This is my second foray in to the subject of free will, having read Dan Barker's excellent Free Will Explained back in 2018. I enjoyed Sam's take bettThis is my second foray in to the subject of free will, having read Dan Barker's excellent Free Will Explained back in 2018. I enjoyed Sam's take better, as he was more committed to one side of the argument - that we DO NOT have free will - and the fact that he's an eloquent writer. In this book he doesn't get bogged down in the details and makes his case in a short 66 pages, not including the acknowledgements, notes, and index.
Harris makes a convincing argument and addresses his disagreements with others who have written on the subject such as German neuroscientist Martin Heisenberg and the late, great American philosopher Dan Dennett (one of the four horsemen of atheism along with author Harris, Richard Dawkins, and the late Christopher Hitchens). I particularly liked these parts of the books as Harris did a nice job making his points against the theories presented by these great minds.
Harris also uses a number of interesting examples and historical events to illustrate how those on both sides of the free will debate would interpret what went on.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the concept of free will. Short, to the point, and full of thought provoking ideas regarding a concept most people probably have never thought about. Harris makes it make sense. ...more
The Edge of Knowledge: Unsolved Mysteries of the Cosmos is a super interesting science book in which theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss takes a deeThe Edge of Knowledge: Unsolved Mysteries of the Cosmos is a super interesting science book in which theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss takes a deep dive in to known unknowns in five different subjects: time, space, matter, life, and consciousness. He also reminds the reader that there may be unknown unknowns in science as well (and yes, he includes that Donald Rumsfeld quote in the opening pages). As much as we know about science there is much more yet to be discovered, more so in some subjects such as matter and space, than others such as life / biology. The beauty of science is recognizing we don't have all the answers, and it's fun to read about all the possibilities. It's much more fun to pursue knowledge than pretend you know that everything was created supernaturally and there is no need for questions.
I really liked this book and like Krauss's mostly non-overly technical style of writing. He starts out each chapter with several questions which he will address for each subject. I feel like I have a pretty solid basic understanding of most scientific concepts and was blown away by some of Krauss's hypothesizing but also overwhelmed as some of this went way over my head. Two concepts I struggle with are quantum theory and string theory and no matter how much I read about them I just can't wrap my primate brain around them.
The standout chapters for me were Time and Life. The concept of time and time travel have always been science fiction plot devices and have always piqued my interest. The Life chapter addressed questions: What is life?, How did life originate?, Is DNA life unique?, Are we alone?, and What is the future of life?. This chapter was fascinating to me, especially the science of the origin of life which Krauss predicts will be solved in the coming decades with all we've learned recently from science such as the amount of organic material traveling through space on asteroids and comets and the sheer amount of water we've discovered on other bodies in our solar systems and on comets in our solar neighborhood. Creationists, whose "god of the gaps" has been regulated to a minute space through scientific discoveries over the last couple of centuries, can give up the ghost once we show how life arrived on Earth naturally. Prevailing scientific theories have always been more feasible than their explanation: magic!
The book contains an impressively through index in which every scientific concept and player in the field is listed, Krauss leaves no stone unturned. The book is only around 200 pages and it a quick read. I highly recommend even though I didn't understand parts of it.
Personal anecdote: about a month ago I attended a Zoom presentation by Atheists For Liberty in which Lawrence M. Krauss was one of the featured speakers. It was fantastic. Krauss spoke from his office and I noticed that behind him he had a picture of the great 19th-century agnostic orator Robert G Ingersoll, a personal hero of mine. I commented in the busy chat that I also admired the great Ingersoll and liked his picture. After Krauss presented he jumped in the chat and thanked me for my comment, and stated that this was an original photograph of Ingersoll given to him by Johnny Depp! In this book Krauss mentions that he participated in a public dialogue with Johnny Depp on the subject of computers, creativity, and madness. ...more
This is one of nine books in the "Books That Changed the World" series, and the second one I've read after Hitchens' Thomas Paine book Declaration of This is one of nine books in the "Books That Changed the World" series, and the second one I've read after Hitchens' Thomas Paine book Declaration of the Rights of Man. These short books are great introductions to the books they cover and the circumstances resulting in to them being penned, but maybe a bit of a review if one is already familiar with them.
Being a Darwin devotee (made the pilgrimage and spent a day at the Down House in southern England and visited his grave at Westminster Abbey in 2018) I found Janet Browne's take on On the Origin of Species mostly review but for the most part it was well done and she touched on most of the key points of what led up to the publishing of Darwin's book and the after effects such as push back from creationists (still an issue to this day - 74 years later!).
