Letters to the Editors, July 2007
On supporting science journalism
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Do You See What I See?
“One has the feeling that Gordon Bell will eventually begin to record his reviewing of his record of his experiences, setting him in an endless loop terminating only when his registers overflow.”
—David Hopp - Durham, N.C.
Colorful Origins
According to “Illusory Color and the Brain,” by John S. Werner, Baingio Pinna and Lothar Spillmann, an object’s color is made relatively stable by the brain despite environmental changes. I am partially color-blind and have observed that when looking at a particular object in natural light, the vividness of its color will be affected by my proximity to it. Furthermore, in my trade as an electrician, I have found that the use of a flashlight shined on color-coded wires at close range assists in their discernment.
—TJ Downey - New Bloomington, Ohio
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
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