Can Science Explain History?
Britain's Olympic success was the result of marrying science with sporting methodology. Can the same techniques be applied to history?
The success of the London Olympics was a welcome fillip in a world marked by crisis. Its opening ceremony – a motley but enjoyable romp of two parts myth, one part history, described by one wag as ‘E.P. Thompson on acid’ – contrasted well with the monomaniacal pursuit of medals, at which the host nation excelled, to the seeming surprise of many.