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SN Online
BODY & BRAINInfants may learn speech sounds as they snooze. Read “Sleeping babies learn in an eyeblink.” LIFEResearchers find a natural screwlike joint — in a beetle’s hip. See “Weevils evolved nut-and-screw joint.” MATTER & ENERGY An acoustic cloak made of metamaterials reflects sound off a bump as though it were a flat wall. Read “You haven’t […]
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BOOK REVIEW: The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty by Simon Baron-Cohen
Review by Erika Engelhaupt.
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The Stem Cell Hope: How Stem Cell Medicine Can Change Our Lives by Alice Park
A narrative account explores the history of stem cells through the stories of scientists and patients. Hudson Street Press, 2011, 318 p., $25.95
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Sex, Murder, and the Meaning of Life: A Psychologist Investigates How Evolution, Cognition, and Complexity are Revolutionizing our View of Human Nature by Douglas T. Kenrick
Anecdotes enliven a psychologist’s take on the role of evolution in murderous fantasies, racial prejudice and other unsavory aspects of human nature. Basic Books, 2011, 238 p., $26.99
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Saving Sea Turtles: Extraordinary Stories from the Battle against Extinction by James R. Spotila
A turtle biologist makes a plea to save sea turtles, remarkable creatures that start life buried in up to two feet of sand. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2011, 216 p., $24.95
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The Power of Music: Pioneering Discoveries in the New Science of Song by Elena Mannes
A music lover interviews scientists and musicians in this fun exploration of the science of music. Walker & Company, 2011, 263 p., $26
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The Quest for the Cure: The Science and Stories Behind the Next Generation of Medicines by Brent R. Stockwell
In this well-researched look into the complexities of making medicines, a chemical biologist gives a history of drug making and details innovative methods of drug discovery. Columbia Univ. Press, 2011, 265 p., $27.95
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Letters
Irrational with money Bruce Bower’s excellent article on “Simple heresy” (SN: 6/4/11, p. 26) showcases the blindness of mainstream economics. Namely, economics is often more like the weather than a game of dice: chaotic — with catastrophes, cycles and all manner of weird behavior. Yet economists continue to use statistical models that work “until they don’t.” So […]
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Men to Mars Possible in 60’s, Experts Say
Experts had forecast that astronauts would walk on Mars by 1970, but such a feat is still 20-plus years out.
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