Sandy Starr

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Sandy Starr 2010

Sandy Starr is currently communications officer for the Progress Educational Trust which has been described as “a registered charity that works to create an environment in which research and practice in genetics and assisted reproduction will thrive”. He is also Webmaster for their online weekly digest BioNews, for whom he began writing articles in 2007, contributing close to 40 articles. In March 2001 he joined the founding editorial team of Spiked, founded after the collapse of the magazine LM, formerly Living Marxism, and continues to contribute regularly to this having contributed over 120 articles in 14 years. He is a judge for the Institute of Ideas Debating Matters competition, and has appeared on or produced 17 Battle of Ideas discussion panels since 2005. Sandy Starr is also a member of Kings College London’s Autism Ethics Group (chaired by Patricia Walsh of KCL) and according to his BioNews profile is a member of the Ethics Advisory Board for the research project: 'European Autism Interventions: A Multicentre Study for Developing New Medications'. However, he does not appear on the ethics advisory board section of the website for this project, although he did chair an event for EU-AIMS entitled 'Treating autism: the promises, perils and politics of pharmaceutical intervention'.

Sandy Starr has also previously written for the LM Network linked Culture Wars and Audacity, and from 2001-2005 reviewed films for The Sun’s TV Mag following his graduation from the University of Oxford with a degree in English Language and Literature. He has consulted for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which included speaking at a conference regarding ‘Challenges and Opportunities for Freedom of Expression on the Internet'. Additionally, he has consulted for The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) speaking against the regulation of ‘hate speech’, and gave a talk entitled 'Regulation of decentralised networks: Necessities and problems for freedom of the media'. He also contributed to the European Commission Project ‘Right’s Watch’ giving a talk on technology and regulation.

Views

Starr has described himself as a 'science evangelist (no I don’t think that’s a contradiction in terms), someone who thinks science is a good thing and spends much of his time saying so' although he has no formal scientific qualifications or training. His PET profile notes that 'he is an evangelist for the view that political, scientific and cultural endeavour can - if permitted to - transform humanity’s circumstances for the better'. It is from this ‘scientific humanist’ standpoint that he argues against environmentalism and the scientific consensus on climate change:

'I think that humanity and a positive political conception of it are the sine qua non of science - the things without which science cannot, in any meaningful way, exist. Science, as this enthusiast understands it, is a profoundly humanist enterprise. Science exists to serve and advance humanity’s interests… It follows from this understanding that attempts to use science in an anti-humanist spirit, drawing up scientific evidence to belittle or disparage humanity and its affairs, are a non sequitur. Using science in this way is no less absurd than a man building a pedestal in order that he might reach for the sky, only to then scrabble around in the earth once he’s standing on it... protesters calling for the authorities to do more to avert catastrophic climate change have taken to using the slogan ‘the science has spoken’, as though science represents the final word on the matter. Well, I for one am not enamoured of this version of ‘science’, which takes everything I find exciting and dynamic about science and ossifies it into static, unchangeable ‘truth’.

Media Presence

Sandy Starr Nexis Media Presence
Topic	Frequency
Film Review	9
Internet, free speech & regulation	4
Anti-Moral message	2
Fertility Tourism	1
Paedophilia	1
Climate Change	1
Science	1
Music	1

Sandy Starr has a limited presence in the mainstream media, with a Nexis search mainly returning his film review work for The Sun. However, his views on the regulation of the internet and some other issues have been reported on a limited number of occasions in publications other than Spiked. The search also indicates that he took part in a debate entitled: 'Climate change: Whose problem is it?' in 2006, where he was reported as the founding member of the Manifesto Club. The Guardian direction to this event provided the following abstract for the event: 'Is climate change inevitable or caused by modern society? What exactly can we do about it? Environmental activist Joss Garman and Sandy Starr, founding member of the Manifesto Club, get to grips with the debate. Chaired by Rajiv Joshi of the Scottish Youth Parliament.'

Writing for Spiked

The overriding themes that run through the Spiked articles centre on: anti-regulation (around 17 articles, including messages against restrictions on advertisements, mobile phones and unhealthy food); a particular focus on internet freedom and free speech on the internet (including around 4 articles seeming to provide some form of moral justification for the publication and viewing of images of paedophilia); questioning the value of the precautionary principle and highlighting events where risk has been overstated (around 6 articles, linking to the former, with a particular focus on internet chat rooms); an anti-human-rights framework agenda (5 articles) arguing this has enabled increased ‘snooping’ (around 4 articles); some more defensible articles against snooping and excessive copyright (around 3 articles, based on internet examples); a resistance to moral messages and political correctness (around 14 articles); a negative opinion towards strategies to expand mechanisms for participation in democracy, or science issues (around 6 articles), including via the internet; and some limited references against the environmental and anti-capitalist movements (around 4 articles, tying in with the anti-precautionary principle message). Overall the theme emerging in the defence of free speech is the defence of the seemingly indefensible by 'being calculatedly, divertingly offensive', a strategy used previously in Living Marxism and LM. The defence of 'free speech' argument taken also assumes the freedom to express hate, or to present and store certain images, precedes the right not to experience hate speech, or to be exposed to horrific images, or to be used in the creation of such images. He also implies that it is undeniable, or objective fact, that it is not and should not be a crime to view and hold certain images of illegal acts in his efforts to defend his ideological interpretation of 'freedom'.

On regulation and unhealthy foods:

The contemptuous view that the authorities and campaign groups have, of our ability to decide for ourselves what, when and how we eat, is perhaps summed up in the expression ‘unconscious eating’. The idea seems to be that if only the big, bad chocolate companies would withdraw products from the shelves, then we mindless drones would all start eating what the food police want us to.

On regulation of adverts:

Advertisers should be free to hawk their wares however they wish, to whomever they wish. As the case of Mr Kipling illustrates, there are already good commercial reasons to be mindful of the disposition of prospective customers. There is no reason why advertisers should be accountable to society’s most sensitive souls, or to the morality peddled by the government and regulators of the day.

