Life You scratch my back… WHEN it comes to grooming, female baboons seem to have a lot in common with commodity traders. Most primatologists believe that baboons groom each other to cement long-term strategic allegiances that will give the animals a competitive edge. But Peter Henzi of the University of Natal in South Africa, and Louise Barrett of Liverpool University … News
Humans Washington diary THIS is the best of times. This is the worst of times. About now Washington's science policy insiders are taking a deep breath and preparing to educate a new administration in the ways of Washington. It's the best of times, because President George W. Bush's crew will need advice right away, especially with the truncated … Opinion
Flights of fancy As flying machines go, the collection of box kites looked as flimsy as all those cranky creations built by over-optimistic would-be aeronauts in the late 19th century. But in 1894, these four box kites coupled together lifted Lawrence Hargrave 4.8 metres into the air at Stanwell Park beach near Sydney, Australia. Hargrave wasn't in the … Features
Famines don't just happen Late Victorian Holocausts by Mike Davis, Verso, £20, ISBN 1859847390 Globalisers everywhere take note. The last time the world dismantled trade barriers and bowed before the god of free trade, it coincided with an epidemic of famines from China to Ethiopia, India to Brazil. Famine came in the final quarter of the 19th century, when … Books & Arts
Feedback MANY of us go through life without truly understanding the significance of each passing day and week. For example, how many people failed to realise that 14 January was Britain's National Rhubarb Day, organised by the National Farmers' Union to celebrate that splendid plant's versatility and high vitamin content? If you were one of them, … Regulars