The Intersection

Chris Mooney's Article Archive

2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001

2008

Enormously Pathetic Agency:
There has been a near-complete breakdown at our central environmental regulatory agency under the Bush administration.
(Science Progress, 04/30/2008)

Hearts and Minds:
The successful rightwing documentary demonstrates that science needs a loud, accessible, entertaining, mass media response to creationist nonsense.
(Science Progress, 04/23/2008)

Hard Science:
Laboratory geeks need to toughen up.
(The New Republic, 04/23/2008)

So Far, Yet So Close:
The chief lessons learned from ScienceDebate2008: ignore naysayers, and never give up.
(Science Progress, 04/16/2008)

Science and Candidates:
The U.S. science community has converged at record speed with the unified goal of raising the profile of science in our national dialogue.
(Science Magazine, 04/11/2008)

The Readiness Is All:
We desperately need to adapt our coastal infrastructure to climate change.
(Science Progress, 04/09/2008)

Just Coasting:
When are Americans finally going to get accurate, timely information - not to mention action - from their government about global warming risks to the Gulf Coast and elsewhere? Part I of a two-part column series.
(Science Progress, 04/02/2008)

The Manufacture of Uncertainty:
How American industries have purchased "scientists" to undermine scientific verities when those verities threaten their profits.
(The American Prospect, 03/28/2008)

Enablers:
By constantly criticizing and responding to anti-science forces, are we only strengthening and propping them up?
(Science Progress, 03/19/2008)

Biofuel Warfare:
The latest scientific research suggests that current biofuel production might not reduce carbon emissions significantly, or at all. It's clear now that the issue is "wickedly complicated." Are we wise enough to handle it?
(Science Progress, 03/06/2008)

Fishy Government:
A strong judicial rebuke to the Bush administration's indefensible behavior on mercury pollution may mark the end of an embarrassing era during which the toxin poured into our ecosystems.
(Science Progress, 02/20/2008)

Science on the Campaign Trail (Or, the Lack Thereof):
How are Americans supposed to figure out the candidates' stances on matters of science and technology policy? Answer: They won't unless they strongly care to know in the first place - and even then, they can't learn much of anything directly from the candidates themselves.
(Science Progress, 02/06/2008)

One Culture, Two Culture, Three Culture, Four...:
We need more popular intersections of scientific thinking with the other lenses through which we see the world.
(Science Progress, 01/24/2008)

Science, Delayed:
The quest to restore dedicated science advice for Congress through a reborn Office of Technology Assessment has proven more difficult than one might have supposed.
(Science Progress, 01/09/2008)

2007

Science + 1:
The latest scientific workforce debate underscores the importance of science graduates learning about something other than science.
(Science Progress, 12/12/2007)

Quick Study:
Humans should be extremely cautious about meddling any further with the Earth's atmosphere. But we should study the possibility nevertheless, in case someone else tries it - or in case we don't have a choice.
(Science Progress, 11/28/2007)

Out of Balance:
How U.S. media coverage of global warming finally moved past "he said, she said, we're clueless."
(Science Progress, 11/14/2007)

Fire Fight:
How should we think about the relationship between global warming and an increased risk of wildfires to the United States?
(Science Progress, 10/31/2007)

Watch That Message:
Scientific integrity and scientific innovation aren't necessarily - or always - the same thing. There are important distinctions that must be made if we are to marry sound scientific research with sound science and technology policymaking.
(Science Progress, 10/17/2007)

New Paradigm for Science Communication:
Scientific facts no longer speak for themselves. In the age of the Internet, facts need to be framed for diverse audiences spread across fragmented media outlets.
(Science Progress, 10/04/2007)

Category 5 Warning:
Judging the link between mega hurricanes and global warming warrants neither outright alarmism nor dismissive skepticism.
(Los Angeles Times, 09/07/2007)

Out of the Bushes:
For US scientists, George W Bush's presidency has been a disaster. But there's hope on the horizon.
(The Guardian, 08/08/2007)

Extremophile Journalism:
The role of science journalists in the developing world is more important than ever.
(Seed, August 2007)

Hurricane Wars:
An op-ed published in the Orlando Sentinel and Providence Journal.
(Providence Journal, 07/20/2007)

Al Gore's The Assault on Reason:
A book review.
(New Scientist, 07/18/2007)

