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‘Newt Skywalker’ wins South Carolina primarys
JASON REED/REUTERS
UPFRONT
Newt Skywalker’s return A SURPRISE victory in the primary in South Carolina puts the most nerdy of the US Republican presidential candidates back in the game. But despite Newt Gingrich’s long-standing passion for science and technology – rare among his Republican rivals – his scientific views can be a mixed bag, sometimes blurring the line between fact and fiction. On the upside, Gingrich, a former speaker of the US House of Representatives, has backed investment in research and science education as vital to spurring economic growth, and has a passion for zoos and conservation. As his nickname Newt Skywalker suggests, he also supports space exploration, though not of the NASA variety. Last year, he emphasised the
role of the private sector and set his sights on Mars. As New Scientist went to press, he was planning a speech on space in Florida, home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Be warned, though. Gingrich’s technological vision has extended to some wilder notions, including using lasers to knock out North Korean missiles and building colonies on the moon to harvest minerals. His shifting position on climate change may also give pause for thought. As recently as 2007 he backed cap-and-trade to control US greenhouse gas emissions. Now, faced with Republican scepticism on climate change, Gingrich says “there is no settled scientific conclusion” on whether human activities are causing global warming.
Deepwater politics
Bksfolkjbkq^iObpmlkpf_fifqv %MBBO&^iibdbpqe^q?fiiIbeolc KL>>bafqbaefpobmloqqlpqobpp bpqfj^qbpcolj^qb`ekfnrb`^iiba m^oqf`ibfj^dbsbil`fjbqov)bsbk qelrdeqeobbp`fbkqfpqplkqeb qb^je^a^iob^av`lk`iraba qe^qqebqb`ekfnrbt^ppboflrpiv rkabobpqfj^qfkdqebcilt+ Qebfojr`eefdebobpqfj^qbp tbobi^qbo`lkcfojbaql_b olrdeiv`loob`q+ Ibeoabkfbpqeb^iibd^qflk+ Î>_plirqbivklqefkdt^palkb fk^kvt^vql`e^kdbqebpb krj_boplocradb^kva^q^)Ï ebqliaKbtP`fbkqfpq+
–More science fiction than fact? –
Freeze on flu
“Research must resume soon though, because nature is the real bioterrorist” `^kt^q`eclo^kvpfjfi^osforp bjbodfkdfkk^qrob+ Pb`rofqvbumboqp^kasfolildfpqp jbbqfkdfkT^pefkdqlkA@qefp jlkqee^sbc^fibaqlabsfpb^t^v qlal_lqe)p^vp>_Lpqboe^rplc
RICHARD CUMMINS/CORBIS
Bo^pjrpJbaf`^i@bkqobfk Olqqboa^j)qebKbqeboi^kap+ @LKQOLSBOPF>Icirobpb^o`efp Fqfpklqvbq`ib^otebqeboqeb lkelia)cloklt+QebtloiaÑpqlm Dbkbs^jbbqfkdtfiiq^`hib_lqe cirsfolildfpqpe^sb^dobbaql qebmr_ifpefkdmol_ibj^ka prpmbkatlohlkbumbofjbkqp `lk`bokp^_lrqqebp^cbqvlc qe^q`lria`^rpbqebE2K._foa crqrobE2K.obpb^o`e)bpmb`f^iiv cirsforpqlpmob^ajlobb^pfiv+ qebofphqo^kpjfppf_ibsforpbp Jb^ktefib)sfolildfpqptfiijbbq `lriabp`^mb+ÎTbob^ifpbmblmib pb`rofqvbumboqpkbuqjlkqe^q