ADMITTING YOU WERE wrong is never easy but when the fate of mankind is at stake it’s probably best to swallow your pride.

That’s what UK local newspaper The Argus had to do after it accidentally suggested that the director of the Brighton Science Festival believed that the “21st century will be remembered for a terrible war between mankind and goats”.

A printed apology appeared in the paper yesterday, much to the amusement of Patricia Sauthoff, who posted a snap of it on Twitter.

@gitagovinda @gitagovinda

The comments about a Goat War were actually made by a reader who submitted a question, and accidentally attributed to Richard Robinson during this interview.

The reader in question was very eager to find out what Robinson thought, asking:

In an upcoming war between mankind and goats, which side will you be on? What techniques can science provide in order to give mankind an edge in a conflict against powerful and cunning goats?

The science festival head came back with a marvellous reply.

I’m afraid I cannot address your problem. I have much more important things to think about just now: sea urchins, hordes of them, with their evil poisoned spines, there in the sea, just out of view, waiting… waiting…

We bet the poor fella’s heart skipped a bleat when he herd.