Letters

"A

Twist Of Fate," TIME'S account of James Watson and Francis Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA, was extensive and thorough [THE DNA REVOLUTION, Feb. 17]. I am studying biology in high school, and my textbook gives the impression that Watson and Crick completely deciphered the molecule in no time flat. Learning that they made mistakes at first, as everybody else does, reignited my interest in high school biology.
MICHAEL YEE
Huntington Beach, Calif.

Thanks for putting a human face on gene science and showing that it is not Frankenstein-like experimentation. In a country in which key decision makers rarely understand basic scientific concepts, it was heartening to think that your articles may perhaps educate the people who vote on legislation affecting scientific issues.
NICK KNOWLTON
Pittsburgh, Pa.

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Unlocking the mystery of the DNA molecule opened the doors to understanding some but not all secrets of life. One of the remaining mysteries is how some scientists readily recognize the inherent complexity in the structure and function of DNA and RNA yet still believe all of life came about from chaos by mere chance. Though the probability of that happening is outrageously remote, we scientists who choose to believe in the God of Creation are frequently ridiculed.
PHILLIP A. NICKEL, PH.D.
Grants Pass, Ore.

"The Secret Of Life," Nancy Gibbs' thoughtful overview of how cracking the DNA code has totally changed our lives, raises the journalistic bar for all magazine writers. She made the miracle of gene science appealing to creationists, evolutionists, businessmen and homemakers. Her essay is as beautiful as the structure of the DNA molecule.
DOUGLAS TAIT
Beach Haven, N.J.

Re "Future Visions": As someone who has training in genetics and now works as a minister, I was amazed by the scientists' views on how genetics will have changed the world 50 years from now. Overeating without getting fat? Living for 150 years? How out of touch with reality these "visionaries" are! The poor of the world do not need a map of the genome; they need clean water, food and basic health care. The future your experts describe is one that will be available only to the rich and powerful.
(THE REV.) DANIEL WOLPERT
Crookston, Minn.

Reading your predictions reminded me of the line "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Perhaps, to avoid hubris, we would do well to recall the words of Thomas a Kempis: "Man proposes, but God disposes."
DAVID SWIFT
Pawling, N.Y.

Though it's a challenge to illustrate the microscopic intricacies of the genetic code, some readers reminded us how much trickier it is to depict DNA's outward expression in the human form. "Is that Adam and Eve on the cover?" asked a Minnesotan. "Then those belly buttons have got to go." An "appalled" Missouri man agreed that the image showed too much; he declared it "pornographic." But in anticipation of such a reaction, a reader in El Salvador counseled, "To all those who would complain: the human body is beautiful and nothing to be ashamed of. Lighten up."

Shining Stars of Space

The Columbia disaster was a poignant tragedy for all humanity, and more poignant for me because mission specialist Kalpana Chawla was an American born in India [COVER STORIES, Feb. 10]. It was a great thing that Chawla, having begun life in a male-chauvinistic, small city, became an astronaut. I am sure that when she was young, many people pressured her to forget her dreams and get married. For her to have withstood such pressures while getting a degree in a not so fashionable subject for women as aeronautical engineering, then going to a foreign country and earning a Ph.D. surely tested her strength of mind.
RAMACHANDRAN VENKATARAMAN
Chennai, India

The whole world mourns the deaths of the Columbia astronauts. I suggest that manned spaceflights be suspended. A program that neither feeds the starving nor cures the diseases that afflict humanity requires too steep a price if it can result in the loss of human lives.
RUY MOREIRA DA COSTA
Balneario Camboriu, Brazil

Flying fighter jets is a dangerous profession, but many young people still join the air force. And while being a test pilot means risking your life, lots of flyers still want to become test pilots. Let's hope that the bravery of the Columbia crew will inspire many bright young men and women around the world to undertake future space missions and benefit mankind with their discoveries.
NAVNEET DHAWAN
New Delhi

Columbia's American, Israeli AND Indian crew were representative of all space explorers. As President George W. Bush said, "They go in peace for all mankind, and all mankind is in their debt." The scientific investigations aboard Columbia were designed not for war but for the welfare of humankind. The world needs more, not fewer, peaceful research missions in space.
NAFTALI KADMON
Jerusalem