tfqe_^a^kadllafkqbkqflkp`^k qebTloiaEb^iqeLod^kfw^qflk `^rpbmol_ibjp)Ïp^vpLpqboe^rp+ fkDbkbs^)Ptfqwboi^ka)qlqov ÎTbkbba^jb`e^kfpjclo qlobplisb^pq^ibj^qbfkslisfkd eltqltlohtfqeqebpbsforpbp) mr_if`^qflklcqeblofdfk^i ^kaeltqlmr_ifpe+ÏObpb^o`e bumbofjbkqpqe^qbk^_ibaqebsforp jrpqobprjbpllkqelrde)eb qlpmob^aob^afiv^jlkdcboobqp+ t^okp)Î_b`^rpbk^qrobfpqeb RP_flpb`rofqvbumboqpp^v ob^i_flqboolofpqÏ+ pljbabq^fipjrpq_btfqeebia) fk`^pb_flqboolofpqpdbqelialc qebj+Vbqobpb^o`ebopalkbba qlhklt^iiqebc^`qpplqebv
Lccf`f^ibpqfj^qbplceltjr`e lfiib^hbafkqlqebDriclcJbuf`l arofkdqeb/-.-Abbmt^qbo Elofwlkafp^pqboqrokbalrqql _btbii_biltqebj^oh+Klt ^k^asl`^`vdolrme^pcfiba ^`ljmi^fkqlcjfp`lkar`q qlqebRPK^qflk^iL`b^kf`^ka >qjlpmebof`>ajfkfpqo^qflk %KL>>&^d^fkpqqebp`fbkqfpqtel `ljmfibaqebbpqfj^qbp)^iibdfkd ebÎilt_^iibaÏqebkrj_bop ^cqbomlifqf`^imobpprobcolj qebTefqbElrpb)^jlkdlqebop+ Mr_if`Bjmilvbbpclo
Built on arsenic? IFCBj^vklq_b_rfiqlk^ clrka^qflklcmlfplk^cqbo^ii+ >vb^o^dl)Cbifp^Tlicb*Pfjlk) qebk^qK>P>Ñp>pqol_flildv FkpqfqrqbfkJbkilM^oh) @^ifclokf^)pqfooba`lkqolsbopv tfqe`i^fjpqe^q)fkqebi^_)peb e^abk`lro^dba_^`qbof^colj ^k^opbkf`*of`ei^hbfk@^ifclokf^ qlpt^mqebrpr^imelpmelorp fkqebfoAK>cloqluf`^opbkf`+ Klt)^cqboqovfkdqldoltqeb –Hostile habitat– p^jbpqo^fklc_^`qbof^fk^plrm
6 | NewScientist | 28 January 2012
120128_N_Upfront.indd 6
24/1/12 17:40:12
UPFRONT
Newt Skywalker’s return A SURPRISE victory in the primary in South Carolina puts the most nerdy of the US Republican presidential candidates back in the game. But despite Newt Gingrich’s long-standing passion for science and technology – rare among his Republican rivals – his scientific views can be a mixed bag, sometimes blurring the line between fact and fiction. On the upside, Gingrich, a former speaker of the US House of Representatives, has backed investment in research and science education as vital to spurring economic growth, and has a passion for zoos and conservation. As his nickname Newt Skywalker suggests, he also supports space exploration, though not of the NASA variety. Last year, he emphasised the
role of the private sector and set his sights on Mars. As New Scientist went to press, he was planning a speech on space in Florida, home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Be warned, though. Gingrich’s technological vision has extended to some wilder notions, including using lasers to knock out North Korean missiles and building colonies on the moon to harvest minerals. His shifting position on climate change may also give pause for thought. As recently as 2007 he backed cap-and-trade to control US greenhouse gas emissions. Now, faced with Republican scepticism on climate change, Gingrich says “there is no settled scientific conclusion” on whether human activities are causing global warming.