On paedophilia:

Shevaun Pennington’s five-day disappearance gave undeserved credibility to scaremongers, who make a habit of mischaracterising unknown quantities as sinister, and who conflate real physical harm with unquantified psychological harm. Making a criminal offence of ‘grooming’ blurs the distinction between thinking about sexual acts and committing them, between thoughts and actions. When an adult can potentially be criminalised for having sexual fantasises about a child and arranging to meet them, without having acted on such fantasies, how far are we from creating thought crimes?

On a rape case discussed in a documentary:

By the end of Raw Deal, you are left with the conclusion that whatever happened on the night of 26 February 1999, nothing good came of the subsequent involvement of the police and the courts. It is possible (though not certain) that Lisa Gier King wound up frightened, in a situation out of her control, having unwilling sex with a particularly intimidating student, and sustained some minor injuries at his hands. But even if that did happen, in retrospect King would have done just as well not to go to the police.

On anti-moral message:

The government’s approach also underestimates the capacity of parents to supervise their children as they see fit. There seems to be an assumption that parents are incapable of instructing their children to behave sensibly in different circumstances.

On anti-human-rights framework:

As I have argued previously on spiked, human rights legislation gradually erodes our latitude to pursue our freedoms, by seeking to enforce those freedoms on our behalf.

On being pro-risk or risk-averse (based on the history of space exploration):

The CAIB report explains how ‘the Apollo era created at NASA an exceptional “can-do” culture marked by tenacity in the face of seemingly impossible challenges…. The culture…accepted risk and failure as inevitable aspects of operating in space...America’s future space efforts must include human presence in Earth orbit, and eventually beyond’. In order for that to happen, those who want to boldly go will have to challenge the political constraints placed on space programmes by our increasingly cautious leaders - who, for all their talk of going to the stars, remain risk-averse. The sooner the bar is raised for manned space exploration, the sooner it might inspire us all once again.

On regulation:

Regulation of decentralized networks can only be self-perpetuating, once the state is given such license to step in and ‘secure’ our freedom from, say, the practices of unscrupulous companies such as Microsoft. This is because such a ‘freedom’ is a myth. Our privacy from the marketplace is always qualified, because as long as we consume goods and services, then to some extent our private pursuits occur within the market-place. On the other hand, we can, and should, aspire to comprehensive privacy from the state.

Career Chronology

• Open Democracy - Writer/Contributor (2002-2003)
• OSCE - Consultant (2003-2004)
• The Sun - Writer/Contributor (2001-2005)
• UNESCO - Consultant (2005)
• Culture Wars - Writer/Contributor (2000-2006).
• Manifesto Club - Founding Member (2006)
• Spiked - Public Relations Officer (March 2001-2009)
• Debating Matters - Judge (2010 - 2012)
• Spiked - Writer/Contributor (2001 - Present)
• Battle of Ideas - Organiser, speaker and Chair (2005-Present)
• BioNews - Webmaster (July 2007 - Present)
• Progress Educational Trust - Communications Officer (July 2007 - Present)

Other Affiliations

• European Commission project Rights watch - Consultant/Speaker on technology and regulation
• King’s College London (Centre of Medical Law and Ethics) – Member of the Autism Ethics Group.

Current Board Memberships

• European Autism Interventions (EU-AIMS): A Multicentre Study for Developing New Medications (research project) – Member of Ethics Advisory Board

Educational Background

• University of Oxford - BA in English Language and literature

Other Links with the Network

Battle of Ideas Panel Appearances

2005

• Saturday 29th October 2005 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Emilie Bickerton (Art and Film critic), Shirley Dent (founder, Spark Mobile, communications specialist (currently working with the British Veterinary Association media team), writes for Spiked and is a member of the Manifesto Club), Annette Mees (theatre director), Martin Summers (director of symposium on Brave New World), and Geoff Kidder (Institute of Ideas events director and director of The Progress Club) discussed ‘The Battle of the Books’ at The Battle of Ideas.
• Saturday 29th October 2005 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Guy Claxton (Professor of the Learning Sciences, Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol), Dr Kathryn Ecclestone (Director, MSc/PhD Programme, Post-compulsory, FE, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of Exeter, she has written for Spiked and Culture Wars, adjudicated for Debating Matters, co-written a book with Dennis Hayes, spoken at the Brighton Salon and is a founder member of the Birmingham Salon), Keri Facer (Director of Learning Research at NESTA Futurelab, Lecturer in Education and New Technologies at the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol), and Toby Marshall (head of English and communications, Havering College of Further and Higher Education, IoI Education Forum, he has written under his own name for Living Marxism and LM, held formal roles at the Institute of Ideas and been a Trustee for WORLDwrite, writes for Spiked and Culture Wars, and has co-edited a book with Dennis Hayes) discussed ‘It's not what you do, it's the way that you do it – the learning styles controversy’ at The Battle of Ideas.

2006

• Saturday 28th October 2006 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Dr Kevin Fong (NESTA fellow and honorary lecturer in physiology, Centre for Aviation, Space and Extreme Environment Medicine, University College London), Dr Henry Joy McCracken (Astronome Adjoint, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris and Observatoire de Paris, wrote for Living Marxism), John Zarnecki (professor of space science, Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University), and Timandra Harkness (journalist, writer & broadcaster, presenter, she has written for Living Marxism, writes for Spiked, produces and hosts Battle of Ideas events, has chaired part of an Audacity event and was director of Engaging Cogs) discussing ‘Reaching for the stars – realising the ambitions of the space age’ at The Battle of Ideas.

2008

• Saturday 1st November 2008 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Marcus Lanyon (artist, writer and musician, finalist, Saatchi Gallery & Channel 4's 4 New Sensations), Tania Spriggens (director of communications, DACS (Design and Artists Copyright Society), Implementation of Artist’s Resale Right in the UK: promoter, artists’ copyright), Andrew Gowers (independent review leader, government assessment, UK's intellectual property regime Association for Financial Markets in Europe now director of External Relations at AFME - is a former Financial Times editor and communications chief for Lehman Brothers and BP), Cia Durante (programme manager, Fuel RCA, artist and photographer), and Dr Shirley Dent (founder, Spark Mobile, communications specialist (currently working with the British Veterinary Association media team), writes for Spiked and is a member of the Manifesto Club) discussed ‘Stealing Picasso?’ at The Battle of Ideas.

