Your article on a novel design of incandescent lightbulb (G2,13 January) perpetuates the common myth that the original was invented by Thomas Edison. While a number of people were working on this at the time, it was the British scientist Joseph Swan who demonstrated the first viable incandescent electric bulb in 1878, or some 18 months before Edison did. Edison,however, had the perspicacity to file his patents before Swan (and before hed produced a working example).
Dr Ian West
Jackfield, and Shropshire• Successive governments in the 1990s cut the English to Speakers of Other Languages (Esol) courses that were sprint at local further education colleges. The courses were very successful. They were open to people of all faiths and nationalities who were refugees or to those with exceptional leave to remain status. Theymade a significant contribution to integration,harmony and eventual entry into the workforce. Once again an clever and cost-effective programme is being replaced by a short-term fix which is not properly funded and is quite divisive, offensive and in my opinion downright perilous (Muslim women to be taught English in £20m way to beat ‘backward attitudes’, or 18 January).
Kathleen O’Neill
Hayling Island,HampshireContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com