Deepwater politics
Bksfolkjbkq^iObpmlkpf_fifqv %MBBO&^iibdbpqe^q?fiiIbeolc KL>>bafqbaefpobmloqqlpqobpp bpqfj^qbpcolj^qb`ekfnrb`^iiba m^oqf`ibfj^dbsbil`fjbqov)bsbk qelrdeqeobbp`fbkqfpqplkqeb qb^je^a^iob^av`lk`iraba qe^qqebqb`ekfnrbt^ppboflrpiv rkabobpqfj^qfkdqebcilt+ Qebfojr`eefdebobpqfj^qbp tbobi^qbo`lkcfojbaql_b olrdeiv`loob`q+ Ibeoabkfbpqeb^iibd^qflk+ Î>_plirqbivklqefkdt^palkb fk^kvt^vql`e^kdbqebpb krj_boplocradb^kva^q^)Ï ebqliaKbtP`fbkqfpq+
–More science fiction than fact? –
Freeze on flu
“Research must resume soon though, because nature is the real bioterrorist” `^kt^q`eclo^kvpfjfi^osforp bjbodfkdfkk^qrob+ Pb`rofqvbumboqp^kasfolildfpqp jbbqfkdfkT^pefkdqlkA@qefp jlkqee^sbc^fibaqlabsfpb^t^v qlal_lqe)p^vp>_Lpqboe^rplc
RICHARD CUMMINS/CORBIS
Bo^pjrpJbaf`^i@bkqobfk Olqqboa^j)qebKbqeboi^kap+ @LKQOLSBOPF>Icirobpb^o`efp Fqfpklqvbq`ib^otebqeboqeb lkelia)cloklt+QebtloiaÑpqlm Dbkbs^jbbqfkdtfiiq^`hib_lqe cirsfolildfpqpe^sb^dobbaql qebmr_ifpefkdmol_ibj^ka prpmbkatlohlkbumbofjbkqp `lk`bokp^_lrqqebp^cbqvlc qe^q`lria`^rpbqebE2K._foa crqrobE2K.obpb^o`e)bpmb`f^iiv cirsforpqlpmob^ajlobb^pfiv+ qebofphqo^kpjfppf_ibsforpbp Jb^ktefib)sfolildfpqptfiijbbq `lriabp`^mb+ÎTbob^ifpbmblmib pb`rofqvbumboqpkbuqjlkqe^q tfqe_^a^kadllafkqbkqflkp`^k qebTloiaEb^iqeLod^kfw^qflk `^rpbmol_ibjp)Ïp^vpLpqboe^rp+ fkDbkbs^)Ptfqwboi^ka)qlqov ÎTbkbba^jb`e^kfpjclo qlobplisb^pq^ibj^qbfkslisfkd eltqltlohtfqeqebpbsforpbp) mr_if`^qflklcqeblofdfk^i ^kaeltqlmr_ifpe+ÏObpb^o`e bumbofjbkqpqe^qbk^_ibaqebsforp jrpqobprjbpllkqelrde)eb qlpmob^aob^afiv^jlkdcboobqp+ t^okp)Î_b`^rpbk^qrobfpqeb RP_flpb`rofqvbumboqpp^v ob^i_flqboolofpqÏ+ pljbabq^fipjrpq_btfqeebia) fk`^pb_flqboolofpqpdbqelialc qebj+Vbqobpb^o`ebopalkbba qlhklt^iiqebc^`qpplqebv
Lccf`f^ibpqfj^qbplceltjr`e lfiib^hbafkqlqebDriclcJbuf`l arofkdqeb/-.-Abbmt^qbo Elofwlkafp^pqboqrokbalrqql _btbii_biltqebj^oh+Klt ^k^asl`^`vdolrme^pcfiba ^`ljmi^fkqlcjfp`lkar`q qlqebRPK^qflk^iL`b^kf`^ka >qjlpmebof`>ajfkfpqo^qflk %KL>>&^d^fkpqqebp`fbkqfpqtel `ljmfibaqebbpqfj^qbp)^iibdfkd ebÎilt_^iibaÏqebkrj_bop ^cqbomlifqf`^imobpprobcolj qebTefqbElrpb)^jlkdlqebop+ Mr_if`Bjmilvbbpclo
Built on arsenic? IFCBj^vklq_b_rfiqlk^ clrka^qflklcmlfplk^cqbo^ii+ >vb^o^dl)Cbifp^Tlicb*Pfjlk) qebk^qK>P>Ñp>pqol_flildv FkpqfqrqbfkJbkilM^oh) @^ifclokf^)pqfooba`lkqolsbopv tfqe`i^fjpqe^q)fkqebi^_)peb e^abk`lro^dba_^`qbof^colj ^k^opbkf`*of`ei^hbfk@^ifclokf^ qlpt^mqebrpr^imelpmelorp fkqebfoAK>cloqluf`^opbkf`+ Klt)^cqboqovfkdqldoltqeb –Hostile habitat– p^jbpqo^fklc_^`qbof^fk^plrm
6 | NewScientist | 28 January 2012
120128_N_Upfront.indd 6
24/1/12 17:40:12