There is, of course, he remarked, a still more resonant anniversary coming up in 2009. That marks not only the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, but the 150th anniversary of the first publication of The Origin of Species. What, he asked, did the Smithsonian have planned to mark that?
According to Sir Martin, the principal American institution entrusted with the public understanding of science is having difficulty in mounting any kind of celebration at all, and there may well be none. The other day, I was lucky enough to have dinner with Sir Martin Rees, the Astronomer Royal, who had an interesting story to tell. He reported talking to a senior figure at the Smithsonian Institute, and complimenting them on their contributions to the centenary celebrations of Einstein’s annus mirabilis of 1905, and their work during 2005, designated an “international year of physics”. Five months after what were hailed as landmark elections, Iraq’s government is still incomplete.

And even if it had a full line-up of ministers, it is hard to see it restoring law and order now that so many conflicting interests have run amok.

More from Mary Dejevsky. Monday’s roadside bomb in Baghdad, which killed two journalists, critically injured another, and also took the lives of two US soldiers and an interpreter, showed that being “embedded” with troops now offers scant protection. Hopes that an elected parliament and transferred sovereignty would cause the violence to decline have so far proved vain. How much more lethal can the Iraq war become? An estimated 1,000 Iraqi deaths every month, a US death toll of more than 2,000, and nine British soldiers killed in the past month.

Have bought a small rocket ship instead and am hoping he’ll have all the snails and slugs he could possibly need in the damp basement of the new house. With any luck this will quench his thirst for slimy pets and keep new baby harm-free so it can spend its time staring at a sparkly, if a little wonky, Europe.Deborah Ross returns next week. Husband (who now has a facial tic and moans “mortgage” in his sleep) was instructed to build an arboretum for it. I, meanwhile, stocked up on cabbage, chicory and kale.Turns out, St Mary’s Hospital is not keen on live animals being brought into its labour ward No shit, Sherlock Change of plan. A 10p plastic lizard is his favourite toy and he’d much prefer to look at pictures of geckos than lions. So, feeling incredibly guilty about the impending end of life as he knows it (new baby, weeping daddy and strange new dwelling), I got in touch with a specialist tortoise person.