This was really well written and researched and is fully notated, and contains a nice long list of sources and suggestions for further reading (including three more of the author's books) along with full index. That being said, I was surprised to read an error in the second sentence. She got Darwin's birthday wrong, stating he was born in "April 1809" when his birthday was February 12th, 1809. How did this error make it through to the final edition? Another complaint I have is I thought relatively too much ink was devoted to social Darwinism and Eugenics.
Especially good was the author's portrayal of Darwin the man - his personality, relationships with fellow scientist friends, and health problems. Also excellent was the long final chapter "Legacy" in which the author explains how scientific advancements since On the Origin of Species was published support what Darwin theorized in the mid-19th century: discovery of DNA and understanding what drives heredity, advances in molecular biology and chemistry, better understanding of human behavior, etc. Evolution is now a scientific fact, bolstered by scientific knowledge Darwin had no way of knowing.
Browne's book was published in 2006 and unfortunately there is still push back against evolution from creationists, maybe even more now 17 years later, due to the current rise of anti-intellectualism in the United States. I happen to know a middle school science teacher in a conservative district who gets push back from parents when they learn that their students are being taught evolution. The same parents who believe the supernatural, laws of physics-violating tales in their holy books at the drop of a hate but reject modern scientific facts.
I would recommend this to anyone not that familiar with Darwin's ideas and his journey in writing On the Origin of Species as well as it's repercussions. It's a quick read and is a good high level introduction to the greatest book ever written....more
I know Brian Greene from is guest appearances on the Star Talk podcast. He comes across as interesting and affable and I really enjoyed his latest booI know Brian Greene from is guest appearances on the Star Talk podcast. He comes across as interesting and affable and I really enjoyed his latest book.
Greene touches on a plethora of science topics in this book and crams a whole lot in to the 325 pages of text. The book also contains 57 pages of notes if you really want to take a deep dive in to some of the subjects he covers. There is also an extensive bibliography, the author really did his research for this book.
This is sort of a high-level history of the universe, from the big bang to the nuances of the modern human condition, and is written in a more accessible manner than comparable books written by other scientists I've read. Greene has a way of explaining complex hard science topics to common folks like myself without hurting our brains too much, in most cases anyway. He throws some anecdotes in here and there so further explain and illustrate some of his points as well.
The chapters that stood out me were Brains and Belief, and Instinct and Creativity. The former was about how and why humanity developed certain beliefs such as religion and the latter was about the development of the arts and I really related to the music parts. I also liked his take on free will. although I've read deeper explanations from Dan Barker and Sam Harris, his concise explanation against free will made its point.
Some of the deeper cosmological and quantum mechanical ideas went in to my brain and didn't quite register. It's just hard for me to grasp the complexity of these subjects, I'm glad there are smart people out there who understand how the universe works fundamentally.
Overall, I thought this was a good read. Very interesting, not too long, and not too hard to understand, most of it anyway. ...more
Most people probably know Asimov from his extensive science fiction catalog, but he was also a prolific writer of non-fiction. This book written in 19Most people probably know Asimov from his extensive science fiction catalog, but he was also a prolific writer of non-fiction. This book written in 1958 is a great example of how Asimov could take a complicated subject and make it easy for the layman to understand and appreciate. This is in the public domain, and I listened to it free on Librivox. The narration was well done.
This book is the story of nuclear energy, up until the dawn of the first nuclear power plants right around the time of the books publication. He starts out with some basic chemistry, explaining the basics of atomic theory (protons, neutrons, electrons, etc.) going back to the beginning of its discovery. He explains each major discovery and introduces the people behind them.
I thought the most interesting parts were about the first nuclear reactor, and the race for the atomic bomb during late WWII. The first human-made nuclear reaction was the Chicago Pile-1 in December of 1942 at the University of Chicago. This essentially was the beginning of the Atomic Age. The race for the atomic bomb was of utmost importance to the Allies during WWII as its discovery would shape the future of the world.
With all the promise of reliable and almost unlimited green energy if handled properly, it's a shame that nations are forgoing and rejecting this resource for unreliable, land-intensive green energy sources or even reverting back to coal. Especially with the availability of modern, safe, next generation reactors. With energy needs going through the roof it won't be long before world leaders regret some of their energy decisions. But that's just my opinion....more
Brin addresses the science behind historical increases in human lifespan, what could be done to increase our lifespans in the future, and the ramificaBrin addresses the science behind historical increases in human lifespan, what could be done to increase our lifespans in the future, and the ramifications of cryonics / other brain preservation techniques. Technology in this area has advanced beyond the simple frozen brain in a jar we're all familiar with.
He wonders out loud what would even happen if a person's brain was "unfrozen" in the future, and makes reference to a number of science fiction works in which this is part of the plot.
