Staff Picks
New in Science
- Bland L.
- Wednesday, March 04, 2020
Collection
What are science writers pondering these days? How about the genetic superiority of women, plant migration, and exploding stars? These are some of the fascinating topics explored in new books in our collection (some are currently on order, but you can place holds on these). Scan the following list to see what intrigues you most.
The Book of the Moon
A Guide to Our Closest Neighbor
Published in 2019
How well do you know our closest neighbor? The moon has fascinated humankind since the beginning of history. But far from being just a big rock out in space, the moon has a phenomenal power over the earth, with it's ability to create great waves, dictate the length of the day and summon the seasons. It is a key player in the story of our planet. In this unique celebration of the moon, lunar expert and space scientist Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock takes readers on a journey through the moon's past, present and future. She uncovers the way the moon has captured our imaginations, contemplates how it was formed, and uncovers why we need the moon to protect our fragile earth.
Cosmological Koans
A Journey to the Heart of Physical Reality
Published in 2019
"A leading physicist unravels the mysteries of the universe through pleasingly paradoxical Zen- style vignettes. Cosmological Koans takes a fresh approach to explaining the most mind- bending concepts in physics and cosmology by invoking the ancient Zen tradition of the Koan. Anthony Aguirre presents more than fifty beguiling Koans (Could there be a civilization in a mote of dust? How much of your fate have you made? Who cleans the universe?) that explore the strange hinterland between the deep structure of the physical world and our personal experience of it. With a flair for explaining complex science, Aguirre covers cosmic questions from the nature of time to the origin of multiple universes, and shows how scientific giants from Aristotle to Galileo to Heisenberg have grappled with them. A playful and enlightening book, Cosmological Koans gives readers what Einstein himself called "the most beautiful and deepest experience" anyone can have: a sense of the mysterious"-- Provided by publisher.
Proof!
How the World Became Geometrical
Published in 2019
"An eye-opening narrative of how geometric principles fundamentally shaped our world"-- Provided by publisher.
A Wholly Admirable Thing
Defending Nature and Community on the South Carolina Coast, Stories of the Coastal Conservation League
Published in 2019
Every Penguin in the World
A Quest to See Them All
Published in 2020
"A narrative and photographic book about the author's pursuit of penguins-to see each variety of the species in its natural habitat. This book tracks the author's forays around the southern hemisphere, from the Galapagos to South Africa to the Antarctic in his quest to see all the penguins in the world. The sections of the book are organized around themes of adventure, human-animal connection, and conservation-in which stories of each penguin species will be touched upon"-- Provided by publisher.
Believe It or Snot
The Definitive Field Guide to Earth's Slimy Creatures
Published in 2019
From the scientist duo behind the New York Times bestselling sensation Does It Fart? and their excremental follow up True or Poo?, Believe It Or Snot explores the myriad variety of slime in the animal and plant kingdoms. Your little brother isn't the only nose-picking animal. What is hyena butter and would it be appropriate to spread on toast? Why is giraffe saliva such a good lubricant? How does some mollusk mucus work like a fishing pole? And what's the deal with pygmy sperm whales' "anal syrup?" In Believe It or Snot, scientists and bestselling authors Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti detail the slimy secrets of 80 organisms that ooze, drip, dribble, and splatter. Not quite a solid but firmer than a liquid, slime is used by plants and animals for defense, respiration, movement, feeding, communication, and even reproduction. Slime, you might say, is the glue that holds our world together. But that leaves an important question: which creature is earth's slimiest? In this book, the authors dive into the goo and come up with a definitive ranking of earth's slimiest creatures-while offering up a plethora of facts about the natural world's ooze, gunge, sludge, gunk, and goop.
The Field Guide to Citizen Science
How You Can Contribute to Scientific Research and Make a Difference
Published in 2020
This hands-on guide to citizen science details how ordinary people can participate in scientific research and help change the world in meaningful ways.
Waters of the World
The Story of the Scientists Who Unraveled the Mysteries of Our Oceans, Atmosphere, and Ice Sheets and Made the Planet Whole
Published in 2019
From the glaciers of the Alps to the towering cumulonimbus clouds of the Caribbean and the unexpectedly chaotic flows of the North Atlantic, Waters of the World is a tour through 150 years of the history of a significant but underappreciated idea: that the Earth has a global climate system made up of interconnected parts, constantly changing on all scales of both time and space. A prerequisite for the discovery of global warming and climate change, this idea was forged by scientists studying water in its myriad forms. This is their story. Linking the history of the planet with the lives of those who studied it, Sarah Dry follows the remarkable scientists who summited volcanic peaks to peer through an atmosphere's worth of water vapor, cored mile-thick ice sheets to uncover the Earth's ancient climate history, and flew inside storm clouds to understand how small changes in energy can produce both massive storms and the general circulation of the Earth's atmosphere. Each toiled on his or her own corner of the planetary puzzle. Gradually, their cumulative discoveries coalesced into a unified working theory of our planet's climate. We now call this field climate science, and in recent years it has provoked great passions, anxieties, and warnings. But no less than the object of its study, the science of water and climate is--and always has been--evolving. By revealing the complexity of this history, Waters of the World delivers a better understanding of our planet's climate at a time when we need it the most.
