ontents Autumn 2015

Regulars p. 5 Editor’s Note p. 7 Letters p. 8 The Q&A Nobel-winning physicist

Frank Wilczek p. 11 Witness Dispatches on science,

culture and politics p. 71 Crossword Set by Chaliapin p. 72 The Big Question

Is there such a thing as free will?

p. 73 Quiz Set by Chris Maslanka columns p. 10 Free speech What liberals get wrong about offence By Terri Murray o n alb e s

: jam o n ilustrati ov e r p. 18 Cosmos The force that binds us

By Marcus Chown p. 70 In a word The meaning of “reform”

By Michael Rosen p. 74 Endgame No photos – I’m partying

By Laurie Taylor

Cities, page 20

Sport, page 54

‘‘Every mosquito on Earth is a potential world-destroyer’’

arcus Chown, page 18

Features p. 20 Cities As the world’s population grows, how will we live?

By Douglas Murphy p. 26 Memoir Years of chronic alcoholism left me with a stark choice

By John Doran p. 30 Cover story How a close-knit group of bloggers found themselves under attack in Bangladesh

By Samira Shackle p. 36 Bodies Technology promises ever more control over the self, but will it liberate us?

By Ray Filar p. 40 Sermon What happened when an atheist addressed a church congregation

By Julian Baggini Culture p. 46 Television The strange death of British satire By Mark Fisher p. 50 Literature Jenny Diski’s mission to know herself By Fatema Ahmed p. 54 Sport Why do so many people worship Roger Federer?

By Elizabeth Wilson p. 58 Film Corruption, power and lies in turbulent post-Soviet Ukraine

By Agata Pyzik p. 62 Ideas Would more careful reading of religious texts help prevent violence?

By Keith Kahn-Harris

Books p. 66 Reviews Niki Seth-Smith on the happiness industry; Lucy Popescu on Jon Ronson and being publicly shamed; Fiona Sampson on poetry’s search for pattern and meaning in human life; Andrew Mueller on a history of bizarre sports poetry p. 53 Ruth Padel p. 57 Maria Galina p. 61 Amir Or p. 65 W. N. Herbert

New Humanist | Autumn 2015

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