Letters: Dec. 12, 2005

The Most Amazing Inventions of 2005

Our annual roundup of the best new products and technological innovations prompted readers to share their excitement about the cool things that await them in the future--maybe even under the Christmas tree. Some were troubled by the ethical implications of the cloned dog Snuppy

I truly enjoyed your selection of the best new inventions [Nov. 21]. I liked the ENV hydrogen-powered motorcycle and the Shift tricycle, whose rear wheels move closer together at higher speeds and separate for balance at slower ones. But I was most impressed by the LifeStraw [a drinking tube with powerful filters that can prevent waterborne infections that kill millions of people in the developing world]. I've traveled to areas where clean water is not a given, so I can appreciate the LifeStraw's value. Thank you for opening eyes around the world to this wonderful device.

RATHIKA RAMADOSS Gallup, N.M.

Congratulations on "The Most Amazing Inventions of 2005." Your package on new ideas, gadgets and gifts has become another eagerly anticipated feature, like your annual Person of the Year. Thanks for keeping TIME a leader.

JIM TRACY Denver, Colo.

Snuppy, the dog cloned by South Korean scientists, was a disturbing choice for TIME's Invention of the Year. The cloning of mammals has an extremely low success rate, and experience suggests that Snuppy may later suffer debilitating illness. The purpose of the Snuppy experiment is clearly to put a cuter, more approachable face on the use of cloning technologies in humans. While there are people who might approve of the use of more than 100 canine egg donors and 123 surrogate mother dogs to get one viable clone, I and many others consider this "invention" a cynical public relations stunt.

JAYDEE HANSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT Washington

I was a bit unnerved by your referring to Snuppy as an invention. The cloning technique is remarkable, without a doubt, but I believe it is wrong to classify a cloned creature as an invention. Doing so somehow implies that a clone is different and inferior to other living creatures merely because the method of creation has changed. A clone is just another member of its species.

LAURA WHITE Folsom, Calif.

Your list of inventions left me yawning. There weren't any great breakthroughs to dazzle the imagination. Many of the items were trivial. It's not TIME's fault that the year didn't see the introduction of something fantastic. From the standpoint of new technology, it was a very dull year.

LOU VARRICCHIO Middlebury, Vt.

Mourning the Dead

"Honor After the Fall," your photo essay on Marine Major Steve Beck and his mission of notifying families of the loss of a loved one in Iraq [Nov. 21], was one of the most powerful and poignant stories I've ever read in TIME. I wiped away tears trying to imagine the pain and loss felt by the families of the fallen. I was also struck by the professional and compassionate way in which Beck notified and supported those families. I respect and admire him for performing that incredibly difficult but sadly necessary assignment.

WALTER (SKIP) WILSON Irving, Texas