WHEN LIFE EXPLODED

"This report should end discussions about whether God created the earth. Now there is no way to deny the theory of evolution." MARTIN WOLF Karlsdorf, Germany

YOUR ARTICLE WAS A REFRESHING LOOK at the new discoveries related to evolution [COVER STORY, Dec. 4]. Darwin's theory is regarded by many as the best explanation of the evolution of life on this planet and is not questioned by most people. Biology classes teach Darwinian theory as one that is basically accepted by scientists. I was surprised and excited to see the idea of sudden bursts of evolution brought into public discussion. These are legitimate possibilities, presented by the explosion of biological diversity, that do not fit nicely into Darwin's theory. I had studied them in my biology class but found it frustrating that many others were not familiar with them. This report was a bold move. KEVIN SMITH Aurora, Illinois

I AM NOT A ZEALOT ON ANY SIDE OF THE origin-of-species debate, but when I read the headline "Evolution's Big Bang," I got excited. It implied that a group of scientists has somehow figured everything out and that the Big Bang is no longer a theory but fact. But actually this concept of evolving life should still only be referred to as a theory, because it cannot be scientifically proved. DOUG WEST Lebanon, Oregon Via E-mail

IT REALLY TAKES A WRITER WITH IMAGInation to be able to describe the blow to the current theories of evolution as crossing "a critical threshold." All the phyla of Earth "appear" so suddenly that this is called an "explosion." Darwin himself would have been blown away. But Canadian paleontologist Guy Narbonne absorbs this gigantic problem by saying, "...there also seems to be a non-Darwinian kind of evolution that functions over extremely short time periods--and that's where all the action is." TIME's nonscientific speculation is the height of gullibility. You tell us that after the Cambrian explosion, everything else was a piece of cake. Even the human brain might be just the result of elaborate tinkering with details. Could some human brains be tinkering with details to try to prop up entrenched dogmas that are being severely undermined by marvelous discoveries like this one? JULIA HENDRICKSON Calistoga, California

IF STEVEN JAY GOULD'S BOOK WONDERful Life, which described the strangeness of early fossils, was fascinating, your update of new scientific findings is more so. It not only adds pieces to this intriguing puzzle but also goes one step further: making an analogy between the events of the Cambrian explosion and the characteristics of a chaotic system. In so doing, you raise a disturbing question: Might not theoretical biologist Stuart Kauffman's idea of the intrinsic instability of the evolving system be greatest when the gradient of change is at its steepest? If so, is the closing paragraph of your report pointing out the precariousness of human existence in the face of the current technological ''big bang''? CHARLES F. (''CHICK'') KELLER Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico Via E-mail

A MORE APPROPRIATE TITLE FOR YOUR article could have been "Evolution's Big Bust." One hundred and thirty five years of Darwinism out the window just like that? What a poor excuse for the absence of transitional forms. The Book of Genesis is looking better all the time. MIKE CHRISTIAN Tallmadge, Ohio

YOU SHOW THE PHOTO OF A FOSSIL OF A sluglike creature and say it is the oldest known member of the line that led to humans. I think it is "lowlife" to pass that off on others. Look at the precision of the creation around us and be honest. There had to be a divine plan, a perfect order. The reason we don't want to acknowledge this is because then we would have to answer to a Creator who will hold us responsible for our actions. If you want to think of yourself as a descendant of a slug, fine. But don't pass it off to the rest of the world as fact. DAVID BROUSSARD Dallas Via E-mail

CREATIONISTS ARE BOUND TO GLOAT OVER the inability of evolutionary scientists to explain everything definitively. But science is only an honest attempt by reasoning people to find out what is going on; it inevitably requires the changing of an open mind as new evidence comes to light. Faith, on the other hand, is the blind acceptance of "explanations" without any hard evidence. It is preposterous for a closed-minded adherent of a prepackaged, supernatural "origin of species" theory to flaunt science's admitted lack of omniscience as support for a totally irrational dogma. ROBERT L. WOLKE Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

AREN'T WE GLAD WE WEREN'T AROUND TO be bitten by some of the strange ancient creatures described in your story? HENRY C. PUGH Norfolk, Virginia

ARTICLES WITH ACCESSIBLE TEXT LIKE this one are needed at a time when efforts are being made to emasculate and undermine the teaching of evolutionary biology in high schools. It is great to see a national magazine put the factual evidence of evolution's vast, complex story out there for the lay public. ANDREW M. KOENIGSBERG, geologist Framingham, Massachusetts Via E-mail

THIS STORY READ MORE LIKE CONFIRMAtion of Noah's Deluge than Darwin's theory of evolution. ''Tectonic forces unleashed huge earthquakes that broke continental land masses apart, then slammed them back together. Mountains the size of the Himalayas shot skyward...'' Then you report that mud slides poured into the sea, entombing preternatural creatures that became fossilized. With all this evidence, it would be easier to prove Noah's flood than evolution. DEMBIE COPENHAVER Newville, Pennsylvania Via E-mail

IS IT REALLY PEACE?

