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.

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

In all pioneering missions, there is always the risk of a fatal accident. The astronauts of the shuttle Columbia did not die in vain. All seven were blessed with intellectual capacities that focused them and drove them to test the limits of the possible. They realized their dreams when their craft reached outer space. Their trailblazing spirits should strengthen our desire to reach goals that were once thought to be impossible. NICK GIANNIAS Toronto

It is tragic that Columbia is no more, yet it will live on in our hearts and in our indomitable quest to conquer space. Lives have been lost before, and they will be again, but that is the burden all explorers must carry. It is heroic men and women such as the astronauts who inspire our lives in an otherwise mundane world of politics and intrigue. ARJUN ADYANTHAYA Coimbatore, India

The Point of War

How refreshing to read Charles Krauthammer's take on today's troubled situation in the Arab world and his case for America's reforming and reconstructing Iraq [VIEWPOINT, Feb. 17]. Championing the right of other cultures to exist freely is one thing, but to allow a repressive regime to have its way in today's world is inexcusable. The reformation of the Arab world will be a stride forward for humanity. MARIO DI MAGGIO Glasgow

Krauthammer is completely wrong. A war against Iraq has nothing to do with establishing a democracy in the Middle East. Is Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Kuwait a democracy? Not at all. Each of these countries has been dependent on American aid for decades. The war will be about political power, economics, personal revenge and maybe the influence of right-wing evangelism on U.S. foreign policy but not about democracy. WALTER SCHAEFER Frankfurt

Krauthammer hit the nail on the head when he described the desire to reconfigure the Middle East as the reason behind Bush's drive to war. The President's arrogance is breathtaking. It is also telling that the White House does not pitch these imperialistic motives as casus belli but cravenly relies on the pretexts of combatting terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. OSMAN ANWER Toronto

I read with incredulity Krauthammer's claim that antiwar demonstrators have "the historical memory of a gnat," along with his characterization of U.S. foreign policy toward the Arab world as one of having "kept its distance." Krauthammer neglects to mention the key role played by the U.S. in major events in the Middle East--the overthrow of democracy in Iran and the restoration of the Shah, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the Iran-Iraq war and the Gulf War, to name a few. Perhaps it's Krauthammer who has memory problems. ANNA MARIA DIAMANTI New York City

Sending Boys to Battle

I would sincerely like to thank Rick Reilly for his honest piece on the Marines at Camp Lejeune [ESSAY, Feb. 17]. My best friend was stationed there less than three weeks ago, and he is just as scared as the other young men and women with him. War comes at a price--the lives of many brave fighters as well as the spirit of their families and friends. Though the Marines have committed their lives to protecting this country, they are just average human beings, with people waiting and praying for them to come home. I hope this Essay will make others more aware of the seriousness of war and force them to realize that it is perhaps not worth ending so many promising lives. KATHRYN GOSSELIN Manchester, Conn.

On his visit to the marine base in Jacksonville, N.C., did Reilly find only prostitutes, exotic dancers and tattoo artists to speak to? What about all the other residents? A city dedicated to its military members came across as nothing more than hedonistic. I hope he will return later to help us mourn our dead and carry on our tradition of assisting their families. SHERRIE MICKELSON Jacksonville, N.C.

Reilly's essay brought the reality of war into clear focus for me. The preparation for going off to war includes more than packing and saying goodbye to friends and loved ones; there are also such things as making out a will and making peace with God. The dangers facing these brave young Marines are very different from those of wars past. They have good reason to be apprehensive. Regardless of how one feels about war, the men and women serving in our military need and deserve our respect, support and prayers. DORIS STINE Lawrence, Kans.

Lock 'em Up!

TIME quoted Howard Coble, Republican Congressman from North Carolina and the head of a homeland-security subcommittee, as saying it was not wrong to intern Japanese Americans during World War II because "some probably were intent on doing harm to us" [NOTEBOOK, Feb. 17]. Using the same reasoning, let's intern all American males. I am sure some of them are intent on committing robbery, murder or domestic violence or doing other harm to us. KIM-SAU CHUNG Chicago

Escaping Reality

In his defense of reality TV, was James Poniewozik serious when he compared The Bachelorette and Joe Millionaire with the satire of Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain [TELEVISION, Feb. 17]? Such a comparison demonstrates an inability to distinguish between crass and class. Swift's satires usually benefited society, addressing such issues as the deplorable conditions of the poor in Ireland. But who benefits from reality TV? The sponsors? The networks? Poniewozik said "no reality show can match the intelligence and layers of well-constructed fiction." Then why watch this shallow, insipid programming? WENDY RACHLIN Dayton, Ohio

Thank you for Poniewozik's story on "WHY Reality TV Is Good for Us." When was the last time a magazine article made me holler or e-mail a friend? I loved it! Now excuse me while I chill the beer and get the corn ready to pop. I have to prepare for Survivor: The Amazon. BONNA SMITH Portland, Ore.