Category Archives: science

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe

Posted on February 1, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe: How to Know What’s Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake© 2018 Dr. Steven Novella, Bob Novella,  Cara Santa Maria, Jay Novella, and Evan Burnstein512 pages …wow.  Okay, so…back in 2006 I … Continue reading →

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Heavens on Earth

Posted on January 24, 2019 by smellincoffee

Heavens on Earth: The Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality, and Utopiapub. 2018 Michael Shermer320 pages Alone among the animals, human beings live in the knowing shadow of our own mortality.  It is rarely a specter which is embraced,  and … Continue reading →

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She Has Her Mother’s Laugh

Posted on January 8, 2019 by smellincoffee

She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity© 2018 Carl Zimmer672 pages Overhearing discussion of heredity a few hundred years ago would have meant only one thing:  being in the presence of noblemen, who stood to … Continue reading →

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Seeing Further

Posted on December 23, 2018 by smellincoffee

Seeing Further: The Story of Science, Discovery, and the Genius of the Royal Society© 2010 Bill Bryson512 pages Although Bill Bryson is  chiefly known for his humorous travelogues, he has been known to venture into other nonfiction at times, and … Continue reading →

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Science Report Card 2018

Posted on December 17, 2018 by smellincoffee

The last couple of years I’ve imposed a little order on my science reading, forcing myself to read across fields more deliberately; so far I’ve enjoyed it and will continue the structure in the future. I just finished the last … Continue reading →

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The Ends of the World

Posted on July 25, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions© 2017 Peter Brannen336 pages Earth has tried to kill us five times before, and now it’s at it again. (To be fair, … Continue reading →

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A Crack in Creation

Posted on July 11, 2018 by smellincoffee

A Crack in Creation:  Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution© 2017 Jennifer Doudna and Sam Sternberg “No longer at the mercy of the reptile brain, we can change ourselves. Think of the possibilities.” – Carl Sagan A … Continue reading →

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Of Neanderthals and dogs and extinction level events

Posted on July 8, 2018 by smellincoffee

Time for science short rounds! Last week I read The Invaders,  a much-anticipated work about how dogs gave humans a competitive edge over their neanderthal cousins. This brief book posits that human beings function like invasive species, and after establishing … Continue reading →

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50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True

Posted on June 18, 2018 by smellincoffee

50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True© 2011 Guy Harrison458 pages “Just because it’s vivid, detailed, and expressed with confidence and emotion…doesn’t mean it’s true.” Chances are you know someone who harbors what you know to be irrational beliefs, … Continue reading →

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Stuff Matters

Posted on May 29, 2018 by smellincoffee

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World© 2014 Mark Miodownik272 pages Stuff Matters begins with a photo of the authorhaving coffee on the roof of his London flat, the table before him scattered with papers and the … Continue reading →

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