THE SCIENCE LAB
3 million light years away
For those of you with an interest in science, evolution and/or natural history, Science Officer has hand picked a selection of books to tickle your grey matter. These books have been chosen because not only are they fun and interesting to read, but they have an accessible writing style that makes them easy to follow regardless of how much you already know.
Groovy Funky Reading
Nature Via Nurture: Genes, Experience, and What Makes us Human by Matt Ridley
This book was republished with the slightly different title 'The Agile Gene: How Nature Turns on Nurture', but don't worry, the content is the same.
Matt Ridley has a very lucid writing style that makes his books a pleasure to read. This book looks at the interaction between environment and genes, and how they affect human development and behaviour.
The Wisdom of Bones by Alan Walker and Pat Shipman
A mesmerizing account of the discovery of the Nariokotome Boy - a member of the human species Homo ergaster. The specimen is around 1.5 million years old, and the find made news around the world because the skeleton is nearly complete - an extremely rare find in the world of palaeoanthropology. The book also provides a very down to earth look at the scientists who seek to enhance our understanding of human evolution.
Catching Fire by Richard Wrangham
Human beings are the only animals that cook their food. Wrangham proposes that cooking food was an essential element in the physiological evolution of human beings. This is a gripping and coherant argument that takes the reader on a journey through the biological, archaeological and physiological evidence. A fascinating read.
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
If you've heard of Richard Dawkins, but have never read any of his books, put aside any preconceptions and pick up a copy of this. If you're looking for an encompassing, straight-talking explanation of what genes are, how they work and how they have evolved over millions of years, then this is the book for you. Some people find this a life-changing book; so clear is Dawkins' explanation of how genes function. It holds up a mirror to your own behaviour.
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley
Another Matt Ridley book; he has a knack for making stuff that is really, really complicated, sound really, really simple. If you're intrested in genetics, but find the terminology (and the sheer volume of it) a little overwhelming, then this is a must-read. Clear, concise and jam-packed full of fascinating anecdotes that demonstrate how our genes affect who we are.
Alice in Quantumland by Robert Gillmore
Quantum mechanics can be a tricky subject to get a handle on, but this clever re-write of C.S. Lewis' 'Alice in Wonderland' does an admirable job of making many very difficult quantum concepts a lot easier to grasp. It's written like a fictional story in the 'Alice' style, but uses scenarios to explain theories and concepts in quantum mechanics.
A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking
If you've never read anything by the world's most famous physicist, Stephen Hawking, then here's the one you should start with. It's an updated and easier to read version of his 1988 bestseller 'A Brief History of Time'.
Wonders of the Universe by Brian Cox
Brian Cox is a particle physicist and also presents a number of physics-based BBC documentaries. This book compliments his television programme of the same name. Amongst the many fascinating subjects covered are stars, black holes, and the death of our sun. A great introduction to the universe.
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time by Dava Sobel
This is a short, but enlightening book about John Harrison, the eighteenth century clockmaker who built the first marine chronometer (clock) that was accurate enough to be used to determine longitude at sea. This was a critical invention that enabled safe long-distance sea travel. There is relatively little written about John Harrison, so the book is a welcome insight to this brilliant man, as well as to the world of astronomy in the 18th century.
Homo britannicus by Chris Stringer
If you're interested in very old archaeology and human evolution, then this is a perfect mix. The book traces the prehistory of the colonisation of Britain; not only looking at the archaeological sites and the fascinating objects that former hominins (humans) left behind, but also the techniques used to investigate and analyse them.
I haven't read this one myself, but Holly swears by it!
