Staff Picks
New in Science
- Bland L.
- Thursday, November 16, 2023
Collection
In addition to titles from perennial best-sellers Carlo Rovelli (White Holes) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (To Infinity & Beyond), recent science publications include a new edition of a monumental classic, The Readable Darwin: The Origin of Species Edited for Modern Readers.
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023
Published in 2023
20 science and nature essays that represent the best examples of the form published in 2022.
Nuts and Bolts
Seven Small Inventions That Changed the World in a Big Way
Published in 2023
"A structural engineer examines the seven most basic building blocks of engineering that have shaped the modern world"-- Provided by publisher.
Eve
How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution
Published in 2023
"In Eve, Cat Bohannon answers questions scientists should have been addressing for decades. With boundless curiosity and sharp wit, Bohannon covers the past 200 million years to explain the specific science behind the development of the female sex. Eve is not just a sweeping revision of human history, it's an urgent and necessary corrective for a world that has focused primarily on the male body for far too long. Bohannon's findings, including everything from the way C-sections in the industrialized world are rejiggering women's pelvic shape to the surprising similarities between pus and breast milk, will completely change what you think you know about evolution . . . and women. A 21st-century update of Our Bodies, Ourselves, Eve offers a paradigm shift in our thinking about what the female body is and why it matters"-- Provided by publisher.
The Man Who Organized Nature
The Life of Linnaeus
Published in 2023
"The Swedish scientist Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) is the known as the father of modern biological taxonomy. One of the greatest scientists in history, he formalized and popularized the system of binomial nomenclature and classified thousands of species of plants and animals. In his field, he is so well known that he is often referred to simply as "L." In this comprehensive biography, Linnaeus scholar Gunnar Broberg, draws on a wide range of new research to paint a vivid and intimate portrait of the man. Delving deep into Linnaeus's correspondence and other contemporary sources, Broberg introduces reader's to Linnaeus's family and takes them along on his famous expedition to Lapland. He also investigates the scientist's private thoughts on subjects such as evolution and religion, which often yielded eccentric results. Despite, or perhaps because, of his great achievement, Linnaeus could be moody and egotistical, and this nuanced biography does not shy away from presenting both his scientific achievements and human failings"-- Provided by publisher.
Beastly
The 40,000-year Story of Animals and Us
Published in 2023
"Animals have shaped our minds, our lives, our land, and our civilization. Humanity would not have gotten very far without them--making use of their labor for transportation, agriculture, and pollination; their protection from predators; and their bodies for food and to make clothing, music, and art. And over the last two centuries, humans have made unprecedented advances in science, technology, behavior, and beliefs. Yet how is it that we continue to destroy the animal world and lump its magnificence under the sterile concept of biodiversity? In Beastly, author Keggie Carew seeks to re-enchant readers with the wild world, reframing our understanding of what it is like to be an animal and what our role is as humans. She throws readers headlong into the mind-blowing, heart-thumping, glittering pageant of life, and goes in search of our most revealing encounters with the animal world throughout the centuries. How did we domesticate animals and why did we choose sheep, goats, cows, pigs, horses, and chickens? What does it mean when a gorilla tells a joke or a fish thinks? Why does a wren sing? Beastly is a gorgeously written, deeply researched, and intensely felt journey into the splendor and genius of animals and the long, complicated story of our interactions with them as humans"-- Provided by publisher.
The Underworld
Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean
Published in 2023
"From New York Times bestselling author Susan Casey, an awe-inspiring portrait of the mysterious world beneath the waves, and the men and women who seek to uncover its secrets For all of human history, the deep ocean has been a source of wonder and terror, an unknown realm that evoked a singular, compelling question: What's down there? Unable to answer this for centuries, people believed the deep was a sinister realm of fiendish creatures and deadly peril. But now, cutting-edge technologies allow scientists and explorers to dive miles beneath the surface, and we are beginning to understand this strange and exotic underworld: A place of soaring mountains, smoldering volcanoes, and valleys 7,000 feet deeper than Everest is high, where tectonic plates collide and separate, and extraordinary life forms operate under different rules. Far from a dark void, the deep is a vibrant realm that's home to pink gelatinous predators and shimmering creatures a hundred feet long and ancient animals with glass skeletons and sharks that live for half a millennium-among countless other marvels. Susan Casey is our premiere chronicler of the aquatic world. For The Underworld she traversed the globe, joining scientists and explorers on dives to the deepest places on the planet, interviewing the marine geologists, marine biologists, and oceanographers who are searching for knowledge in this vast unseen realm. She takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of deep-sea exploration, from the myths and legends of the ancient world to storied shipwrecks we can now reach on the bottom, to the first intrepid bathysphere pilots, to the scientists who are just beginning to understand the mind-blowing complexity and ecological importance of the quadrillions of creatures who live in realms long thought to be devoid of life. Throughout this journey, she learned how vital the deep is to the future of the planet, and how urgent it is that we understand it in a time of increasing threats from climate change, industrial fishing, pollution, and the mining companies that are also exploring its depths. The Underworld is Susan Casey's most beautiful and thrilling book yet, a gorgeous evocation of the natural world and a powerful call to arms"-- Provided by publisher.
