In the course of human history new discoveries, particularly in the fields of science and medicine, have challenged established thought. This is now happening again with stem cell research. What could lead to curing many diseases that up to now have been fatal is coming under a barrage of criticism because of religious and reactionary prejudices.
The second edition of Reason in Revolt will shortly be going to the printers. Here we publish the new Preface which deals with some of the more important scientific findings since the book was first published. Again, they all confirm the validity of dialectics in a remarkable manner.
Brazil, along with Argentina, is one of the key countries for the Latin American revolution. Therefore it is with great satisfaction that we can announce the forthcoming publication of a Brazilian edition of Reason in Revolt. Here we provide the new Introduction written by Alan for a Brazilian and more in general, a Portuguese speaking audience.
The countries most affected by HIV/AIDS are among the poorest in the world. The layers of society affected are also among the most vulnerable, both in the underdeveloped and developed countries. Eradicating poverty is the first and most fundamental step in eradicating this disease, something which is impossible under capitalism. This article provides some convincing statistics and arguments in favour of a fundamental change in society.
Marx and Engels took a great interest in science, for the same dialectical processes of change that exist in society, economics and politics also exist in natural processes. Here our oil industry correspondent demonstrates how this is true even in the use of sound signals to find new oil fields. He also emphasizes how in private hands new technology does not enhance life but instead destroys it.
The Internet is open to all, but capitalism demands an owner of everything and payment for everything. This new privatisation of ideas has provoked widespread indignation and sense of injustice. Tight control over intellectual property rights can actually slow down innovation. New technology has transcended the standard capitalist business model. We need to get rid of capitalism in order to unchain human creativity. The Internet shows us a glimpse of what is possible under socialism. Don't let them take it away from us!
Our recent publication of the article Crisis in Cosmology continues to stimulate debate and comment. Here we have a reader from Italy commenting on the Olbers paradox which states that if galaxies and stars had existed for an infinite amount of time then the whole sky would look bright. So why is the night sky dark? Harry Nielsen comments.
We recently published an article on the Crisis in Cosmology by Harry Nielsen, which has provoked some comment from readers. Here we publish a letter which, in criticising the article, defends the main theories dominant in contemporary physics. This is followed by a reply which points out that the latest observations should at least lead scientists to question the validity of the Big Bang theory, a theory that dominates the thinking of mainstream physicists in spite of the all evidence.
An uncomfortable parallel can be drawn between the Big Bang story and the Christian myth of creation. At the root of the whole theory is faith, faith in things which cannot be seen or detected physically, such as an invisible form of matter and energy that is supposed to pervade the universe, or on a definite moment in time in which all matter as we know it came into being. The emphasis in theoretical physics and in mainstream cosmology is on pure thought and logic. Plasma cosmology on the other hand makes no assumption about the age of the universe; it places no limitations on the time available for large scale structures to form. The explanation for things that have occurred in the past lies in the processes that we see now, which in many cases we can explore in laboratory experiments. There is no effect without cause ‑ an infinite chain of cause and effect leads from now to the past.
Capitalism attempts to turn everything into private property, the air we breathe, the water we drink and even ideas. Attempts of capitalists to make money from “their” intellectual property are like the highway robbery of medieval aristocrats who levied tolls on traders and restricted the growth of commerce and prosperity. Today private property and the profit motive are the biggest threat to our enjoyment of new ideas, our progress and even our existence as a species.
A new Mexican edition of Reason in Revolt, Marxist Philosophy and Modern Science is coming out shortly. Here we provide a new introduction by Alan Woods, in which he looks at some of the more important scientific breakthroughs since the book was first published ten years ago. He also dedicates some words to the poverty of modern bourgeois philosophy which has sunk back to the level of subjective idealism.
Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, recently committed himself to donating $750 million to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation charity. Using a lot of messianic words, the richest man in the world is more and more presenting himself as the saviour of the world. Maarten Vanheuverswyn looks at the reality behind the phrases and takes a look at his company Microsoft and its predatory tactics.
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