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Regulars p. 3 Editor’s Note p. 6 The Q&A Geneticist Adam Rutherford p. 9 Witness Compiled by Samira Shackle p. 71 Crossword Set by Chaliapin columns p. 18 Inheritance The dangerous trend for using DNA to explain our successes and failures By Angela Saini Contents Winter 2018 p. 73 Quiz Set by Chris Maslanka p. 16 Cosmos How solar flares could send us back to a pre-electrical age By Marcus Chown p. 74 Endgame Over-the-hill professor seeks similar By Laurie Taylor Features 4 Charlotte L. Riley on Niall Ferguson, page 66 “I felt now more than ever the need for art – not as an escape but as nourishment” Samira Ahmed, page 46 p. 22 History The complicated relationship between communism and religion By Mike Makin-Waite p. 26 Ethics As the west wages war on opiates, the rest of the world cries out for relief By Niki Seth-Smith p. 34 Cover story Archaeology shows that the future is in our hands By David Graeber and David Wengrow Culture p. 30 Ideas Does philosophy help us reach a more rational and tolerant way of living? By Julian Baggini p. 46 Now playing How social turmoil is leading to a flourishing of the arts By Samira Ahmed p. 50 Education The excuses for why men dominate maths simply don’t add up By David Berry p. 54 Outdoors Mountain rescue groups are an inspiring example of human cooperation in action By James Poulter e s Imag e man i dg B r New Humanist | Winter 2018
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p. 58 Television The Good Place makes metaphysics more entertaining than ever By Caroline Crampton p. 62 Monkeys What close observation of colobus troops tells us about bullying and hierarchy among humans By Dawn Starin Books p. 66 Lead review Niall Ferguson tries to bring hard science to history – does it work? By Charlotte L. Riley p. 68 Short reviews Lucy Popescu on Fiona Sampson’s In Search of Mary Shelley; Rhian E. Jones on Molly Smith and Juno Mac’s Revolting Prostitutes; David Wearing on the essay collection Decolonising the University poetry p. 53 Allison Funk p. 57 Diana Manole p. 61 Yolanda Castaño p. 65 Semyon Khanin ontributors Samira Ahmed is a BBC presenter and visiting professor of journalism at Kingston University Julian Baggini is the author of How the World Thinks: a Global History of Philosophy (Granta) David Berry is a freelance documentary maker who is writing a book about the culture of mathematics Ceri Brenner is a physicist who works for the Science and Technology Facilities Council Marcus Chown is the author, most recently, of Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand: 50 Wonders That Reveal an Extraordinary Universe (Michael O’Mara) Caroline Crampton is working on a book about the Thames estuary Rhian E. Jones is the author of several books about politics and popular culture Lydia Leon has a PhD in women’s health from the University of London Mark Lorch is professor of science communication at the University of Hull Mike Makin-Waite is the author of Communism and Democracy: History, Debates and Potentials (Lawrence & Wishart) J. P. O’Malley is a literary critic and interviewer Chris Maslanka is the author of several puzzle books Lucy Popescu is a literary critic with a background in human rights David Graeber is professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics; David Wengrow is professor of comparative archaeology at University College London James Poulter is a writer and web developer Charlotte L. Riley is a lecturer in history at the University of Southampton ichael Rosen is a poet and novelist, and a former Children’s Laureate Martin Rowson is a cartoonist and author who has recently published an illustrated version of Laurence Sterne’s A Sentimental Journey (Laurence Sterne Trust) Angela Saini is the author of Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong – and the New Research That’s Rewriting the Story (4th Estate) Fiona Sampson is New Humanist’s poetry editor Niki Seth-Smith is writing a near-future novel Dawn Starin is an anthropologist who has spent decades doing research in Africa and Asia Laurie Taylor is president of the Rationalist Association David Wearing is the author of AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain (Polity) New Humanist, ISSN 0306-512X, is published four times a year by the Rationalist Association © 2018 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 | Winter 2018 5

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p. 58 Television The Good Place makes metaphysics more entertaining than ever By Caroline Crampton p. 62 Monkeys What close observation of colobus troops tells us about bullying and hierarchy among humans By Dawn Starin

Books p. 66 Lead review Niall Ferguson tries to bring hard science to history – does it work? By Charlotte L. Riley p. 68 Short reviews Lucy Popescu on Fiona Sampson’s In Search of Mary Shelley; Rhian E. Jones on Molly Smith and Juno Mac’s Revolting Prostitutes; David Wearing on the essay collection Decolonising the University poetry p. 53 Allison Funk p. 57 Diana Manole p. 61 Yolanda Castaño p. 65 Semyon Khanin ontributors Samira Ahmed is a BBC presenter and visiting professor of journalism at Kingston University

Julian Baggini is the author of How the World Thinks: a Global History of Philosophy (Granta)

David Berry is a freelance documentary maker who is writing a book about the culture of mathematics Ceri Brenner is a physicist who works for the Science and Technology Facilities Council Marcus Chown is the author, most recently, of Infinity in the Palm of Your Hand: 50 Wonders That Reveal an Extraordinary Universe (Michael O’Mara) Caroline Crampton is working on a book about the Thames estuary

Rhian E. Jones is the author of several books about politics and popular culture Lydia Leon has a PhD in women’s health from the University of London Mark Lorch is professor of science communication at the University of Hull Mike Makin-Waite is the author of Communism and Democracy: History, Debates and Potentials (Lawrence & Wishart)

J. P. O’Malley is a literary critic and interviewer Chris Maslanka is the author of several puzzle books Lucy Popescu is a literary critic with a background in human rights

David Graeber is professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics; David Wengrow is professor of comparative archaeology at University College London

James Poulter is a writer and web developer Charlotte L. Riley is a lecturer in history at the University of Southampton ichael Rosen is a poet and novelist, and a former Children’s Laureate Martin Rowson is a cartoonist and author who has recently published an illustrated version of Laurence Sterne’s A Sentimental Journey (Laurence Sterne Trust) Angela Saini is the author of Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong – and the New Research That’s Rewriting the Story (4th Estate)

Fiona Sampson is New Humanist’s poetry editor Niki Seth-Smith is writing a near-future novel

Dawn Starin is an anthropologist who has spent decades doing research in Africa and Asia Laurie Taylor is president of the Rationalist Association

David Wearing is the author of AngloArabia: Why Gulf Wealth Matters to Britain (Polity)

New Humanist, ISSN 0306-512X, is published four times a year by the Rationalist Association © 2018 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 | Winter 2018

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