Darwin and the Art of Botany
Observations on the Curious World of Plants
Published in 2023
Charles Darwin is best known for his work on the evolution of animals, but a large part of his scientific study and writing was devoted to plants. This book gathers key excerpts from these lesser-known works for the first time. Each of the 45 short chapters focuses on a different plant species, with Darwin's words about his methods, observations, and conclusions, alongside authoritative interpretation from evolutionary biologist and acclaimed Darwin scholar James T. Costa. Learn how Darwin developed the key concepts that underpin modern research on the form and function of plants. Gain insights into how pollination works, how and why vines climb, the digetive processes of carnivorous plants, and the exuberant variety of flowers. Throughout, you will witness the birth of several schools of scientific inquiry that we take for granted today. Bringing a new and colorful element to Darwin's work, illustrator Bobbi Angell, after choosing the 45 subjects, has expertly selected rare and remarkable period artworks from Oak Spring Garden Foundation, crafting a new lens for the role and value of botanical art as it existed before and during Darwin's time. Darwin and the Art of Botany is an exciting new marriage of art and science, providing a fresh look at one of history's most influential thinkers. --Front flap of dust jacket.
The Blue Machine
How the Ocean Works
Published in 2023
"Through stories of history, culture, and animals, the author explains how water temperature, salinity, gravity, and the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates all interact in a complex dance, supporting life at the smallest scale—plankton—and the largest—giant sea turtles, whales, humankind. From the ancient Polynesians who navigated the Pacific by reading the waves, to permanent residents of the deep such as the Greenland shark that can live for hundreds of years, she introduces the messengers, passengers, and voyagers that rely on interlinked systems of vast currents, invisible ocean walls, and underwater waterfalls"-- Provided by publisher.
The Readable Darwin
The Origin of Species Edited for Modern Readers
Published in 2023
"For nearly five years, from Dec. 27, 1831, until Oct. 2, 1836, I served as naturalist aboard the H.M.S. Beagle, exploring. During that voyage I was much amazed by how the various types of organisms were distributed around South America, and how the animals and plants presently living on that continent are related to those found only as fossils in the geological record elsewhere. These facts, as will be seen in later chapters, seemed to me to throw some light on the origin of species-that "mystery of mysteries," as it has been called by one of our greatest scientists, John Herschel. After I returned home, it occurred to me in 1837 that I might be able to help address this great question by patiently accumulating and reflecting on all sorts of facts that might have any bearing on it. Finally, after five years of work, I allowed myself to speculate on the subject and wrote up some brief notes. I enlarged these in 1844 into a sketch of the conclusions that seemed to be most probable from the evidence I had collected. Over the subsequent 15 years I have steadily pursued the same object: trying to understand how new species come about. I hope you will excuse me for entering these personal details of my work, as I give them only to show that I have not been hasty in coming to a decision"-- Provided by publisher.
Return of the Bison
A Story of Survival, Restoration, and a Wilder World
Published in 2023
In less than a century, a bison population that once numbers in the missions and stretched across North America was reduced to just a few dozen animals primarily in Yellowstone National Park. DeSilvestro explores one of the greatest conservation comeback stories in American history-- yet its "success" is qualified. Most bison today live in commercial herds, contained like cattle. Are we willing to coexist with them as wild animals who need freedom to roam? -- adapted from back cover
A Brief History of the Female Body
An Evolutionary Look at How and Why the Female Form Came to Be
Published in 2023
The female body is an enigma in all stages of life. For teenagers first experiencing their periods, the monthly arrival of mood swings and cramps can be agonizing and inconvenient. With pregnancy, perhaps the most miraculous of bodily events, comes countless potential complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes, premature birth, and postpartum depression. And menopause is equally mystifying. Why do females lose their fertility over time and experience the notorious side effects, like hot flashes, weight gain, and hair loss, while males maintain their fertility forever? This book looks far into our evolutionary past, illuminating how and why the female form has transformed over millions of years.