I really liked this. It was full of good science and interesting speculation. And after listening I think I'll be fine just having my brain activity end in the 21st century when my physical body ceases to function for whatever reason.
This is a short audiobook about the many ways the world could end. Brin is a good writer and an entertaining personality, and this was a fun read/listThis is a short audiobook about the many ways the world could end. Brin is a good writer and an entertaining personality, and this was a fun read/listen. He covered somethings I never imagined, such as someone creating a tiny black hole. Huh? Some of the topics he talks about are included in his science fiction novels, which he references. Brin reads the audiobook himself which is a plus.
I've always been a fan of dystopian science fiction so this is a topic that interests me. If one is interested in a really good fully fleshed-out book about how the world ends I would recommend Phil Plait's Death from the Skies! These Are the Ways the World Will End.... The Earth is in such a fragile position astronomically speaking!
Flights of Fancy would be an excellent introduction to Dawkins to a first time reader. It's an excellent, succinct, and to-the-point book about the hiFlights of Fancy would be an excellent introduction to Dawkins to a first time reader. It's an excellent, succinct, and to-the-point book about the history of flight (and gliding) in the animal kingdom, including the relatively short history of human flight. He even touches on how plants use air currents to spread their seeds and pollinate.
While relatively short by Dawkins' standards, less than five hours in audio divided in to short chapters, the book is packed with a ton of great biological information and interesting observations, all read to you by the world's preeminent evolutionary biologist. As always his prose is smooth and satisfying, and he manages to sprinkle some humor in here and there for good measure. When it comes right down to it, it's really amazing that animals can fly so efficiently considering the amount of energy required and physical traits needed to overcome the Earth's gravity.
After looking at the previews of the Kindle and print additions I regret not buying the physical version of the book. The illustrations are fantastic and numerous. I'll have to spend a lunch hour at Barnes and Noble with it to take them all in.
Richard is 81 now and I hope he has some more books in him. I've seen him speak in person twice, in Rochester MN and Dallas. My wife and I flew to Dallas in 2018 and bought the meet and greet passes for his appearance with the great Carolyn Porco. It was a thrill for me to chat with him and get a picture of the two of us. He is one of humanity's brightest minds....more
This is a really good introduction to social psychology for someone with limited knowledge of the subject. I was surprised to find that much of the suThis is a really good introduction to social psychology for someone with limited knowledge of the subject. I was surprised to find that much of the subject matter was a review for me. I had a psychology course in college but I think I've learned much of the subject matter covered over the years in the many science podcasts I listen to. For this reason I probably didn't make much of an impact on me. Someone with limited exposure would really enjoy this I think, and might even be blown away by some of the studies highlighted and by the explanations of why our brains work the way they do. The author, Dr. Wind Goodfriend, is a Professor of Psychology and Chair of Social Sciences at Buena Vista University. She writes in a down-to-earth and easy to understand style, and mixes in plenty of humor. She also narrates the Audible book I listened to. It is a *free* Audible Original at this time.
This is a collected group of lectures by the author, which starts out with a short history of psychology followed by nine chapters focusing on individual topics. The author uses a number of case studies and real life examples to illustrate the particular subjects. A lot of the subject matter is really relevant today given the political climate in the US and the many social issues that are currently in the news.
Here are the nine chapters after the initial history chapter, each one about a half hour long: 2. The Self in a Social World 3. Logic vs. Intuition 4. Perceiving Others 5: The Art of Persuasion 6. When Groups Help and Hurt 7. Conformity and Blind Obedience 8. Stereotypes and Prejudice 9. Understanding Aggression 10. Helping Others: The Questions of Altruism
As you can see, many of the topics are things we deal with everyday. Even though it felt like a review I liked it and would recommend to anyone with a limited knowledge of social psychology.
This was my third science read for Science September.
NDGT's latest book is a page-turner, full of interesting takes on a variety of subjects all from a very high (cosmic!) level. If you listen to Neil's NDGT's latest book is a page-turner, full of interesting takes on a variety of subjects all from a very high (cosmic!) level. If you listen to Neil's podcast, or have heard him interviewed on other podcasts, or seen him in person you've no doubt heard some of the book's content already, but it's much more fleshed out in this book.
This is a quick read - only 216 pages plus acknowledgements, a thorough notes section, and an index. Being a science minded fellow I gobbled it right up and agreed with much of what the author had to say about the many subjects, and even when I didn't agree understood where he was coming from as he explained his position thoroughly and often with touches of humor. The eleven main chapters all focus on a particular theme, some of them rather controversial in these modern times such as abortion, statues of historical figures, race, gender, and vegetarianism.
