RATIONALIST a s s o c i a t i o n
RATIONALIST a s s o c i a t i o n may & june 2012 VOLUME 127 No 3
RATIONALIST a s s o c i a t i o n
RATIONALIST a s s o c i a t i o n
Kenan Malik Haydn Mason Jonathan Meades Edwin Mullins John Postgate Philip Pullman Jonathan Rée Amartya Sen Simon Singh Marcus du Sautoy David Starkey Ralph Steadman DJ Stewart Ian Stewart Hazhir Teimourian Claire Tomalin David Tribe Baroness Turner of Camden Arnold Wesker Francis Wheen Elizabeth Wilson Richard Wiseman Lewis Wolpert Editorial Ofices Merchants House, 5-7 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RQ Telephone 020 3117 0630 Fax 020 7407 7962 Email info@newhumanist.org.uk WHUMANIST, ISSN 0306-512X, is published 6 times a year by the Rationalist Association © 2012 New Humanist. Printed by Blackmore Ltd, Dorset. Distribution by Comag Specialist. FSC Certification number TT-COC-002714. The mark of responsible forestry © 1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C. The views expressed in New Humanist are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Rationalist Association CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISUE
RATIONALIST a s s o c i a t i o n ditorial Editor Caspar Melville News Editor Paul Sims Commissioning Editor Laurie Taylor Associate Editor Sally Feldman Cartoons Editor Judy Walker Designer Nick McKay cover Des Willie Website www.newhumanist.org.uk MARKETING & distribution Business Manager Judith Walker Marketing Executive Cassandra Scott Advertising info@newhumanist.org.uk Distribution Comag Specialist Telephone 01895 433 753 SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions New Humanist Subscriptions, Trinity House, Sculpins Lane, Wethersfield, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4AY Email newhumanist@escosubs.co.uk Telephone 01371 851881 Fax 01371 851808 PublishING The Rationalist Association Registered charity No 1096577, a company limited by guarantee No 4118489 RA President Jonathan Miller RA Board Sally Feldman Winston Fletcher Jose Gonsalves John Metcalf David Pollock Tess Woodcraft Jonathan Stopes-Roe Chairman Laurie Taylor
RATIONALIST a s s o c i a t i o n honorary associates David Aaronovitch Peter Atkins Lord Birt Colin Blakemore Alan Brownjohn Colin Campbell Philip Campbell Noam Chomsky Helena Cronin Richard Dawkins Sanal Edamaruku Ekow Eshun AC Grayling Trevor Griffiths Stuart Hall Tony Harrison Simon Heffer Eric Hobsbawm Richard Hoggart Ted Honderich Robin Ince Linton Kwesi Johnson Richard Leakey Stewart Lee alom shaha is a physics teacher and science broadcaster. In his first book, The Young Atheist’s Handbook, published by Biteback in July, he tells the story of how he lost his faith and found the courage to admit it. On page 20 he explains why he felt he had to write it.
sarah ditum is a freelance journalist whose writing has appeared in the New Statesman, Psychologies and the Guardian’s Comment Is Free. On page 36 she explores the recent cases of child abuse based on accusations of witchcraft.
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chris mooney is a science and political journalist. His latest book is The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science – and Reality (Wiley). On page 28 he defends “neuropolitics”, the idea that political differences can be traced to differences in the brain.
philip ball is a science writer whohas written on awide range of topics from Frankenstein to cathedrals. His new book is Curiosity: How Science Became Interested in Everything (Bodley Head). On page 24 he examines the role that curiosity has played in driving science.
Jacques berlinerblau is Associate Professor and director of the Program for Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University and a frequent contributor to the Ideas and Culture blog of the Chronicle of Higher Education. On page 39 he asks what’s wrong with American secularism.
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