Search

This article discusses the breathing mechanisms of ancient marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. The author explains that these reptiles, like modern whales and dolphins, had land-living ancestors and gave birth to live young at sea. Fossils have provided evidence of well-developed fetuses inside the mother's ribcage, suggesting that these reptiles did not lay eggs onshore like turtles and crocodiles. While the fossils do not show internal organs, it is assumed that these reptiles had lungs and needed to come to the surface to breathe air, similar to modern marine mammals. The article also includes perspectives from other readers on this topic. [Extracted from the article]

At some time, and in some environmental circumstances, apes and frogs with smaller tails did better than those with bigger tails. NicoleKeshav Cambridge, UK Apes and frogs have vestigial tails in the embryonic stages. Why do almost all vertebrates have tails, even when they don't seem useful, but apes and frogs don't?. [Extracted from the article]

Buzzing off If an ant or a bee ends up far from its colony (perhaps by artificial means such as a car or a plane), what will happen to it? The search turns successful when the bee or ant encounters a location from which it recognises the general direction to its home. Ants and honeybees remember their surroundings. [Extracted from the article]

Spencer Weart Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, US In a large sample of photos, sunsets will, on average, be redder than sunrises because, on average, the air holds more moisture after the warmth of the day. Sundowner Is it possible to distinguish sunrise from sunset from an image (i.e. with no knowledge of the direction in the sky or time of day, and in a time frame with no discernible solar motion)? Pat French Telford, Shropshire, UK To blow a candle out, your breath has to be sudden so that the blast of air carries the hot, burning gas away from the fuel-soaked wick. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a collection of letters from readers published in New Scientist. The topics discussed include the measurement of sleep duration using smart devices, the origin of life on Earth and the possibility of panspermia, the concept of pixelated space-time and its implications for understanding the multiverse, observations of animal behavior, the suitability of heat pumps for Victorian homes, the need to prevent contamination between Earth and Mars, the natural occurrence of emulsifiers in food, and the proposed name for the opening chapter of the Anthropocene epoch. The letters come from various locations including the UK, Australia, and the US. [Extracted from the article]

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues on topics including empathy among people with autism, the big bang theory and the layout of the QWERTY keyboards.

Several letter to the editor are presented in response to articles on topics including the advantages of driveless cars, the detection of gravitational waves and the role of seminal fluid proteins in manipulating female behavior which are published in the previous issue.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including an interview with surfer Bob Brewin, and another on building nuclear power stations on coasts in the November 28, 2015 issue, one on universal basic income in the October 3, 2015 issue.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles from previous issues, including "Giant leap, tiny rock" from the November 26, 2011 issue, an article on dietary salt by Graham Lawton from the December 3, 2011 issue, and an interview with Fiona Stewart from the October 8, 2011 issue.