Letters archive

Michael Marshall's piece on non-fiction science books that aren't fact-checked had me nodding faster than a windscreen nodding toy. I work as a writer and editor and have been a journalist, so I understand and value objective truth and the importance of fact-checking. If you read Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan (among many …

You suggest that geoengineering is now essential to save the Arctic's ice based on the results of a recent sea ice restoration trial, arguing that "to buy us time and to buttress this delicate habitat from a warming world, geoengineering is probably our only hope" ( Leader, 28 September ). If this were an early-stage …

It seems to me that the free-energy principle (FEP) is little more than a restatement of the principle put forth by chemist Henry Louis Le Chatelier: "If a system is subjected to stress, the system will respond in a manner that tends to mitigate the effect of the stress." I can't see that the fuzzy …

Rowan Hooper's musings on future robot pets brought to mind two things. The first was the Furby, an electronic "pet" developed in the late 90s. It could respond to a variety of inputs with changes to its facial expression and speech. All its abilities were programmed into it and the Furby wasn't connected to outside …

The idea that we should strive to find more effortful leisure pursuits won't suit everyone ( 5 October, p 39 ). Many of us have very physically or mentally effortful jobs and some, sadly, don't particularly enjoy much of that effort. The last thing they need is to feel guilty for decompressing with TV, music, …

I applaud Eric Kvaalen's idea of using solar arrays on the International Space Station as solar sails that might keep it in orbit. Few places would be better suited to testing designs for solar sails. As for the favoured plan to bring down the ISS, I deplore the mindset of those who would scrap a …

The richest 1 per cent of the US population is responsible for more carbon emissions than the entire lowest-income 50 per cent. Your article on this advises more climate policies targeting those responsible for the largest emissions, with inheritance and wealth taxes. But there could be a fairer, clearer way to hit them straight in …

I have three easy tests for whether artificial intelligence has become our scientific equal. It should be able to instigate research, get a paper accepted for publication and, lastly, win, or get nominated for, an Ig Nobel prize. This last task needs an understanding of humour, irony and, sometimes, double entendre ( 19 October, p …