Why We Need to Truly Understand the Medical Literature:
An editorial written with Beth Jordan, MD, medical director of the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals.
(Contraception, June 2007)

Undoing Bush:
How to repair eight years of sabotage, bungling, and neglect. (Addressing the science policy part of the problem.)
(Harper's, June 2007)

Emotional Rescue
If we're serious about building a society that makes scientifically informed decisions, then science needs to figure out a way to get its message across effectively.
(Seed, 05/29/2007)

Spreading the Word
On many major issues scientists know they are right but their challenge is to convince the public.
(Sydney Morning Herald, 04/26/2007)

Thanks for the Facts....
An extension of the Mooney-Nisbet argument.
(Washington Post, 04/15/2007)

Framing Science
A call (with co-author Matthew Nisbet) for a fundamental rethinking of the nature of science communication.
(Science, 04/06/2007)

Welcome Back...Now What?
With the Democrats' return to power in Congress, a new era of scientific integrity is within reach. My five-point plan for restoring truth in Washington.
(Seed, 03/23/2007)

The New Scientist:
James Hansen is the world's leading--and most politically outspoken--climate researcher.
(Seed, 03/12/2007)

Can Washington Get Smart About Science?
A joint op-ed by Chris Mooney and Alan Sokal.
(Los Angeles Times, 02/04/2007)

Global Warming Action:
Looks like we'll have to wait until '09.
(Seedmagazine.com, 01/24/2007)

2006

Thank You for Polluting
How science disinformation campaigns may backfire this November.
(Seed Magazine, 08/23/2006)

The Next Big Storm
Can Scientists and Journalists Work Together to Improve Coverage of the Hurricane-Global Warming Controversy? (with Matthew Nisbet)
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 08/03/2006)

As Science Goes, So Goes the Nation
How the White House misunderestimated the height, width, breadth and depth of a crucial cultural meme.
(Seed Magazine, 06/13/2006)

Deep-Fried America
A look at how global warming will change the United States and, with time, American politics.
(Seed Magazine, 04/17/2006)

Learning to Speak Science
A few suggestions on how the scientific community can win back its political influence in America.
(Seed Magazine, 01/31/2006)

2005

Heeding Cassandra
Scientists spend their entire careers investigating natural processes, uncovering causes, predicting effects and unraveling the complexities of systems that insurers might call Acts of God. It's about time our political leaders started listening.
(Seed Magazine, 12/19/2005)

Upping the Anti
Tom Bethell takes the modern political right's "war on science" to a whole new level.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 12/8/2005)

Survival of the Flimsiest
As anti-evolutionists evolve, they strip down the principles of their beliefs.
(American Prospect Online, 11/17/2005)

The Dover Monkey Trial
How intelligent design is hijacking science.
(Seed, 10/1/2005)

Trust Us, We're Experts
The strategic creation of "science" on the political right.
(TomPaine.com, 9/28/2005)

The Bush Administration's Abuse of Science
The once-cooperative relationship between scientists and our political leaders has thoroughly deteriorated under this White House, says Chris Mooney, and we all pay the price.
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 9/25/2005)

Bush and the Mad Scientists
The administration strikes again in its infuriating war against science.
(Los Angeles Times, 9/20/2005)

U.S. Science Under Political Siege
The next time a US politician attacks science, you can bet the interests of industry or the Christian right are not far behind.
(New Scientist, 9/10/2005)

Big Easy, Hard Truths
The city that took little seriously has some weighty decisions to make.
(American Prospect Online, 9/6/2005)

Requiem for an Office
Ten years ago, congressional Republicans did away with their world-renowned scientific advisory body, the Office of Technology Assessment. Now even some conservatives admit the time has come to bring it back.
(Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 9/1/2005)

Inferior Design
In late September, a contemporary Scopes trial gets under way in Pennsylvania. For the right, it's been 39 years in the making.
(American Prospect, 9/1/2005)

Undoing Darwin
When the coverage of evolution shifts to the political and opinion pages, the scientific context falls away. [co-authored with Matthew Nisbet]
(Columbia Journalism Review, 9/1/2005)

Interrogations
Thanks to a little-known piece of legislation, scientists at the EPA and other agencies find their work questioned not only by industry, but by their own government. PDFs here
and here.
(The Boston Globe (Ideas), 8/28/2005)

