Another way to solve those pesky paradoxes?
In the article exploring a new way to solve paradoxes, some examples, such as the liar paradox, were shown to be a result of statements being necessarily either true or false (8 January, p 44). The idea of dialetheism was introduced, where a statement may be both true and false at the same time, though it was shown that this can also lead to paradoxes. But the article seemed to be based on a binary logic where everything is true or false (or maybe both).
There are some things that are neither true nor false. This can be because they are qualitative, for example, “快猫短视频 is interesting”, which is true for many people, but possibly not for everyone. Or the statement may be meaningless, for example, “快猫短视频 is zwxrvy”, or indeterminate, for example, “快猫短视频 will still be published in the year 4020″. Allowing statements to be neither true nor false solves the liar paradox, the tolerance paradox and other similar problems.
History shows we should avoid messing up the seas
It is increasingly evident that invasion into ecosystems can have unforeseen global consequences (p 9 18/25 December 2021, and p 56 18/25 December 2021). The articles “Race to start commercial deep-sea mining endangers ecosystems” and “A whiff of the past”, which details the historical decline of marine ecosystems, must surely be evidence enough that no amount of destructive incursion on the deep sea can ever be justified.
For those who believe that Homo sapiens and our consumer goods and economic growth should take priority, invasion into submarine ecosystems will, conveniently, be out of sight and out of mind. As for the long term consequences, no one can know for sure what they will be, but I think they might be catastrophic.
Still convinced calories are the root of obesity
If “we are driven to overeat because we are getting fatter”, as David S. (8 January, p 21) Ludwig argues, where does the fat come from in the first place?
Articles that are meant to challenge or entertain us in this field usually deride calories. I suspect that calories are probably exactly the issue in a final theoretical sense, but that concentrating solely on them to help people lose weight is usually unnecessarily unhealthy, inhumane or ineffective.
Many challenges in engineering a virus
The idea of engineering a benevolent SARS-CoV-2 virus to wipe out an older, more harmful variant is interesting (Letters, 1 January). However, it poses a few challenges.
Engineering a variant that is more transmissible could go hand in hand with improving its ability to invade host cells, with a possible risk of causing a stronger, and more symptomatic, immune response.
Even if engineering a tame and friendly virus were successful, another problem would be genetic mutation. As a virus replicates, mistakes in the genetic code that are favourable are passed on and increase in number. Such mutations could code for a more deadly virus.
Occam's razor is handy, but not a universal tool
Johnjoe McFadden claims that “Occam’s razor isn’t just a tool of science 鈥� it is science” (18/25 December 2021, p 70). This is a cut too far!
Science is imaginative theory-building with careful, innovative experimentation that provides reproducible evidence against which theoretical predictions are measured in order to increase our body of knowledge and our understanding of reality. Occam’s razor is only used if the evidence doesn’t weed out bad theory; it isn’t the whole enterprise.
Costly mission brings a boost here on Earth too
Much has been made of the cost of the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope (11 December, p 36). My antennae came out when I read that the mission was jeopardised by its price ballooning from $500 million to nearly $10 billion.
We didn’t send $10 billion into space. I would be surprised if there is more than a $1 million worth of precious metals, silicon, aluminium and plastic in orbit. The rest of the money went to the people who designed, built, commissioned and fly the instrument.
With that, they bought cars, went to basketball games, improved their houses, donated to charities, shopped at grocery stores, paid taxes and put kids through school. The money is still here. And we got smarter.
Giant word puzzle reveals unknown treasures
Regarding your word search grid of 3312 letters with 155 hidden words (18/25 December 2021, p 43). We have found around 100 elements, but while masses of tin is in evidence, we are still seeking silver and gold.
On the plus side, we have found 11 new elements, four new amino acids and three new particles for the Large Hadron Collider to seek. Quite a triumph.
Reasons to doubt the trees-for-livestock gain
The proposal to replace 20 per cent of pastureland used for beef cattle in the UK with trees is attractive to vegans and initially appears to be environmentally beneficial (11 December 2021, p 9). However, we need to consider various viewpoints.
The land chosen for forestry will, inevitably, be the least agriculturally productive, with the result that UK beef production may not be reduced greatly. If beef output is lowered, experience shows that imports fill the gap. Livestock farming is then moved from the UK, with its strict welfare, animal and human-health legislation, and low food mileage, to less controlled agriculture in other countries.
For the record 鈥� {22 January 2022}
Helen Albert wrote our story on the reliability of preclinical cancer biology research (18/25 December 2021, p 14)
The Cartographers, included in our round-up of sci-fi books for 2022 (1 January, p 33), is published by William Morrow