Category Archives: General

August 2021

Posted on August 31, 2021 by smellincoffee

Science SurveyA nice month for science:The Social Instinct, Nicholai RaihaniThe Red Planet: A Natural History, Simon MordenThe Call to Antarctica, Leilani Rashida Henry What’s Eating the Universe? and other Cosmic Questions, Paul Davies (Cosmology) Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid, Thor … Continue reading →

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I have found the Most Interesting Thing On YouTube

Posted on August 16, 2021 by smellincoffee

Imagine listening to a book which has strengthened minds for centuries — Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations — not as a dry narrative, but as a performance, a motivational mixtape with impassioned delivery, with a beat. I encountered “Self Control”, taken from … Continue reading →

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Back to Earth

Posted on August 13, 2021 by smellincoffee

Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet and our Mission to Protect It© 2021 Nicola Stott304 pages A staple of astronaut memoirs is the attempt to communicate the near-religious experience of seeing the Earth … Continue reading →

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More evil than I thought

Posted on August 12, 2021 by smellincoffee

I’ve personally never been able to retain bookmarks, even the fancy ones friends have sent me from faraway places like South Korea.

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Broadcast

Posted on August 9, 2021 by smellincoffee

Broadcast© 2017 Liam Brown288 pages Most people, if approached by a corporation and asked for permission to plant a microchip in their brainstem, would say “Nope” and back away from the crazy man. But David Callow isn’t most people: he’s … Continue reading →

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July 2021

Posted on August 3, 2021 by smellincoffee

A month I’d planned to be TBR and American Classics-heavy was instead dominated by the ongoing Space Camp series, though I still managed to squeeze in some technical progress. Science SurveyThe Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World, Nichola RaihaniThe … Continue reading →

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Oops, I did it again

Posted on July 27, 2021 by smellincoffee

Last week a publisher contacted me on goodreads about reading one of their soon-to-be-released titles, The Social Instinct. Accessing it meant reviving my old NetGalley account, and before I knew it.. Well, I did say that science would be making … Continue reading →

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Space Camp!

Posted on July 13, 2021 by smellincoffee

It’s been ages since I went on a proper astronaut spree (Deke!, 2016), and lately I’ve been feeling the itch. With the Moon landing anniversary right around the corner (literally — it’s a week from today), why not have some … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Tuesday: A Reader’s Manifesto

Posted on July 6, 2021 by smellincoffee

Today’s top ten Tuesday is more of an invitation to reflect —  Jana asks us why we like to read.  For me, that answer begins with my parents – not only were my siblings and I feted with books growing … Continue reading →

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HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

Posted on July 4, 2021 by smellincoffee
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