From J. Moorcroft:

Re: Finding said to show “race isn’t real” scrapped (Sept. 3): Risch is right. Politics and science do not mix and it amazes me to hear that research in certain areas is frowned upon. Have we learned nothing from the unholy alliance between pseudo - science and politics in Europe in the 1930’s and 1940’s?

Is the problem not one of nomemclature rather than science? Some scientists classify dogs as wolves (lupi) and say that there is no separate species of dogs (canes if my rusty Latin serves me). Others classify the dog as a species.

Surely all people agree that there is just one “human race” with common ancestors, but in common use the word “race” with reference to humans denotes the different “races”, eg “caucasian”. I have never heard anyone say that these “races” are all different species!