Science

Drug firms will cash in

The coronavirus crisis is a profit-laden paradise for some pharmaceutical firms.

Science advice is shaped by politics

The latest bombshell to explode in the government’s face has hit its claim to base its policy for the Covid-19 pandemic on “the science” or “the evidence”

Under capitalism vaccines are for profit, not people

The Development of vaccines is conditional on what big business wants, not the needs of people

Drug company slammed for lottery for sick children

Drugmaker Novartis has launched an international lottery for its extremely costly gene therapy Zolgensma

‘It’s not rocket science—fair pay now,’ say museums strikers

Workers at Science Museums across England struck for a second time on Wednesday in a battle over pay.

Prospect members get set for walkouts

Workers at two sets of museums were set to strike over pay on Thursday of this week.

Big pharma offers a bitter pill to those who need the most help

01 October 2019
Jeremy Corbyn says he wants to change how drugs companies work. Sadie Robinson looks at how pharmaceutical fat cats pile up profits while ordinary people are denied care they need

HRT: women’s inequality shapes how the menopause is treated

30 August 2019
Society’s structures—and sexism—mean women going through the menopause face many problems, including the side effects of HRT used to treat its symptoms, writes Sarah Bates

How did humans put the planet at risk?

30 July 2019
What is the Anthropocene and can it help us resist environmental destruction?

How Moon landings projected US power

16 July 2019
Were moon landings a giant leap forward for humanity, or the culmination of a growing Cold War? Gabby Thorpe boldly goes in search of the legacy of the space race

New Blade Runner film takes on ethics of artificial intelligence

10 October 2017
With stunning cinematography and a powerful plot, Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel with everything that fans will want, writes Gabby Thorpe

Westworld—gun-slinging robots turn fantasies into nightmares

18 October 2016
Westworld depicts a society where the rich pay vast amounts to take out their basest desires on a virtual reality populated by synthetic humans and animals.

Are robots taking all our jobs?

17 May 2016
As robots begin to do more of the jobs traditionally done by people, Tomáš Tengely-Evans asks if the relationship between worker and machine has fundamentally changed

Reviews round-up

23 February 2016
Leonardo da Vinci: Mechanics of Genius at the Science Museum | America in Revolt: the Art of Protest at the Shapero Modern | The Glass Bead Game podcasts

Delving deep into our genes—the revolution in molecular biology

12 May 2015
There is a revolution taking place in molecular biology. Scientist John Parrington spoke to Dave Sewell about his new book that explores the issues for a mass audience

A health warning on dynamism and dirt

20 January 2015
John Parrington says antibiotic research needs proper state funding to remove the threat of dangerous industry practices

Artificial intelligence is not as close as its fans make out

25 November 2014
John Parrington looks at artificial intelligence, and says it will be a long time before computers are smarter than humans

Working together is part of what makes us human

28 October 2014
Capitalism continually pits people against each other, but that isn’t how human beings evolved, writes John Parrington

There's no automatic forward march of progress for humanity - a response to Brian Cox

21 October 2014
Dave Sewell welcomes Brian Cox’s new TV programme on evolution, but argues that we cannot ignore human agency

West Africa's Ebola crisis is a symptom of capitalism

14 October 2014
The Ebola outbreak in west Africa has cost thousands of lives. Ken Olende looks at how inequality and the legacy of colonialism lie behind the crisis. Marcia, an aid worker in Sierra Leone, writes exclusively from the front line