Reviews
- 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.
- Animals
‘Animal Weapons’ examines evolution of natural armor
Biological arms races have led to the evolution of horns, tusks and other extreme armament in the natural world.
- Psychology
Mastering the art of self-control
Walter Mischel, the psychologist behind the marshmallow test, discusses his new book on self-control and willpower.
- Science & Society
Two books explore winding path from basic science to useful invention
‘How We Got to Now’ and ‘Science Unshackled’ explain how basic scientific research can transform society in unexpected ways.
- Cosmology
‘The Theory of Everything’ reveals Stephen Hawking’s personal side
A new film explores love and science in the life of physicist Stephen Hawking.
