Reviews

Archaeology

Our fascination with robots goes all the way back to antiquity

In the book ‘Gods and Robots,’ a scholar recounts how early civilizations explored artificial life through myths.

Quantum Physics

‘Beyond Weird’ and ‘What Is Real?’ try to make sense of quantum weirdness

The books ‘Beyond Weird’ and ‘What is Real?’ have different perspectives on what quantum physics says about reality.

Science & Society

These are our favorite science books of 2018

Science News writers and editors pick which science books were this year’s must-reads.

Health & Medicine

Two new books explore the science and history of the 1918 flu pandemic

One-hundred years after the Spanish flu, ‘Pandemic 1918’ and ‘Influenza’ provide a new look at the global outbreak.

Particle Physics

Why a chemistry teacher started a science board game company

Subatomic is the latest game from John Coveyou, whose company Genius Games wants people to find the joy in science.

Paleontology

‘End of the Megafauna’ examines why so many giant Ice Age animals went extinct

‘End of the Megafauna’ ponders the mystery of what killed off so many of Earth’s big animals over the last 50,000 years.

Animals

If you want to believe your home’s bug free, don’t read this book

‘Never Home Alone’ reveals the hidden world living in human-made spaces.

Climate

‘18 Miles’ is full of interesting tales about Earth’s atmosphere

The new book ‘18 Miles’ takes readers on a journey through the atmosphere and the history of understanding climate and weather.

Life

Explore the history of blood from vampires to the ‘Menstrual Man’

Rose George’s book ‘Nine Pints’ offers readers an engaging and insightful cultural and scientific history of blood.

Astronomy

The Neil Armstrong biopic ‘First Man’ captures early spaceflight’s terror

At a time when NASA is considering how to return astronauts to the moon, ‘First Man’ is a sobering reminder of how risky the first giant leap was.

Health & Medicine

‘Sawbones’ invites readers to laugh at the bizarre history of medicine

‘The Sawbones Book,’ based on the popular podcast by Dr. Sydnee and Justin McElroy, ties the strange history of modern medicine to modern pseudoscience.

Astronomy

‘Einstein’s Shadow’ explores what it takes to snap a black hole’s picture

The new book offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Event Horizon Telescope’s attempt to image a black hole.