2009

• Monday 12 October 2009 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Michael Fitzpatrick (GP and writer for Spiked and Living Marxism, leading member of the Revolutionary Communist Party), Professor Richard E. Ashcroft (professor, bioethics, Queen Mary, University of London, deputy editor, Journal of Medical Ethics), Dr Elisabeth hill (senior lecturer, Goldsmiths College, University of London, co-editor, Autism: mind and brain), Professor Stuart Murray (professor, contemporary literatures and film, University of Leeds) and Dr Shirley Dent (founder, Spark Mobile, communications specialist (currently working with the British Veterinary Association media team), writes for Spiked and is a member of the Manifesto Club) discussing ‘Age of Autism: rethinking 'normal' at The Battle of Ideas.
• Saturday 31st October 2009 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Mark Henderson (head of communications, Wellcome Trust, author, The Geek Manifesto: why science matters), Ken MacLeod (award-winning science fiction writer), Dr Alan Thornhill (scientific director, The London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre, member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority), and Fiona Fox (director of the Science Media Centre (SMC), Fiona Fox wrote, using her party name, Fiona Foster, for Living Marxism, appeared in Spiked and Novo Argumente, and is an adviser to the Progress Educational Trust) discussing ‘Frankenstein's Daughters: from science fiction to science fact?’ at Battle of Ideas.

2010

• Saturday 30th October 2010 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Stephen Wilkinson (professor of bioethics, Keele University), Dr Tom Douglas (Wellcome Trust research fellow, Balliol College and Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford), Dr Ellie Lee (reader in social policy, University of Kent, Canterbury, director, Centre for Parenting Culture Studies, has written for Living Marxism is a director and shareholder of the Academy of Ideas, whose principal operation is the Institute of Ideas, is an editor for Debating Matters and is a shareholder of, and writes regularly for, Spiked), and produced by Jennie Bristow (writer on parenting culture and intergenerational relations, author, Standing Up To Supernanny, co-author, Parenting Culture Studies, Licensed to Hug and The Social Cost of Litigation, wrote for Living Marxism/LM from 1994, She was part of the launch team of and is a shareholder of and the commissioning editor and a writer for Spiked) discussing ‘Choosing tomorrow's children’ at Battle of Ideas.
• Sunday 31st October 2010 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Tracey Brown (director of the pro-GM lobby group Sense about Science, has been published by Living Marxism, Spiked and the Institute of Ideas), Fred Pearce (freelance journalist, environment consultant, New Scientist), Professor Robin Lovell-Badge (head, stem cell biology and developmental genetics, National Institute for Medical Research, he has been on the Board (now 'Advisory Committee') of the Science Media Centre since 2007 and is on the Advisory council of Sense About Science), Dr Richard Smith (board member, Public Library of Science, former editor, British Medical Journal), discussing ‘End of peer review: has the peer review process lost credibility?’ at Battle of Ideas.

2011

• Sunday 30th October 2011 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Dr John Elliott (reader in intelligence engineering, Leeds Metropolitan University, member, International Academy of Astronautics SETI Permanent Study Group and Post Detection Task Force), Richard Swan (writer and teacher, former vice-principal, Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone, he has written for Spiked and Culture Wars), Mark Vernon (journalist, author, God: all that matters and The Big Questions: God) discussing ‘Life off Earth: are the aliens out their?’ at The Battle of Ideas.
• Sunday 30th October 2011 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Daisy Ginsberg (design fellow, Synthetic Aesthetics, Stanford University/University of Edinburgh), Professor Andy Miah (chair in science communication & digital media, University of Salford), Marilyn Monk (emeritus professor of molecular embryology, University College London), and Susana Soares (designer, senior lecturer, London South Bank University, former research fellow, Royal College of Art) discussing ‘Designer people: is technology making us less human?’ at The Battle of Ideas.
• Sunday 30th October 2011 - Sandy Starr appered with: Dr Stuart Derbyshire (reader in psychology, University of Birmingham, associate editor, Psychosomatic Medicine and Pain, has written for Living Marxism, and Spiked, adjudicated for Debating Matters, spoken at the Manchester Salon and is a spokesperson for Academics For Academic Freedom), Martha Robinson (neuroscience PhD student, University College London), Richard Swinburne (emeritus professor, philosophy of religion, University of Oxford), and Professor Raymond Tallis (fellow, Academy of Medical Sciences, author, philosopher, critic and poet, recent books include NHS SOS and Aping Mankind, chair, Healthcare Professionals for Assisted Dying) discussing ‘Is there a ghost in the machine?’ at The Battle of Ideas.

2012

• Sunday 21st October 2012 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Professor Marcus Pembrey (founder and chair, Progress Educational Trust), Marilyn Monk (emeritus professor of molecular embryology, University College London), and John Gillott (formerly worked at the Genetic Interest Group (GIG) and Genepool, has contributed to Living Marxism, and Spiked) discussing ‘Epigenetics: are you what your parents ate?’ at The Battle of Ideas.
• Sunday 21st October 2012 - Sandy Starr produced a panel discussion with with: Dr Sarah Chan (deputy director, Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation, University of Manchester, research fellow, bioethics and law), Steven Edwards (professor of philosophy of healthcare, Swansea University), Ann Furedi (chief executive, British Pregnancy Advisory Service, wrote for Confrontation and regularly for Living Marxism and Spiked, was Director of Policy and Communications for the UK regulator of infertility treatment and embryo research, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority), Peter Williams (writer and speaker, Catholic Voices, senior campaigner, Right to Life), and Jennie Bristow (writer on parenting culture and intergenerational relations, author, Standing Up To Supernanny, co-author, Parenting Culture Studies, Licensed to Hug and The Social Cost of Litigation, wrote for Living Marxism/LM from 1994, She was part of the launch team of and is a shareholder of and the commissioning editor and a writer for Spiked) discussed ‘Abortion: a medical or a moral choice?’ at The Battle of Ideas.
• Sunday 21st October 2012 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Professor David Jones (director, Anscombe Bioethics Centre, co-editor, Chimera's Children: Ethical, Philosophical and Religious Perspectives on Human-Nonhuman Experimentation), Professor Robin Lovell-Badge (head, stem cell biology and developmental genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, erves on the Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. He is also on the Council of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Lovell-Badge has been on the Board (now 'Advisory Committee') of the Science Media Centre since 2007), Ken Macleod (award-winning science fiction writer, author, Descent, The Restoration Game and Intrusion, writer-in-residence, MA Creative Writing, Edinburgh Napier University 2013-2014), and Gunes Taylor (researcher, University of Oxford, MSci, Human Genetics) discussing ‘Banning the brave new world? The ethics of Science’ at the Battle of Ideas.