Stop Him Before He Writes Again
Will someone please make James Schlesinger disclose his energy-industry ties next time he writes an anti-global warming op-ed?
(American Prospect Online, 8/23/2005)

The Right Fight
It took the Bush administration to bring a truce between the postmodern left and the scientific community.
(American Prospect Online, 8/15/2005)

The Monster That Wouldn't Die
Why Hollywood never seems to get tired of the Frankenstein myth.
(American Prospect Online, 8/8/2005)

Lab Benched
A little-known ruling on expert testimony shows why sound reasoning is more important than politics when it comes to choosing Supreme Court justices.
(American Prospect Online, 8/2/2005)

Thumb War
Two Republicans battle over whether Congress should lean on scientists who disprove conservative theories.
(American Prospect Online, 7/25/2005)

Alternative Reality
Opponents of embryonic stem-cell research keep pretending there's some way to dodge the real issue.
(American Prospect Online, 7/19/2005)

Science Wars II
Where does the debate now stand over science and the Bush administration?
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 7/19/2005)

Gleneagles Grounded
Yes, Bush said global warming "must be addressed by the world." No, he didn't say anything new.
(American Prospect Online, 7/13/2005)

Mann Hunt
A Texas congressman isn't just going after global-warming science -- he's got the scientists in his crosshairs too.
(American Prospect Online, 7/5/2005)

Debunking the Debunkers
The Wall Street Journal's take on global warming gets more desperate all the time.
(The American Prospect Online, 6/27/2005)

Low-Ball Warming
There should be a special circle in hell for people who mess with scientific data.
(American Prospect Online, 6/20/2005)

Snow Job
The embryo "adoption" process -- and the Snowflake families -- distract from the real issues in the stem-cell debate.
(American Prospect Online, 6/13/2005)

Global Warming and the Categorical Imperative
The real problem with global warming “sceptics” is their unsupportable view of how science policy decisions ought to be made. Scepticism is fine. Paralysis is not.
(OpenDemocracy.net, 6/7/2005)

Republicans v. NIH
Republicans want to pretend science is on their side. They may want to see what the NIH has to say.
(American Prospect Online, 5/31/2005)

Less than Miraculous
Dateline NBC's ridiculous promotion of the paranormal.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 5/25/2005)

The Courthouse Effect
How to win a global warming lawsuit.
(Slate, 5/23/2005)

Thinking Big About Hurricanes
It's time to get serious about saving New Orleans.
(American Prospect Online, 5/23/2005)

Creating a Controversy
Today's anti-evolutionists don't want to abolish science -- they just want to render it irrelevant.
(American Prospect Online, 5/16/2005)

If a Woodpecker Could
One magnificent bird can't make up for all the other endangered species we neglect.
(American Prospect Online, 5/9/2005)

Ethics for Realists
For everybody who isn't committed to banning stem-cell research, the National Academy of Sciences guidelines are good news.
(American Prospect Online, 5/2/2005)

Unnatural Law
A 10-year-old law on herbal supplements is endangering consumers.
(American Prospect Online, 4/25/2005)

A Cherry-Picking Accident
Senator Inhofe should be more careful in deciding which scientific reports to misrepresent.
(American Prospect Online, 4/19/2005)

Some Like It Hot
Forty public policy groups have this in common: They challenge mainstream climate science. And they all get money from ExxonMobil.
(Mother Jones, 4/18/2005)

Waking Up to Sleep Paralysis
The range of alleged "paranormal" experiences that this condition may explain--from alien abductions to ghosts sightings--is truly vast.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 4/13/2005)

Misleading.gov
A new HHS Web site misinforms parents about how to protect their kids from sexually transmitted diseases.
(American Prospect Online, 4/11/2005)

Climate Challenge
Even when administration figures own up to global warming, nobody pays attention.
(American Prospect Online, 4/4/2005)

Congressional Malpractice
Bill Frist leverages his medical credentials for political gain. It's only fair to hold him accountable for abusing science.
(American Prospect Online, 3/28/2005)

Dreckonomics
Misrepresenting the science of mercury pollution isn't enough for Bush & Co. They've got to fake the economics, too.
(The American Prospect Online, 3/14/2005)

