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Finished Michael Balter's The Goddess and the Bull: Catalhoyuk: An Archaeological Journey to the Dawn of Civilization, which mostly left me wishing for a more recent treatment of the archaeology of Catalhoyuk

The November 2022 release Beyond Measure: The Hidden History of Measurement from Cubits to Quantum Constants traces the evolution of measurement through human history. Author James Vincent begins with ancient Egyptians putting marks on the banks of the Nile to measure its height. Near the end of the book he describes how the world's metrologists voted in 2018 to redefine the kilogram with a formula based on Planck's Constant.

My review:

Isaac Asimov wrote Realm Of Measure: From The Yardstick To The Theory Of Relativity that I read as a teen. I'd only read his SF stories at that point & was impressed by it. It's short, so worth it if you get the chance.

Two books I've finished recently:

How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need, not a science book but a straightforward tech book, a lot of interesting suggestions. my review

Finished The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us, enjoyed it as much as the author's diosaur book. my review

I recently finished The Genome Defense: Inside the Epic Legal Battle to Determine Who Owns Your DNA by Jorge L. Contreras. It's about the court case in the U.S. that determined whether someone can patent a human gene. It was very well written and interesting. Pretty good balance between law and science, though probably a little more on the law side. Here is my review.

Science writer Jaime Green writes about the search for life on other planets in her book The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and Our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos. She notes that the number of exoplanets we have discovered has increased exponentially over the past couple of decades and interviews scientists in a variety of fields. She also looks at science fiction as a way to think about what life on other worlds might be like.

My review:

In his 2009 book The Living Shore: Rediscovering a Lost World author Rowan Jacobsen writes about the history and ecology of the oyster populations in British Columbia and Chesapeake Bay. He also adds some material about the arrival of the first humans to North America. Interesting reading.

My review:

On 6/4/23, I posted my 50th pair of reviews (Happy 100th review yay!), 1 for Tanaka's Graveyards of the Dinosaurs (which is great: /review/show... ) & 1 for Tanaka's "New Dinos: The Latest Finds! The Coolest Dinosaur Discoveries!" (which is bad: /review/show... ).

In his new book On the Origin of Time: Stephen Hawking's Final Theory author Thomas Hertog writes about Stephen Hawking, cosmology, black holes, and quantum mechanics. Well written with a lot of interesting science.

My review:

I just read a book by Daniel Kennefick called No Shadow of a Doubt about the observation of bending of light that was predicted by Einstein's theory of General Relativity. Through an examination of correspondence and scientific papers, Kennefick takes you through the motivation for the theory and why the community was looking for a more consistent and complete theory of gravity, and also the skepticism and confusion that surrounded GR. The most exciting aspect of the story is the way that the observational powers of the solar telescopes of the day were pushed to their theoretical limits, and how carefully Eddington analyzed and re-analyzed the photographic plates to prove to himself that no other explanation of the observed dispacement was reasonable.

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On 8/14/23, I posted my 51st pair of reviews, 1 for Witton's Recreating an Age of Reptiles (which is great: /review/show... ) & 1 for the 2nd edition of Pim's "Dinosaurs―The Grand Tour" (which is bad: /review/show... ).

I just finished reading the book The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox. It is a wonderful detective story, about archaeology explorations of ancient Crete, a linguistics puzzle of the highest order, and history of the "Linear B" decipherment. Very highly recommended! Here is my review.

If you enjoy science fiction, but you are put off by a lot of hand-waving that tries to get around the laws of physics, you might like Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The story is far "out there", but is credible, based on real science. I am not aware of any parts of the story that are incompatible with known science. The topics include physics, astronomy, molecular biology, chemistry, thermodynamics, evolution, and relativity. Very enjoyable story with a surprising ending. Here is my review.

“King Solomon’s Ring�� by Konrad Lorenz. Fun, fast, and amazing reading about the author’s first hand experiences with animal behavior. Lorenz is refreshing because he observes not from a fake, sterile lab environment, but on the level of the animals he describes, and he shares wonderful insight.
Also fun is that he was Austrian and writes about a number of intriguing beings that I as an American was totally unfamiliar with.
The Grandfather of animal behavior. Lorenz is the best.

David wrote: "If you enjoy science fiction, but you are put off by a lot of hand-waving that tries to get around the laws of physics, you might like Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The story is f..."

I like Project Hail Mary too. Weir has done a great job describing an alien species.

Knocked off Jennifer Raff's "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas." While Raff is probably a bit too earnest for her own good, this does seem like a good snapshot of the state of play relating to the ancient peopling of North America.

Shrike58 wrote: "Knocked off Jennifer Raff's "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas." While Raff is probably a bit too earnest for her own good, this does seem like a good snapshot of the state of play relating..."

