“Now, Voyager, sail thou forth”

Science writing – health, climate change, environment, nanotechnology, biotechnology – often gets a poor press. Too technical, too obscure, too fantastic. A joy, therefore, to find a brilliant article in the latest issue of The Smithsonian on the exploration of outer space.

Real truths about kidnapping, murder, and small miracles

The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo is a human rights organisation whose aim is to find the babies stolen during the era of the Argentine dictatorship known as the “Dirty War” (1976-83). Its president is Estela Barnes de Carlotto, about whom an award-winning film has been released.

Mr. Chips – a schoolmaster for all seasons

James Hilton, novelist and scriptwriter, was the best-selling author of Lost Horizon, Goodbye Mr Chips, and Random Harvest. At the height of his fame he topped the best-seller lists on both sides of the Atlantic, winning an Academy Award for his work on the screenplay of Mrs. Miniver (1942).

Roscoe Arbuckle: A time for renewed laughter

In 1917 Buster Keaton met Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, who was making a series of slapstick comedies at movie mogul Joseph Schenck’s specially created Comique studio. Four years later, Arbuckle’s career was in ruins.

Armenia – an ancient splendour

Armenia is a landlocked country bordered to the west by Turkey, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan, and to the south by Iran. Its highlands include Mount Ararat, upon which Noah’s Ark is said to have come to rest after the flood.

Chaplin steps back into the limelight

Charlie Chaplin’s 1952 film Limelight is now available in a high-definition restored version on DVD and Blu-ray. It includes excerpts from the original novel, written and read by Chaplin.