Junkie Science
Clinton didn't always do the right thing on HIV policy. But at least he was honest about it.
(The American Prospect Online, 3/7/2005)

Out of Balance
Even with respect to extraordinary and absurd claims, ABC and Peter Jennings listen to "both sides."
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 3/3/2005)

On Another Planet
The GOP's science on mercury is out of this world.
(The American Prospect Online, 2/28/2005)

Why science adviser John Marburger's defense of the Bush administration's science policies fails.
(, 2/26/2005)

"Intelligent Design" and the Media
Brief comments delivered on "The State of Science Journalism," sponsored by Reason Magazine and the Institute for Humane Studies, Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005, The Crystal City Marriot at Reagan National Airport.
(Speech, 2/26/2005)

Intelligent Denials
Bush's science adviser said one important thing about politicized science in a recent appearance. But only one.
(The American Prospect Online, 2/22/2005)

Beyond Kyoto
Today's launch could mark the beginning of the end for global-warming deniers.
(The American Prospect, 2/16/2005)

Beyond Kyoto
The American Prospect's Chris Mooney says we should build on the Kyoto plan, which ends in 2012 (Republished).
(CBSNews.com, 2/16/2005)

Cell Out
Bush hints at therapeutic cloning ban (republished).
(CBSNews.com, 2/9/2005)

Cell Out
Bush's stances on stem cells and cloning drift ever further from scientific reality.
(The American Prospect Online, 2/7/2005)

Checking Crichton's Footnotes
The author builds his case on the backs of scientists who don't agree with him.
(Boston Globe (Ideas), 2/6/2005)

Discovery Phase
Now, at long last, we're getting acquainted with the new anti-evolutionists. And they seem very familiar.
(The American Prospect Online, 1/31/2005)

Not a Geologist
The American Prospect wishes President George W. Bush would listen to the experts before he makes policy, especially with regards to global warming and stem cell research. (Republished.)
(CBSNews.com, 1/25/2005)

Not a Geologist
Looking at four more years with a president who scorns expertise.
(The American Prospect Online, 1/24/2005)

Bad Science, Bad Fiction
In Michael Crichton's work, the two are intimately connected.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 1/18/2005)

Warmed Over
Sen. James Inhofe is at odds with scientists over global warming. (Reprinted.)
(CBSNews.com, 1/11/2005)

Warmed Over
As the Kyoto Protocol moves forward, James Inhofe serves up the same old nonsense.
(The American Prospect Online, 1/10/2005)

2004

Is Politics Stifling One of the Most Promising Avenues of Aging-Related Research?
A live chat with Chris Mooney.
(WashingtonPost.com (Discussion), 12/15/2004)

Science Wars
The election is over, but the Bush administration's battles with the scientific establishment aren't going away.
(The Boston Globe, 11/21/2004)

Science, Freelance Writing, and Opinion Journalism
Comments to Participants in the Metcalf Institute's Science and Journalism Workshop, Watertown Hotel, Seattle, WA (PDF).
(Lecture, 11/9/2004)

Blinded by Science
How "balanced" coverage lets the scientific fringe hijack reality.
(Columbia Journalism Review, 11/1/2004)

Mental Bloc Over Senior Voters
Every election year, politicians go out of their way to court older Americans. But some political scientists say seniors tend to vote the same way that everyone else does.
(SAGE Crossroads, 10/25/2004)

State Your Case
Anti-evolutionist activism, inspired and rejuvenated by the Intelligent Design movement, is spreading across the country. Get ready for lawsuits.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 10/25/2004)

Research and Destroy
How the religious right promotes its own "experts" to combat mainstream science.
(The Washington Monthly, 10/1/2004)

Deja Vu All Over Again
How did the Intelligent Design movement publish in a peer reviewed biology journal? A similar--and notorious--story from climate science sheds light on the question.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 9/13/2004)

Cell Block
Bush's politicized stem-cell decision puts California on the verge of a "scientific secession." (PDF)
(The American Prospect, 9/1/2004)

Christian Science?
Siding with an antiabortion doctor, the FDA rejects easy access to a morning-after pill.
(Mother Jones, 9/1/2004)

IDing ID
Is "Intelligent Design" theory really "Creation Science" version 2.0? Not exactly, but the parallels are certainly suggestive.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 8/9/2004)

