### Re: Ice & Isotopes
The thermodynamics of soda is oddly important to our readers: In response to October's analysis of the ideal ice-to-Coke ratio, the mail poured in. Ice, some said, is a rip-off—so much tragic beverage displacement and dilution. "Why pay for entropied water?" you cried. Well, sometimes it's necessary, noted a few: Many locations amp up their dispensers' syrup-to-water ratio, so you have to add ice for your cola to taste right. To the raging dilution dispute, add the enrichment argument: Readers of our Smart List split over the feasibility of laser isotope separation of nuclear material. The process is a cinch for evildoers, right? Not necessarily, came the reply. If it were that easy, we'd be vaporized by now. Well, while you're waiting for such terminal entropy, how about a nice, frosty Coke?
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The ghost of Thomas Paine
In "Smart List: 15 People the Next President Should Listen To" (issue 16.10), you say "the country needs fresh directions." Yet the people on your list are only spouting common sense. Oh, wait. Common sense would be a new direction.
Jerry Tangren
Wenatchee, Washington
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Little red Corvette
Joe Brown seems to have dropped a cylinder when compiling his supercar contestants ("Wild Horses," Test, issue 16.10). To go up against the Bentley Continental GT Speed, the Lamborghini Murciè9lago LP640, and the Ferrari F430, he untrailers ... a Dodge Viper? That's one heck of an ultra-refined kit car—but when the world is looking to see what the US done brung to run, much better had Joe rolled a Corvette ZR1 to the starting line. At just a click past 100 large, this beautifully crafted and designed little gem earns its street cred by packing 638 hp—propelling it an honest 205 mph—while exhibiting the exemplary road manners accorded the Continent's best.
If GM had put even half as much creative engineering and visionary effort into the remainder of its model lineup, we wouldn't be talking about the company in what is now, sadly, very close to past tense.
David Shepherd
Hope Valley, Rhode Island
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Clerical error
What Parag Khanna said about Iran—that we need to make Western culture attractive to its citizens—is not fully true ("Smart List: Embrace the Post-American Age"): The West is already irresistible to Iranians! I go to Iran every summer, and I know that the problem isn't Ahmadinejad. It's the conservative base and the Ayatollah. The key to making Iran an ally is to try to make peace with the majority of the people while also trying to persuade conservatives that it's in their best interest to help open Iran's economy to the whole world.
Farid Saemi
Houston, Texas
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Might be evil
Google execs say they hope the Chrome browser will help Firefox ("We Should Build Our Own," issue 16.10). Lies, I tell you. If they wanted to improve Firefox, they could simply have contributed to it. Instead they brought out their own browser. Google is a profit-seeking, publicly held company that's in competition with Microsoft. Ever since Google had the nerve to come out with "Don't be evil" as some sort of motto, we've all been secretly waiting to say "See, you are evil." Let's watch these socialists squirm under the capitalist system they depend on for financing.
Excerpted from a comment posted on Wired.com by dannyd
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Go native
I agree that the military needs to move away from raw might and embrace cultural knowledge in order to win wars ("Smart List: Hold Your Fire!"). However, why would it choose Americans (like Montgomery McFate) who have probably never even met an Iraqi, let alone understand Arab culture, to lead these programs? An Iraqi citizen or expatriate would be much better equipped to interpret the complex cultural nuances. Before the country was devastated by recent wars, Iraq had one of the most educated populations in the Middle East. I'm sure it would not be difficult to find an Iraqi anthropologist to head these efforts.
Michael Azar
Sacramento, California
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Insert remote where?
Thank you so much for your recent article on how to swap SIM cards in GSM phones (How To, Start, issue 16.10)! Maybe in your next issue you could tackle an even more challenging task, like changing TV channels?
Fran Gomez
Collegeville, Pennsylvania
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In defense of humans
Earth's climate changes continuously, and there have been many cycles of genetic diversification and extinction. So why do some people consider the only "healthy" ecosystem to be the one that existed just prior to the rise of civilization ("Pleistocene Park," issue 16.10)? It's a strange and twisted philosophy that assumes the world is better off without humankind, and anything associated with civilization is bad by definition.
Excerpted from a comment posted on Wired.com by bruno
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The great flight north
A question about the October edition of Found (issue 16.10): Is the proposed Canadian border fence intended to keep Canadians out or to stem the flow of American refugees fleeing financial crisis, school shootings, systemic class warfare, debt, and inaccessible health care?
Mark Eshpeter
Calgary, Alberta
How to be better than everyone else
As you note, John Hodgman excels at creating the illusion of expertise (Print, Play, issue 16.10). This, while impressive, is not as difficult as you might think. I personally cannot state that I am, in fact, a genius. However, I can declare myself a step above everyone else. The key to my egotistical claim? I know a little bit more about random things in life than the general populace. Learn something about the Large Hadron Collider, discover what a parry is in fencing, or create a balloon animal behind your back and you're one small step ahead of everyone else.
Lee Ginn
New Hope, Pennsylvania
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Coke fiend
Your piece on the Coke/ice ratio controversy misses the most important point ("Pop Question," Start, issue 16.10). While the chill factor counts, the more important effect of adding ice is the degree to which it dilutes the potency of the Coke. I, for one, will sacrifice some frigidity in order to experience that biting carbonation hit that distinguishes Coke (or, in my case, Diet Coke). Curiously, servers always mistakenly assume when I say "light ice" that I'm concerned about too much ice displacing the Coke, resulting in a smaller dose. That was a problem back in the day, but in this era of almost universal free refills, the issue has been negated. "Light ice" means "Give me my cola cold but not at the price of potency."
Jim Morris
Evanston, Illinois
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Rants Letters should include the writer's name, address, and daytime phone number and be sent to rants@wired.com. Submissions may be edited and may be published or used in any medium. They become the property of Wired and will not be returned.
What the President Should Know How about telling the president to let bad companies fail? If you reward failure with bailouts, you punish honest companies and reward recklessness. —Excerpted from a comment posted on Wired.com by Technophile