Until the End of Time
Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe
Published in 2020
"From the world-renowned physicist, co-founder of the World Science Festival, and best-selling author of The Elegant Universe comes this utterly captivating exploration of deep time and humanity's search for purpose. Brian Greene takes readers on a breathtaking journey from the big bang to the end of time and invites us to ponder meaning in the face of this unimaginable expanse. He shows us how, from its original orderly state the universe has been moving inexorably toward chaos, and, still, remarkable structures have continually formed: the planets, stars, and galaxies that provide islands in a sea of disorder; biochemical mechanisms, including mutation and selection, animate life; neurons, information, and thought developed into complex consciousness which in turn gave rise to cultures and their timeless myths and creativity. And he describes, as well, how, in the deep reaches of the future, the nature of the universe will threaten the existence of matter itself. Through a series of nested stories Greene provides us with a clearer sense of how we came to be, a finer picture of where we are now, and a firmer understanding of where we are headed. Taken together, it is a completely new perspective on our place in the universe and on what it means to be human"-- Provided by publisher.
Earth Sciences
An Illustrated History of Planetary Science
Published in 2019
Do you want to understand the history and forces that created our planet and are still shaping it today? Through 100 pivotal milestones, this gorgeous reference book and timeline shows how our planet evolved from a disk of dust left behind by a young Sun and how it is constantly altered by events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The accessible text describes the Earth's ever-changing layers and what researchers have learned about the past through fossils and about the future in the search for habitable exoplanets. At a time when human life is impacting the Earth at a noticeable rate, Earth Sciences provides a rich understanding of: 100 milestone facts, labeled Ponderables, which detail pivotal breakthroughs in geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy; Stunning imagery and illustrations to help clarify key concepts; An overview of core concepts in Earth Science 101: The Basics and biographies of key scientists; A section that explores imponderable topics that researchers still don't fully understand.
Birdsong for the Curious Naturalist
Your Guide to Listening
Published in 2020
"Birdsong made easy to understand, lavishly illustrated with color photos, and accompanied by more than 700 online recordings"-- Provided by publisher.
The Incredible Journey of Plants
Published in 2020
"In this richly illustrated volume, a leading neurobiologist presents fascinating stories of plant migration that reveal unexpected connections between nature and culture. When we talk about migrations, we should study plants to understand that these phenomena are unstoppable. In the many different ways plants move, we can see the incessant action and drive to spread life that has led plants to colonize every possible environment on earth. The history of this relentless expansion is unknown to most people, but we can begin our exploration with these surprising tales, engagingly told by Stefano Mancuso. Generation after generation, using spores, seeds, or any other means available, plants move in the world to conquer new spaces. They release huge quantities of spores that can be transported thousands of miles. The number and variety of tools through which seeds spread is astonishing: we have seeds dispersed by wind, by rolling on the ground, by animals, by water, or by a simple fall from the plant, which can happen thanks to propulsive mechanisms, the swaying of the mother plant, the drying of the fruit, and much more. In this accessible, absorbing overview, Mancuso considers how plants convince animals to transport them around the world, and how some plants need particular animals to spread; how they have been able to grow in places so inaccessible and inhospitable as to remain isolated; how they resisted the atomic bomb and the Chernobyl disaster; how they are able to bring life to sterile islands; how they can travel through the ages, as they sail around the world"-- Provided by publisher.
The Rise of Wolf 8
Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone's Underdog
Published in 2019
Yellowstone National Park was once home to an abundance of wild wolves--but park rangers killed the last of their kind in the 1920s. Decades later, the rangers brought them back, with the first wolves arriving from Canada in 1995. This is the incredible true story of one of those wolves. Wolf 8 struggles at first--he is smaller than the other pups, and often bullied--but soon he bonds with an alpha female whose mate was shot. An unusually young alpha male, barely a teenager in human years, Wolf 8 rises to the occasion, hunting skillfully, and even defending his family from the wolf who killed his father. But soon he faces a new opponent: his adopted son, who mates with a violent alpha female. Can Wolf 8 protect his valley without harming his protégé? Authored by a renowned wolf researcher and gifted storyteller, The Rise of Wolf 8 marks the beginning of an original and bold new trilogy, which will transform our view of wolves forever.
The Better Half
On the Genetic Superiority of Women
Published in 2020
"An argument that genetic females are stronger than males at all stages of life"-- Provided by publisher.