2013

• Tuesday 1st October 2013 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Dr Anjana Ahuja (science writer), Barbara Hewson (barrister, has written for Spiked for over ten years, contributed to the Pro-Choice Forum and spoken at Manifesto Club events), Adam Rutherford (science writer and broadcaster; author, Creation; presenter, Inside Science and The Cell), Angela Saini (freelance science journalist), Jonathan Webb (neuroscientist, writer and performer, joined the Science Media Centre in February 2011), and David Bowden (coordinator, UK Battle Satellites; columnist, spiked) discussing “Science & Society: brave new world or geek chic?” at the Battle of Ideas.
• Sunday 20th October 2013 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Dr Tim Hubbard (senior group leader, Vertebrate Genome Analysis Project, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute), Bryan Joseph (partner PwC, Christine Rosen (fellow, New America Foundation; senior editor, New Atlantis, fellow of Ethics and Public Policy Center), Dr Martyn Thomas (vice-president for external affairs, Royal Academy of Engineering), and Timandra Harkness (journalist, writer & broadcaster; presenter, she has written for Living Marxism, writes for Spiked, produces and hosts Battle of Ideas events, has chaired part of an Audacity event and was director of Engaging Cogs), Discussing 'Number crunching and ethics in the era of big data' at the Battle of Ideas.

2014

• Sunday 19th October 2014 - Sandy Starr appeared with: Danny Altmann (professor of immunology, Imperial College; editor-in-chief, Immunology; associate editor, Vaccine), Professor Mark Baker (director, Centre for Clinical Practice, NICE), Eliot Foster (chairman, MedCity; CEO, Creabilis; trustee, Poet in the City), Dr Clare Gerada (GP; past chair, Royal College of General Practitioners, wife of Simon Wessely, links to SABMiller), produced with Claire Fox (director, Institute of Ideas), discussing 'Dose of reality: the ethics and politics of drug development' at the Battle of Ideas.
• Sunday 19th October 2014 - Sandy Starr appeared with; Sheila Bird (programme leader, Medical Research Center Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge Institute of Public Health), Yann Bonduelle (partner, UK Consulting leader, Data & Analytics team, PwC), Marion Oswald (head, Centre for Information Rights, University of Winchester), and Timandra Harkness (journalist, writer & broadcaster; presenter, she has written for Living Marxism, writes for Spiked, produces and hosts Battle of Ideas events, has chaired part of an Audacity event and was director of Engaging Cogs) discussing 'Big Data: Big Danger?' at the Battle of Ideas.

Publications

1998

• Sandy Starr, 'Queer Today, Gone Tomorrow - Just after the British parliament reduced the gay age of consent to 16, the Pride festival, one of Europe's biggest gay celebrations was postponed. Sandy Starr looks at what has happened to queer culture', 30 June 1998.
• Sandy Starr, 'The Last Of The Homophobes - On the last day of the Anglican bishops conference, Sandy Starr explains what the refusal to accept gay priests and same-sex marriages reveals about the modern church, 8 August 1998.
• Sandy Starr, 'Conflicting Peace - Sandy Starr reports from this year's Conflict and Peace Conference, held between September 4 and September 7, in which journalists from around the world discussed their role and their responsibilities', 15 September 1998.

1999

• Sandy Starr, 'The Bard should be hard', LM 117, p. 28, February 1999.
• Sandy Starr, 'CULTURE WARS: Comedy of errors - Shakespeare In Love is not a film about Shakespeare, argues Sandy Starr', 23 February 1999.
• Sandy Starr, 'Through Irish eyes', LM 125, p. 20, November 1999.
• Sandy Starr, 'Silent Shakespeare', LM 126, p. 35, December/January 1999/2000.

2000

• Sandy Starr, 'Hollywood's fringe benefits', LM 127, p. 35, February 2000.
• Sandy Starr, 'A queer platform', LM 129, p. 16, April 2000.
• Sandy Starr, Film: writing history with fire, p. 110, Last Magazine, Summer 2000.