Despite being a NDGT bobo, I was not familiar with his 2016 proposal of creating a virtual country named Rationalia with a one-line constitution: All policy shall be based on the weight of evidence. Where do I sign up for this? Holy crap - I live in a country which could be named Irrationalia. He talked about this idea in the "Law & Order" chapter, and I was surprised to read that this idea was panned by many in the media, liberal and conservative alike.
The chapters' titles reveal the subject matter and are as follows: "Truth & Beauty", Exploration & Discovery", "Earth & Moon", "Conflict & Resolution", "Risk & Reward", "Meatarians & Vegetarians", "Gender & Identity", "Color & Race", "Law & Order", "Body & Mind, and "Life & Death".
I wish he would've expanded on the "Life & Death" chapter. I've heard him talk about death a million times and I think he's right on about how we need to look at it. He hit the main points and it's not a long book. Maybe he'll dedicate a book to his subject in the future.
I thought this was a good read. NDGT is always entertaining and has a way with explaining science, and it was fun to read him apply his cosmic perspective to issues that currently affect us all....more
This is a tough one to review. Some parts were really interesting to me and some parts weren't but maybe would be to others with different life experiThis is a tough one to review. Some parts were really interesting to me and some parts weren't but maybe would be to others with different life experiences than me. Overall, though, I liked it as it gave me some context in to some mental illnesses I have no experience with, and it made me think differently about issues that I could relate to.
Cons: (1) Wow, there is a lot of swearing in this. It felt a bit over-the-top at times. I don't mind swearing at all (I've seen Chris Rock in concert three times) but sometimes it was jarring and she tended to use other unnecessary adjectives (like ass(UGH)), too. I guess maybe she is trying to appeal to younger, hipper readers than gray, old me. (2) The audiobook recording was probably the worst quality I've ever heard. It sounds like it was recorded in a closet or bathroom on an iPhone. I got used to it after a while but I know from personal experience you can get a good headset with microphone that sounds at least acceptable for fairly cheap. Why wouldn't you care about how your own book sounds? (3) I'd say over half the book is about the affects of trauma on our brains and self harm, and there are short chapters devoted to anxiety, depression, and anger - the three subjects which I was interested in learning about. There was also a chapter on addiction which was interesting. (4) She goes down the pseudoscience woo path with alternative medicines and treatments (like reiki and universal energy). To her credit she warns the reader that she were were entering "woo-woo" territory and explains why she thinks some of it makes sense.
Pros: (1) The writing style was really down to earth and Dr. Faith comes across as a caring, personable, and sincere person. She forgoes big "doctor" words and conveys her points in a way an everyday chap such as myself can follow. (2) The aforementioned chapters about anxiety, depression, and anger really hit home with me. She mad great points about how these conditions manifest themselves in your brain and some tactics to handle them better. (3) It's short, and it's never dull or slow!
Every human has mental health issues, and I think there is something in this book for everyone. Even though I'm lucky to not have to deal with trauma or addiction I came away understanding these issues better and understanding what sufferers of these are going through. But most of the issues she talks about probably apply to most of us in some fashion.
If interested in this, I would recommend buying a paper copy as you don't have to suffer through the poor audio book quality and the paper book contains a recommended reading section which I would've liked to peruse. Also, you could highlight parts.
Because of it's delivery it's certainly not the self-help book for everyone. There are certainly some polar opposite ratings and reviews of it out there. I'm giving the audiobook 3.5 stars.
This gem of a book is Sasha Sagan's first, and is billed as a look in to the rituals that make us all human but is really partly about the rituals, paThis gem of a book is Sasha Sagan's first, and is billed as a look in to the rituals that make us all human but is really partly about the rituals, part memoir, and part tribute to her famous parents, Ann Druyan and the late Carl Sagan.
Not surprisingly, this book is a well written and entertaining, and Sagan's personality really shines through. While not religious, she is culturally Jewish and celebrates sacred holidays, even Christian ones such as Christmas, without acknowledging spirituality or the supernatural aspects. In true Sagan/Druyan fashion she examines these events through secular and scientific lens. Her appreciation for religious holidays is very relatable, I think many of us non-believers still enjoy them. We do because it is fun and it is a ritual we were brought up on. It keeps us connected with our loved ones and traditions. Heck, most of these holidays have secular origins and are based on natural events such as changes in seasons or milestones in person's life.
In sixteen chapters she begins with birth rituals and ends with death rituals and covers everything in between including the seasons, coming of age, independence days, weddings, anniversaries, periods, daily rituals, and so on. She explains the historical or scientific background of each and how they are of importance in the human experience, and personalizes the subject with anecdotes about herself, her family (husband and new baby daughter), her famous parents, and grandparents who emigrated to the US.
