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Tag Archives: science
What If? 2
A few years back I read a silly science book called What If? in which the author of the webcomic XKCD (known for its math and science humor), tackled preposterous questions with scientific seriousness. On seeing the sequel available via … Continue reading
Rise and Reign of the Mammals
Mammals, we learn in elementary school, are warm-blooded critters who give birth to live young, produce milk, and are noted for their hair. Only….as we get older, we learn about marsupials and platypuses and whales and realize the story of … Continue reading
DNA is Not Destiny
When I first learned about DNA, I formed a very elementary notion of it being a bit like lego blocks: this bit was the blonde hair, that gene was green eyes, that sort of thing. Later on, as I began … Continue reading
Sassy galaxies & road-tripping the solar backwoods
This week has seen a little action on the Science Survey, as I read titles for the Local Astronomy and Cosmology & Astrophysics sections. First up, The Big Backyard is a short look at the outer reaches of our own … Continue reading
Double play: science-y baseball and Tokyo teenage touristing
Diary of a Tokyo Teen is a graphic memoir of a Japanese-American teenager’s visit to her relatives in Japan, after an absence of five years. They live in an area not far from Tokyo, and the memoir covers her visiting … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews, science
Tagged baseball, Children-YA, Japan, Physics, science, sports and outdoors, travel
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The Fall of Roman Britain
When we speak of the fall of the Roman empire, we’re usually engaging in hyperbole: Rome’s decline in Europe was more of a slow decay and transformation. In Britain, though, first Rome was there and then it wasn’t — and … Continue reading
Posted in history, Reviews, science
Tagged archaeology, Britain, climate change, history, Rome, science
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Eat, Poop, Die
Now there’s a sign you won’t see decorating someone’s living room. Their bathroom, maybe. Eat, Poop, Die: How Animals Make Our World takes a look at the way animals shape ecosystems. It begins with the absolutely fascinating study of Surtsey, … Continue reading
The Royal Society
Over ten years ago I devoured a history of science series by Ray Spangenburg and Diane Kit Moser that played a large part establishing my basic adult understanding of science. While reading it, I was particularly fascinated by the role … Continue reading
In the Company of Trees
In the Company of Trees is a little volume of photos and reflections on trees, a pleasant mixture of science and cultural writing peppered with arboreal quotes — though not, curiously, the classic “I think that I shall never see … Continue reading
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