What do you mean "too earnest"? Just wondering.

Herman wrote: "Shrike58 wrote: "Knocked off Jennifer Raff's "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas." While Raff is probably a bit too earnest for her own good, this does seem like a good snapshot of the state..."

I read this book too (from the angle of someone who makes a living analyzing and interpreting genetic data), and "too earnest" is a good way of describing it. Raff does basic science research on the genetic history of indigenous people from hundreds/thousands of years ago, and describes at great length how she seeks out and gets permission modern day descendants of these people, and how important consent and respect is. This is stressed so much it seems like she is trying to singlehandedly make up for hundreds of years of subrogation and violence perpetuated on indigenous people, which is an impossible task. Working in clinical genetics, this whole discussion of consent came across as earnest and sophomoric to me. Anyone who's sent off a saliva sample to 23andMe or Ancestry.com has basically shared the DNA of not only themselves but their entire family without their family's express consent.

Herman wrote: "Shrike58 wrote: "Knocked off Jennifer Raff's "Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas." While Raff is probably a bit too earnest for her own good, this does seem like a good snapshot of the state..."
At points I got the impression that Raff was taking all the misdeeds of the past study of ancient and traditional cultures on her shoulders. It should be noted that I have the sense that the discipline of anthropology (of which Raff is a member) is somewhat more sensitive about these concerns than archaeology, due to how anthropological research has been weaponized as a tool of imperialism and exploitation in the past. Archaeologists, of course, just have to live down the allegations that they are merely a bunch of tomb raiders.

Susan Casey is fascinated by the depths of the ocean, and her story of undersea exploration in The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean makes for compelling reading.

My review:

Michio Kaku offers a not-at-all objective survey of the benefits that quantum computing might provide in his book Quantum Supremacy.

My review:

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity: Because of its name and the fact that the author is a social psychologist and a professor, I thought it was about the frontier of understanding and treating autism, but it turned out not even a science book. my review

Also read Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder, I wish I had read it 20 years ago when it first came out.

Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer by William W Li, MD

Written by a doctor, this book isn't a typical "diet" book.

My Review -- /review/show...

The subtitle of In a Flight of Starlings: The Wonders of Complex Systems by Giorgio Parisi is somewhat misleading. The title essay is indeed about complex systems. The remaining essays in the book vary: some are about complex systems, others not really so. The essays, however, are well worth reading.

My review:

On 11/6/23, I posted my 52nd pair of reviews, 1 for Edgar's Smithsonian Dinosaurs and Other Amazing Creatures from Deep Time (which is great: /review/show... ) & 1 for Holtz's The Little Giant Book of Dinosaurs (which is good: /review/show... ).

Wrapped up "Mesozoic Art: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art." Really nice brain candy.

Not strictly science, but a lot of science in this book.

In The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality author William Egginton surveys the work of the three men in the title, but casts a wider net, discussing the history of quantum theory and touching on figures such as Zeno.

My review:

Just finished A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?.

"Management consultant Peter Drucker often stated that regarding business proposals, “if you have no case against, you have no case for.�� For a long time there has been almost no case against colonizing the Moon and Mars. Billionaires, space exploration nerds (like me), and to a lesser extent, national space agencies, seem gung-ho to start sending humans to the Moon and Mars to establish permanent settlements within the next decade or two. This book presents the case against that goal, at least in the short term........"

Here's my complete review: /review/show...

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I absolutely LOVED this book. Remarkable research project on a Siberian fur farm that revealed how astoundingly fast evolution can work. Within about 12 generations wild foxes were selectively bred to turn into docile, friendly, loving pets. In evolutionary terms, that's like a nanosecond. Not just their nature and behavior, either. They wound up with shorter, more babyish snouts, floppy ears, and piebald markings, all side effects of selectively breeding for tameness. Their social skills with regard to humans, their reproductive cycles, and their genetic evolution were found to totally parallel the evolution of dogs from wolves.
The researchers became extremely attached to these little creatures, understandably, and the dissolution of the USSR caused a crisis in funding the feeding and care of the foxes, with tragic results, but with much effort, the project was saved and as of 2017, the foxes were still being studied and even adopted out as household pets.
Fascinating book for anyone interested in evolution.

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I finished this amazing book on human mind/motivators/consciousness


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Author Carl Safina spent a lot of time, energy, and money pursuing his interest in the leatherback sea turtle. This fascinating book, Voyage of the Turtle: In Pursuit of the Earth's Last Dinosaur details that journey.

My review:

Saelia wrote: "I finished this amazing book on human mind/motivators/consciousness


/topic/show/..."

Wrong link. Just links back to this discussion thread. Not to a book.