2001

• Sandy Starr, ‘Defending the indefensible online: The internet is a medium for words and pictures, not deeds. And words and pictures should be allowed free expression even where they appal us’, Spiked, 8 March 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11845#.VCFEkJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Rebel without a brand: I tried to become a political consumer - and found it took either too much money, or too little consumption’, Spiked, 8 March 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11842#.VCFEv5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Are you the one in four?: 'UK politicians claim that ‘as many as one in five children who use internet chat rooms are approached by paedophiles’. The evidence proves something quite different.'‘, Spiked, 27 March 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11764#.VCFEV5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘2001: Retreat from the Space Odyssey: At the fortieth anniversary of space travel, why has humanity stopped reaching for the stars?’, Spiked, 10 April 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11725#.VCFD6JRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Sheep, pigs and scapegoats: Everybody from animal rights campaigners to Saddam Hussein has been blamed for starting the spread of foot-and-mouth’, Spiked, 12 April 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11718#.VCFD05RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Phoenix: cute calf, but what about the foot-and-mouth issue?: How calf, not man, makes policy’, Spiked, 26 April 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11686#.VCFDrJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘First Tuesday's first lady: Julie Meyer, founder of the IT networking phenomenon First Tuesday, on why being a dotcom entrepreneur is not all doom and gloom’, Spiked, 3 May 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11675#.VCFDaZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Torn Tories: Caught between trying to appear modern and trying to hold on to traditional values, no wonder the Tories are tearing themselves apart’, Spiked, 4 May 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11582#.VCFC_pRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘spiked-geist: Day One: Tinkering with politics, Gorging on humble pie, Bunking off Downing Street, Tories: the musical’, Spiked, 8 May 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11642#.VCFDfZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘‘spiked-geist: Day Two: Tory Story: the end; New Labour, new hospital food; Real people? Get real; Rock the vote, not the boat; Blair's other babies; R-word bad, A-word good?; Overexcited about apathy; Anti-smoking smokescreen’,, Spiked, 9 May 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11636#.VCFDN5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The politics of 'Ethics man': Sandy Starr asks anti-sleaze MP Martin Bell what he's standing for this time’, Spiked, 17 May 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11609.
• Sandy Starr, ‘spiked-geist: Day 24: Big Brother, Be part of it. (Please.) Tories: things can only get worse’, Spiked, 31 May 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11542#.VCFCy5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘spiked-geist: Day 25: Conservatives implode; Election dotbomb; Tories online; Big Brother; On Labour's campaign trail; Did things get better?’, Spiked, 1 June 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11535#.VCFCqpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘spiked-geist: Day 28: The infantile election - top 10 gimmicks, Getting arsy with the voters, It's a long way to...Harlow’, Spiked, 4 June 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11530.
• Sandy Starr, ‘spiked-proposals: IT: The government should: aid the provision of an infrastructure; resist restrictions on mobile phone masts; stop treating ISPs as publishers; review intellectual property rights; stop eroding our privacy online; and recognise that IT, Spiked, 7 June 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11508#.VCFCcJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Nice technology - where's the politics?: Voxpolitics 'Internet election postmortem': the failures weren't online, but on the ground’, Spiked, 15 June 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11492#.VCFCS5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Still going for the virtual vote: Now that the election is over, what has happened to the parties' websites and online gimmicks?’, Spiked, 19 June 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11489#.VCFCJZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The Conservatives' life support system: How the dying Conservative Party is being kept alive by the UK media’, Spiked, 22 June 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11469#.VCFCA5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Screaming blue murder: The Tory leadership contest may have high entertainment value - but its outcome will have little political significance’, Spiked, 16 July 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11414#.VCFB7ZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Sensitive about censorship: Free speech on the internet gets the youth vote (almost)’, Spiked, 18 July 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11411#.VCFBspRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Tomb Raider: why?: Is the film of the computer game 'truly awful' or full of 'sundry delights'? Two filmgoers battle it out’, Spiked, 25 July 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11333#.VCE6H5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Was it the UK's first internet election?: The UK Hansard Society's new report on the role of the internet in the UK election is a useful factual analysis. But what political conclusions should be drawn?’, Spiked, 25 July 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11327#.VCFBmZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Not in front of the children?: Standards of free speech on the internet should surely be set by adults’, Spiked, 9 August 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/5535#.VCE6ApRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Nihilism online?: Philosopher Hubert L Dreyfus' 'On the internet': an out-of-body experience’, Spiked, 31 August 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11310#.VCE53pRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Don't blow IT: Sandy Starr reports on the spiked conference at the Bloomberg Auditorium in London’, Spiked, 4 October 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11208#.VCE5nZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Judging the war: As a jury member on Channel 4's 'War on Trial' I was hoping to hear clear arguments for and against the West's war on terrorism. No such luck’, Spiked, 30 October 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10857#.VCE5TpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘A tale of two dot.bombs: Investment optimism decadence collapse….Where did it all go wrong for the dotcoms of the late 1990s?’, Spiked, 6 November 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10836#.VCE5MJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Two cheers for Yahoo!: US court has rejected a French court's attempts to clamp down on internet content - but free speech online is still not guaranteed’, Spiked, 6 November 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10809.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Stargazing sociologist: Manuel Castells' book The Internet Galaxy has some uplifting moments - but its desire to separate categorise and interrelate everything means it often misses the mark’, Spiked, 8 November 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10830#.VCE5EZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Significant Others: Nicole Kidman's latest film The Others is a one-off in today’s Hollywood - reaching back to a time when horror was formal sincere and truly frightening’, Spiked, 16 November 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10810#.VCE4wZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Restricted mobility: What ever happened to internet access on the go?’, Spiked, 20 December 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10731#.VCE4jpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘A Tolkien fan talks: Never mind the cynics - The Lord of the Rings is a masterpiece’, Spiked, 28 December 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10722#.VCE4cpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Online insecurity: The restrictions on privacy rights in the USA after 11 September have captured a diminished sense of freedom’, Spiked, 19 October 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/10874#.VCE5aZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Raw Deal: A remarkable new documentary exposes viewers to the ambiguities of a US rape case’, Spiked, 14 September 2001, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/11234#.VCE5opRdVvo.

