Letters

To the Editor:

Regarding your front-page article "Law Mandates Scientific Base for Research" (Jan. 30, 2002):

Since the time of Galileo, groups have tried to use the power of law to limit what scientists may do, how they may do it, and what results they will be permitted to find. Copernicus was so intimidated that he delayed publication of his findings until he was on his deathbed. When he saw what was done to Galileo, Descartes delayed publication of his own work on the nature...