Misplaced trust?
There are real wars going on in the world as I write this review, so it seems wrong to refer to a 1990s kerfuffle among academics of different faculties as ‘the science wars’, but it appears that’s what the events around the Sokal affair are now called. A physicist called Alan Sokal had managed to publish a fake paper in a social sciences journal, with the intention of ridiculing postmodernists who described science as a social construct, as opposed to the gradual revelation of the ultimate truth.
Simulating the macrocosm
Andrew Pontzen, a professor of cosmology at University College London, UK, has long been fascinated by the role of computers in giving us new knowledge of our world. In this, his first book, he presents the story of some of the advances in computer technology that have afforded us penetrating insights into the nature and essence of physical reality.
World of microbes
The author, Jonathan Kennedy, is a lecturer in global public health at Queen Mary University in London, UK, and this is his first book. He presents here several cogent arguments to support his contention that a radical revision is now overdue in our understanding of the human story to date.
More sense from smell
Smell is the only one of our senses with a direct connection to the brain, explaining why a particular smell has the power to evoke a memory or emotion. But could improving our sense of smell also improve memory and cognition? Maria Burke reports
Hydrogen hopes
From the US to Australia, and the EU to China, governments around the world are investing billions of dollars in hydrogen technology. And the UK is no exception, reports Jasmin Fox-Skelly
Analysing the past
Archaeologists are increasingly applying state-of-the-art analytical instruments to ancient remains and artifacts, and what they are discovering is transforming our understanding of the past, reports Jon Evans
Greener pharma
The healthcare sector saves lives, but it also contributes a staggering amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the environment. Katrina Megget reports
Business digest
The latest business digest for C&I Issue 2 2024 with all the latest mergers and acquisitions in the chemical industry.
Biotech R&D
A recent ICON survey of over 130 biotech executives shows that 60% expected to increase R&D spending, while only 2% planned to reduce funding. While confident in their outlook with regards to investment milestones and product success, significantly, 32% of respondents cited clinical trials as one of the biggest challenges in bringing novel therapies to market.
Applied chemistry
Read the latest applied chemistry highlights for February 2024 by Nigel P Freestone | University of Northampton, UK.