2002

• Sandy Starr, ‘A pox on scientific debate: Why is a BBC drama about 'smallpox terrorism' being taken so seriously by health experts, commentators and public bodies?’, Spiked, 5 February 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9727#.VCE4N5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Moving on: For the mobile internet to succeed, innovators need to stop worrying about consumer concerns’, Spiked, 7 February 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9724#.VCE4HZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Ripping yarn: How was the new Jack the Ripper film received at the scene of his crimes?’, Spiked, 14 February 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9693#.VCE39ZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Self-regulation makes us all blind: The industry acts as judge, jury and executioner when it comes to removing content from the internet’, Spiked, 14 March 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9610#.VCE30JRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Hollywood Redux: Hasn't Steven Spielberg got better things to do than sanitising ET?’, Spiked, 21 March 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9574#.VCE3sZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Office Politics: Will the Industrial Society's relaunch as the Work Foundation help to make happier workplaces?’, Spiked, 11 April 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9521#.VCE3ZZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Taking liberties all round: How can shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin 'debate' David Blunkett on freedom - when both agree that safety comes first?’, Spiked, 3 May 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9311#.VCE2AZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Towering stupidity: The campaign to rename the film of Tolkien's The Two Towers might be a joke, but this fan isn't laughing’, Spiked, 15 May 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9258#.VCE155RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Star Wars: Tears of a Clone: A lifetime Star Wars fan learns to let go’, Spiked, 21 May 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9249#.VCE1ypRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Intelligence tests: America's new Department of Homeland Security won't enhance security, but will endanger liberty’, Spiked, 19 June 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9127#.VCE1rpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Minority Report: Spielberg's precognition: Minority Report shows that a world without crime is not necessarily a good thing. The FBI should take note’, Spiked, 4 July 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9047#.VCE1LZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘RIPping into our rights: With its Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, Britain is fast becoming a test site for new forms of surveillance’, Spiked, 4 July 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9039.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Blind to users' needs: Making the web accessible by disabled people doesn't necessarily make it usable’, Spiked, 19 July 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8476#.VCE1FJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Dangerous liaison committees: Tony Blair's appearance before a Commons select committee is another step away from parliamentary democracy’, Spiked, 19 July 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8474#.VCE0-ZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Human rights RIP: How human rights legislation has strengthened the UK government's surveillance powers’, Spiked, 23 July 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8465#.VCE045RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The great stock 'n' soul swindle: John Cassidy's dot.con puts the internet into perspective’, Spiked, 30 July 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8451#.VCE0x5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Keeping IT real: Businesses should wow us with technology first, and hype it up later’, Spiked, 22 August 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8391#.VCE0n5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Privacy: open up the debate: Critics of state snooping should stop appealing to human rights law’, Spiked, 8 October 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8106#.VCE0a5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Pooh-poohing postmodernism: Frederick Crews author of the long-awaited sequel to The Pooh Perplex discusses the transformation of academic disciplines into 'incomprehensible crap'‘, Spiked, 5 November 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6965#.VCE0P5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Dumb intelligence: How America lost its snooping skills’, Spiked, 19 November 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6934.
• Sandy Starr, ‘State machinery: Why edemocracy won't push UK voters' buttons’, Spiked, 28 November 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6909#.VCEzyZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Tenants' associations: What use are 'online communities' to people living in poverty?’, Spiked, 23 December 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6853#.VCEys5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Big Read small vision: Who needs another 'best of' list?’, Spiked, 23 December 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4399#.VCEwLZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Canterbury tales: Geeks, freaks and sausage meat at the Canterbury music fest’, Spiked, 6 September 2002, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8164#.VCE0hpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, Contributor to: ‘The Internet: Brave New World?’ by Murray Hodder, 2002.

2003

• Sandy Starr, ‘We scare because we care: A government campaign to keep kids safe online risks putting their enjoyment of the internet in danger’, Spiked, 7 January 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6840#.VCEyepRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Unleashing the net: IPv6: addressing the address issue’, Spiked, 28 January 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6796#.VCEyXpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The end of the space race?: The different reactions to the Challenger disaster in 1986 and theColumbia explosion in 2003 show changing visions of life on Earth’, Spiked, 13 February 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6766#.VCEyKJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Setting the Standard: James Ledbetter's Starving to Death on $200million gives a self-deprecating insight into dotcom decadence’, Spiked, 25 February 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6709.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Copycat copyright: European copyright regulators are trying to learn from the USA. But they’re learning the wrong lessons’, Spiked, 11 March 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/6682#.VCEx7ZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Pushing the wrong buttons: E-voting pilot schemes at the UK local elections are a hi-tech way to make politics passive’, Spiked, 2 May 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/5645#.VCExqZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Beware Intruders’, Architects Journal, 22 May 2003, http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/home/beware-of-intruders/144630.article.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Risky business: A new book examines the pitfalls of corporate risk-aversion’, Spiked, 28 May 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/5317#.VCExkpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Spam: put a lid on it: The proposed cures for email spam are often worse than the disease’, Spiked, 25 June 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/5246#.VCExepRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Google hogged by blogs: By linking to insubstantial and random content, personal websites are strangling search engines’, Spiked, 16 July 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/5056#.VCExRJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Shevaun and the scaremongers: How the elopement of a 12-year-old girl became a morality tale about the dangers of the internet’, Spiked, 5 August 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4795#.VCExEpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Hot dogs and cool heads: The RSPCA should stop hounding us with advice on how to avoid cooking our pets’, Spiked, 13 August 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4781#.VCEw9ZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The worm turns on Gates: Microsoft is being attacked for the wrong reasons’, Spiked, 26 August 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4759#.VCEw2pRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘After Theory...what?: Terry Eagleton's new book draws out the absurdities of cultural theory - but cannot move beyond it’, Spiked, 21 October 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4598#.VCEwZpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Netting paedophiles: What kind of minds could think up a child porn computer amnesty?’, Spiked, 12 December 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4425#.VCEwSJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The future was cancelled': How the space age fell to Earth’, Spiked, 16 September 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4693#.VCEwv5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Communication breakdown: Microsoft's chatroom shutdown won't protect children, but it might harm adults' freedoms’, Spiked, 26 September 2003, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4668#.VCEwfZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘From Quill to Cursor: Freedom of the Media in the Digital Era, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’, 2003, OSCE http://www.osce.org/fom/13834?download=true.
• Sandy Starr et al (Not first named author), ‘16 answers to 4 questions’, OSCE http://www.osce.org/fom/13871?download=true., 2003.

