PERCEPTIONS count for an awful lot, and by this measure it’s hard to pretend
2001 has been a vintage year for science. There were no stunning eureka moments
at the bench or paradigm shifts in the basement. No Dollys or controversial
Martian fossils or afterglows of the big bang making front-page headlines and
fuelling after-dinner conversation. In fact, seen through the eyes of the media,
science has been dominated by news more likely to puzzle or alienate than to
impress or inspire.
The PR nightmare began in January with ANDi, the first genetically modified
monkey. Playing in a cage, oblivious…
