Readers Respond to the June 2024 Issue

A Stellar Statesman

As an admirer of Benjamin Franklin, the first polymath and autodidact of note in the American colonies, I thought this was an excellent article (“Start the Presses,” June 2024). He is the one historical individual who I believe would fit in the 21st century because of his well-rounded intellect and understanding of people. Printer, scientist, diplomat, celebrity, signer of the Declaration of Independence, author and the one individual in U.S. history who embodies American freedom and American exceptionalism. Not perfect, but an exemplar for curiosity and personal dynamism. Thank you for this wonderful work. —Eric S. Hall | Cary, North Carolina

A Route by Any Other Name

Writer Teddy Brokaw (“Taking the Scenic Route,” June 2024) describing Highway 101 as a California postcard means he missed out on the spectacular Oregon beaches and Washington’s magnificent Olympic Peninsula. Also, the highway is “affectionately” known as “the 101” only in Southern California. Use of that term anywhere along the northern two-thirds of the route instantly marks the traveler as a Los Angeleno and may produce an eye roll and even a polite correction. From Monterey Bay to Puget Sound, the road is known to locals simply as 101. —Mike Gaynes | Bremerton, Washington

More to Explore

Having hiked in an old lava tube in Iceland about ten years ago, I was intrigued by the idea of going into one that was still warm (“Earth Quest,” June 2024). I appreciated the views expressed by the scientists in the article about the geology, mineralogy and microbiology—and how this was not only a rare opportunity to study earth, but might pertain to other planets, too. —Brenda Bell Brown | Santa Clara, California

The Weight of It All

Congratulations on a well-written and informative piece on Dr. Lulu Hunt Peters (“The Calorie Countess,” June 2024). Michelle Stacey told her story well, suggested smart lines of further inquiry and related it to the current day. Peters is a great subject for the Ozempic and Mounjaro moment. (I wrote about Peters in my 1988 book Fasting Girls: The History of Anorexia Nervosa.) It’s wonderful to see women’s history writing that extends beyond the feminist canon. –Joan Jacobs Brumberg | Ithaca, New York

I admire Lulu Hunt Peters’ achievement of acquiring her doctorate and the research she did, but at the same time want to curse her for the unintended consequences of that same research! —C. Chalker Whitworth | Greenville, South Carolina

Ancient Architects

The fact that so many remnants of the past are still around 2,000 years after being built is a testament to what our ancestors could do with minimal tools (“Lost Treasures of Pisidia,” June 2024). —John Weghorst | Newtown, Pennsylvania