Editorials in 2005

Disputes between Germany's states and its federal government need not cripple the country's research priorities.

Last month's tsunami and its aftermath have highlighted a need for more science — and more effective sharing of data.

The president of Harvard has learnt a painful lesson in public communication. The media and Harvard academics may have over-reacted to his comments about women in science, but there is an opportunity to benefit from the affair.

Unfettered research sometimes leads to highly serendipitous discoveries.

Until its next revolution, much of the glory of physics will be in engineering. It is a shame that the physicists who do so much of it keep so quiet about it.

Users of the Baikonur rocket base should care more about the health of local people

Despite the warning shots of SARS and last year's Asian outbreak of avian flu, governments are still not doing enough to monitor and prepare for the next viral pandemic. This inaction is scandalous.

The lack of preparation for last month's tsunami illustrates shocking disparities in how science is applied in different regions of the world. The global response to the disaster offers a glimmer of hope that these disparities will be addressed.