Cocktail Hour
Get ready for high-speed pharmbots that mix and match drugs and doses by the millions.
(Wired, 7/1/2004)

Wake Up Call
Leading scientists say climate change must finally receive the attention it deserves. True skeptics should agree with them.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 6/18/2004)

Think Again:
Op-Ed Seductions.
(Center for American Progress, 6/10/2004)

Learning from Nonsense?
Hollywood's new disaster blockbuster, The Day After Tomorrow, presents climate change cataclysms that no respected scientist considers realistic. But can the hoopla surrounding the film actually educate about the real global warming issue?
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 5/18/2004)

The Fraud of "Sound Science"
Conservative Republicans, and even some liberal commentators, have adopted the phrase "sound science." If it isn't "good science" then what exactly is it? (Reprinted from The Gadflyer)
(AlterNet, 5/13/2004)

The Fraud of "Sound Science"
A history of a conservative term of art.
(The Gadflyer, 5/10/2004)

Think Again
False objectivity in science reporting.
(Center for American Progress, 5/6/2004)

Sucker Punch
How conservatives are trying to use a conflict over obscure fish to gut the science behind the Endangered Species Act.
(Legal Affairs, 5/1/2004)

Sucker Punch
How conservatives are trying to use a conflict over obscure fish to gut the science behind the Endangered Species Act. (PDF)
(Legal Affairs, 5/1/2004)

Earth Last
Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe is waging a war on science so extreme that even the Bush administration seems moderate by comparison.
(The American Prospect, 5/1/2004)

Earth Last
Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman James Inhofe is waging a war on science so extreme that even the Bush administration seems moderate by comparison. (PDF)
(The American Prospect, 5/1/2004)

Eating Away at Science
The sugar industry is fighting findings that link its product to obesity. And U.S. officials are echoing the companies' line.
(Mother Jones, 5/1/2004)

Paralysis by Analysis
Jim Tozzi's regulation to end all regulation.
(The Washington Monthly, 5/1/2004)

Think Again
Misreporting stem cell research.
(Center for American Progress, 3/25/2004)

The New Science Wars
Is George W. Bush's the most anti-science administration in modern times?
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 3/15/2004)

The Editorial Pages and the Case for War
Did our leading newspapers set too low a bar for a preemptive attack?
(Columbia Journalism Review, 3/1/2004)

Beware "Sound Science"
It's doublespeak for trouble.
(The Washington Post, 2/29/2004)

It Just Takes One
How an advertisement for Intelligent Design theory made its way into the Harvard Law Review.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 2/9/2004)

Reform or Deform?
The new Medicare law will help the most needy seniors with drug costs--but others might find much they don't like in the bill.
(SAGE Crossroads, 2/2/2004)

The Politics of Peer Review
Expert review of scientific information is usually a good thing. But as a recent White House proposal to expand peer review of government regulatory science shows, there are big exceptions.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 1/8/2004)

Looking Back, Looking Forward
In 2003, gerontologists inched toward finding antiaging pills--and a comprehensive theory of aging itself. 2004 could bring them even closer, in the process igniting a race for drugs to keep us young.
(SAGE Crossroads, 1/5/2004)

A Short History of Sunsets
The Bush Administration has used sunset provisions to get skeptical legislators to sign on to controversial bills. But will the sun ever set on the Patriot Act or the Bush tax cuts? (PDF Version.)
(Legal Affairs, 1/1/2004)

A Short History of Sunsets
The Bush Administration has used sunset provisions to get skeptical legislators to sign on to controversial bills. But will the sun ever set on the Patriot Act or the Bush tax cuts?
(Legal Affairs, 1/1/2004)

2003

Dealing with the Pain
The American medical system has devoted too little attention to the management of chronic pain, a condition that can make life unbearable for the elderly.
(SAGE Crossroads, 12/8/2003)

Abuses of Skepticism
Doubting is a powerful tool, but it can definitely be taken too far.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 12/5/2003)

Half Empty?
The President's Council on Bioethics recently issued its report on the prospect of using biotechnology to enhance the human body and mind. Some scientists and ethicists--including members of the council--say the group has taken too negative a stance on the pursuit of therapies that might someday retard aging and extend human life span.
(SAGE Crossroads, 11/24/2003)

