AIR Vents (37-2b)
Exhalations from our readers
Subatomic Surprise
I enjoyed the free quarks that were included in your September-October issue. They were a charming surprise.
Dilemma for the Ages
I hope you can help me resolve a dilemma. Last fall I received a letter from the government's Office of Scientific Integrity (OSI) asking me to fill out and file their form by January 15. Being busy and preoccupied as I always am, I forgot about it until January 25 when it resurfaced from the vasty paper depths of my desk top. I them backdated the form, and reset the postage meter to read January 15, and mailed the form to OSI. Did I commit a breach of scientific integrity? I am having trouble sleeping, and await your reply.
Consult a Physician
William Hsiah's remarks about vitamin C and stucco ("The
Biochemistry of Tile Grout") might leave some readers with the mistaken
impression that tile grout is useful in the prevention and treatment of
the common cold.
My laboratory has been investigating the dietary use of industrial cements,
glues, grouts, putties, mortars, and plasters for many years. We have discovered
that most of these substances, tasty as they are, provide little or no
benefit when administered orally. I urge anyone who is planning to add
these items to his diet to first consult a physician.
Food: Fur Thought
To the editor:
The brief history of fur that accompanied William Hsiah's extremely long research report ("The Biochemistry of Tile Grout") was incomplete. Nowhere did it mention the immportant contributions to knowledge made by my father, Dr. Salisbury Titcomb, Sr., during the 1930's and 1940's.
Chercher la 2,5-dihydroxydiethylterephthalate
Sir:
There was an error on page 12 of your January-February issue in the discussion of the steric repulsion of the bromine atoms for the ethoxy groups ("The Biochemistry of Tile Grout"). The accompanying effects are due to the fact that 2,5-dihydroxydiethylterephthalate contains strong hydrogen bonds. There's no mystery about that.
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