The Lives of Beetles
A Natural History of Coleoptera
Published in 2023
"A richly illustrated introduction to the incredible world of beetles. With some 400,000 species, beetles are among the largest and most successful groups of organisms on earth, making up one-fifth of all plant and animal species. No other animals exhibit such a dazzling range of size, form, and color. Mostly small, sturdy, and compact, beetles are incredibly well-equipped to find food, reproduce, and avoid predators. Additionally, their collective roles as herbivores, hunters, and recyclers are critical to the sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems. In this lavishly illustrated book, beetle expert and author Arthur Evans presents an inviting and comprehensive introduction to the fascinating lives of the world's beetles. Universal in scope, The Lives of Beetles is packed with the latest scientific findings, presented in an accessible way. Individual chapters cover beetles' structure and function; evolution, diversity, classification, and distribution; communication, reproduction, and development; feeding habits; uses in medicine, science, and technology; and study and conservation. Each chapter concludes with nine stunningly illustrated profiles that highlight the lives of some of the world's most beautiful and interesting species. The book also features an up-to-date family classification, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. We need beetles for the ecological services they provide, the technological innovations they inspire, and the scientific insights they reveal, so it is essential that we all get to know beetles better and strive to conserve their habitats. The Lives of Beetles is the perfect place to begin this journey of discovery and understanding."--Amazon.com.
The Curious History of the Heart
A Cultural and Scientific Journey
Published in 2023
"This book traces the evolution of our understanding of the heart from the dawn of civilization 15,000 years ago to today. It examines how we humans have evolved our beliefs about the purpose of the heart to try to understand what life forces it contains. Throughout our history, the heart has played an important role for the poet, the philosopher, and the physician. Until modern times, the heart was considered the home of our emotions, thoughts, memories and the soul. The brain has now taken over as the center of our consciousness and feelings, even though the heart continues to play a central role in our cultural iconography. It is only recently that medical science is finding the heart may indeed hold feelings, and in fact, is part of a two-way "heart-brain connection." A new area of medical science called neurocardiology suggests the heart directs the brain as much as the brain directs the heart. This book chronologically examines how the once 'king' of the organs became dismissed as a mere mechanistic blood pump subservient to the brain, yet remains so central to our daily lives as a symbol of love and health. As a physician fascinated with this extraordinary organ, Vincent Michael Figueredo has included a section on how the heart works, heart diseases, and gender and racial/ethnic differences in heart disease. He explores advancements in heart therapies in modern times, and what the future may hold. What we are now learning shows our ancestors weren't so wrong about the heart after all. That is, the heart is a part of a two-way interaction with the brain, together ensuring our mental, spiritual, and physical health." [Provided by publisher].
The Little Book of Aliens
Published in 2023
Everyone is curious about life in the Universe, UFOs and whether ET is out there. Over the course of his thirty-year career as an astrophysicist, Adam Frank has consistently been asked about the possibility of intelligent life in the universe. Are aliens real? Where are they? Why haven't we found them? What happens if we do? We've long been led to believe that astronomers spend every night searching the sky for extraterrestrials, but the truth is we have barely started looking. Not until now have we even known where to look or how. Here, Frank, a leading researcher in the field, takes us on a journey to all that we know about the possibility of life outside planet Earth and shows us the cutting-edge science that has brought us to this unique moment in human history: the one where we go find out for ourselves.
The Dawn of a Mindful Universe
A Manifesto for Humanity's Future
Published in 2023
"An award-winning astronomer and physicist's spellbinding and urgent call for a new Enlightenment and the recognition of the preciousness of life using reason and curiosity--the foundations of science--to study, nurture, and ultimately preserve humanity as we face the existential crisis of climate change"-- Provided by publisher.
Crossings
How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet
Published in 2023
An eye-opening and witty account of the global ecological transformations wrought by roads, from an award-winning author. Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, but we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. In Crossings, Ben Goldfarb delves into the new science of road ecology to explore how roads have transformed our world. Millions of animals are killed by cars each day in the US alone, and roads fragment wildlife populations into inbred clusters, disrupt migration for creatures from antelope to salmon, allow invasive plants to spread and even bend the arc of evolution itself. But road ecologists are also seeking innovative solutions: Goldfarb meets with conservationists building bridges for mountain lions and tunnels for toads, engineers deconstructing logging roads, and citizens working to undo the havoc highways have wreaked upon cities. A sweeping, spirited and timely investigation into how humans have altered the natural world, Crossings also shows us how to create a better future for all living beings.
