|
|
Nature and Science October 2025 |
|
|
|
|
|
The comfort of crows : a backyard year
by Margaret Renkl
The beloved New York Times opinion writer and best-selling author presents this stunning literary devotional that follows the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of the year, tracing the passing of the seasons, personal and natural. Illustrations.
|
|
|
|
Benny the blue whale : a descent into story, language and the madness of ChatGPT
by Andy Stanton
"When a friend introduces him to ChatGPT, the new large language chatbot, Andy is as sceptical as he is curious. Can this jumble of algorithms really mimic the spontaneity of human thought? Could it one day replace human authors like him for good? And are we soon to be ruled over by despotic robot overlords? He decides there's only one thing for it--he must test this bot's capabilities. Eventually, he settles on a prompt that will push the algorithm to its creative limits: 'tell me a story about a blue whale with a tiny penis.' Chaos ensues. What follows is a surprising and illuminating battle between Andy and ChatGPT that maybe, just maybe, might help us all understand AI a little bit better. Join Andy and his beleaguered AI lackey on a rollicking metafictional journey through the art of storytelling. Presenting his prompts and the AI-generated narrative alongside extensive commentary, Stanton provides a startling paean to the art of a good story and boundless human creativity. Hopeful and hilarious, Benny the Blue Whale provides a joyfully anarchic meditation on AI, literature and why we write"
|
|
|
|
Braiding sweetgrass for young adults : indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teachings of plants
by Monique Gray Smith
"Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things--from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen--provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth's oldest teachers: the plants around us. With informative sidebars, reflection questions,and art from illustrator Nicole Neidhardt, Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults brings Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the lessons of plant life to a new generation"
|
|
|
|
Immune System Hacks
by Scientific American
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly made many more people aware of the importance of our incredible immune systems. It has also raised many questions about vaccines that involve the immune system. Readers have likely heard a lot about the COVID vaccines and have questions about how they are made and what they do inside the body. This stimulating title has answers! It also allows readers to explore innovative treatments for infectious diseases other than COVID. These include immunotherapies and even a universal flu vaccine.
|
|
|
|
Learning the birds : a midlife adventure
by Susan Fox Rogers
"A midlife birding memoir that travels from New York State to Alaska as the author ventures out in pursuit of birds. History and natural history combine as the author comes to know the birds"
|
|
|
|
Wild maps for curious minds : 100 new ways to see the natural world
by Mike Higgins
Celebrating our planet and the plants and animals with whom we share it, this infographic atlas of nature's most impressive wonders and incredible oddities is filled with discoveries, insights and startling revelations that will change the way you see the natural world. 35,000 first printing. Illustrations. Maps.
|
|
|
|
Outdoor kids in an inside world : getting your family out of the house and radically engaged with nature
by Steven Rinella
The average American spends ninety percent of their time indoors, and children are no exception. Today, kids can spend up to seven hours per day looking at screens. Not only does this phenomenon have consequences for our kids' physical and mental health,it calls into question their ability to understand and engage with anything beyond the built environment. We can talk about environmental stewardship, but until more people make meaningful contact with nature, the welfare of our planet is in jeopardy. Thankfully, with the right mindset, families can find beauty, meaning, and connection in a life lived outdoors. Now, outdoors expert Steven Rinella shares the parenting wisdom he has garnered as a father whose family has lived amid the biggest cities and wildest corners of America. Throughout, he offers practical advice for getting your kids radically engaged with nature in a muddy, thrilling, hands-on way, guided by black-and-white illustrations throughout--with the ultimate goal of helping them see their own place within the natural ecosystem
|
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|