental caries caries or tooth decay Localized disease that causes decay and cavities in teeth. It begins at the tooth's surface and may penetrate the dentin and the pulp cavity. , a bacterial disease. Streptococcus mutans Streptococcus mu·tans n. A species of Streptococcus associated with the production of dental caries. species have been shown to be the commonest etiologic agents of caries. The article implies that lead alone could be the cause of decay. The study really focuses on a way to modify the host response to resist the pathological process, which will occur despite the elimination of lead's effect. Thomas W. Ruprecht Marquette, Mich. Gas pains I was disgusted by the thumbs-up attitude in "Good-bye to a greenhouse gas" (SN: 6/19/99, p. 392). Haven't we learned by now that these quick fixes usually come back to haunt us? What a change it would be if we put $29 million toward solutions that have a chance of working: reforestation Reforestation The reestablishment of forest cover either naturally or artificially. Given enough time, natural regeneration will usually occur in areas where temperatures and rainfall are adequate and when grazing and wildfires are not too frequent. , mass transit systems, reduced dependency on fossil-fuel industries. The only thing this project will preserve is the status quo [Latin, The existing state of things at any given date.] Status quo ante bellum means the state of things before the war. The status quo to be preserved by a preliminary injunction is the last actual, peaceable, uncontested status which preceded the pending controversy. for industries at the expense of the taxpayers. As usual, the environment will be the ultimate loser. Kristina Van Wert Arcata, Calif. The article provides the politically correct politically correct Politically sensitive adjective Referring to language reflecting awareness and sensitivity to another person's physical, mental, cultural, or other disadvantages or deviations from a norm; a person is not mentally retarded, but impression that global warming is a threat and that every effort must be made to prevent it. Please inform your readers that all geological, historical, and scientific evidence to date strongly supports the premise that a warmer climate is much more favorable to humankind than a colder climate. Charles R. Hosler Fearrington Village, N. C. While we must commend efforts to deal with the symptom of increasing carbon-dioxide levels in the atmosphere, we cannot let the cause remain neglected. As we approach Y2K See Y2K problem and Y2K compliant. Y2K - Year 2000 , we also approach Y6B (the year the population reaches 6 billion). In the long run, we will have to achieve a stable population that is compatible with a high quality of life for humans and that does not wreak havoc with global ecosystems. Diane W. Young Opelika, Ala. |
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