I AM SO PROUD OF AMERICA'S INTERVENtion in Bosnia [DIPLOMACY, Dec. 4]. Sure it's going to be difficult and dangerous, but just because it's hard doesn't mean it shouldn't or can't be done. There have been problems in the region for decades, and only with American help is there any possibility of peace. The U.S. is a nation of the highest individual and corporate privilege, and we have the most responsibility. We stand for peace, and we will not allow slaughter to go unchecked. JULIA MIKELL Savannah, Georgia Via E-mail

AMERICAN MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN Bosnia is a catastrophe of epic proportions waiting to happen. Political rhetoric of good intentions and moral high ground has preceded every foray we have made into other nations' armed conflicts in the past 50 years. Have we so quickly forgotten the bitter lessons of Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia? Our involvement in each ended with the deaths of service members, no appreciable positive results and a disgruntled American public. The Balkans are awash in well-armed fanatics eagerly awaiting an opportunity to punish meddling U.S. armed forces. The real question is not if a tragedy will occur but when. It is only a matter of time. How much the American public will endure before the outcry to withdraw prevails remains to be seen. C. DIXON LEE III Chapin, South Carolina

THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAD BETTER UNderstand fully President Clinton's decision to send U.S. troops to Bosnia, and remember that a mere generation ago, another Democratic President asked the American public to support his policy of deploying U.S. soldiers in a foreign land, Vietnam. That action resulted in a bloody quagmire and cost more than 58,000 American lives. If this memory has faded, then readers should be able to remember the photograph of the downed helicopter crewman whose body was pulled through the streets of Somalia. Should we trust an Administration that only two years ago said the Bosnian conflict was not vital to American interests, and a President who irresponsibly shunned his military duty in the 1960s? This is nothing but election politics for Clinton. He will get my opinion in November 1996. RICHARD WOOD Spartanburg, South Carolina

YOU REPORT THAT SENIOR U.S. MILITARY officials don't say how many casualties there will be, "because they don't know," even though they have commissioned a study. Perhaps they should read your story about the war in Chechnya, in which you graphically describe the kind of terrible damage that a small armed force can inflict on a large, well-equipped army [CHECHNYA, Dec. 4]. Don't we know just how very dangerous this mission in Bosnia can be? President Clinton has forgotten his own resistance to an unpopular military action and underestimated the understanding and intent of the American people. STEVEN D. OSTROWSKY East Longmeadow, Massachusetts Via E-mail

DYING WITH DIGNITY

HOT PURSUIT OF DOLLARS IS WHY DOCtors and hospitals go to heroic lengths to keep terminally ill patients alive [HEALTH, Dec. 4]. The traditional fee-for-service payment system rewards doctors and hospitals for each procedure performed and billed. Newer, managed- care forms of insurance pay doctors and hospitals up front, regardless of the services and procedures performed. The Journal of the American Medical Association's report should help physicians start thinking about ways to help dying patients move along smartly to eternal reward without months and years of needless pain and suffering. Under most new payment systems, a timely death is the road to higher profits for less work. To prolong pain and suffering is far less profitable than it once was. THOMAS A. MCGOFF Moscow, Pennsylvania Via E-mail

I DON'T BELIEVE FOR A MINUTE THE FInancial gain realized by prolonging life in the terminally ill plays a conscious role in the care-giving process. However, given the fact that there are so many dollars at stake and that the Establishment must have funds to continue all aspects of the practice of medicine, I often wonder if there is a subconscious "agent" at work. The study done by the Journal of the American Medical Association does nothing to allay my fears in this regard. TOM MARTIN La Grange, Illinois

