Simon Singh on the campaign for libel reform

Science writer Simon Singh tells us the story of how his investigation into alternative therapy led to a trial for libel and him becoming an impassioned campaigner for reform in the British legal system. First he unpicks some of the conspiracy theories- which might seem convincing to some but are made with little evidence to back them up. He begins by looking at the predictions discovered in ancient Hebrew texts made popular in a book called 'The Bible Code'. He shows how the predictions (including ones about JFK, Hitler and 9/11) were exposed as mere coincidences by the discovery that similar omens and portents could be uncovered in Moby Dick. Simon Singh's book 'Trick or Treatment- Alternative Medicine on Trial'- looked to uncover the truth about the efficacy of alternative medicine- looking at the evidence out there to back up the claims made. After publishing an article in the Guardian, where he queried some of the claims made by Chiropractors, Simon's life was turned upside down when he was sued by the British Chiropractic Association. A long and bitter battle ensued. He asks to audience to help him keep libel laws out of science and mourns the fact that London is the 'libel tourism' hotspot of the world. He puts this down to the fact that British laws are hostile to free speech and hostile to writers. Otherwise why would a Saudi petrol billionaires be coming to London to sue an American journalist? He encourages the audience to join his campaign for libel reform.