I have mentioned here before Meera Nanda’s “Prophets Facing Backwards: Postmodern Critiques of Science and Hindu Nationalism in India.” It is a demanding book, but richly rewarding, and of exceptional relevance to our time.
Articles with Politics
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How to spend $500 billion on security
A few facts: Almost half of the world’s population lives on less than two dollars a day.
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Waging peace by slaking world thirst
During the third week of March [2003], 10,000 delegates from around the world met in Japan for the UN-sponsored World Water Forum.
Columbus landing in the West Indies, as depicted by John Vanderlyn
The Columbus myth
My favorite picture book when I was a kid told the story of Christopher Columbus.
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Fact filtering in the pursuit of truth
Last week this column took note of two explanations for the fossils known as ammonites. These animals in stone look like serpents curled upon themselves, or the tightly coiled horns of miniature rams.
“David Garrick Between Tragedy and Comedy” by Joshua Reynolds (1761)
Did Darwin make him do it?
Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it.
A sculpture honoring Alan Turing • Photo by Steve Parker (CC BY 2.0)
A giant of logic lost to the irrational
“Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
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The danger of underplaying world’s weightiest problem
The books we read as children stay with us all our lives. Among the books in my parents’ library were the popular works of Hendrick Willem van Loon, published in the years between the World Wars. Those books made an indelible impression on my mind.
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No place for politicians to meddle
After the turmoil and confusion that accompanied the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, you may not want to hear any more about Washington and sex. But there is another story that has been quietly unfolding — about Washington, sex, and science — that deserves a wider airing.
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Public Domain)
How many Holy Grails are there out there?
Big science costs big bucks. Big bucks can only come from the taxpayer’s pocket. Which means scientists must get in line with everyone else for a piece of the federal pie. And lobby just as hard for their share.