How to
Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-world Problems
Published in 2019
"For any task you might want to do, there's a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally complex, excessive, and inadvisable that no one would ever try it. [This book] is a guide to the third kind of approach. It's full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole." -- From book jacket flap.
Why Trust Science?
Published in 2019
Why the social character of scientific knowledge makes it trustworthy Do doctors really know what they are talking about when they tell us vaccines are safe? Should we take climate experts at their word when they warn us about the perils of global warming? Why should we trust science when our own politicians don't? In this landmark book, Naomi Oreskes offers a bold and compelling defense of science, revealing why the social character of scientific knowledge is its greatest strength -- and the greatest reason we can trust it. Tracing the history and philosophy of science from the late nineteenth century to today, Oreskes explains that, contrary to popular belief, there is no single scientific method. Rather, the trustworthiness of scientific claims derives from the social process by which they are rigorously vetted. This process is not perfect -- nothing ever is when humans are involved -- but she draws vital lessons from cases where scientists got it wrong. Oreskes shows how consensus is a crucial indicator of when a scientific matter has been settled, and when the knowledge produced is likely to be trustworthy. -- Publisher's description.
Becoming Wild
How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace
Published in 2020
"Some people insist that culture is strictly a human feat. What are they afraid of? This book looks into three cultures of other-than-human beings in some of Earth's remaining wild places. It shows how if you're a sperm whale, a scarlet macaw, or a chimpanzee, you too experience your life with the understanding that you are an individual in a particular community. You too are who you are not by genes alone; your culture is a second form of inheritance. You receive it from thousands of individuals, from pools of knowledge passing through generations like an eternal torch. You too may raise young, know beauty, or struggle to negotiate a peace. And your culture, too, changes and evolves. The light of knowledge needs adjusting as situations change, so a capacity for learning, especially social learning, allows behaviors to adjust, to change much faster than genes alone could adapt. Becoming Wild offers a glimpse into cultures among non-human animals through looks at the lives of individuals in different present-day animal societies. By showing how others teach and learn, Safina offers a fresh understanding of what is constantly going on beyond humanity. With reporting from deep in nature, alongside individual creatures in their free-living communities, this book offers a very privileged glimpse behind the curtain of Life on Earth, and helps inform the answer to that most urgent of questions: Who are we here with?"-- Provided by publisher.
Some Assembly Required
Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, from Ancient Fossils to DNA
Published in 2020
"The author of the best-selling Your Inner Fish, now gives us a lively and accessible account of the great transformations in the history of life, that enable us to further understand whether our presence on this planet is an accident or inevitable. The great transformations in the history of life brought about whole scale shifts in how animals live and how their bodies are organized: the evolution of fish to land-living creature, the origin of birds, the beginnings of bodies in single-celled creatures. Shubin describes how over the last half-century, scientists have been able to explore how genetic recipes build bodies during embryological development--how these inventions and adaptations occur in a nonprogressive manner in different contexts, at different speeds. Paleontology has been transformed over the last 50 years by tools and techniques of molecular biology--and it is that revolution in our understanding of the evolution of life that Shubin traces here. Each of us is a mosaic of precursors that came about at different times and places, with deep rooted connections across species that Darwin, for all he understood, could never even have imagined"-- Provided by publisher.
Letters from an Astrophysicist
Published in 2019
Tyson shares 101 letters from people across the globe who have sought him out in search of scientific answers.
Transcendence
How Humans Evolved Through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time
Published in 2020
What enabled us to go from simple stone tools to smartphones? How did bands of hunter-gatherers evolve into multinational empires? Readers of Sapiens will say a cognitive revolution -- a dramatic evolutionary change that altered our brains, turning primitive humans into modern ones -- caused a cultural explosion. In Transcendence, Gaia Vince argues instead that modern humans are the product of a nuanced coevolution of our genes, environment, and culture that goes back into deep time. She explains how, through four key elements -- fire, language, beauty, and time -- our species diverged from the evolutionary path of all other animals, unleashing a compounding process that launched us into the Space Age and beyond. Provocative and poetic, Transcendence shows how a primate took dominion over nature and turned itself into something marvelous.
Exploding Stars and Invisible Planets
The Science of What's out There
Published in 2019
"In Exploding Stars and Invisible Planets, Fred Watson, an award-winning astronomer, presents the most up-to-date knowledge on hot topics in astronomy and space science, providing a fascinating and entertaining account of the latest research. Watson explains how to find invisible planets around other stars, why dark matter matters, and the future of citizen space travel, all while recounting the seismic shifts in understanding that have taken place during his illustrious forty-year career"-- Provided by publisher.
Biography of Resistance
The Epic Battle Between People and Pathogens
Published in 2020
"Superbugs, born of antibiotic resistance, are a growing global health crisis. Award-winning educator and researcher at Boston University Muhammad Zaman, Ph.D. tells the story about how we got here and what we must do to combat this threat that connects us all"-- Provided by publisher.