Column in 2007

Can humanity be saved from catastrophe, and is the cost worth it?

Popes are not noted for enlightened views on science and technology. But the latest papal statements are encouraging, says Philip Ball.

Most people agree that the environmental and health effects of nanoparticles need a lot more study. David Goldston looks at why so little progress has been made.

General theories of why we go to war are interesting, says Philip Ball. But they'll never tell the whole story.

American legislators are getting started on the first laws to tackle greenhouse-gas emissions. But Congress has a long way to go, says David Goldston.

Many of us who write on scientific issues have our work distorted by others, but that doesn't mean we should retract our words, says Michael Hopkin.

As the battle over the US budget drags into autumn, the amount of money available for science is hostage to larger budget disputes. David Goldston explains.

High-profile applications of quantum trickery raise the question of what to call these new technologies. Philip Ball doubts that one proposal will catch on.

An agreement forged 40 years ago can?t by itself keep space free of weaponry, says Philip Ball.

We rarely learn anything Earth-shaking from space labs, says Philip Ball - which is why inexpensive missions like Foton-M3 are the way to go.

What role should the federal government have in pre-college science education? David Goldston looks at why the US Congress is acting now to help define that.

We will never stem the idea that water can act as a fuel, says Philip Ball.

The trend for debunking science's simple narratives can be overdone, says Philip Ball.

The Marvel Universe has social webs similar to our own, says Philip Ball. In other words, they're sexist and elitist.

It's not the technology of gene therapy but the regulation of clinical trials that we should be most afraid of, says Apoorva Mandavilli.

A survey of evidence for the 'memory' of liquid water casts little light on its putative role in homeopathy, says Philip Ball.

Fatalities are an inevitable part of human spaceflight, and space tourism companies will have to face up to it, says Philip Ball.

Washington has reached an easy consensus on the need to train more scientists and engineers but, argues David Goldston, the United States needs to consider a broader approach to combat global competition.

Real science can't compete at the movies with bad science. But perhaps that's how it is meant to be.

Scientists tend to complain that Congress rarely pays heed to what they have to say. But the issues are often as much about values as they are science, says David Goldston.