Why have so many of our recent viruses come from bats?
Why are they responsible for so many of our recent viruses?
Britain needs to rediscover failure if it wants to prosper
Britain needs to rediscover trial and error, serendipity and speed
We’ve just had the best decade in human history. Seriously
Let nobody tell you that the second decade of the 21st century has been a bad time. We are living…
The most dangerous thing about the Amazon fires is the apocalyptic rhetoric
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese expert on forests who also plays football, so when he shared a picture online of…
Lying with science: a guide to myth debunking
‘The whole aim of practical politics,’ wrote H.L. Mencken, ‘is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be…
Ignore the global warming hysteria: hurricanes are not getting worse
When I land on the east coast of America, people tell me they’ve never met a Trump voter. When I…
The eradication of South Georgia’s rats proves we can do anything – even Brexit
The extermination of every single one of South Georgia’s rats, for the sake of its birds, was confirmed at a…
Even if we could create genius ‘designer’ babies, there’s no demand for them
Christmas Day marks the birthday of one of the most gifted human beings ever born. His brilliance was of a…
More gas, less wind
The Global Wind Energy Council recently released its latest report, excitedly boasting that ‘the proliferation of wind energy into the…
Diary
The Prosperity UK conference over a week ago kicked off with a dinner at Hatfield House that brought together Leavers…
Diary
‘A Bill to confer power on the prime minister to notify, under Article 50(2)…’. When it comes to the House…
Climate of ignorance
Global greening is the name given to a gradual, but large, increase in green vegetation on the planet over the…
Don’t grouse about grouse
The vast Bubye Valley Conservancy in southern Zimbabwe is slightly larger than County Durham, as well as much hotter and…
America would never join anything like the EU. Yet they urge us to stay
America is urging Britain to stay in the European Union. But it would never dream of joining a comparable organisation
Ernest Shackleton and other South Georgia ghosts
The terrible news that Henry Worsley had died just 30 miles short of crossing the Antarctic continent unsupported reached me…
The climate change agenda is a conspiracy against the poor
In trying to protect ‘our grandchildren’ from climate change, politicians are hurting the poor. They shouldn’t
‘Quitting is suffering’: Hon Lik, inventor of the e-cigarette, on why he did it
Hon Lik, life-saving inventor of the e-cigarette, on why he did it
Matt Ridley’s diary: Why a Guardian contributor wants me beheaded
Martin Williams, former head of the government’s air quality science unit, has declared that the reason we have a problem…
Now remember August 1714
Some reasons to remember this week’s other great anniversary: the accession of George I
E-cigarettes are making tobacco obsolete. So why ban them?
The e-cigarette means that tobacco is going the way of the top hat. So what is the medical establishment’s problem with it?
We have a new climate change consensus — and it's good news everyone
Adapting to climate change is far more effective than trying to stop it
Diary
I flew from London into Sydney, then Melbourne, to make three dinner speeches in a row. Through nerves I never…
Why climate change is good for the world
The current scientific consensus is that climate change is doing more good than harm
