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Regulars p. 3 Editor’s Note p. 6 The Q&A Moral philosopher Peter Singer p. 9 Witness News, comment and your letters p. 71 Crossword Set by Chaliapin p. 74 Endgame Seeing is believing . . . By Laurie Taylor Contents Spring 2016 p. 72 The Big Question Which political leader do you find most inspirational? p. 73 Quiz Set by Chris Maslanka columns p. 8 Science Is it a problem when MPs ignore evidence? By Max Goldman p. 16 Movies Who gets to be human? By Reni Eddo-Lodge p. 70 In a Word “Regeneration” By Michael Rosen 4 Gloria Steinem’s life and times, page 42 “Experiences of this kind shouldn’t require the mediation of a prophet” Richard Smyth, page 50 Features p. 18 Society The fine line between counter-terrorism and policing ideas By Samira Shackle p. 24 Cosmos What Einstein’s theory of relativity does and doesn’t tell us about black holes By Marcus Chown p. 28 Nigeria How growing religious fundamentalism threatens human rights By Chitra Nagarajan p. 32 Cover story Appeals to human “nature” won’t help us make ethical decisions By Tim Lewens p. 38 Interview Shappi Khorsandi calls for kindess in public debate By Ariane Sherine Culture p. 42 Feminism What Gloria Steinem’s life in activism can teach a younger generation By Sally Feldman p. 46 Television Peter Kay’s celebration of cov er l ei b ov i t z o n r ows : anie t in : mar t io n gloria pho t o graph i l lu st ra st einem New Humanist | Spring 2016
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everyday life By Mark Fisher p. 50 Literature Calling out the cult of nature writing By Richard Smyth p. 54 Ideas What the Renaissance did for us By Martin Spence p. 58 Memorials David Bowie and the social media cathedral By Giovanni Tiso p. 62 Myths The strange death of the monster hunt By Ronald Binns Books p. 66 Reviews Keith Porteous Wood on scandal in the Vatican; Houman Barekat on nostalgia; Anna Aslanyan on John Berger; Lucy Popescu on 1956 poetry p. 49 Teodozia Zarivna p. 53 Vera Pavlova p. 57 Peter Abbs p. 61 Shahla Haque ontributors Anna Aslanyan writes for the Spectator and the London Review of Books, among others Houman Barekat is a literary critic and a founding editor of the online magazine Review 31 Ronald Binns is the author of the first book to debunk the Nessie myth, The Loch Ness Mystery Solved (Prometheus) Marcus Chown is the author of What a Wonderful World: Life, the Universe and Everything (Faber) Reni Eddo-Lodge is writing a book on race, politics and popular culture Sally Feldman is a former editor of Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and a trustee of the Rationalist Association Mark Fisher is a lecturer in visual cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London Max Goldman is development officer at Sense About Science, a charity that promotes the public understanding of science Tim Lewens is a professor of the philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge Chris Maslanka sets the New Humanist quiz and is the author of several puzzle books Chitra Nagarajan is an activist and writer who works for human rights and peace in Nigeria J.P. O’Malley interviews authors for a wide range of publications Lucy Popescu is editing an anthology of writing on asylum seekers Keith Porteous Wood is the executive director of the National Secular Society Michael Rosen is a poet and novelist, as well as a former Children’s Laureate Martin Rowson is a widely published cartoonist and author Fiona Sampson selects the poetry for New Humanist. Her own most recent collection, The Catch, is published by Chatto & Windus Ariane Sherine is a comedy writer and musician Samira Shackle is the assistant editor of New Humanist Richard Smyth is a novelist and critic who has written for the TLS, New Statesman, New Scientist and BBC Wildlife Martin Spence is a former senior official with the media and entertainment union BECTU Laurie Taylor is president of the Rationalist Association and presents Thinking Allowed on Radio 4 Giovanni Tiso is an essayist based in New Zealand. He blogs at bat-beanbeam.blogspot.com New Humanist, ISSN 0306-512X, is published 4 times a year by the Rationalist Association © 2016 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 | Spring 2016 5

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everyday life By Mark Fisher p. 50 Literature Calling out the cult of nature writing By Richard Smyth p. 54 Ideas What the Renaissance did for us By Martin Spence p. 58 Memorials David Bowie and the social media cathedral By Giovanni Tiso p. 62 Myths The strange death of the monster hunt By Ronald Binns

Books p. 66 Reviews Keith Porteous Wood on scandal in the Vatican; Houman Barekat on nostalgia; Anna Aslanyan on John Berger; Lucy Popescu on 1956 poetry p. 49 Teodozia Zarivna p. 53 Vera Pavlova p. 57 Peter Abbs p. 61 Shahla Haque ontributors Anna Aslanyan writes for the Spectator and the London Review of Books, among others

Houman Barekat is a literary critic and a founding editor of the online magazine Review 31

Ronald Binns is the author of the first book to debunk the Nessie myth, The Loch Ness Mystery Solved (Prometheus) Marcus Chown is the author of What a Wonderful World: Life, the Universe and Everything (Faber)

Reni Eddo-Lodge is writing a book on race, politics and popular culture Sally Feldman is a former editor of Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and a trustee of the Rationalist Association Mark Fisher is a lecturer in visual cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London Max Goldman is development officer at Sense

About Science, a charity that promotes the public understanding of science Tim Lewens is a professor of the philosophy of science at the University of Cambridge Chris Maslanka sets the New Humanist quiz and is the author of several puzzle books Chitra Nagarajan is an activist and writer who works for human rights and peace in Nigeria

J.P. O’Malley interviews authors for a wide range of publications Lucy Popescu is editing an anthology of writing on asylum seekers

Keith Porteous Wood is the executive director of the National Secular Society Michael Rosen is a poet and novelist, as well as a former Children’s Laureate Martin Rowson is a widely published cartoonist and author

Fiona Sampson selects the poetry for New Humanist. Her own most recent collection, The Catch, is published by Chatto & Windus Ariane Sherine is a comedy writer and musician Samira Shackle is the assistant editor of New Humanist

Richard Smyth is a novelist and critic who has written for the TLS, New Statesman, New Scientist and BBC Wildlife Martin Spence is a former senior official with the media and entertainment union BECTU Laurie Taylor is president of the Rationalist Association and presents Thinking Allowed on Radio 4 Giovanni Tiso is an essayist based in New Zealand. He blogs at bat-beanbeam.blogspot.com

New Humanist, ISSN 0306-512X, is published 4 times a year by the Rationalist Association © 2016 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 | Spring 2016

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