BBC Focus - 04.2020_

CONVERSATION

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BBCScienceFocus, EagleHouse, Colston

Avenue,Bristol,BS14ST

@sciencefocus

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@bbcsciencefocus

CONVERSATION

YOUR OPINIONS ON SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND BBC SCIENCE FOCUS

appearances,atfirst.

However,it is notdifficult

forustomovebeyond

appearances,noris it to

ourdetriment.

It is goodtoknow

sciencecandebunk

malicious,chauvinisticor

reactionarybeliefs.Too

badwecan’tlegislate

acceptance,love and

compassion.

BrianMuldoon,

Washington DC,via email

Tojudgea bookby

itscover

I foundAdamRutherford’s

interview(February,p92)

andpodcastonscience

andracisminteresting– I

didnotknowtherestill

existedpeoplewho

attempttousegeneticsto

justifymistreatmentof

otherhumanbeings.

I realiseallhumans–

probablyallspecies with

vision – react to

themselvesfeelbetter’.Doesit make

peoplefeelbettertobring misery to

innocentbystanders?

Brian Bonner, via email

I wasquiteastoundedbyRonEccles’

suggestion.Inmyopinion,anyone

witha coldorhealthissuethatis

transmittableshouldstayindoors

untiltheyarebetter.Exceptions

beingbackandforthtoa doctororto

buymedicines.Nottoenjoyoneself

andspreadtheillnesstoothers.

Brendan McDermott,via email

I takeissuewithProfEccles’advice

ondealingwitha commoncoldand

hopethatI amnotsittingnearhim

whenhevisitsthe cinema to cheer

himselfup.

Dr Kevin Privett, Cowbridge,via email

Commoncoldsareinfectiousforat

leastsevendaysandadultsget

betweentwotofivecoldsa year.

Infantsandschoolchildrengetmany

more,upto 10 coldsa year.

If adultsweretoavoidcrowded

placessuchaswork,sportsevents,

publictransport,etc.andchildren

werekeptawayfromschoolin

isolationfora weekeverysingle

timetheyhada cold,theworld

wouldcometoa stop.

Ofcourse,withsevereillnesses

suchasinfluenzaandCOVID-19,

self-isolationis intendedto

slowthespreadofinfection

andmaybeeffective.But

coldsaresocommon,andwe

spendsomuchtimein

crowdedplaces,that

isolationtoprevent colds just

doesnotwork.

ProfRonEccles,formerdirector

of the Common Cold Centre

That’sa wraponplastic

VerypleasedtoseethatBBCScience

Focusmagazineis nowmailingin

recyclablepaperenvelopesinstead

ofnon-recyclableplasticfilm.Keep

upthegoodwork,andhopefully

otherpublisherswillfollowsuit!

Tony Manser, Ireland,via email

ThanksTony!SinceJanuary 2020 all

ourmonthlysubscribershave

receivedtheircopyofthemagazine

inpaperwrapping.Thisis thesame

foroursistertitles,suchasBBCSkyAt

NightandBBCHistoryMagazine.

AcrossImmediateMedia,our

publisher,over520,000subscribers

receivetheirmonthlymagazines

mailedinpaper,whichmeansa huge

reductionofmorethan7.7million

piecesofplasticanda savingof

around43.3tonnesofplastica year.

Wearetotallycommittedto

reducingourcarbonfootprint,and

introducingmoreclimatefriendly

products,andwewillcontinue to

drivethisforwardin2020.

Daniel Bennett,Editor

Backat’choo

Onp98( January)youhaveRonEccles

makingthepreposteroussuggestion

thata personwitha coldshould

selfishlyseekouthot,crowded

conditions, such as cinemas, to ‘make

LETTER OF THE MONTH

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WORTH

£