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Nature and Science June 2019
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| Down from the Mountain: The Life and Death of a Grizzly Bear by Bryce AndrewsWho is she? Millie, a 500-pound grizzly sow (and mother of two cubs) from Montana's Mission Valley.
What does she want? Corn! Montana's grizzly bear population is addicted to the crop, which lures them from their isolated habitats into more populous areas, resulting in conflicts with local farmers.
You might also like: Nate Blakeslee's American Wolf, which similarly explores tensions between humans and wildlife by recounting the life and death of a charismatic animal. |
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A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution
by Jennifer A. Doudna and Samuel H. Sternberg
CRISPR-Cas9 is a genome editing technique that makes possible permanent modifications within an organism's DNA. However, the scientists who discovered this "molecular machine" argue that we shouldn't use it without first addressing the serious bioethical issues involved. This balanced and accessible book describes the research that led to this groundbreaking discovery and examines the potential applications (and implications) of a revolutionary new technology.
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American Eclipse: A Nation's Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the...
by David Baron
In 1878, America's scientific community was eager to prove itself to the rest of the world. A total eclipse of the sun offered the perfect opportunity to do so. Three individuals set out to observe the event, albeit with different motives: professor James Craig Watson hoped to locate hypothetical planet "Vulcan"; astronomer Maria Mitchell was determined to show that women scientists were the equals of their male counterparts; and entrepreneur Thomas Edison was certain he'd make a name for himself with a measurement device he'd invented. American Eclipse focuses on a single solar eclipse; for a broader historical perspective, try John Dvorak's Mask of the Sun.
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| The Human Swarm: How Our Societies Arise, Thrive, and Fall by Mark W. MoffettWhat it's about: the development of human civilization from "individual recognition societies" characterized by small and intimate groups (think chimpanzees) to modern-day "collective marker" societies based on distinctions between in-groups and out-groups.
Further reading: For other recent perspectives on this topic, check out Edward O. Wilson's Genesis: The Deep Origins of Societies or Nicholas A. Christakis' Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society. |
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Beyond: Our Future in Space
by Chris Impey
What it's about: Astronomer Chris Impey chronicles human space travel, from the Cold War "space race" to the rise of private space companies such as Space X and Virgin Galactic.
Why you might like it: In engaging fashion, Beyond describes our species' ongoing efforts to explore, colonize, and inhabit the final frontier.
You might also like: Neil deGrasse Tyson's Space Chronicles, which considers our future in space.
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Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein -- Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists...
by Mario Livio
What it's about: Even geniuses make mistakes. This engaging book examines how so-called "blunders" can lead to scientific breakthroughs.
Contains: Plenty of examples! Charles Darwin, Linus Pauling, and Albert Einstein are just a few of the scientists who made major errors during their careers.
Want a taste? "Even the most impressive minds are not flawless; they merely pave the way for the next level of understanding."
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| Adventures in Human Being: A Grand Tour From the Cranium to the Calcaneum by Gavin FrancisWhat it is: a head-to-toe survey of the human body by a physician.
Want a taste? "I was nineteen years old when I first held a human brain. It was heavier than I had anticipated; grey, firm, and laboratory-cold."
For fans of: the blend of medical writing and memoir in Henry Marsh's Do No Harm; the philosophical tone of F. Gonzalez-Crussi's Notes of an Anatomist. |
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| Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah HarariThe big question: So now that we've mitigated the effects of famine, plague, and war, what's next for human beings?
About the author: Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari is the author of the bestselling Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind.
Is it for you? Believers in the march of human progress should be aware that Home Deus forecasts several possible futures for our species, most of them downright dystopian. |
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| The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos by Leonard MlodinowWhat it is: a history of scientific discovery that makes a case for human curiosity about the universe as a defining attribute of our species.
Topics covered: the evolution of the human brain, a grand tour of the sciences (featuring greats minds from Aristotle to Heisenberg), and a brief introduction to quantum physics.
For fans of: the accessible presentation of science in Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. |
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| Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst by Robert M. SapolskyWhat it is: an interdisciplinary study of human behavior by neurobiologist and primatologist Robert Sapolsky.
What it does: Behave explores human behavior by taking a single (re)action and examining what's going on in the brain and body in the seconds, minutes, hours, days, and even years before it occurs.
Don't miss: the author's top ten strategies for reducing violence in our species. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Richmond Public Library 101 East Franklin Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 (804) 646-7223rvalibrary.org/ |
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