Now or Never?
Although scores of scientists are studying the biology of aging, they disagree about when--if ever--we'll be able to control the process.
(SAGE Crossroads, 11/3/2003)

King of the Paranormal
CNN's Larry King has a long history of outrageous promotion of UFOs, psychics, and spiritualists. (Print/PDF Version.)
(Skeptical Inquirer, 11/1/2003)

Magic Markers?
The quest to measure how fast individuals age has proven far more complicated than originally thought. Because such methods could yield more definitive tests for antiaging medicines, though, some researchers refuse to give up.
(SAGE Crossroads, 10/20/2003)

One Atheist, Underwhelmed
Is trying to get the words "under God" out of the Pledge of Allegiance the best way to improve the status of American unbelievers?
(The Washington Post, 10/19/2003)

Not Too Bright
Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett are smart guys, but their campaign to rename religious unbelievers "brights" could use some rethinking.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 10/15/2003)

Double Barreled Double Standards
For years, John Lott has provided a vital scholarly basis to the pro-gun movement. But now his research and his integrity are drawing heavy fire.
(MotherJones.com, 10/13/2003)

The Science Gap
In 1995, a budget-cutting Republican Congress fired its science advisers for being too politicized and too slow. In an age of bioterror, climate change, and high-tech weaponry, we need them back.
(The Boston Globe, 10/5/2003)

A Time for Debunking
To protect the public against worthless or dangerous life-extension therapies, leading scientists are waging a media battle against perceived antiaging hucksters. Is it working?
(SAGE Crossroads, 9/22/2003)

Failure to Thrive
Scientists and clinicians know how to battle depression in the elderly. But without needed policy changes in the health care system, they're being held back.
(SAGE Crossroads, 9/15/2003)

Polling for ID
The latest pro-Intelligent Design Zogby poll is just one in a series of questionable surveys.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 9/11/2003)

Remember the Maine
A small state casts fear in the heart of Big Pharma.
(The American Prospect, 9/1/2003)

Rare Opportunity
The study of uncommon diseases that mimic some aspects of aging, such as Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome and Werner syndrome, could reach beyond the lives of afflicted individuals and cast light on more common medical conditions.
(SAGE Crossroads, 8/18/2003)

Trading in Futures
A review of Stephen S. Hall's Merchants of Immortality: Chasing the Dream of Human Life Extension. (UPDATED VERSION)
(SAGE Crossroads, 8/11/2003)

King of the Paranormal
What's up with the Larry King Show's outrageous promotion of UFOs, psychics, and spiritualists?
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 7/31/2003)

Advanced Sell Technology
A review of Stephen S. Hall's Merchants of Immortality: Chasing the Dream of Human Life Extension.
(SAGE KE, 7/23/2003)

Rational Choice?
Proponents of rationing health care on the basis of age say that society can't bear the economic strain that will follow the retirement of the baby boom generation. Critics say that the plan is not only unethical but unworkable.
(SAGE Crossroads, 7/14/2003)

Exonerating the Friedmans
Skeptics of hypnosis and "recovered memory therapy" will know that Arnold and Jesse Friedman were probably innocent. So did the documentary filmmaker who captured their story: He just decided not to say it.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 7/7/2003)

Second-Class Citizens
The separate and unequal treatment of our far-flung territories.
(Legal Affairs, 7/1/2003)

Everything to Lose
A review of Bill McKibben's Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age.
(The American Scholar, 7/1/2003)

Of Twins and Centenarians
These two unique groups have a lot to tell us about the role of genes in aging.
(SAGE Crossroads, 6/30/2003)

A Transgendered Wizard Caught in Post-Ironic Yada Yada
A foray into the colorful world of Harry Potter scholarship.
(The Washington Post, 6/29/2003)

From Womb to Tomb
Can events that happened before we were born dictate our life span and our susceptibility to adult disease?
(SAGE Crossroads, 6/16/2003)

W.'s Christian Nation
How Bush promotes religion and erodes the separation of church and state.
(The American Prospect, 6/1/2003)

Quacks and Flacks
The pitfalls of seeking a scientific foundation for alternative medicine.
(Reason, 6/1/2003)

What's Next for Longevity Research?
Scientists can dramatically enhance the life spans of a variety of organisms, but they don't yet fully understand how this life extension works. Given the human stakes, should government be doing more to speed the process along?
(SAGE Crossroads, 5/19/2003)