My edition contained a recommended reading list, a discussion guide, and a conversation with the author. The postscript was especially neat. She relates the experience she had when asked to play her grandmother Rachel in the Neil DeGrasse Tyson / Ann Druyan Cosmos reboot in a scene with a boy who played her father. They recreated one of her father's childhood memories. Great stuff.
I found this to be a really good read. Not all chapters were as equally interesting but I learned something in each one. I really enjoyed and related to the way she talked about a non-believer's view of death. There were some great quotes throughout. Like her parents, she has a knack for expressing the profound. This is one of my favorite quotes:
“No matter what the universe has in store, it cannot take away from the fact that you were born. You’ll have some joy and some pain, and all the other experiences that make up what it’s like to be a tiny part of a grand cosmos. No matter what happens next, you were here. And even when any record of our individual lives is lost to the ages, that won’t detract from the fact that we were. We lived. We were part of the enormity. All the great and terrible parts of being alive, the shocking sublime beauty and heartbreak, the monotony, the interior thoughts, the shared pain and pleasure. It really happened. All of it. On this little world that orbits a yellow star out in the great vastness. And that alone is cause for celebration.”...more
There is a little bit of everything in this one. This is a collection of Richard's interviews with some of the giants in science, some of Richard's reThere is a little bit of everything in this one. This is a collection of Richard's interviews with some of the giants in science, some of Richard's reviews of other works, and his forewords, afterwords, and introductions for various other science books and texts. The book is divided in to five sections concentrating on: science, nature, humanity, skepticism, faith, and evolution. Each entry is short, usually just several pages, except for the interviews which are a bit longer. The epilogue is the document he wants read at is funeral. He covers everything.
Dawkins is probably my favorite science communicator and critic of religion and this book did not disappoint. I wasn't interested in all the content in Books Do Furnish a Life but it moves along and much of this did resonate with me. And I remember reading some of the forewords and afterwords in their original published works. I marked a number of pages as Dawkins just nails his points so well and I wanted to remember what he said. Some of the book reviews are complimentary and in some he savages the book in typical Dawkins fashion. Great stuff.
I probably wouldn't recommend Books Do Furnish a Life to a first-time Dawkins reader. I would start with The Selfish Gene, The Greatest Show on Earth, or The God Delusion as these book really display the genius and wit of Dawkins. But Dawkins fans will probably enjoy the rapid fire nature of the content and reading some Dawkins that they may have missed. Plus, you'll get some great book recommendations in the process.
Atom is the story of a single oxygen atom from its origination at the Big Bang to modern-day Earth and even beyond as the author speculates what will Atom is the story of a single oxygen atom from its origination at the Big Bang to modern-day Earth and even beyond as the author speculates what will become of the Earth and all of the atoms which make us who we are. What a neat concept for a book! One of the chapters in Primo Levi's excellent book The Periodic Table is based on a similar concept, tracing a portion of the life of single carbon atom, and Krauss refers to Levi's story and compares it to this book. I thought both authors created fascinating histories.
Essentially, this book is about what went in to making the universe, life as we know it, and what will eventually happen to everything. It is heavily steeped in chemistry, as our atom combines with numerous others during its life to form all sorts of molecules. Everything is chemistry. Everything! And all atoms, including the ones inside you, were born in now-extinct stars. I loved how this book solidified my belief that there is a scientific basis and explanation for everything and no outside magical or spiritual component is necessary or evident in the universe.
What I didn't like: I thought the cosmology in the first third of the book was a little too dense and hard to understand for my intelligence level, even through Krauss did an admirable job keeping it as simple as he could and even adding humor here and there. This part of the book is heavy in physics and my head hurt reading some of it. It was never boring, just complex. On the plus side, Krauss starts each chapter with a relatable modern-day science story which introduces the concept he is about to address.
The book got better and more understandable and relatable as it went on, as the universe and matter began to resemble what it is today. Once the atom arrived in our embryonic solar system is where the book really became a good read for me. While the life of the oxygen atom makes up the primary thread in the book, Krauss tells us the history of the universe along the way, and gradually goes in to the history of our solar system, the Earth, and life on Earth. Again, all based on chemistry - everything is just a different combination of elements. The atom's time spent on Earth, and description of the Earth's history with its cooling and warming periods and extinction events, were the highlights of the book for me. Also excellent was the parts about post-Earth history. The atoms in our body at this very second will live on long after the Earth is absorbed by our future red giant sun.
It's quite remarkable how much science Krauss fits in to his ~300 page book.
