Reviews

Animals

‘The Cultural Lives of Whales and Dolphins’ offers window into cetacean societies

Dolphins and whales pass cultural knowledge to one another, the authors of a new book argue.

Earth

‘Island on Fire’ recounts enormous 18th century eruption

The 18th century eruption of Iceland’s Laki volcano spewed sulfurous gases that briefly cooled the globe and probably contributed to the early deaths of tens of thousands of people.

Ecosystems

‘Earth: A New Wild’ puts people in the picture

PBS nature series ‘Earth: A New Wild’ shows humans living with, and not off, their environments

Health & Medicine

‘AIDS’ gives inside view of science, politics of epidemic

In ‘AIDS Between Science and Politics,’ pioneering HIV expert Peter Piot discusses the factors and events that shaped the epidemic.

Climate

‘Storm Surge’ revisits Sandy, looks to future hurricanes

Superstorm Sandy deluged New York City and could be a harbinger of future coastal flooding.

Psychology

‘Survival of the Nicest’ demonstrates altruism all around

Selfishness is not the rule in human society, new book argues.

Computing

‘The Imitation Game’ entertains at the expense of accuracy

Inaccuracies weaken “The Imitation Game,” an otherwise enjoyable film about Alan Turing breaking the Enigma code during World War II.

Genetics

Evolve and Linkage turn science into games

In the two new games Evolve and Linkage, biological principles are made entertaining and strategic.

Earth

Exhibit lays out principles for disaster-resistant structures

The National Building Museum’s ‘Designing for Disaster’ exhibit showcases the science and engineering of making disaster-resistant infrastructure.

Science & Society

‘Race Unmasked’ explores science’s racial past, present

Eugenics is far behind us, but a health historian sees few reasons to believe science is postracial.

Science & Society

Visualizing Earth’s past, finding numbers in nature, and more

Exhibits at science museums around the country showcase the vastness of geologic time, whale evolution, life in ancient Maya civilization, and the mathematics hidden in nature.

Earth

‘Mass Extinction’ vivifies the science of die-offs

The dinosaurs were killed off some 65 million years ago after a colossal asteroid struck Earth. But what many people probably don’t know is how paleontologists came to that conclusion. "Mass Extinction: Life at the Brink" tells that story.