Inside the Star Factory
The Creation of the James Webb Space Telescope, NASA's Largest and Most Powerful Space Observatory
Published in 2023
"Photo documentary of the creation and launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the world's largest orbiting astronomy observatory"-- Provided by publisher.
The Good Virus
The Amazing Story and Forgotten Promise of the Phage
Published in 2023
"How a mysterious, super-powerful--yet long-neglected--microbe rules our world and can rescue our health in the age of antibiotic resistance. At every moment, within our bodies and all around us, trillions of microscopic combatants are waging a war that shapes our health and life on Earth. Countless times per second, viruses known as phages attack and destroy bacteria while leaving all other life forms, including us, unscathed. Vastly outnumbering the viruses that do us harm, phages power ecosystems, drive evolutionary innovation, and harbor a remarkable capacity to heal life-threatening infections when conventional antibiotics fail. Yet most of us have never heard of them, thinking of viruses only as enemies to be feared. The Good Virus prompts us to reconsider, and to discover, how these viruses could save countless lives if we can learn to harness their extraordinary abilities. Taking us inside the ongoing quest to use phages' powers for good, Tom Ireland introduces us to the brilliant, often eccentric, scientists who have fought to realize phages' potential in the face of doubt and political intrigue. We meet the renegade French-Canadian scientist who discovered phages and pioneered their use as medicine over a century ago, leading them to be hailed as the world's first genuine antibiotic years before penicillin. We learn why, in some pockets of the former Soviet Union, drinking a vial of phages remains as common as taking an over-the-counter drug. We follow the intrepid scientists and doctors now racing to make "phage therapy" work worldwide as the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria grows ever more urgent--even as other researchers uncover how phages bolster our everyday immunity, help generate the oxygen we breathe, and furnish the origins for breakthrough technologies like CRISPR. Unveiling the hidden rulers of the microbial world and celebrating the surprising power of viruses to heal, not harm, The Good Virus forever changes how we see nature's most maligned life forms"--provided by publisher.
The Worlds I See
Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI
Published in 2023
"The moving memoir of a girl coming of age as an immigrant in America who finds her calling as a scientist at the forefront of the AI/Machine Learning revolution. Fei-Fei Li is known to the world as the creator of ImageNet, a key catalyst of modern artificial intelligence (AI). But her career in science was improbable from the start. Moving from China's middle class to American poverty, her family navigated the hardships of immigrant life while struggling to care for an ailing mother at every step. However, Fei-Fei's adolescent knack for physics endured, sparking a journey that would lead her to computer science, experimental cognitive science, and, ultimately, the still-obscure world of AI. It positioned her to make a defining contribution to the breakthrough we now call the AI revolution and brought her face-to-face with the extraordinary possibilities-and the extraordinary dangers-of the technology she loves. Emotionally raw and intellectually uncompromising, The Worlds I See is a story of science in the first person, documenting one of the century's defining moments from the inside"-- Provided by publisher.
Einstein's Unfinished Dream
Practical Progress Towards a Theory of Everything
Published in 2023
"The ultimate goal of physics is grand - it is to develop a theory that explains all physical phenomena. The name for this is "a theory of everything." While many theories have been proposed, none have fit the bill. In Einstein's Unfinished Dream, Don Lincoln takes us on a journey through earlier attempts, culminating in the standard model of particle physics and Einstein's general theory of relativity. He then explains the obstacles that lay between where we are now and that final goal. In quick fashion, he dispenses with some popular theories that vie for the title of final theory, and then he lays out the actual path being followed by modern scientists. Rather than guessing at the final answer, scientists study data, trying to understand phenomena that aren't yet explained. These are the clues that will lead the field forward. Lincoln introduces dark matter and dark energy, two substances that make up 95% of the matter and energy in the universe. He digs through the historical list of the building blocks of matter, hoping to find a smaller particle still. He points to the imbalance of matter and antimatter, a fact that modern science simply can't explain. In short, the book brings the reader into the world of modern physics research, allowing people to understand what scientists are actually doing to help us answer the grandest question of all, "Why is there something, rather than nothing?""-- Provided by publisher.
