Pirates

Tuesday

William Nattrass

The remarkable rise of the Czech Pirate party

A new party is riding high in the Czech Republic, with the wind of change in its sails. Polls now suggest that the Czech Pirate Party, in coalition with a collection of mayors and independents, could win the largest share of the vote in the Czech Republic’s October elections. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a party that at first sounds like the Czech answer to the monster raving loony party. But the Pirate Party has become a force to be reckoned with in Czech politics. Formed in 2009 as one of many Pirate Parties around the world who came to international prominence following a police raid on the download site

Thursday

The Spectator

Where is there water in the solar system?

The Moon under water Nasa scientists using spectrometers claim to have found good evidence of water on the surface of the Moon. Where else in the solar system could you potentially go for a dip? — Signs of hidden oceans have been detected on Jupiter’s moons Ganymede, Europa and Callisto and on Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus. The latter is also believed to have icy geysers. Water is also believed to exist in craters on Mercury. — There are signs of ample water having been on Mars in the past, although most is believed to have been stripped away along with its atmosphere. The planet may, however, still have water