Perhaps magnetism helps shape solar systems, too
From Erik Foxcroft, St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK
Stuart Clark’s article on how magnetic fields may have shaped some of the largest structures in the universe was fascinating. I have often wondered about the role these fields might play at a smaller scale(8 October, p 34).
When a new star system is forming, could the magnetic fields in the protoplanetary disc increase the forces between dust particles containing magnetic materials, such as iron and nickel, and help to speed up the formation of planetary cores?
The early balls of dust and rock that clump together would be easily dispersed due to the weakness of their gravitational attraction, but with even a modest magnetic field, those capable of being magnetised would become much harder to pull apart.
Snacking may still be appropriate for some
I appreciate the evidence behind doing so, but isn’t the labelling of snacking as “dangerous” something of a generalisation? For people with certain illnesses, regular, filling snacks can be easier to digest than eating larger meals and can even improve health(Leader, 8 October). I understand that the majority of the population has been focused on, but maybe the benefits of snacking should be discussed, too?
More thoughts on green funerals
Heartfelt sympathies to Graham Lawton, and thanks for his article on eco-burials. My mum has stipulated that she wants ano-frills cremation, as she doesn’t want “them bs” to profit from her death. We can then scatter her ashes approximately where we scattered those of her beloved husband and dog(8 October, p 24).
Personally, I would prefer to compost her, then use her on the veg patch. But sadly, this isn’t an option in the UK – although it is gaining in popularity in the US.
UK energy policy is fit only for Wonderland
Due to the calibre of successive UK governments, it is little wonder that energy bills here are going through the roof and that there may be power cuts this winter. UK energy strategy over the years truly appears to have been formulated at the Mad Hatter’s tea party(15 October, p 9).
It is exasperating that the answer is so simple: our politicians need to have more education, skill and experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Worryingly, it isn’t just our local representatives who lack STEM degrees, but senior ministers and civil servants, too.
Government and the civil service seem dominated by historians and economists, few of whom have worked outside the political bubble. Without STEM knowledge, it is difficult to even frame the right questions, let alone develop a sensible energy strategy.
We need a way to hold politicians to their pledges
Denis Watkins writes that, until UK voters “elect members of parliament who are committed to the environment, little will change”. This is certainly true, but those politicians must be held to their promises. When David Cameron’s Conservative administration was elected in 2010, he pledged it would be “the greenest government ever”. But Cameron didn’t appear to have much lasting enthusiasm for the cause, and his record on environmental issues was feeble(Letters, 15 October).
More tips in the war against sleeplessness (1)
Having read your article on insomnia, I would like to share my own experiments with making lifestyle changes in the hours before bed. Bombarding my mind with the pulsating pixels of a computer game, while consuming red wine and cheese, didn’t lead to a restful night. Enjoying the warm light reflected by the pages of a book, while eating nothing, did(1 October, p 38).
More tips in the war against sleeplessness (2)
Your article is timely, but lacked detail on the role of hormone replacement therapy as a useful treatment for those experiencing low oestrogen during perimenopause and the menopause. There is in such cases.
Down the rabbit hole when it comes to dark matter
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein’s article on her TED talk about dark matter was very interesting. I like the idea, which she mentions, of dark matter being made up of small black holes. If these black holes were composed of antimatter, it would also explain where all the universe’s missing antimatter went (3 September, p 28).
Of course, you may think that regular matter falling into an antimatter black hole would lead to mutual annihilation of both types of matter, causing them to disappear. But how do we know that there would still be a difference between matter and antimatter in a singularity?
The mutually destructive properties of matter and antimatter could be negated before the two get to meet.
Light our streets with shades of red, please
I was interested in the research suggesting that European streetlights are becoming more blue, with all the implications for sleep that this has(24 September, p 20).
Perhaps when replacing inefficient sodium street lamps with new LEDs, we should be using red ones instead of the RGB LEDs that produce this blue-tinged light? They are cheaper to manufacture anyway.
Could we spot elusive matter in another way?
You report that large amounts of dark matter may lurk within Earth, and that it bounces off regular, or baryonic, matter – presumably by gravitational action(8 October, p 17).
Is it possible that the resulting transfer of momentum to baryonic particles might be detectable? The measurements may have to be done at very low temperatures to distinguish this from thermal Brownian motion.