Interstellar
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars
Published in 2023
"In New York Times bestseller Extraterrestrial, Avi Loeb, Chair of Harvard's Astronomy Department, presented a theory that shook the scientific community: our solar system, Loeb claimed, had been visited by a piece of advanced alien technology from a distant star. This provocative and persuasive argument opened thousands of minds to the vast possibilities of our universe and the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth. But a crucial question remained: now that we are aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life, what do we do next? How do we prepare ourselves for interaction with interstellar extraterrestrial civilization? How can our species become interstellar? Now, Loeb tackles these questions in a revelatory, powerful call to arms that reimagines the idea of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations. Dismantling our science-fiction fueled visions of a human and alien life meeting, Interstellar provides a realistic and practical blueprint for how such an interaction might actually occur, resetting our cultural understanding and expectation of what it means to encounter an extraterrestrial object. From breakthrough advancements in deep space probes, to awe-inspiring searches for extraterrestrial technology, to the heated debate of the existence of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, Loeb provides a thrilling, front-row view of the monumental progress in science and technology currently preparing us for contact. He also lays out the profound implications of becoming-or not becoming-interstellar; in an urgent, eloquent appeal for more proactive engagement with the world beyond ours, he powerfully contends why we must seek out other life forms, and in the process, choose who and what we are within the universe. Combining cutting edge science, physics, and philosophy, Interstellar revolutionizes the approach to our search for extraterrestrial life and our preparation for its discovery. In this eye-opening, necessary look at our future, Avi Loeb artfully and expertly raises some of the most important questions facing us as humans, and proves, once again, that scientific curiosity is the key to our survival"-- Provided by publisher.
Allergic
How Our Immune System Reacts to a Changing World
Published in 2023
"Hay fever. Peanut allergies. Eczema. Either you have a frustrating allergy, or you know someone who does. Billions of people worldwide-an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the global population-have some form of allergy; millions have one severe enough to actively endanger their health. Even more concerningly, over the last decade, the number of people diagnosed with allergy has been steadily increasing. Medical anthropologist Theresa MacPhail, herself an allergy sufferer whose father died of a bee sting, set out to understand why. This book is a holistic examination of the phenomenon of allergies from its first medical description in 1819 to the mind-bending recent development of biologics and immunotherapies that are giving the most severely impacted patients hope. In pursuit of this story, Theresa spent time with hundreds of experts, patients and activists: she scaled a roof with an air quality controller who diligently counts pollen by hand for hours every day; met a mother struggling to use WIC benefits for her daughter with severe food allergies; shadowed doctors at some of the finest allergy clinics in the world; and discussed the intersecting problems of climate change, pollution, and pollen with biologists who study seasonal respiratory allergies"-- Provided by publisher.
Our Fragile Moment
How Lessons from Earth's Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis
Published in 2023
"The conditions that allowed humans to live on Earth are incredibly fragile. Climate variability has at times created new niches that humans or their ancestors could potentially exploit, and challenges that at times have spurred innovation. But there's a relatively narrow envelope of climate variability within which human civilization remains viable, and our survival depends on conditions remaining within that range. In this book, renowned climate scientist Michael Mann provides readers with the knowledge necessary to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis, while emboldening them to act before it is too late"-- Provided by publisher.
The Master Builder
How the New Science of the Cell is Rewriting the Story of Life
Published in 2023
"What defines who we are? For decades, the biological answer has been our genes. In The Master Builder, leading biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias breaks with decades of scientific and popular tradition to make a bold argument: what defines us is our cells. Drawing on new research from his lab and others, Martinez Arias reveals that we are composed of a thrillingly complex, constantly rearranging symphony of cells that know how to count, feel, and ultimately give form to our bodies. While DNA is important, Richard Dawkins's vision of the selfish gene that controls everything is not a good description of how biology actually works. As Martinez Arias shows, nothing in your genes explains why your heart is on the left side of your body, why you have five fingers and not ten, or why genetically identical twins have different sets of fingerprints and why it's possible for a mother to apparently share no DNA with the children to whom she gave birth! At the heart of it all is not simply gee-whiz science, but a powerful new conception of the essence of life. Our identities are shaped not simply by our genes, but by the interconnections between all our cells, working as a sort of symphony -- cooperative, and creating something greater than its parts could on their own -- and the unbroken lineage of cells that connects us to the first fertilized egg from which we developed -- and in turn, back through the billions of years of our planet's history, to the very first cell in the history of all life on Earth"-- Provided by publisher.
Muscle
The Gripping Story of Strength and Movement
Published in 2023
Shedding new light on the essential tissue that moves us through life, an orthopedic surgeon takes us on a wide-ranging journey through anatomy, biology, history and health to unlock the mysteries of our muscles and explore major advancements in medicine and fitness.
