The trouble with software 25 November 2004

Managing complexity
Most software projects fail to meet their goals. Can this be fixed by giving developers better tools?

Authenticating art 25 November 2004

Different strokes
A new way of detecting art forgeries

Better engines 18 November 2004

The sparks fly
Electric propulsion for spacecraft

Bob Dylan 18 November 2004

I felt so symbolic yesterday
A review of Chronicles, the first volume of Bob Dylan’s autobiography, a new biography of Woody Guthrie, and a collection of essays about Dylan.

Derek Walcott 4 November 2004

The death of earth
A review of Derek Walcott’s new book-length poem.

The heart of radio 1 4 November 2004

John Peel
The greatest DJ in history?

A costly failure 21 October 2004

D’oh!
Why the Genesis probe crashed

Private space exploration 7 October 2004

SpaceShipWon!
The X-Prize is claimed

Winners! 7 October 2004

Smells like team spirit
The 2004 Novel prizes in the sciences

Dodging bullets… 30 September 2004

Far away, so close
A large asteroid sweeps by the Earth. Where are the others?

Social Networks 30 September 2004

Circles of friends
What maths tells us about us.

Foreign atmospheres 23 September 2004

Valuable vapours
How methane on Mars is distributed.

Looking for planets around distant stars 23 September 2004

In search of the Earth Mark II
Terrestrial exoplanets will likely be found soon.

Anatomy of a search engine 16 September 2004

How Google works
A brief history of the world’s most revolutionary search engine. Plus, an interview with me about that brief history.

Extreme Weather 16 September 2004

Shelter from the storm
What hurricane scientists study when they study hurricanes