Science
What does particle physics tell us about the nature of matter?
By Chris Talbot, January 20, 2010
Frank Wilczek’s book can be recommended as an attempt to explain to a lay person the implications of more than 50 years of particle physics. Wilczek is a Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist.
Marxism, socialism and climate change
By Nick Beams, December 22, 2009
The problems of climate change are so profound and far-reaching that they require the rational mobilisation of all available economic, material, scientific and technical resources, something that is only possible only under socialism.
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“Strange Fruit” by Kenan Malik: A polemic against racism and identity politics
By Nancy Hanover, 8 May 2010
Kenan Malik has situated himself in the crosshairs of the dispute over the nature of race, arguing from the standpoint of Enlightenment rationalism and scientific objectivity.
Solar Dynamics Observatory―an eye on the Sun
By Bryan Dyne, March 13, 2010
One month after its successful launch, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory has begun capturing high-resolution images of solar phenomena at 10-second intervals.
Large Hadron Collider to resume operations at CERN
By Bryan Dyne, February 22, 2010
Operations resumed this month at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the huge new experimental device operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. The largest and costliest apparatus ever built to conduct physical research, the LHC was shut down for repairs for a year after an accident.
Spacecraft Kepler discovers five extrasolar planets
By Bryan Dyne, February 2, 2010
NASA reported last month that Kepler, the first spacecraft dedicated to searching for planets beyond our solar system, has discovered its first five extrasolar planets. Though they are uninhabitable f...
Climate change, emissions trading schemes and the profit system
By Patrick O’Connor, December 21, 2009
Public meetings called by the WSWS and the Socialist Equality Party (Australia) in Sydney and Melbourne last week exposed the real agenda behind emissions trading schemes and the official climate change “debate”. The following is the report delivered by WSWS writer Patrick O’Connor.
See Also: Australian SEP meetings discuss socialism, climate change and emissions trading schemes
By our reporters, December 19, 2009
Public meetings in Sydney and Melbourne this week exposed the real agenda behind emissions trading schemes and the official climate change “debate”.
Moon experiment shows presence of water
By Patrick Martin, November 17, 2009
The deliberate crashing of a US rocket into the surface of the Moon has produced evidence of “a significant amount” of water ice, a discovery that could revolutionize the exploration of the Earth’s satellite and even open the way to long-term settlement.
New fossils provide insights into early human evolution
By William Moore, 20 October 2009
After 15 years of painstaking study, the journal Science has published a series of articles on the fossilized remains of Ardipithecus ramidus, which is interpreted to be an early form of hominin, the group including humans and all human ancestors back to the evolutionary split with the last common ancestor with chimpanzees.
Newly repaired Hubble telescope releases first images
By Bryan Dyne, 23 September 2009
The first images from the repaired and upgraded telescope include a dazzling combination of planetary nebula, star clusters and galaxies.
Four hundred years since Galileo’s astronomical discoveries
By Hector Cordon,
15 August 2009
The International Year of Astronomy 2009 has been designated by the International Astronomy Union and UNESCO in honor of the 400th anniversary of the discoveries of Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler, two of the most important pioneers of modern astronomy.
The Google Book Search copyright settlement and the future of information
Part 1 | Part 2
By K. Reed, 12 August 2009
A two-part article on the Google Book Search settlement.
Subordinating science to religion
Obama names evangelical Christian to run National Institutes of Health
By Patrick Martin, 30 July 2009
In selecting Francis S. Collins as the director of the National Institutes of Health, President Obama has sent a clear political message that he is willing to subordinate scientific research to Christian fundamentalist dogma.
Forty years since the first Moon landing
20 July 2009
Forty years ago, two American astronauts became the first human beings to land on the Moon. This historic feat is all the more remarkable because manned exploration of Earth’s satellite inaugurated by Apollo 11 ended little more than three years later.
Hubble Space Telescope receives final upgrade
By Bryan Dyne, June 23, 2009
New instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope are currently undergoing calibration following the latest upgrade to the venerable scientific instrument.
Marx and Darwin: Two great revolutionary thinkers of the nineteenth century
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
By Chris Talbot, 20 June 2009
Marx and Engels immediately recognised the significance of Darwin’s theory when On the Origin of Species appeared 150 years ago, laying out a scientific conception of the process of historical evolution of the biological world.
The primate fossil “Ida”: the science and the hype
By William Moore, June 13, 2009
While the recently announced discovery of “Ida,” a remarkably well-preserved early primate fossil, promises insights into the evolution of later primate forms, including humans, the way it has been presented to the public distorts both its significance and the processes of biological evolution.