2004

• Sandy Starr, ‘Giddy over Google: The world's biggest search engine is slated and feted for the wrong reasons’, Spiked, 8 January 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4352#.VCEwEJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The Naked Crowd: A new book by US legal theorist Jeffrey Rosen explains how risk-aversion threatens our freedom technology and security’, Spiked, 14 January 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4342#.VCEvwpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Phoney basis to panic: Again the UK authorities find no evidence that mobile phones are a threat to health - and again they warn us to be cautious anyway’, Spiked, 22 January 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4326#.VCEvoZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The Last Samurai: The battle scenes in Tom Cruise's latest blockbuster are superb - so long as you ignore their moral message’, Spiked, 22 January 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4330#.VCEvf5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The Creative Commons: Lawrence Lessig, world expert on internet law, is fighting to defend creativity’, Spiked, 18 February 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2620#.VCEvYpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The geek shall inherit the Earth: The Lord of the Rings' Oscar sweep points to a society that is happier inhabiting Middle-Earth than confronting life in the real world’, Spiked, 3 March 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2598#.VCEvO5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Taking Tarantino to task: The Kill Bill circus is a product of a culture incapable of doing a definitive version of anything’, Spiked, 27 April 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2500#.VCEu8ZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Can technology can spam?: IT companies do battle with bulk email’, Spiked, 5 May 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2549#.VCEuvZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Building for the future: The new book Why is Construction so Backward? puts the case for bigger, better housing’, Spiked, 11 May 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2541.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Science, and fiction: The Day After Tomorrow confuses fact with fiction. That's fine for Hollywood. But why are scientists going along with the story?’, Spiked, 19 May 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2389#.VCEugpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The Day After Tomorrow: A brilliantly made piece of sci-fi hokum’, Spiked, 1 June 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1606#.VCEuZpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘‘Communication ethics’ and the new censorship: The threat to media freedom today comes not from bans, but from regulation in the name of promoting 'diversity' and 'media literacy'‘, Spiked, 2 July 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2368#.VCEuH5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Culture warrior: American legal theorist Lawrence Lessig takes on the regulation that is hampering our use of books, music and film’, Spiked, 2 July 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2369#.VCEt7pRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Cinema of cynicism:Michael Moore brings anti-politics to the big screen’, Spiked, 14 July 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2345#.VCEtxpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Blowing up the BNP: Media exposés like the BBC’s The Secret Agent have helped to transform a ragbag party into the talking point of British politics’, Spiked, 16 July 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2342.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Who wants to read an MP’s musings?: Politics-by-blogging is a sorry substitute for parliamentary debate’, Spiked, 23 July 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2325#.VCEtTpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Saving me from myself?: A chocolate-lover mourns the passing of the King-Size Mars Bar’, Spiked, 1 October 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2027.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Mourning the Man of Steel: The best tribute we could pay to the late Christopher Reeve is to champion medical science’, Spiked, 2 October 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1999.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Progress doesn’t just ‘emerge’: By championing spontaneous collectivism, internet geeks and gurus are giving up on human agency’, Spiked, 22 October 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1951.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Watching what we watch: An event on 'media literacy' gave a glimpse into the twilight world of Ofcom, the UK media regulator’, Spiked, 26 November 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1841#.VCEoxZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘What makes us exceptional?: New research could throw some light on the unique evolution of the human brain’, Spiked, 29 December 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1643#.VCEmt5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Whose election is it anyway?: Websites encouraging 'global participation' in America's presidential election don’t know the meaning of democracy’, Spiked, 1 September 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2238#.VCEs15RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Commercial Brake: You need a PhD in gender studies to understand Ofcom’s decisions to ban – or not ban - adverts’, Spiked, 8 September 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2192#.VCEsT5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The end of the web as we know it?: Rumours about the collapse of the internet are greatly exaggerated’, Spiked, 29 September 2004, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2029#.VCEsLZRdVvo.

2005

• Sandy Starr, ‘Who’s to blame: A lifelong Doctor Who fan thinks the Tardis has been knocked off course by 'fanwankery’, Spiked, 31 March 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1161.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Life lessons: What is the one thing everyone should learn about science? Spiked asked 250 scientists - here we bring you some of the most provocative responses’, The Guardian, 7 April 2005, http://www.theguardian.com/science/2005/apr/07/science.highereducation.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Why we need free speech online: In their crusade against ‘hate speech’, regulators want to subject all internet users to a system of parental controls’, Spiked, 26 May 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1031#.VCEmK5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Mobile politics: Do mobile phones invade our privacy? British MPs give their views’, Spiked, 18 July 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/808.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Do mobile phones invade our privacy?: A report on the live spiked-debate’, Spiked, 22 July 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/764#.VCElopRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The marks of human progress: So what if astronauts can glimpse signs of man’s impact on Earth?’, Spiked, 18 August 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/784#.VCElfJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Getting in a flap over bird flu: We need to put the disease in perspective’, Spiked, 14 October 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/590#.VCBGnpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘When it comes to politics can we have a Pinteresque silence?: The same qualities that make Harold Pinter a great dramatist also make him a bad activist’, Spiked, 18 October 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/570#.VCBGSZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Pinter: Good playwright, Bad Politician: Harold Pinter's Nobel speech highlighted the chasm between his literary insights and childish worldview’, Spiked, 9 December 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/486.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Indecent proposals: It’s not just perverts who should be worried about the government’s proposed ban on violent pornography’, Spiked, 6 September 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/730#.VCElOJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Making public debate history: Why should the authorities have the right to shut up both Make Poverty History and the BNP?’, Spiked, 16 September 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/593#.VCEkwZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The virtual library: How the publishing industry is stalling Google’s attempt to put all the books in the world on the web’, Spiked, 23 September 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/531#.VCEkbpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Anti-science lessons: UK school’s new dumbed-down, issues-led science curriculum will inculcate students with suspicion about scientific endeavour’, Spiked, 30 September 2005, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/467.