Blight
Fungi and the Coming Pandemic
Published in 2023
"A prescient warning about the mysterious and deadly world of fungi-and how to avert further loss across species, including our own. Fungi are everywhere. Most are harmless; some are helpful. A few are killers. Collectively, infectious fungi are the most devastating agents of disease on earth, and a fungus that can persist in the environment without its host is here to stay. In Blight, Emily Monosson documents how trade, travel, and a changing climate are making us all more vulnerable to invasion. Populations of bats, frogs, and salamanders face extinction. In the Northwest, America's beloved national parks are covered with the spindly corpses of whitebark pines. Food crops are under siege, threatening our coffee, bananas, and wheat-and, more broadly, our global food security. Candida auris, drug-resistant and resilient, infects hospital patients and those with weakened immune systems. Coccidioides, which lives in drier dusty regions, may cause infection in apparently healthy people. The horrors go on. Yet prevention is not impossible. Tracing the history of fungal spread and the most recent discoveries in the field, Monosson meets scientists who are working tirelessly to protect species under threat, and whose innovative approaches to fungal invasion have the potential to save human lives. Delving into case studies at once fascinating, sobering, and hopeful, Blight serves as a wake-up call, a reminder of the delicate interconnectedness of the natural world, and a lesson in seeing life on our planet with renewed humility and awe"-- Provided by publisher.
Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation
Why Physicists Are Studying Human Consciousness and AI to Unravel the Mysteries of the Universe
Published in 2023
"An exploration of the interconnections between quantum mechanics, cosmology, and neuroscience"-- Provided by publisher.
Alien Worlds
How Insects Conquered the Earth, and Why Their Fate Will Determine Our Future
Published in 2023
"Life on Earth depends on the busy activities of insects, but global populations of these teeming creatures are currently under threat, with grave consequences for us all. Alien Worlds presents insects and other arthropods as you have never seen them before, explaining how they conquered the planet and why there are so many of them, and shedding light on the evolutionary marvels that enabled them to thrive. Blending glorious imagery with entertaining and informative science writing, this book takes you inside the hidden realm of insects and reveals why their fate carries profound implications for our own."--Dust jacket flap.
In a Flight of Starlings
The Wonders of Complex Systems
Published in 2023
"From the 2021 Nobel Prize winner in Physics, an enlightening and personal journey into the practice of groundbreaking science In In a Flight of Starlings, already a #1 bestseller in his native Italy, celebrated physicist Giorgio Parisi guides us through his unorthodox yet exhilarating work: investigating the principles of physics by observing the flight of flocks of birds. Studying the movements of these communities, he has realized, proves an illuminating way into understanding complex systems of all kinds--collections of everything from atoms and planets to other animals like ourselves. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons he's taken from a life in pursuit of scientific truth: the importance of serendipity to the discovery of new ideas, the surprising kinship between physics and other disciplines, and the value of science to a thriving society. In so doing, he removes the practice of science from the confines of the laboratory and into the real world. Part elegant scientific treatise, part thrilling journey of discovery, In a Flight of Starlings is an invitation to find wonder in the world around us"-- Provided by publisher.
Kings of Their Own Ocean
Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas
Published in 2023
"This is a tale of human obsession, one intrepid tuna, the dedicated fisherman who caught and set her free, the promises and limits of ocean science, and the big truth of how our insatiable appetite for bluefin transformed a cottage industry into a global dilemma"-- Provided by publisher.
Elemental
How Five Elements Changed Earth's Past and Will Shape Our Future
Published in 2023
"Over the past four billion years of Earth's history, three organisms-cyanobacteria, plants, and humans--have altered the planet in profound ways by harnessing the availability of five key elements. Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are the most common elements in all forms of life on Earth, and all five circulate between the biotic and abiotic world in biogeochemical cycles. When organisms tap into stores of these elements and change these cycles, they change the atmosphere, climate, and, by extension, the trajectory of life on earth. In the first part of the book, Porder explains how cyanobacteria and plants harnessed critical elements and how their success in doing so was followed by environmental collapse in the form of ice ages. Porder then turns to human-caused climate change. He explores the dramatic ways humans have altered the cycles of these five essential elements and explains the profound effect our actions have on the planet. Porder concludes by exploring how we can reduce our impact on the Earth-both individually and societally-by reorienting ourselves toward recycling critical elements instead of extracting them from more and more obscure sources. Ultimately, understanding the role of element cycling is essential to understanding how humans came to be so successful and to putting us on a path to a sustainable future"-- Provided by publisher.