I WAS ANGERED BY YOUR ARTICLE "KNOWing When to Stop." We doctors know when to halt medical treatment. However, our hands are tied. If we stop treating, we are sued, taken to court and, in some cases, jailed. Navigating the paperwork, ethics committees and legal issues of withdrawing support requires more heroics by the physician than continuing treatment. To blame physicians for the money spent in the last six months of life is like blaming the Marines for the decisions made by the generals. CHARLES E. WHITING, M.D. Glendale, California

GRIEF FOR GRINKOV

THANK YOU FOR YOUR MOVING TRIBUTE to figure skater Sergei Grinkov [SPORT, Dec. 4]. I, like many others, knew him only through his performance, but I still feel a tremendous sadness at his passing. In this world so filled with violence and hate, Grinkov and his wife Ekaterina Gordeeva brought sweetness and magic with them whenever they stepped on the ice. Watching them somehow made everything beautiful. If there's an answer to why so perfect a union should be ended, it will take a wiser mind than mine to make sense of it. If Katia decides to skate solo, wonderful; we don't want to lose her. Solo yes, but never alone. PATRICIA LAUNDERS Sherman Oaks, California

AS A FIGURE-SKATING FAN, I WAS DEEPLY saddened by the sudden death of Grinkov. I had tears in my eyes as I read in your story of his wife Ekaterina's sad final farewell to him. On ice, they performed with such grace, precision and unison that it was simply spellbinding. The deep love they had for each other was so evident that sometimes I felt I was intruding by watching them.What a devastating loss this is. JASMINE KUNG Anaheim, California

TROUBLE FOR SOUP KITCHENS

IT IS A FANTASY THAT PRIVATE CHARITIES will take up the slack left by federal cutbacks in programs for the poor and elderly [SOCIETY, Dec. 4]. Newt Gingrich's campaign to lower taxes for the wealthy will result in even greater burdens being imposed on those least able to fend for themselves. Consider New Hampshire. Despite being among the 10 wealthiest states according to income and having a relatively low overall tax burden, the state also ranks dead last among all states in per-capita charitable giving. Even more telling is that 16% of New Hampshire families who report adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000 also report absolutely no charitable contributions. As New Hampshire goes, so goes the nation. THOMAS H. TRUNZO JR. Orford, New Hampshire

YOU ASK, "CAN CHARITY FILL THE GAP?'' The answer is a resounding no. I speak as a representative of an active philanthropic organization. What the nonprofit groups should do is work in partnership with government to create cost-effective solutions to the nation's thorniest problems. Philanthropies and nonprofit organizations can develop and test new, innovative models that address our most intractable societal ills, but only government has the resources to bring these ad hoc solutions to scale. FRANK MELVILLE, chairman Melville Charitable Trust Boston

FORBES' VIEWS ON IMMIGRATION

CONTRARY TO YOUR STORY "A BRASS-Knuckled Gentleman'' [CAMPAIGN '96, Dec. 4], Steve Forbes is not and never has been an advocate of a federal version of California's Proposition 187 [which forbids illegal immigrants from receiving government benefits]. He has long supported cracking down on illegal immigration by enforcing stricter border patrols and by whipping the Immigration and Naturalization Service into shape on enforcement of visa laws and deporting illegals immediately when they are found. But he does not believe in throwing children of illegal immigrants out of our schools. As long as they are here in the U.S., they should be at school, not roaming the streets. GRETCHEN MORGENSON, press secretary Forbes for President Bedminster, New Jersey

WHITNEY'S GOT AN ATTITUDE

I WAS HURT AND SOMEWHAT PEEVED AFTER reading your article on singer-actress Whitney Houston [SHOW BUSINESS, Dec. 4]. Not only did I find out my ex-favorite songstress was foulmouthed, but I also discovered that she is a racist. She said the media don't understand her, so "they tried to f---- with me; white America tried to f---- with me." If white America really wanted to f---- with her, she'd feel it in her pocketbook. Black Americans aren't the only ones who buy Houston's albums and go to her movies. Whitney, don't bite the hand that feeds you, it may strike back. LAUREEN PATRIQUIN Billerica, Massachusetts

I APPRECIATE HOUSTON AS A PERFORMER as well as a role model. Not only does she have love for God, but she also has love for talent. JANEIA OKANTAH Marietta, Georgia

POOR HOUSTON. SHE JOINS THE RANKS OF other people of color who blame the media when things aren't going their way, then throws in a couple of F words just to prove she's as hard as her bad-boy husband Bobby Brown. Too bad. I once thought she was a class act. STEVE GOLDRING Beverly Hills, California