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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Brief letters

That’s no way to get the measure of a man

Sperm cells
Sperm cells. Best not use a jug to measure them, says Ian Grieve’s wife. Photograph: Sigrid Gombert/Getty Images/Cultura RF

It’s surprising that the Guardian’s litany of criticisms of Iran (Editorial, 5 August) did not include any reference to its hostility towards Israel the “Zionist entity”, whose existence it refuses to recognise and whose enemies it supports.
Jeremy Beecham
Labour, House of Lords

• Disappointingly, none of the writers reflecting on Indian partition (Midnight’s grandchildren, Review, 5 August) seemed to question the need for  partition. Was it really necessary, as Jinnah believed, to divide India into two nations?
Chris Hughes
Leicester

• On reading the excellent article by Aditya Chakrabortty on Britain ripping off its own citizens for the benefit of foreign investors (Opinion, 4 August), I kept feeling I had seen this story before. Of course! This is what Britain did to its colonies for the benefit of investors at home. How the wheel turns.
Dawn Penso
Richmond, Surrey

• The smallest common pipistrelle bat, with a head-body length of 36-51mm (and extremely small ones at 33mm are possible), is the smallest European bat and is smaller than the pygmy shrew (Letters, 1 August), which has a head-body length of 40-64mm.
Gill Cardy
Melksham, Wiltshire

• After a brief discussion with my wife about the ongoing debate quantifying male ejaculation (Letters, 5 August), I have been told in no uncertain terms to keep my hands, and anything else, away from our measuring jug.
Ian Grieve
“Gordon Bennett”, Shropshire Union canal

• Eight times a week? Fourteen gallons? Fourteen litres? Twenty litres? 6,370 ejaculations per lifetime? The figures given for ejaculation statistics differ wildly but surely, as between all these numbers, it’s appropriate for there to be a vas deferens?
Adrian Brodkin
London

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters

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