2006

• Sandy Starr, ‘Who cares about celeb BB? You decide: spiked-TV: Has-beens, hissy fits and a competition of victimhoods make Celebrity Big Brother grimly compelling’, Spiked, 19 January 2006, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/8.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The time lord of Love: spiked-TV: The new Doctor Who's emotional incontinence is light years away from the chaste original’, Spiked, 20 April 2006, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/220#.VCBDqpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Exercise in futility: Getting fit the Department of Health way turns out to be a full-time occupation’, Spiked, 30 April 2006, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2490#.VCBDQ5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The EC’s message to the people of Europe: make do and mend: The latest European campaign on climate change is driven by killjoy arguments for rationing and restraint’, Spiked, 1 June 2006, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/343.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Snooping.com: In the name of preventing terrorism public bodies could get new powers to read our emails. But what about privacy?’, Spiked, 11 June 2006, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/9142#.VCA7V5RdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘What inspired you?: An overview of the new spiked/Pfizer survey of scientists aged 19 to 93, ranging from new talent to Nobel laureates, on what made them take up science’, Spiked, 29 August 2006, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/1569#.VCA7GpRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The inspirational debate: Concluding views on 'What inspired you?', the spiked/Pfizer survey of key scientists ranging from 19- to 93-year-olds and from new talents to Nobel laureates’, Spiked, 26 October 2006, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/2022#.VCA63JRdVvo.

2007

• Sandy Starr, ‘Mole-rats as a model for stress-related infertility in humans’, BioNews, 4 July 2007, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13108.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Raids on IVF clinics ruled unlawful’, BioNews, 4 July 2007, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13111.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Standardising European fertility regulation’, BioNews, 4 July 2007, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13107.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘New research sheds light on multiple IVF pregnancies’, BioNews, 9 July 2007, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13113.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Increasing number of people travelling abroad for PGD’, BioNews, 10 July 2007, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13118.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Report on death of Irish IVF patient published’, BioNews, 31 July 2007, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13136.asp.

2008

• Sandy Starr, ‘Embryo selection clause triggers controversy in deaf community’, BioNews, 17 March 2008, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13332.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Should we stamp out ‘designer deafness’?’, Spiked, 31 March 2008, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/4937.
• Sandy Starr, ‘‘One at a Time’: an attack on choice: The HFEA’s campaign to reduce multiple births in IVF treatment reveals its elitist disdain for prospective parents’, Spiked, 27 October 2008, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/5865#.VCA6KZRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The problem with Pinteresque politics: The same qualities that made Harold Pinter one of the great dramatists – free association, non-sequiturs, jarring juxtapositions, unreliable recollections – also made him a bad political activist’, Spiked, 29 December 2008, http://www.spiked-online.com/review_of_books/article/6069.

2009

• Sandy Starr, ‘Public consultation launched on draft fertility regulations’, BioNews, 12 January 2009, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13632.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘The debate about single embryo transfer isn't NICE’, BioNews, 26 January 2009, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_38049.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘First UK fertility law firm launches’, BioNews, 26 May 2009, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_13824.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘From 'Genomic Medicine' to the new horizon of epigenetics’, BioNews, 20 July 2009, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_39547.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘From autism to Asperger's syndrome’, BioNews, 23 October 2009, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_50238.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Are we all autistic now?: Lumping Mozart and Einstein in with those who have severe socialisation problems is no help to sufferers or science’, Spiked, 15 September 2009, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/7386#.VCA4vJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr and Sarah Norcross, circa, ‘Spectrum of Opinion: Genes Autism and Psychological Spectrum Disorders’, BioNews, 2009, http://www.progress.org.uk/orgfiles/ZORGF000014/spectrumofopinion.pdf

2010

• Sandy Starr, ‘Are genetic markers helpful in understanding psychological disorders?’, BioNews, 8 March 2010, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_55655.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Rare genetic variants found to play role in development of autism’, BioNews, 14 June 2010, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_64413.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘UK government defends proposal to abolish HFEA’, BioNews, 1 April 2011, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_92338.asp.

2011

• Sandy Starr, ‘HFEA makes first set of decisions following Donation Review’, BioNews, 18 July 2011, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_102199.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘House of Commons debates amendments to Public Bodies Bill’, BioNews, 14 October 2011, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_109036.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Drastic changes to sperm and egg donation policy made by the HFEA’, BioNews, 24 October 2011, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_110107.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Public Bodies Bill clears the Commons’, BioNews, 31 October 2011, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_110917.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘New law empowers UK Government to transfer HFEA's functions’, BioNews, 19 December 2011, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_115729.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘HFEA publishes long-awaited review of Taranissi affair’, BioNews, 19 September 2011, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_106830.asp.

2012

• Sandy Starr, ‘Do we think it matters where our genes come from?’, BioNews, 9 January 2012, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_112312.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Is autism just another identity? : With so many people being added to the ‘autism spectrum’, a disorder is being transformed into a lifestyle’, Spiked, 23 April 2012, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/12369#.VCA4XJRdVvo.
• Sandy Starr, ‘What is the role of genetics in sports?’, BioNews, 30 July 2012, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_163170.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Event Review: Have Your Say on Mitochondria Replacement (London)’, BioNews, 19 November 2012, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_213898.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Ministers urged to use epigenetic research when tackling public health problems’, BioNews, 17 September 2012, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_177907.asp.

2013

• Sandy Starr, ‘Event Review: Futures in Reproduction’, BioNews, 4 February 2013, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_249949.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Public in favour of allowing mitochondrial replacement, says UK regulator’, BioNews, 21 March 2013, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_270834.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘What you think about donor conception’, BioNews, 13 May 2013, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_297113.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Your thoughts about donor conception, conditionality and adoption’, BioNews, 20 May 2013, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_297672.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Director of the Science Media Centre awarded OBE’, BioNews, 17 June 2013, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_313767.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Outcry over government adviser's claim that educational achievement is genetic’, BioNews, 21 October 2013, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_355608.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Lisa Jardine to step down as chair of fertility regulator’, BioNews, 28 October 2013, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_357797.asp.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Questioning psychiatry: Gary Greenberg’s The Book of Woe is an insightful critique of how we understand mental illness’, Spiked, 20 December 2013, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/questioning_psychiatry/14441.
• Sandy Starr, ‘Happy Birthday IVF babies’, Spiked, 25 July 2014, http://www.spiked-online.com/newsite/article/happy-birthday-ivf-babies/15468.

2014

• Sandy Starr, ‘Mitochondrial replacement debated in UK Parliament’, BioNews, 8 September 2014, http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_449812.asp.

Resources

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