On a visit to Japan last week Lord Drayson, Britain's science minister, received a Google News alert that he knew meant trouble. Alan Johnson, the home secretary, had sacked the government's chief drugs adviser. Sure enough, a barrage of e-mails from angry scientists soon landed in his in-box, protesting that the dismissal of Professor David Nutt would undermine the whole system by which independent experts exercise freedom of speech while advising ministers.

Lord Drayson in turn fired off a series of e-mails to 10 Downing Street, complaining that Mr Johnson had made "a big mistake", acting without consulting him. He tried to convince the prime minister to reverse Prof Nutt's dismissal but without success.