In addition to the mind-blowing epilogue, Krauss also lists fifteen other recommended books (with synopsis) in physics and cosmology, including Levi's' book which I also highly recommend. There is also an index in case you want to go back and re-read the section about quantum chromodynamics or quark interactions.
I bought an old hard cover library book online. The book used to be in the library of the New Hampton School in New Hampshire. One night after I finished reading and shut off all the lights I noticed that the title and cover design of atoms glowed in the dark. What a neat surprise.
This is a really well done behind-the-scenes look at the early space race from both the USA and USSR sides. While the focus seemed to gradually hone iThis is a really well done behind-the-scenes look at the early space race from both the USA and USSR sides. While the focus seemed to gradually hone in on our hero, Yuri Gagarin, as the book went on, there was a lot of interesting information presented regarding the USA’s Mercury program and the launches and obstacles that led up to it; and a lot of comparing and contrasting NASA operations with that of the Soviets’ Vostok space program. The Russians kept the innerworkings of their space program absolutely secret until the fall of the Soviet Union, thirty years after Gagarin’s flight. The book conveys the high level of pressure put on both space programs to get the first man in space. It was the Cold War and showing that capitalism or communism was the supreme way of life was of utmost importance for the respective nations. And as an American who has closely followed NASA his whole life I found it most interesting to see the space race from a Russian point of view.
Up until Yuri’s famous space flight, I was fascinated with the comparisons of the progress made by the two manned space programs. The Soviets always seemed to be one step ahead of the Americans and more focused, and they preferred to keep their cosmonauts sequestered. Meanwhile, the Americans were putting everything out for the world to see and publicly showing off the Mercury 7 astronauts in the national media. The Soviet space flight finalists were called the Vanguard 6 and they trained in anonymity.
Both countries used a variety of animals for their pre-human space flights. The book covers these launches and the plight of the space animals in detail. The Russians favored dogs while the American favored primates. The book should carry a trigger warning about the suffering some of these animals entailed. Cameras on board showed some of them in distress and the parts describing USA's chimp Ham’s perilous journey aboard the American Redstone rocket was hard to read.
Both countries desperately wanted to put the first man in space, and American leadership didn’t quite know how far along the Russians were so when Gagarin’s capsule was detected orbiting the globe it was an embarrassment for Kennedy and the US space program. This embarrassment along with the Bay of Pigs fiasco really lit a fuse under JFK and inspired him to attempt to win the race once and for all by putting a human on the moon, the goal which he so eloquently announced in his famous Rice University speech. (The 21 minute long speech is on YouTube and is magnificent.)
My favorite parts of the book were the behind-the-scenes look at the early Soviet space program and the life of Yuri Gagarin, subjects I knew little about, and the detailed play-by-play description of Gagarin's famous space flight and peculiar events related to his off-target landing in a plowed field. He instantly became a national hero and international celebrity. The book goes on to tell how the event shaped Gagarin’s life. The last few chapters and epilogue were hard to stop listening to.
Based on the magnitude and difficulty of Gagarin’s flight, and his intelligence, bravery, charisma, good looks, and star power of the day, I’m surprised there hasn’t been a major motion picture made of this event, or of his life for that matter. This was the first human being to travel to outer space. I mean, this guy antagonized Nazis as a pre-teen when his Russian hometown was occupied during WWII. His life is a fascinating story in itself. He went from being an unknown to the most famous person in the world in 108 minutes!
Less than a month after Gagarin's flight, Alan Shepard became the first American in space but his 15 minute flight paled in comparison to the Russian’s 108 minute flight, and Shepard did not even orbit the earth like Gagarin did. In his Mercury capsule, he splashed down in the Atlantic, only 263 miles east of Florida.
I listened to this on Audible and it was expertly narrated by David Rintoul. I will need to track down a copy of the paper book to see the pictures....more
River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life is a short book which Dawkins wrote for The Science Masters Series. It was written to appeal for a largerRiver Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life is a short book which Dawkins wrote for The Science Masters Series. It was written to appeal for a larger audience than Dawkins' chunkier books such as The Selfish Gene or The Blind Watchmaker and for that reason it felt simpler and less in depth than typical Dawkins fare. This would be a good introduction to Dawkins newbies, though as you get the feel of the greatness of Dawkins' writing and get the gist of his genius in evolutionary biology.
The book consists of five short chapters, with my take on the gist of each chapter:
- The Digital River: how DNA flows through all life through generations, and how genes have been passed along since the beginning of time through all life forms by reproducing ancestors. The river of DNA has been flowing through our ancestors going back to the first life on Earth on an unbroken line for not less than three million years.
