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Contents Summer 2024 REGULARS p. 3 Editor’s Note p. 6 The Q&A John Ralston Saul on how to be a good citizen p. 9 Witness News and analysis from our team p. 71 Crossword Set by Chaliapin p. 73 Brainteaser Set by Chris Maslanka COLUMNS p. 8 Soapbox What does the clutter in our lives say about our minds? By Samira Ahmed p. 16 Cosmos Remembering the woman who discovered black holes By Marcus Chown p. 70 In a word “Extremism” By Michael Rosen p. 74 Shapchat On the joys of being sober By Shaparak Khorsandi 4 Marie Le Conte sings the praises of pubs and random encounters (page 48) FE ATURE S p. 18 Religion Why do US right-wing Catholics hold such power, and will they swing the vote for Trump? By Mary Jo McConahay p. 22 Science Thousands of viruses live in your body – but many are good for you By Richard Pallardy p. 26 Ideas Sorry, keyboard warriors, there is no “wrong side of history” By James Ball p. 30 Politics Why is Sinn Féin winning on both sides of the Irish border? By John Boyce p. 34 Inter view Broadcaster Chris Packham explains what drives his eco-activism By Nicola Cutcher p. 38 Technology Why space junk is a threat to humanity By Peter Ward p. 42 Reportage Tensions within the Jewish population threaten to split Israel By Alona Ferber CULTURE p. 48 Society Say no to the introverts, don't let the slippers win! By Marie Le Conte p. 52 Literature Why are so many books so boring these days? By John Merrick p. 56 Television Finding delight in the I T RU S SE L L I L LU ST R AT IO N B Y K C OV E R . A L A M Y ST O C K P HO T O New Humanist | Summer 2024
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Contributors female odd couple By Caroline Crampton p. 60 Architecture Postcolonial design at the V&A By David McAllister BOOKS p. 64 Climate A history of dust invites us to see the world anew By Mathew Lyons Reviews p. 66 Andrew Mueller on the rise of right-wing TV p. 66 Lucy Popescu on a not-so-fictional Putin p. 67 Richard Scorer on abuse in the IRA p. 68 Sohel Sarkar on the legacy of the opium wars p. 69 Daniel Callcut on philosophy for all POETRY p. 51 Sean O’Brien p. 55 John Kinsella p. 59 Matt Howard p. 63 Zhang Zao Samira Ahmed is a journalist and broadcaster who presents Front Row on BBC Radio 4 and Newswatch on BBC 1 James Ball is a journalist and author. His latest book is The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated t h e Wo r l d John Boyce is an Irish freelance journalist who writes on Irish and Hispanic affairs Daniel Callcut is a writer and philosopher based in Lincolnshire Marcus Chown is the author of The Magicians: Great Minds and the Central Miracle of Science Caroline Crampton is the author A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria Nicola Cutcher is an investigative journalist, writer and documentary filmmaker Marie Le Conte is a French-Moroccan journalist in London. Her latest book is Escape Alona Ferber is a writer and a senior editor at Prospect Shaparak Khorsandi is a comedian and author and vice-president of Humanists UK Mathew Lyons is a historian, writer and author of The Favourite: Ralegh and His Queen. Chris Maslanka is the author of several puzzle books John Merrick is an editor at Verso Books in London. He is working on his first book, a history of communism in 1950s Britain Mary Jo McConahay is a Catholic journalist and author of Playing God: American Catholic Bishops and the Far Right Campaign David McAllister is a writer and editor based in London. He is associate editor at Prospect Andrew Mueller is a contributing editor at Monocle. His latest book is Carn, on Australian Rules football Richard Pallardy is a freelance science writer who has written for Science Magazine, New Scientist and National Geographic Lucy Popescu is a writer, editor and arts and literary critic with a background in human rights Michael Rosen is a poet and broadcaster. His latest book is Getting Better: Stories of Trauma and Recovery Sohel Sarkar is an India-based journalist, writer and editor Richard Scorer is a lawyer and author of Betrayed: The English Catholic Church and the Sex Abuse Crisis Peter Ward is a journalist and author based in the UK. He writes about speculative science and technological change New Humanist, ISSN 0306-512X, is published four times a year by the Rationalist Association © 2024 New Humanist Printed by Blackmore Ltd, Dorset The views expressed in New Humanist are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Rationalist Association New Humanist | Summer 2024 5

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Contents Summer 2024

REGULARS

p. 3 Editor’s Note p. 6 The Q&A John Ralston Saul on how to be a good citizen p. 9 Witness News and analysis from our team p. 71 Crossword Set by Chaliapin p. 73 Brainteaser Set by Chris Maslanka

COLUMNS

p. 8 Soapbox What does the clutter in our lives say about our minds? By Samira Ahmed p. 16 Cosmos Remembering the woman who discovered black holes By Marcus Chown p. 70 In a word “Extremism” By Michael Rosen p. 74 Shapchat On the joys of being sober By Shaparak Khorsandi

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Marie Le Conte sings the praises of pubs and random encounters (page 48)

FE ATURE S

p. 18 Religion Why do US right-wing Catholics hold such power, and will they swing the vote for Trump? By Mary Jo McConahay p. 22 Science Thousands of viruses live in your body – but many are good for you By Richard Pallardy p. 26 Ideas Sorry, keyboard warriors, there is no “wrong side of history” By James Ball p. 30 Politics Why is Sinn Féin winning on both sides of the Irish border? By John Boyce p. 34 Inter view Broadcaster Chris Packham explains what drives his eco-activism By Nicola Cutcher p. 38 Technology Why space junk is a threat to humanity By Peter Ward p. 42 Reportage Tensions within the Jewish population threaten to split Israel By Alona Ferber

CULTURE

p. 48 Society Say no to the introverts, don't let the slippers win! By Marie Le Conte p. 52 Literature Why are so many books so boring these days? By John Merrick p. 56 Television Finding delight in the

I T RU S SE L L

I L LU ST R AT IO N B Y K

C OV E R

.

A L A M Y ST O C K P HO T O

New Humanist | Summer 2024

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