Like millions of other Bowie fans I find myself listening to his music more than ever since he died a year ago today….it continues to offer consolation, not only for the hard fact that we shall hear no more from him, but for the particular challenges of my own life. Why should this music, so often abstract, glacial, detached, obscure and mockingly ironic, hold such a powerful emotional appeal?
religion
Discerning the light: a sceptic explores the history of religion
Former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway, whose complex relationship with his own Christian tradition makes him perhaps the quintessential sceptical Scot, explores the history of religion in a new book.
Umberto Eco and Scottish nationalism
The recent death of Umberto Eco, author of the Name of the Rose, prompts one of Scotland’s leading scientists to reflect on science and nationalism. He finds the two very uneasy bedfellows – as witnessed by the empty chair of the chief scientific adviser.