- All Africa and Her Progenies: how ALL human mitochondria has flowed over time beginning with the Mitochondrial Eve and Focal Ancestor, both probably from Africa. Amazing, considering there were once multiple types of hominids living on Earth simultaneously and we Homo Sapiens are the only surviving species.
- Do Good By Stealth: A takedown of creationism using a number of interesting examples from nature, particularly the development of the eye and features of different eyes in the animal kingdom. Creationists love to hold up the eye as an example of proof of a designer.
- God's Utility Function: further critique of creationism by exploring utility functions amongst a number of species. Utility functions are solely for DNA survival and suffering and happiness are not factors, to think intelligent design is behind this is folly.
- The Replication Bomb: how replication through chemistry (not supernatural magic) after the Big Bang has resulted in replication of life on Earth (the only example we know of so far...)
My favorite parts of this were Dawkins' explanation of the evolution of the eye, which I've read in detail in other of his texts but is summed up nicely here. Creationists love to use this as an example of an organ which could not possibly have evolved naturally, yet there is a myriad of different types of eyes in nature, ranging from simple light level detectors to incredibly complex structures capable of resolving incredible detail.
I also liked how Dawkins picked out some incredibly horrific and cruel organisms which exist in nature and natural circle of life goings-on which are equally ghastly and questions how a loving god would allow such natural pain and suffering in its creation? This quote sums it up:
"In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice. The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference." ...more
I found this to be a fantastic, riveting, page-turner of a book and I think even a casual fan of science would enjoy this. The book was co-authored byI found this to be a fantastic, riveting, page-turner of a book and I think even a casual fan of science would enjoy this. The book was co-authored by David Grinspoon and Alan Stern. David Grinspoon is a space exploration advisor at NASA and Alan Stern is a planetary scientist among other things, and was the head of the New Horizons mission. Grinspoon does most of the writing and notes in the preface that this is largely the story as seen through Stern's eyes supplemented by the voices of a number of other key players. I heard Grinspoon talk about this book with Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Neil's podcast. The paper book I own has two inserts full of images from the beginning of the mission to the actual photos taken by New Horizons as it flew by Pluto.
Chasing New Horizons is the decades long story of the first mission to Pluto which culminated with a flyby of the dwarf planet, its moons, and other Kuiper Belt objects in July 2015. I remember seeing the photos beamed back to Earth from the farthest reaches of the solar system - they were incredibly detailed and we learned that Pluto and Charon (actually a binary system) had very diverse landscapes, were still geologically active, and were the home to organic molecules. Pluto even has a significant atmosphere. Who knew that these two objects at the edge of our solar system would be so interesting to study?
About half of the book is dedicated to Stern's sixteen year struggle starting in 1989 to get a Pluto exploratory mission approved, funded, and spacecraft built. His teams endured set back after set back as funds were cut, the project was scrapped more than once, new Presidents came in with budget changes, and new technologies came along. The second half of the book focuses more on the mission itself as we follow the spacecraft from its delivery to Cape Canaveral and launch to Pluto. At the time of its launch it was the fastest spacecraft ever, recently beaten out by the Parker Solar Probe, taking only nine hours to get to the Moon compared to three days for Apollo! New Horizons leadership also honored Pluto's discover, the late Clyde Tombaugh, and his family in a really neat which I had no idea of and you'll discover in the book.
The mission to Pluto and the flyby were the most interesting parts of the book to me. There were some scary situations that popped up and a critical issue late in the mission which forced many on the team to literally move in to their headquarters and work around the clock. It was a nine year trip to Pluto so a lot could go wrong. In the end, New Horizons turned out to be an unmitigated success. What an amazing technological achievement to launch a spacecraft from Earth and hitting its mark perfectly after 9.5 years - the spacecraft is now almost five billion miles from us.
Shellenbeger has been an activist since starting an Amnesty International chapter in his high school and became an environmental activist in college wShellenbeger has been an activist since starting an Amnesty International chapter in his high school and became an environmental activist in college where he received a degree in Peace and Global Studies and a Master's degree in Cultural Anthropology. Early on, he focused on Latin America and lived amongst the local farmers there. He was named a Time magazine Hero of the Environment in 2008 and has pretty much spent his life in environmental activism. So why then would he write a book seemingly against environmental alarmism? Because he has dealt with both the exaggerating alarmists and misinformed deniers, both of which are off base in his opinion. This book presents a rational view of the climate predicament we are in.