My recent science reads:
The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean, I like it very much. My review

Breaking Through Depression: A Guide to the Next Generation of Promising Research and Revolutionary New Treatments, here is My review

In The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI author Fei-Fei Li combines autobiography with an account of her involvement in the development of artificial intelligence. Fascinating stuff.

My review:

Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian And the Secrets of Metamorphosis by Kim Todd

Merian, a woman, who lived in the late 17th and early 18th, at the dawning of the modern scientific age, through observation and experimentation discovered the life cycles of numerous insects, as well as their ecology. And through her meticulous notes and illustrations shared this information.

The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner

I read this last year and finally wrote my review. It's something to consider for those with better health resolutions in the new year.

My review -- /review/show...

I recently finished reading Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon. It was well written and very interesting. Here is my review.

You may have imagined what it would be like to walk on the moon or Mars, but how about an asteroid like Bennu, or a comet like 67P. I just finished Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer's Guide to the Universe . The astrophysicist author takes you from the Moon to Black Holes with several stops along the way and describes how it would look and feel to be at these locations under varying conditions. He even includes a Tatooine-like planet with two suns. A fun and informative read.

Steve wrote: "You may have imagined what it would be like to walk on the moon or Mars, but how about an asteroid like Bennu, or a comet like 67P. I just finished [book:Under Alien Skies: A Sightseer's Guide to t..."

I have a crazy fear of walking untethered on a small mass object like that and stumbling or jumping too high and exceeding the escape velocity.......

Erik wrote: "Steve wrote: "You may have imagined what it would be like to walk on the moon or Mars, but how about an asteroid like Bennu, or a comet like 67P. I just finished [book:Under Alien Skies: A Sightsee..." Well, he actually tells you specifically how to avoid that. As well as why the astronauts shuffle on the Moon.

" I am currently reading The Demon-Haunted World
The book by Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan. It is amazing book everyone should read this book teaches the importance of science and rational thinking

Hassan wrote: "" I am currently reading The Demon-Haunted World
The book by Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan. It is amazing book everyone should read this book teaches the importance of science and rational thinking"

I read that decades ago when it first came out. We lost Sagan way too soon. Fortunately Druyan continues to carry on his work.

In Things That Go Bump in the Universe: How Astronomers Decode Cosmic Chaos author C. Renee James explores transient cosmic phenomena that we can observe from planet earth.

My review:

Woman Reading wrote: "
[book:The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest|2213..."

I really enjoyed that book, too! There are some great lessons about the things that help people to live long, healthy lives.

Shrike58 wrote: "Wrapped up "Mesozoic Art: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art." Really nice brain candy."

Looking forward to reviewing that book!

On 2/12/24, I posted my 53rd pair of reviews, 1 for Witton's Life Through the Ages II: Twenty-First Century Visions of Prehistory (which is great: /review/show... ) & 1 for Jenkins's "Apex Predators: The World's Deadliest Hunters, Past and Present" (which is terrible: /review/show... ).

I just finished the book Before The Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe and What Lies Beyond by Professor Laura Mersini-Houghton. She tells an amazing story about her personal life, growing up in Communist Albania, and her later academics in the West.

But what really excites me is her explanation about a possible origin of our universe -- and her confirmed predictions of strong observational evidence for a multi-verse; the simultaneous existence of universes besides our own! Highly recommended.

Here is my review.

David, Your review's bombshell about the Planck satellite's findings strikes me as being on equal footing with Newton's weighty mathematical and physical comprehensions! Do you expect 'dark matter' to be linked to a superimposed multi-verse? Have you started to minimize use of the word, universe?

Michael wrote: "David, Your review's bombshell about the Planck satellite's findings strikes me as being on equal footing with Newton's weighty mathematical and physical comprehensions! Do you expect 'dark matter'..."

Michael, superficially it seems possible that dark energy could be related to other universes. Dark energy is associated with the acceleration of our universe's expansion. But ... could it also just be the gravitational attraction from other universes?

David, My limited understanding of the hypothetical differences in the superimposed or adjacent multi-verse including physical properties and laws is fundamental. Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding, as an example, is that gravity may best be described as a spectrum rather than the constant value we know. Do you have another understanding?

We know that trees (and all vascular plants) move water from their roots to their leaf tips through redundant, super tiny, vertical tubes called xylem. And in the tiny space of these tubes, the packing of water molecules change in response to a minimal molecule population threshold being met that is uncommon in our noticed macro world. As a result, water boils at room temperature and the cool water vapor easily travels upward against gravity without anything like pumps being used.

Of course, all living plant and animal cells leverage the changed physical properties of molecules created by the tiny spaces inside cell walls.

In the context of fractal concepts, could we think of living cells as representing a form of the multi-verse?