Simon Ings is the author of  Stalin and the Scientists: A History of Triumph and Tragedy, 1905-1953. He edits the culture section of New Scientist and regularly contributes to publications including the GuardianTimesTelegraphIndependent, and Nature. He lives and works in London.

Excerpt

The Soviet Union more or less wrote the book on bending science to ideology, and the result was that hacks, has beens, and nut cases became the Newtons and Burbanks of Russia.