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Soundbites

“To me, having ‘iq’ is probably one of the most important steps toward giving Iraq its identity and independence.”

Iraq-born architect Hisham Ashkouri, on the internet suffix “.iq”. It is registered to a company in Texas that is under criminal investigation and so is legally barred from releasing the address (The Scotsman, 24 June)

“It’s a shameful record of exploitation. Surely we should be producing enough doctors to look after our patients.”

James Johnson, chairman of the British Medical Association, attacking the UK’s National Health Service for poaching doctors and nurses from poor countries with greater medical needs (The Independent, London, 29 June)

“People living like troglodytes and having to go down a long vertical shaft to get to their homes was not ideal.”

Chris Rapley, director of the British Antarctic Survey, speaking about life at the old Antarctic base when it was buried by snow (BBC News Online, 29 June)

“If it doesn’t work, it’s your fault.”

Craig Pilcher, an IT volunteer, demonstrating a software package to Microsoft chief Bill Gates at the Woolloomooloo Neighbourhood Technology Centre in Sydney (The Australian, Sydney, 29 June)

“It’s not new physics – nothing new has to be discovered, nothing new has to be invented from scratch.”

Bradley C. Edwards, of the Institute for Scientific Research in Fairmont, West Virginia, on building elevators within 15 years that could reach space on cables made of carbon nanotubes (WashingtonTimes.com, 28 June)