Tag Archives: science

June 2026 in Review

Posted on June 30, 2026 by smellincoffee

Well, dear readers, we are six months into 2026. Time to look and see how I’m doing on my reading goals. One happy bit of news is that I found a new binge-able artist. The last years I haven’t done … Continue reading →

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Take Me To Your Leader

Posted on May 19, 2026 by smellincoffee

Aliens have been in the news of late, as Congress held hearings on ‘UAPs’ in ’23 and ’24, and the Biden and Trump admins both began moving to release some of the government’s ‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon’ or UFO files. Just … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science, science fiction | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Science Survey, 2025!

Posted on December 28, 2025 by smellincoffee

Yes, despite entering the month with three items pending, and despite my history obsession and the sloth that comes with the holidays, I knocked out Chemistry/Physics, Biology, and Local Astronomy this past week. Hurrah for the Christmas holidays! ….reviews will … Continue reading →

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October 2025 in Review & SciFi Month 2025

Posted on November 1, 2025 by smellincoffee

Well, so ends October! In Alabama cooler weather finally began drawing near, though it’s rare for it to come inside and take a seat so soon. The cold actually kicked the door down last night: it’s 38 (3 C) at … Continue reading →

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Merlin’s Tour of the Universe

Posted on October 3, 2025 by smellincoffee

This is a book I’ve been meaning to read for years, though the only thing I knew about it was that it was authored by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium and a public advocate … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Reviews, science | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Short rounds: giant radioactive catfish and Congressional ballgames

Posted on June 27, 2025 by smellincoffee

It’s been a quiet week for reviews, largely because I’m nibbling on several books at once instead of committing to anything. Chernobyl’s Wild Kingdom is, as I discovered upon laying eyes on it at the post office, a junior-level science … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Vigilante Rewilding

Posted on April 4, 2025 by smellincoffee

While scouting for science books that could also fit into Read of England a few weeks back, I saw Brining Back the Beaver and was instantly on board. I like beavers, though I’m not entirely sure why: perhaps it was … Continue reading →

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Ends of the Earth

Posted on February 13, 2025 by smellincoffee

When Neil Shubin was a young biologist, he got his start looking for fossils in the poles, where now frozen wastelands were once jungles teeming with life. Doing science at the poles is uniquely challenging and physically demanding, sometimes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Conversations with Carl Sagan

Posted on February 4, 2025 by smellincoffee

When I began trying to build my own worldview back in 2006, Carl Sagan’s books were instrumental in giving me a scientific orientation — and a scientific education. By the time he first appeared on the blog (November 2007), I … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Light Eaters

Posted on January 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

Since at least the time of Aristotle, the western mind has regarded plants as passive background scenery; useful to eat, nice for decor, but not all that interesting. Think of how we use the word ‘vegetable’ to refer to someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments