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Nature and Science April 2020
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| Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe by Brian GreeneWhat it is: an accessible survey of some big ideas in physics, from the Big Bang to the end of time, which also addresses the role of science in humanity's ongoing search for the meaning of existence.
For fans of: the engaging blend of hard science and philosophical reflection in Carl Sagan's Cosmos.
About the author: Brian Greene is the director of Columbia University’s Center for Theoretical Physics. |
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| Some Assembly Required: Decoding Four Billion Years of Life, From Ancient Fossils to... by Neil ShubinThe big idea: "Massive [evolutionary] change came about by repurposing ancient structures for new uses." For example, fish didn't abruptly grow lungs and transform into land-dwellers; rather, the function of swim bladders changed, allowing fish to breathe on land.
What sets it apart: Without downplaying the importance of fossil evidence, paleontologist Neil Shubin (Your Inner Fish) describes how the advent of DNA technology has transformed his field. |
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A broken tree : how DNA exposed a family's deepest secrets
by Stephen F. Anderson
"In an effort to discover the truth about his family, the author uses DNA testing and interviews to learn the real story behind his paternity and that of his eight brothers and sisters. What the DNA reveals, and how the author and siblings handle it, serves as a lesson to anyone undertaking ancestry research"
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| Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy by Cathy O'NeilWhat it's about: Big Data's capacity for reinforcing and exacerbating existing social inequalities, due to its scale and lack of transparency.
About the author: Mathematician Cathy O'Neil was a professor and a Wall Street quantitative analyst before becoming a blogger and activist.
You might also like: Shoshana Zuboff's The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Virginia Eubanks' Automating Inequality, or John Cheney-Lippold's We Are Data. |
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| Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-PerezIntroducing: the "default male," a construct that sets the standards in everything from automobile safety to medical research to urban planning.
Why it matters: Journalist Caroline Criado-Perez argues that an emphasis on male data creates a gender data gap that renders women doubly invisible: their absence from research data is compounded by their occasional inclusion in research data that isn't dis-aggregated by sex.
The takeaway: "the consequences of living in a world built around male data can be deadly." |
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| Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really... by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz; foreword by Steven PinkerThe big idea: "The everyday act of typing a word into a compact, rectangular white box leaves a small trace of truth that, when multiplied by millions, eventually reveals profound realities."
In other words: our online behavior, in aggregate, reveals things about us that we would never admit -- and may not even be aware of!
You might also like: Christian Rudder's Dataclysm, another eye-opening examination of what our data can teach us about ourselves. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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