Evolutionary Leaps of Logic
The X-Men meet the theory of punctuated equililbrium.
(The Washington Post, 5/18/2003)

Teen Herbicide
Dietary supplements can be deadly. So why are they being marketed to kids?
(Mother Jones, 5/1/2003)

Creationist U.
Anti-evolutionists have just won two important victories on American university campuses - one legal, one in public relations.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 4/30/2003)

Panel Politics
The President's Council on Bioethics has broken new ground by investigating the ethics of age retardation. But will its conclusions reflect the concerns of its conservative chair or the optimism of other members?
(SAGE Crossroads, 4/21/2003)

The Wright Lesson
A hundred years ago, the Wright brothers grabbed the lead in the quest for flight. So why was American aviation so slow to take off?
(The Boston Globe, 4/20/2003)

First in Flight?
The Wright brothers' alleged rivals.
(The Boston Globe, 4/20/2003)

The Research Gap
When dietary supplements show promise for treating diabetes and other aging-related conditions, who should perform the studies needed to determine whether they're safe and effective?
(SAGE Crossroads, 4/7/2003)

Meet Me Halfway
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to merge research in two areas that don't usually mix: aging and the environment.
(SAGE Crossroads, 3/31/2003)

Breaking the Frame
Susan Nall Bales has a lesson for progressive groups: Message matters.
(The American Prospect, 3/24/2003)

The Skeptic's Message Lab
Some thoughts on new ways to critique alternative medicine.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 3/24/2003)

All Together Now
New research suggests that the same gene promotes aging in flies, worms, and mice. The possibility that it has a similar effect in humans is fueling efforts to develop drugs--and the debate over whether we should tinker with our own longevity.
(SAGE Crossroads, 3/17/2003)

Food Fight
A review of Marion Nestle's Safe Food.
(The Washington Monthly, 3/1/2003)

Circuit Breaker
If you're worried about conservative control of the federal judiciary, keep your eyes on the District of Columbia.
(The American Prospect, 3/1/2003)

Short Review
A review of Answering Only to God: Faith and Freedom in Twenty-First Century Iran, by Geneive Abdo and Jonathan Lyons.
(Mother Jones, 3/1/2003)

Benching Congress
The rising power of the judiciary.
(TomPaine.com, 2/25/2003)

Dini is Served
A spat at Texas Tech provides a new wrinkle on Darwinism and science education.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 2/3/2003)

How Blogging Changed Journalism
Weblogs have altered the balance of power in the media and created ripples through society.
(The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/2/2003)

John Zogby's Creative Polls
And a closer look at his methods.
(The American Prospect, 2/1/2003)

Pigeon Feed
What's hunting the street birds of Adams Morgan?
(The Washington City Paper, 1/31/2003)

Happy Old Year
When it comes to the media's human cloning coverage, we're still in 1997.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 1/9/2003)

2002

The Ring and the Cross
How J.R.R. Tolkien became a Christian writer.
(The Boston Globe, 12/29/2002)

Tolkien Picks up a Few More Bits of Cultural Baggage
The Lord of the Rings and the case for war.
(The Washington Post, 12/29/2002)

Explainer:
How do you get rid of the Senate Majority Leader?
(Slate, 12/13/2002)

Explainer:
What happens when a church goes bankrupt?
(Slate, 12/4/2002)

Conversion Fantasies
In paranormalist fiction, the "skeptic" character always comes around in the end.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 12/2/2002)

Survival of the Slickest
How anti-evolutionists are mutating their message.
(The American Prospect, 12/2/2002)

Nothing Wrong with a Little Frankenstein
When it's good to play God.
(The Washington Post, 12/1/2002)

Great Escapism
J.R.R.Tolkien's preindustrial fantasy feeds postindustrial entertainment.
(Reason, 12/1/2002)

Getting Taken
Steven Spielberg, paranormal huckster.
(Slate, 11/27/2002)

The Globalist Cookbook
Does globalization improve culture, or just water it down? An economist investigates.
(The Boston Globe, 11/24/2002)

Explainer:
Did the United Nations authorize "No-Fly" zones over Iraq?
(Slate, 11/19/2002)

Good Company
It's time for the CIA and scholars to work together. Again.
(The American Prospect, 11/18/2002)

