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Martin Rees

Martin Rees

5 commentaries

Martin Rees, a cosmologist and astrophysicist, has been Britain’s Astronomer Royal since 1995. He is a former Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, and former President of the Royal Society.

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  1. The Biomedicine Threat
    rees4_Andrew Brookes_Getty Images_laboratory Andrew Brookes/Getty Images

    The Biomedicine Threat

    Sep 6, 2019 Martin Rees fears that rapid scientific advances in the field will come with escalating ethical and safety concerns.

  2. Are Moonshots Still Possible?
    op_rees_moon_landing_ Apic_Getty_Images Apic/Getty Images

    Are Moonshots Still Possible?

    Jul 19, 2019 Martin Rees reflects on the legacy of the Apollo program and the future of human space exploration.

  3. Is Immortality Worth It?
    rees3_GettyImages_infinitysymbolclocks Getty Images

    Is Immortality Worth It?

    Jul 11, 2019 Martin Rees warns that increasingly extreme approaches to extending human life are likely to have unwanted consequences.

  4. Risking It All

    Risking It All

    Mar 7, 2013 Martin Rees on how and why nuclear deterrence worked.

  5. Can Science Save the World?

    Can Science Save the World?

    Nov 5, 2008 Martin Rees

  1. Matt Gush/Getty Images

    The US Economy’s Trust Deficit

    Michael Spence considers the causes and consequences of Americans’ declining faith in media and government.
  2. halland9_FREDRIK VARFJELLNTBAFP via Getty Images_norwaynaturalgas Fredrik Varfjell/NTB/AFP via Getty Images

    Norway Is a Ukraine War Profiteer

    Håvard Halland & Knut Anton Mork argue that the country should give its windfall gains from gas exports to those on the front lines.
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    Navigating the Risks of Digital Public Infrastructure

    Carl Gahnberg calls for guardrails and policy guidelines to prevent governments from abusing the policy paradigm.
  4. gill10_Nhac NguyenGettyImages_vietnam_street_vendor Nhac Nguyen/Getty Images

    Services Are the New Road to Development

    Indermit Gill & Aaditya Mattoo explain why developing countries need a new paradigm to replace the old manufacturing-led model.
  5. dalay4_GAVRIIL GRIGOROVPOOLAFP via Getty Images_putin Gavril Griforov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

    Russia Just Lost Its Great-Power Status

    Galip Dalay explains why the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad has diminished the Kremlin’s global influence.
  6. moyo30_sesameGetty Images_philanthropy sesame/Getty Images

    Twelve Questions for Philanthropists

    Dambisa Moyo offers practical advice to those who want to contribute effectively to charitable causes.
  7. op_aschecter1_Westend61Getty Images_books Westend61/Getty Images

    PS Commentators’ Best Reads in 2024

    PS editors

    At the end of a year of domestic and international upheaval, Project Syndicate commentators share their favorite books from the past 12 months. Covering a wide array of genres and disciplines, this year’s picks provide fresh perspectives on the defining challenges of our time and how to confront them.

    ask Project Syndicate contributors to select the books that resonated with them the most over the past year.
  8. seid1_Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images_seagrass Reinhard Dirscherlullstein bild via Getty Images

    The World Needs Ocean-Based Climate Solutions

    Ilana Seid calls for creative mechanisms for financing investment in our planet’s largest carbon sink.
  9. varoufakis122_Spencer PlattGetty Images_wallstreet Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    The West Is Not Dying, but It Is Working on It

    Yanis Varoufakis argues that Western power is alive and well, but the lofty values that once sustained it have been abandoned.

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