In The News

Spread of AIDS in Rural China Ignites Protests

Elisabeth Rosenthal December 11, 2001
Chinese officials are suppressing open discussion of AIDS, hindering already limited efforts to combat the spiraling epidemic. Rural areas - particularly in central China - emerged as the epicenter of the HIV-AIDS epidemic as farmers were exposed to the virus while selling blood. For years, the infected farmers remained ignorant about AIDS because the government withheld vital information. Now...

How Islam Won, and Lost, the Lead in Science

Dennis Overbye October 30, 2001
While Europe was lost in the superstition of the Middle Ages, science reigned in the Muslim world as thinkers strove to understand the workings of Allah. The Koran was at once a source of inspiration for studying natural phenomena and comprehending them. Thus, astronomy, math, and other sciences flourished across the Islamic belt for centuries until science, for many reasons, began to decline....

Guggenheim, Bilbao, and the ‘hot banana’

Leslie Crawford September 4, 2001
Since building the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao has witnessed extraordinary growth in tourism. Now, many policy makers see Bilbao and the Guggenheim as a model for urban renewal. But not all are in agreement. Tourism is an uncertain industry, and museums are attractive as long as they are unique. Furthermore, the novelty of attractions wears off; and without a plan to keep the momentum of economic...