Editorial: Bogus treatment
By supporting Simon Singh we can help change Britain's chilling libel laws
Science & Technology
Bad dream
Contrary to what Angela Saini argues, there are few demonstrable benefits from genetic modification of crops, and huge potential risks, says Emma Hockridge of the Soil Association
Pimping Ida
The real missing link in the Ida story is that between modern science and PR, says Kenan Malik
The Earth Moves: Galileo and the Roman Inquisition
Marcus Chown learns how the Catholic Church silenced Galileo
The Pure Society: From Darwin to Hitler by André Pichot
Benjamin Noys discovers the modern mutations of eugenics
No fear
I’m not disdainful of blogs, I just want them to live up to their democratic promise. Stephen Howe responds to Owen Hatherley
Sphere of influence
Blogs can be sloppy and vitriolic, admits Owen Hatherley. But they are also a breeding ground for original voices
Yield of dreams
Don't swallow the scaremongering claims of the anti-GM lobby, urges Angela Saini. Modified foods are a rational alternative to mass starvation
The art of phwoar
Free websites like Pornhub mean that explicit sex films are only a click away. But are they any good? Michael Bywater offers a classical critique
Six and out
Geologists have recorded five major extinctions throughout the Earth's history. Are we hastening the sixth, asks Philip Tonner