I wish someone would explain to Tom McCarthy that what I am trying to do is debate with him, not ‘put him down’ His choice of example is ironic though, ‘lisening to a symphony’ and call it the symphony of thje deep. The fact that we don’t understand their language is our fault not theirs.

We are the animals who claim to have the highest level of intelligence and I would say that I have never disputed that nor am I likely to.

Tom seems not to recognise that language is not unique to living creatures, that there are people who converse intelligently with inane objects. Robots?

I do agree with Terry Banfield though, I want no truck with a God I have to fear. Hearing religious choirs singing hymns that routinely enlist favour for the singers irritates me. As a species we have done horrendous damage to a beautiful planet and there are times that I feel deeply ashamed of what we have done.

Walt Jackson, Llantrisant, Usk