A rational world view suggests that we are going to cling more to belief as the recession bites

should be. Trials completed in 2003 showed
that two herbicide-resistant GM crops were
worse for farmland wildlife than their
conventional counterparts.

The most damaging aspect of growing these varieties was not the genetic modification itself, but the way farmers applied weedkillers. Now, as we report on page 10, a similar crop has been developed without the use of GM \u2013 yet it won\u2019t have to undergo special trials to test the effects growing it will have on wildlife. This is illogical. Why not regulate all crops the same way?

through difficult times, and economies that
provide most people with what they need to
survive. Alongside these developments a
rational, scientific world view has become
the dominant mode of thought.

the rationality often evaporates too. When human beings lose control over their lives, they become more prone to superstition,

inflicted: studies show that people in risky professions \u2013 deep-sea fishermen and sky- divers, for example \u2013 perform a greater

number of superstitious rituals than those
with safe desk jobs. Others, though, are a
response to circumstances. For example,
people living in high-risk areas of the Middle

economic cycle. The global downturn is no different: church leaders (and psychics) are now reporting brisk business.

circumstances \u2013 and rational reasoning, alas, does not always come naturally when we are desperate for answers. It is ironic that science is revealing our modern, sophisticated,

lessons to be learned. First, we ought to be
more understanding of seemingly irrational
world views. Many psychologists now see

irrationality as the default state of the human
mind. No wonder the idea that life arose
spontaneously has such a hard time trumping

creationism: overcoming that \u201cnatural\u201d
perspective takes a lot of cognitive effort.
Research into irrationality may also provide
insights to help guide the treatment of those
suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder
and related mental illnesses.

The other lesson is more direct: be
careful. In a recession, or any other time of
uncertainty, you are more likely to make bad
decisions. By all means play the lottery if it
provides a momentary diversion from the

gloom. But keep your head. However seductive and comforting the idea of a win, and however tricky your circumstances, playing the lottery is not a rational path to riches. Even if God did tell you this week\u2019s numbers.

are some of us just sheep following the herd? Yes, he\u2019s got bucket loads of charisma, but we may be more susceptible to conformity than

we disagree, we feel like we\u2019ve been punished. It\u2019s a basic response that\u2019s hard to resist. Once Obama\u2019s popularity reached a critical mass, his success may have been inevitable.

\u201cIt is ironic that science is revealing our sophisticated, scientific world view to have a fragile hold\u201d

Gaza, but extensive damage to its
agriculture has already been done,
leaving the region\u2019s 1.4 million
people facing \u201cacute shortages\u201d

been destroyed following the
Israeli military action that started
on 27 December.

in the north.\u201d Tanks have also damaged irrigation pipes and wells, he adds.

The UN World Food Programme
and other agencies are bringing
emergency rations into Gaza. The

FAO wants $6.5 million for seeds, fertiliser and animal feed, as well as to restore irrigation.

TAKE Ritalin for fun and you run the risk of addiction. That\u2019s if the drug causes the same chemical

Ritalin is prescribed to children
with hyperactivity disorders,
but many American teenagers
also take it without a prescription
to boost academic performance,
or for pleasure.

number of spiny neurons formed
in the nucleus accumbens, a
brain region stimulated by all
addictive drugs (

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0813179106).
\u201cThese changes in neuronal
structure and brain chemistry

previous studies that found signs of addiction in recreational users. In contrast, hyperactive children prescribed the drug don\u2019t usually show signs of addiction.

When Spirit\u2019s controllers at
NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in Pasadena, California, contacted
Spirit on 25 January, they found

\u201cOn land used to run tanks,
cultivation has been wiped
out, including the northern