White Holes
Published in 2023
"Let us journey, with beloved physicist Carlo Rovelli, into the heart of a black hole. We slip beyond its horizon and tumble down this crack in the universe. As we plunge, we see geometry fold. Time and space pull and stretch. And finally, at the black hole's core, space and time dissolve, and a white hole is born. Rovelli has dedicated his career to uniting the time-warping ideas of general relativity and the perplexing uncertainties of quantum mechanics. In White Holes, he reveals the mind of a scientist at work. He traces the ongoing adventure of his own cutting-edge research, investigating whether all black holes could eventually turn into white holes, equally compact objects in which the arrow of time is reversed. Rovelli writes just as compellingly about the work of a scientist as he does the marvels of the universe. He shares the fear, uncertainty, and frequent disappointment of exploring hypotheses and unknown worlds, and the delight of chasing new ideas to unexpected conclusions. Guiding us beyond the horizon, he invites us to experience the fever and the disquiet of science-and the strange and startling life of a white hole"-- Provided by publisher.
Many Things Under a Rock
The Mysteries of Octopuses
Published in 2023
"A behavioral ecologist's riveting account of his decades-long obsession with octopuses: his discoveries, adventures, and new scientific understanding of their behaviors. Of all the creatures of the deep blue, none is as captivating as the octopus. In Many Things Under a Rock, marine biologist David Scheel investigates four major mysteries about these elusive beings. How can we study an animal with perfect camouflage and secretive habitats? How does a soft and boneless creature defeat sharks and eels, while thriving as a predator of the most heavily armored animals in the sea? How do octopus bodies work? And how does a solitary animal form friendships, entice mates, and outwit rivals? Over the course of his twenty-five years studying octopuses, Scheel has witnessed a sea change in what we know and are able to discover about octopus physiology and behavior-even an octopus's inner life. Here he explores amazing new scientific developments, weaving accounts of his own research, and surprising encounters, with stories and legends of Indigenous peoples that illuminate our relationship with these creatures across centuries. In doing so, he reveals a deep affinity between humans and even the most unusual and unique undersea dwellers. Octopuses are complex, emotional, and cognitive beings; even as Scheel unearths explanations for the key mysteries that have driven his work, he turns up many more things of wonder that lurk underneath. This is the story of what we have learned and what we are still learning about the natural history and wondrous lives of these animals with whom we share our blue planet"-- Provided by publisher.
From One Cell
A Journey into Life's Origins and the Future of Medicine
Published in 2023
This exploration of the spectacular yet commonplace journey of the development of human life from a single cell to birth draws on the latest research into how life and the body take shape.
The Deepest Map
The High-stakes Race to Chart the World's Oceans
Published in 2023
"The dramatic and action-packed story of the last mysterious place on earth--the world's seafloor--and the deep-sea divers, ocean mappers, marine biologists, entrepreneurs, and adventurers involved in the historic push to chart it, as well as the opportunities, challenges, and perils this exploration holds now and for the future"-- Provided by publisher.
Ultra-processed People
The Science Behind Food That Isn't Food
Published in 2023
"We have entered a new age of eating. For the first time in human history, most of our calories come from an entirely novel set of substances called Ultra-Processed Food. There's a long, formal scientific definition, but it can be boiled down to this: if it's wrapped in plastic and has at least one ingredient that you wouldn't find in your kitchen, it's UPF. In this book, Chris van Tulleken, father, scientist, doctor, and award-winning BBC broadcaster, marshals the latest evidence to show how governments, scientists, and doctors have allowed transnational food companies to create a pandemic of diet-related disease. The solutions don't lie in willpower, personal responsibility, or exercise. You'll find no diet plan in this book--but join Chris as he undertakes a powerful self-experiment that made headlines around the world: under the supervision of colleagues at University College London he spent a month eating a diet of 80 percent UPF, typical for many children and adults in the United States. While his body became the subject of scientific scrutiny, he spoke to the world's leading experts from academia, agriculture, and--most important--the food industry itself"-- Provided by publisher
To Infinity & Beyond
A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Published in 2023
"This illustrated narrative explains the universe from the solar system to the farthest reaches of space"-- Provided by publisher.