Shellenberger sifts through the hysteria being fed to us in seemingly undigestable chunks through the media and breaks down what is true and what are exaggerations. He explains how we got to where we are and how we need to proceed going forward, in a clear and rational manner. He states, "young people learning about climate change for the first time might understandably believe, upon listening to Lunnon and Thunberg that climate change is the result of deliberate, malevolent actions. In reality, it is the opposite. Emissions are a by product of energy consumption which has been necessary for people to lift themselves, their families, and their societies out of poverty and achieve human dignity. "
My favorite part of this book is when the author defends and advocates for nuclear power. His past writings and media appearances promoting nuclear power was how I originally discovered him. Due to some high profile catastrophic nuclear accidents, the world's opinion of nuclear power has turned sour and calls for decommissioning existing plants is getting louder and louder. In reality, more deaths and environmental issues are caused by other forms of energy generation as he illustrates. Unfortunately for the environment, it will be absolutely impossible to replace the power generated by nuclear with renewables such as solar and wind and gas and coal will be forced to make a comeback. Look at all our gadgets and electric cars- energy usage will continue to grow. Advances in nuclear power generation have been great, and Gen IV plants are safer than ever and can even process existing waste. How can we ignore this source of zero emission power? Shellenberger will explain all this to you.
The author touches on a number of other subjects such as: what saved the whales, plastics, sweatshops, the Amazon rainforests, eating meat, and the sixth extinction. Some subjects appealed to me less than others but overall, I thought the points were well argued and facts laid out clearly. I've always found Shellenberger's writing to be clear and concise. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in climate science. You may not agree with all the author's points but it is interesting to learn of our climate issues from someone as credentialed and intelligent as Shellenberger. ...more
The Space Race for me was equal parts review, fascinating, and irritating. The ten chapters cover the history of the space race from the early days (tThe Space Race for me was equal parts review, fascinating, and irritating. The ten chapters cover the history of the space race from the early days (the Nazis' V-2 rocket) to recent history and the privatization of human space flight.
The review for me was the history of the US space program, pre-NASA to NASA to the current private space race. There was very little I didn't know in these sections. Still, it was neat to hear interviews with actual astronauts.
The "fascinating" was the history of the Soviet space program, some of which I knew but most of which was new to me. Especially interesting was how the Russians were absorbed in to the international space "club" after being so secretive and independent for decades during the Cold War. They made significant contributions to the International Space Station (ISS) and until last week their Soyuz rockets were the sole means for humans to get a ride to the ISS. They were always the experts at operating space stations as they successfully operated Mir in orbit long before the ISS.
The "irritating" for me were the audio dramas and the science fiction generation ship story. Even some of the American history was told via actors with fictionalized dialogue. I couldn't buy it. The Russian audio dramas were performed by actors speaking English in Russian accents, just like Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova communicated with their ground control comrades during their famous flights. Not. The audio drama about the future generation ship heading to Proxima B (HEY, I JUST READ A STEPHEN BAXTER BOOK SET ON PROXIMA B!) was topped off with a son and mother arguing about whether there should be religion on the new planet or not. Weren't there other more pressing issues we could debate on the way out of the solar system?
The Space Race was narrated by Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway) so that was a plus. This is definitely worth listening to if you have any interest in all in human space flight. Perhaps you will even enjoy the audio dramas, they were well produced I'll give them that. ...more
When I think of fungi the first thing that comes to mind are the mushrooms that seemingly sprout up overnight after a rain in spots where my dogs defeWhen I think of fungi the first thing that comes to mind are the mushrooms that seemingly sprout up overnight after a rain in spots where my dogs defected. But fungi are everywhere, all around us and literally everywhere we trod. Plus, they are responsible for some of our favorite foods and drinks. And to top it off the largest organism in the world is a massive fungus. Yet there is much we still don't know about how they operate. I learned a ton about fungi from this book and also learned about what we understand about them and how we are trying to figure them out.
This book is part fascinating, horrifying, and even hopeful in a way. It was fascinating to read about how fungi appear to make decisions faced with options while lacking any sort of brain. They interact with trees in the "wood wide web". The horrifying bits relate to the fungis which take over insects, turning them in to zombies in order to carry out fungal reproductions. One fungi takes over the brain of an ant which climbs to a high surface in order to release the fungi's spores. The ant is basically a "fungi in ant's clothing". Fungi are able to alter a human's brain chemistry as well as we have known for long time. The hopeful bit is that we are now discovering fungi which are able to digest plastics, oils, and other waste products and turn them in to harmless chemicals. Some fungi can even break down radioactive materials.
The author also mixes in interesting anecdotes regarding his fungi-related research and travels. Some worked better than others.
Cool fact: Star Trek: Discovery introduced an astromycologist character who uses fungi to develop technologies to aid humanity.
Excellent book. Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys weird science. You'll be surprised how relevant and important fungi are to our everyday lives. This was the February read for the Science and Inquiry Goodreads Book Club. 4.5 stars....more
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