My interest in science and space has grown exponentially from practically non-existent to almost moderate thanks to The Martian, and now, What if?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (2014) by Randall Monroe. Reading detailed, scientific answers with lots of math and equations that I don’t understand isn’t normally my thing. So I was afraid when I picked up What if? that it might turn into a plod. Fortunately Munroe exceeded my expectations, entertaining me throughout and even teaching me a thing or two. The key to this book […]
When Has Physics Made You Laugh?
I don’t think that I’ve laughed out loud at a book that wasn’t a straight up comedy memoir in a long time. Randall Munroe is the cartoonist behind xkcd. In this book, he takes on some pretty awesome questions that are utterly ridiculous (but still fun to think about) and sorts out the science. The tone kind of reminded me of my favorite fiction book this year, “The Martian.” There are a lot of calculations that I don’t fully understand, but he explains them well […]
“Gravitation is the lust of the cosmos.”
This book wasn’t exactly what I thought it was when I decided to read it. I thought Mary Roach would be writing from the perspective of what needs to be done/brought/invented to get us to a place where we are sending humans to live on Mars. What Roach really does is explain how the same things which had to be accomplished for basic space flight and putting a man on the moon are the things that scientists of various stripes are working on right now […]
Sh*tting in Space: It’s a Problem….
Knowing Mary Roach’s work very well from her amazing first publication, Stiff, (side note, if you haven’t read Stiff, you need to. Now. Immediately! I’ve even put a handy link here! Stiff) I was excited to jump into the world of rockets and space food to find out what gets us out into the deep void, and I was not disappointed! In her usual no-holds-barred style, Roach takes us on a journey through all the nuances (particularly the ones no one wants to talk about) […]
Is it Me You’re Looking For?
I’m pretty sure I found this book based on an excerpt that was posted on a link on one of the blogs I regularly follow. But I’m not sure which one. You might recall that I have a particular interest in books related to death and dying, as well as forensic anthropology. This very quick (like, 90 minute) read is a nice introduction to what forensic artists do and, more interestingly, how they do it. Ms. Bailey started her “ask a forensic artist” website as […]
A Martian MacGyver for the problem-solving sci-fi fans among us
This is going to be a hard book to top for me this year. I LOVED The Martian! I haven’t read science fiction in many decades, but I’m an old aficionado from my early years, and this book had me panting with excitement and anticipation throughout. Some have compared The Martian to Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, and while I can fully understand the comparison, I much prefer the image of a Martian MacGyver, for those of you who remember the television show from the late eighties. […]
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