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• In our feature about metallic glass (2 April, p 35), we were wrong to say that the first steel glass, which is non-magnetic, was one of the first non-magnetic steels. And contrary to what we wrote, objects made of it would be detectable by radar. In addition, in the film Terminator 2 , the …

By arguing that life can create itself given sufficient time, Erik Foxcroft is confusing a quantitative change with a qualitative one (2 April, p 29). Reducing the intelligent input to the attempts to synthesise life would indeed increase the time required for success, but intelligent input cannot be removed altogether without introducing a qualitative change. …

I imagine there must have been other responses to Jeremy Leggett's essay on the myths created by Michael Crichton around global warming than those by Peter Wilkins and Kim Russell, so perhaps it was not entirely innocent of New Scientist to publish letters which so aptly demonstrate the problems that Leggett draws attention to (5 …

Evolution's greatest inventions? You've missed the one that enabled the development of the eye and the brain (9 April, p 26). Without it we would still be among those slimy things that populated the Precambrian. The system of genes that defines front, back, top, bottom, left and right in organisms and oversees the folding of …

Sepsis is indeed a monster, but it need not be a killer (2 April, p 38). What is so frustrating about it is not that "treatments currently available are inadequate", but that most doctors are not aware that an extremely effective treatment is already available. It is hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and peer-reviewed reports of its …

Contrary to the claims in your cover story regarding the need for gas-filled cavities in the Michelson interferometer (2 April, p 30), the paper first reporting this discovery was by Kirsty Kitto and myself. It was published in Apeiron (vol 10, p 104). Most significantly, the speeds of some 8 kilometres per second from various …

In response to my finding that the herbicide Roundup may be lethal to amphibians (9 April, p 5), Monsanto has created a web page criticising my study at www.monsanto.co.uk/news/ukshowlib.phtml?uid=8800 . Readers may like to know that there is also now a web page that addresses Monsanto's concerns at www.pitt.edu/~relyea/Roundup.html .

I must challenge the concept that adolescence is confined to humans (5 March, p 38). As a breeder of German shepherd dogs for 20 years I have observed the same kinds of changes between the ages of 16 and 22 months. They are well known to all dog breeders. Growth spurts lead to gangly, unsightly …

You report that Sony have applied for a patent for a device that stimulates the brain by ultrasound (9 April, p 10). The Sony spokesperson is quoted as saying: "This particular patent was a prophetic invention." There used to be a word in the computing industry for those types of invention – vapourware.

I was intrigued by the concept of the electronic nose that museums can use to detect fungal attacks on valuable artefacts (2 April, p 42). However, in place of several "e-noses" at £10,000 each, I would like to offer an alternative device. This sensory apparatus has a number of advantages over the e-nose: it can …

Your report on the US's proposed study of the effects of Agent Orange contains comments attributed to me implying something that is not true – that the cancellation of this study was in any way related to the ongoing litigation (19 March, p 7). The study was cancelled solely because 18 months after it had …

There were some interesting figures in your piece on the report from antivirus company Symantec on internet security risks (2 April, p 7). The article seemed to compare new vulnerabilities discovered in a 6-month period for Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser with the total known vulnerabilities in the entire Apple Mac OS X operating system …

Kids take after their same-sex parent in their driving style, according to new research (26 March, p 14). But your article seems to jump to the conclusion that the link is environmental: that kids are watching their parents and imitating them. What makes the researchers think this is not genetically based? One would expect many …

The recent study of the environmental impact of certain genetically modified crops did not give the full picture (26 March, p 6). It only considered the impact on wildlife within the area under consideration and did not take account of differing crop yields. As conventional farms are likely to produce less per hectare than GM …

I appreciate the warnings about the damage that human activity is doing to the planet's ecosystem, but wonder why the issue of population is so seldom mentioned in this connection (2 April, p 8). Even if it is, it is usually just to say that population is expected to rise to 9 billion by 2050. …

Comment on Reproductive Ethics A. C. Grayling predictably asserts the virtues of libertarianism in the field of assisted reproduction (9 April, p 17). But pigeon-holing opposition as a religious minority does no credit to his arguments. The UK House of Commons science and technology select committee did indeed consult broadly on the issues of IVF …