Walking, running, and human evolution
New insights derived from the hobbits of Flores
By William Moore, May 13, 2009
Recent research results suggest Flores hobbits are more distinctive than previously thought, providing new insights into human evolution.
Danger of major swine flu outbreak continues
By Perla Astudillo, May 12, 2009
The current swine flu virus may not mutate into a more dangerous form and the danger will then subside. Scientists, however, remain concerned that the virus is poorly understood and may be susceptible...
New space telescope to search for earth-sized planets
By Bryan Dyne, March 24, 2009
On March 6, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration successfully launched the Kepler mission, which will observe 100,000 stars in search of smaller, Earth-sized planets.
File-sharing trial against The Pirate Bay has wide-ranging implications
By Mike Ingram, February 20, 2009
What the Times of London described as the “internet piracy trial of the decade” is under way in a courtroom in Stockholm, Sweden, with protesters with megaphones camped outside the building. The t...
“Hobbits” of Flores: Implications for the pattern of human evolution
By William Moore, 16 February 2009
Recent developments in research regarding the so-called “hobbits” of Flores, Indonesia, may lend support to the multilineal or “branching” view of human evolution.
File-sharing trial against The Pirate Bay has wide-ranging implications
By Mike Ingram, February 20, 2009
What the Times of London described as the “internet piracy trial of the decade” is under way in a courtroom in Stockholm, Sweden, with protesters with megaphones camped outside the building. The trial of file-sharing site thepiratebay.org for copyright infringement is being followed by legal and technology experts all over the world.
Behind Apple’s decision to drop anti-copying measures in iTunes
By Mike Ingram, January 19, 2009
Apple’s decision to drop the anti-copying protection known as Digital Rights Management (DRM) has received a mixed response from consumers and music fans across the world.
First images taken of extrasolar planets
By Hector Cordon, 1 December 2008
In the last month, two teams of astronomers have for the first time directly imaged planets orbiting stars outside the solar system. This breakthrough is expected to foster further discoveries and deepen our understanding of what constitutes a planet and how they are formed.
Australian biotechnology company enforces cancer gene patent, restricting medical scanning
By Frank Gaglioti, 28 November 2008
Biotechnology firm Genetic Technologies has moved to enforce its patent over two critical genes implicated in the development of breast and ovarian cancer, shutting down genetic scanning on potential cancer victims in publicly funded facilities.
Behind the creationism controversy at Britain’s Royal Society
By Paul Mitchell, 17 October 2008
Last month, the Royal Society’s education director, Professor Michael Reiss, was forced to resign for advocating, at the very least, the teaching of creationism alongside evolution in school science classes.
Neanderthals and modern humans—a key to understanding human evolution
Part 1 | Part 2
By William Moore, October 3, 2008
Two recent announcements of research into the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans tend to add weight to the interpretation that the ancestors of these two human lineages parted genetic company quite a long time ago. Furthermore, these results support the view that human evolution has been characterized by numerous branches and many dead ends.
World’s largest particle accelerator begins operations
Scientists to gain greater understanding of the mysteries of the universe
By Dan Conway, September 25, 2008
On September 10, scientists at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, successfully sent a beam of protons around a 17-mile ring overlapping the borders of France and Switzerland. This marked the beginning of the largest, most ambitious science experiment in all of human history, the Large Hadron Collider. It is the product of the cumulative effort of over ten thousand scientists and engineers from more than 80 countries and 500 universities.
Mars Phoenix Lander provides conclusive proof of ice water on Mars
By Robert Stevens, August 9, 2008
The Mars Phoenix Lander landed on the planet on May 25. It has begun to return vital information taken from the soil samples, including the conclusive discovery of water ice, as it analyses the chemical composition of the planet.
A letter and reply on Mars landing
Einstein letter sold for record sum
Part 1 | Part 2
By Ann Talbot and Chris Talbot, June 23, 2008
A two-part article on Albert Einstein and his views on religion.
Phoenix spacecraft lands near Mars polar icecap
By Patrick Martin, May 30, 2008
In the first successful powered landing on Mars in 32 years, the Mars Phoenix Lander touched down on the surface of the planet Sunday, May 26, near the edge of its northern polar icecap.
Britain: Science cuts threaten Jodrell Bank radio telescope
By Robert Stevens, April 17, 2008
The Labour government of Prime Mister Gordon Brown is pushing ahead with unprecedented cuts in the UK science budget, with many critical programmes and facilities now threatened.
US blocks scientific report on Arctic environment
By Niall Green, February 5, 2008
The United States has prevented the full release of a major new assessment of the impact of oil and gas drilling in the Arctic region.
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