Uncategorized
-
Wired for Culture: Origins of the Human Social Mind by Mark Pagel
A biologist examines the development of human culture and argues that evolutionary history has shaped humankind’s social tendencies. W.W. Norton & Co., 2012, 416 p., $29.95
-
Vesuvius (Wonders of the World) by Gillian Darley
This history of the famous Italian volcano examines its role as a cultural icon through the ages. Harvard Univ., 2011, 245 p., $22.95
-
Across Atlantic Ice: The Origin of America’s Clovis Culture by Dennis J. Stanford and Bruce A. Bradley
A pair of archaeologists explore the earliest days of the first humans in North America and suggest these people may have had European roots. Univ. of California, 2012, 336 p., $34.95
-
How Not to Be Eaten: The Insects Fight Back by Gilbert Waldbauer
Insects’ ingenious means of avoiding becoming lunch are examples of evolutionary one-upmanship in action. Univ. of California, 2012, 221 p., $27.95
-
The Life of Super-Earths: How the Hunt for Alien Worlds and Artificial Cells Will Revolutionize Life on Our Planet by Dimitar Sasselov
The astronomer who coined the term “super-Earth” reviews the hunt for these possibly life-holding planets. Basic Books, 2012, 240 p., $25.99
-
BOOK REVIEW: The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It by Ricki Lewis
Review by Alexandra Witze.
-
- Physics
Bits of Reality
Not just for codes and computers, quantum information holds clues to the nature of the physical universe.
- Psychology
Visions For All
People who report vivid religious experiences may hold clues to nonpsychotic hallucinations.
- Animals
Furry Friends Forever
Humans aren’t the only animals who benefit from having someone to count on.
- Life
Gene might help sponges see
Scientists provide a glimpse at how multicellular organisms handle light.
- Space
Vesta seems more planet than asteroid
Spacecraft explorations reveal a layered, beat-up celestial body.
