A book that criticizes alternative medicine to treat conditions that have names but no criteria is controversial - because it runs up against a supplement and alternative medicine enabled by governments that believe science can't be trusted
Not the one we have fixed in our imaginations. Peter Paul Rubens, 1638By Helen King, The Open UniversityHippocrates is considered the father of medicine, enemy of superstition, pioneer of rationality and fount of eternal wisdom. Statues and drawings show him with a furrowed brow, thinking hard about how to heal his patients.
In third place, Oxford University is the top UK institution in the World University Rankings 2014-15. Image: Andrew Matthews/PA ArchiveBy Steven C. Ward, Western Connecticut State UniversityFrom the “best beaches” to the “best slice of pizza” to the best hospital to have cardiac surgery in, we are inundated with a seemingly never-ending series of reports ranking everything that can be ranked and even things that probably shouldn’t be.
Phytosaur: still got it. Credit: BFS Man, CC BYBy Stephanie Drumheller, University of Tennessee; Michelle Stocker, Virginia Tech, and Sterling Nesbitt, Virginia Tech
Oh no – not that mistake again. Credit: Flickr/Alex Proimos, CC BY-NCBy Will J Grant, Australian National University and Rod Lamberts, Australian National University
Going, going, gone: wildlife like the loris are disappearing. Credit: N. A. Naseer, CC BY-NC-NDBy Paul Jepson, University of Oxford
Giving publishing power to the people. Credit: Thinglass/ShutterstockBy Gillian Rudd, University of Liverpool
The need for caution when any anomaly is revealed in new research. Credit: Flickr/Adam Gerard, CC BY-NC-SABy Michael J. I. Brown, Monash UniversityUNDERSTANDING RESEARCH: What do we actually mean by research and how does it help inform our understanding of things? What if research throws up a result that calls for a new way of thinking? How do we handle that?
Patterns of emergence are all around us. Credit: Feliciano Guimarães/Flickr, CC BYBy Andy Martin, University of Melbourne and Kristian Helmerson, Monash UniversityFrom the fractal patterns of snowflakes to cellular lifeforms, our universe is full of complex phenomena – but how does this complexity arise?
How many freebies can you carry? Credit: Nottingham Trent University, CC BY-NC-NDBy Kira Shaw, University of Sheffield
Phreatic eruption: Mount Ontake. Credit: EPA/Ministry of Land, InfrastructureBy Rebecca Williams, University of HullMount Ontake, Japan’s second-highest volcano, erupted killing at least 31 people on September 27. Since then, there has been feverish speculation about why tourists were on an active volcano and why the eruption wasn’t predicted.
Women ask why there aren't more women in lists of top scientists. Credit: Katrina Cole, CC BY-NCBy Victoria Metcalf, Lincoln University, New ZealandA steady infiltration of scientists onto Twitter has accompanied the growing recognition that a social media presence is just as important as taking the podium at a conference.
When a dog is rabid, it's time to run. Credit: Mytoenailcameoff, CC BY-NC-SABy Katie Hampson, University of Glasgow