Wonder Drug
The Secret History of Thalidomide in America and Its Hidden Victims
Published in 2023
"When the application for a new sedative called Kevadon--commonly known as thalidomide--landed on Frances Kelsey's desk at the FDA in 1960, it seemed destined to sail through the review process. The drug, billed as entirely risk-free, was already being sold in forty-six countries. But when Kelsey learned that the drug caused terrible birth defects, she and a team of dedicated doctors, parents, and journalists fought Merrell, the drug's American manufacturer, and Chemie-Gruenenthal, the German company founded by former Nazis that first synthesized the drug, to recall the product. It marked a rare victory in America's perennial battle between capitalism and consumer protection. Though Kelsey received a presidential medal and a LIFE magazine photo spread of European children missing limbs shocked American readers, an essential chapter laid buried for decades. Jennifer Vanderbes discovered that even though Frances Kelsey refused to approve Merrell's application to "sell" thalidomide in the United States, the drug firm, under the guise of clinical trials, had quietly sent millions of pills to doctors nationwide. Years before that, an additional drug company had asked doctors to test the drug on patients. The toxic sedative that was ostensibly "never sold" in America had, in fact, been distributed for five years, reaching tens of thousands of unwitting patients, including hundreds of pregnant women"-- Provided by publisher.
Out There
The Science Behind Sci-fi Film and Tv
Published in 2023
"Explore the science behind some of your favorite popular science fiction tropes--from escaping a black hole to riding a space elevator to the stars--in this illustrated guide from NASA advisor and host of the popular Tested podcast Offworld"-- Provided by publisher.
A City on Mars
Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Published in 2023
The authors of the best-selling popular science book Soonish discuss the future of space settlements, explore what would be needed to have space kids, build space farms and create nations, ultimately questioning whether or not it's actually a good idea.
The End of Eden
Wild Nature in the Age of Climate Breakdown
Published in 2023
Inviting us to meet wild species on our own terms in a range of ecosystems spanning the globe, this radical new kind of environmental journalism connects humans to nature in a more empathetic way than ever before and encourages us to defend the natural world before it’s too late.
Most Delicious Poison
The Story of Nature's Toxins--from Spices to Vices
Published in 2023
An evolutionary biologist tells the story of nature's toxins and why we are attracted--and addicted--to them, in this "magisterial, fascinating, and gripping tour de force" (Neil Shubin). A deadly secret lurks within our spice racks, medicine cabinets, backyard gardens, and private stashes. Scratch beneath the surface of a coffee bean, a red pepper flake, a poppy seed, a mold spore, a foxglove leaf, a magic-mushroom cap, a marijuana bud, or an apple seed, and we find a bevy of strange chemicals. We use these to greet our days (caffeine), titillate our tongues (capsaicin), recover from surgery (opioids), cure infections (penicillin), mend our hearts (digoxin), bend our minds (psilocybin), calm our nerves (CBD), and even kill our enemies (cyanide). But why do plants and fungi produce such chemicals? And how did we come to use and abuse some of them? Based on cutting-edge science in the fields of evolution, chemistry, and neuroscience, Most Delicious Poison reveals: The origins of toxins produced by plants, mushrooms, microbes, and even some animals; The mechanisms that animals evolved to overcome them; How a co-evolutionary arms race made its way into the human experience; And much more. This perpetual chemical war not only drove the diversification of life on Earth, but also is intimately tied to our own successes and failures. You will never look at a houseplant, mushroom, fruit, vegetable, or even the past five hundred years of human history the same way again.
The Little Book of Exoplanets
Published in 2023
"The first detection in 1995 of a planet orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system marked the dawn of a new age of discovery-one that has rapidly transformed astronomy and our broader understanding of our place in the universe. Nearly five thousand exoplanets have been identified since then, with the pace of discovery only accelerating following the launch of missions like NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Satellite Survey and others to come. We now know that most sun-like stars host their own systems of planets analogous to our solar system, and a few of these planets may potentially be like Earth. But arguably the most remarkable discoveries so far have been of planets with unexpected, decidedly un-Earth-like properties, which have upended what we thought we knew about the origins of planets and planetary systems. The Little Book of Exoplanets provides a concise, cutting-edge introduction to this field for general readers, written by leading Princeton exoplanet scientist Josh Winn. It offers an accessible view into the sophisticated detective work astronomers perform to detect and characterize exoplanets, and describes the surprising, sometimes downright bizarre planets and systems we have found. Winn explains how these discoveries are revolutionizing astronomy, and explores the current status and future of our search for another Earth. He concludes with a reflection on how our discovery of exoplanets changes our perspective on the universe"-- Provided by publisher.