Explainer:
Why does Louisiana have such an odd election system?
(Slate, 11/13/2002)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Skeptics
Why doubters should celebrate J.K. Rowling's tales of magic and wizardry.
(Skeptical Inquirer Online, 11/4/2002)

Impaired Faculties?
Why liberal law professors vouch for Michael McConnell.
(The American Prospect, 11/4/2002)

Oh, the Humanity
There's sheer wizardry in us Muggles.
(The Washington Post, 10/27/2002)

Speech Class
A Muslim group tries to blame deaths on Jerry Falwell's big mouth.
(The American Prospect Online, 10/15/2002)

Northern Light
Navigating the Maine Senate race with Chellie Pingree.
(The American Prospect, 10/7/2002)

Explainer:
Can private citizens negotiate with Saddam?
(Slate, 9/19/2002)

Is that Real Science?
Or is that a candle in your ear?
(The Washington Post, 8/11/2002)

The Future is Later
The cloning fight comes down to abortion -- and down to earth.
(The American Prospect, 7/15/2002)

Idea Log:
Attack of the Clones meets the Lord of the Luddites.
(The American Prospect Online, 5/16/2002)

Idea Log:
It's the Constitution, stupid.
(The American Prospect Online, 5/9/2002)

Sins of Petition
Does the left really oppose cloned embryo research?
(The American Prospect, 5/6/2002)

Idea Log:
Why everyone has a right to criticize the Catholic Church.
(The American Prospect Online, 4/30/2002)

Science Fiction
After spending half a billion taxpayer dollars, alternative medicine gurus still can't prove their methods work--how convenient.
(The Washington Monthly, 4/1/2002)

Idea Log:
Rush don't know Dittoheads.
(The American Prospect Online, 4/1/2002)

Idea Log:
Oh no! Bill McKibben's said too much. He's said it all.
(The American Prospect Online, 3/28/2002)

Idea Log:
What would Pat Robertson say about Hinduism?
(The American Prospect, 3/12/2002)

Idea Log:
Dear Ann Coulter....
(The American Prospect Online, 3/1/2002)

Getting Lay
Will Enron's top brass go to jail?
(The American Prospect, 2/25/2002)

Idea Log:
Senator Sam Brownback, anti-corporate leftist.
(The American Prospect Online, 2/25/2002)

Idea Log:
Has anyone actually read The Skeptical Environmentalist?
(The American Prospect Online, 2/20/2002)

Daschle and Destiny
Does the majority leader dare disturb the universe?
(The American Prospect, 2/11/2002)

Bill Clinton's Questionable Clemencies
The former president's decision to release Puerto Rican terrorists in 1999 prompted outrage from Congress and his wife. Now it also bolsters claims that he was "soft on terrorism."
(Salon, 2/4/2002)

When Left Becomes Right
The strange case of Friends of the Earth.
(The American Prospect Online, 1/29/2002)

Spy Tech
A review of Jeffery T. Richelson's The Wizards of Langley: Inside the CIA's Directorate of Science and Technology.
(The American Prospect, 1/28/2002)

2001

Holy War
Republicans woo an ex-Muslim blasphemer in the fight to separate mosque and state.
(The American Prospect, 12/17/2001)

Lord of the Slings
Just mention the name Tolkien and his phenomenally popular trilogy then stand back and watch the "intellectual hooliganism" begin.
(The Ottawa Citizen, 12/14/2001)

Idea Log:
Reflections on political catastrophism.
(The American Prospect Online, 12/11/2001)

A Pox on Pro-Lifers
Antiabortion groups say they'd rather die than take a smallpox vaccine derived from fetal tissue.
(Salon, 12/7/2001)

Tolkien on Homeland Defense
And why he's more like J.K. Rowling than Christians admit.
(The American Prospect Online, 12/4/2001)

Political Science
The Bush administration snubs its science adviser.
(The American Prospect, 12/3/2001)

CIA, Scholar links to Asia, Mideast reexamined
Should the agency be collaborating more with academics in the wake of 9/11?
(The Boston Globe, 11/25/2001)

Back to Church
Rescuing the reputation of a liberal crusader for intelligence reform.
(The American Prospect, 11/15/2001)

Idea Log:
The other Coulter.
(The American Prospect Online, 11/13/2001)