Nowhere responded fast enough to covid-19
While New Zealand may claim some credit for the relatively early closure of its borders, it was still too slow (27 June, p 11). Nearly a month passed between the country’s first known infection and lockdown. That isn’t good enough.
快猫短视频s had been warning of a covid-type pandemic for more than a decade. Borders should have been closed by the start of February at the latest. If countries had acted more courageously, most domestic economies would have largely continued to function. Now we see Western leaders trying to absolve themselves from responsibility for their own failures by blaming China.
Broadband for all will help us travel less
Corinne Le Qu茅r茅 misses an important option in her advice to the UK government on how to use the economic stimulus required after the lockdown to encourage the shift to a net-zero society (4 July, p 36). As well as the electric cars and bikes that she mentions, lockdown has shown that choosing not to travel is possible. As such, some of the investment might be better used towards full-fibre broadband for all homes and businesses.
Many factors decide a nation's virus outcome
You report that Scotland could eliminate the coronavirus if it weren’t for England (4 July, p 8). There are many reasons why the experience of covid-19 has differed regionally in the UK. To take just one example, overcrowding has been shown to be a big issue. Scotland has the lowest population density of the countries in the UK at about , whereas is about 430.
When you look at regional figures for each region, it is clear that rural areas have fared better than cities throughout the UK, irrespective of which government they fell under and which set of lockdown rules were in place.
As we get closer, so the queues will get shorter
Peter Borrows wonders what will happen with the move to 1-metre social distancing as the lockdown is lifted (Letters, 4 July). Here is one simple answer: the dole queues will get shorter.
Our laws might not apply in the next universe up
It would be satisfying to be able to dismiss the idea that we are living in a simulation, as earlier letters have, using the argument that it would require unfeasible amounts of energy to run (Letters, 4 July). Yet I am not entirely convinced. If our reality is a simulation, then the laws of physics that we perceive may well be part of that simulation too.
We can’t know the laws that apply in the “next universe up”, so the inhabitants of that universe could, for all we know, have ready access to sufficient energy to run the simulation 鈥� if energy is even a meaningful concept there.
Our laws might not apply in the next universe up (2)
The energy-related arguments that we don’t live in a simulation created by an advanced civilisation hold true if the simulating entities are also in a three-dimensional existence.
However, what about higher dimensions? Up to 10 are postulated under superstring theory, for instance. Denizens of higher dimensions could be free of the energy constraints we face, so could have the resources required to simulate our 3D universe.
Tangled family tree may have other explanations
You describe a Stone Age man buried in Ireland whose parents were either siblings or parent and child, and hypothesise that this might indicate the social sanctioning of incestuous marriages in this community (27 June, p 18).
Isn’t it far more likely, if somewhat sadder, that this man’s mother experienced sexual abuse by her father or brother, resulting in a baby that was then presumed to be the child of her husband? Such things are known to happen, but the social sanctioning of incest is extremely rare.
To stop a hurricane, just summon the US navy
Michael Assuras suggests that hurricanes could be stopped by injecting cool air from an aircraft (Letters, 4 July). When I was studying thunderstorm electrification, I was lucky enough to spend time at New Mexico Tech, where the institution’s president 鈥� astrophysicist Stirling Colgate 鈥� talked to me about hurricane suppression.
Hurricanes gain energy from the warm oceans they pass over. His idea was to overturn the ocean in the path of the storm to bring up cooler water. He calculated that it was possible, but would need all of the US navy’s ships to do it.
Fusion needs to try many different approaches
I have watched the pursuit of fusion power for more than 50 years (13 June, p 30). However, the current approach begs a question. Half the world’s population is funding one giant fusion experiment 鈥� ITER 鈥� that was designed decades ago. It relies on just one proposed fuel and is projected to cost about 鈧�20 billion and rising, with to inspire a power plant that will generate electricity by 2050.
Rather than putting all our eggs in one basket, wouldn’t it be better to fund 100 experiments with up to 鈧�100 million each instead?
Thanks for more than 60 years of inspiration
Congratulations on 快猫短视频 winning Consumer Magazine Brand of the Year at the Professional Publishers Association awards. I remember, while still at school, reading the issue in 1957 printed on a blue ink background. Since then, I have read many issues, often for free after persuading physics students to subscribe while I was a teacher.
For the record 鈥� {25 July 2020}
The estimated number of people who have contracted coronavirus in the UK according to SeroTracker is 5.13 per cent (20 June, p 10).
The source of the cholera outbreak that John Snow identified wasn’t the water pump handle, but the water being pumped (6 June, p 54).