Science and Inquiry discussion

I just finished the book Thinking, Fast and Slow. Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel laureate in economics, but earlier in his career he did groundbreaking work in the psychology of decision-making. The book is an excellent description of the fallacies of human decision-making. Here is my review.

"The Fate of the Species: Why the Human Race May Cause Its Own Extinction and How we Can Stop It," by Fred Guterl. A very good, and disturbing, read with a self-explanatory title that was written by the editor of Scientific American (which I also highly recommend). I have a full review on my blog.

Dr. Leonardo Noto
www.leonardonoto.com

Just finished reading Jim Baggott's new book called 'Higgs: The Invention and Discovery of the 'God Particle''. The book discusses the recent discovery of the Higgs boson, of course, but it also does an excellent job of explaining the development of the Standard Model of particle physics (which theory is our best explanation of matter and force, and the theory of which the Higgs boson is a part). The book provides just what the general reader needs to understand the discovery of the Higgs boson and what it all means. I've written an executive summary of the book available here: http://newbooksinbrief.wordpress.com/...

Cheers,
Aaron

Just finished Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters by Donald Prothero. Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

As I stated in the review, once he goes on land he sticks with the vertebrates and doesn't have anything to say about plants or insects. Perhaps these two great families deserve their own books. Can anyone recommend good books on plant or insect evoltion? Also, how about a good book for the lay reader on systematics and cladistics?

Steve wrote: "Just finished Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters by Donald Prothero. Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

As I stated in the review, once he goes on la..."

Thanks for the review. I would have looked for the book.

I am reading a beautiful and fun expression of science thinking, Science Ink, Tattoos of the Science Obsessed by Carl Zimmer. He provides wonderful color pictures of tattoos worn by scientists accompanied by stories of why each symbol is important to that person. The book is divided into sections -- mathematics, physics to humanity and neuroscience. Some of the tattoos are broad topics such DNA or entropy while others are very specific items important to a scientist's dissertation or other work.

I just finished reading Isaac Asimov's book, Roving Mind. If you have never read one of Asimov's nonfiction books, this one is a great place to start. It is a collection of short essays, many of which are speculations about the future. Since he wrote them in the late 70's and early 80's, it is fascinating to see which of predictions have been proven to be correct, and which ones are dead-wrong. Here is my review.

David wrote: "I just finished reading Isaac Asimov's book, Roving Mind. If you have never read one of Asimov's nonfiction books, this one is a great place to start. It is a collection of short essays, many of wh..."

I had a similar reaction after reading his
The Collapsing Universe, which takes the reader on a tour of the least dense to the most dense material in the universe, explained so clearly as only Asimov could do.

Steve wrote: "Just finished Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters by Donald Prothero. Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

As I stated in the review, once he goes on la..."

The only thing in my library about insects is a non-lay book. It is a behemoth of a text and quite technical unfortunately.

I am reading The Social Conquest of the Earth by Edward O Wilson. It is his new book that came out in 2012.

Just finished reading Paul Tough's new book called 'How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character'. The book explores the character traits that lead to success, and how we can cultivate them in young people. It's a game changer. I've written an executive summary of the book available here:

http://newbooksinbrief.wordpress.com/...

Cheers,
Aaron

Just read The Baldwin Effect. I thought the book was only mediocre but the subject was so interesting I still think it's worth a read. Here's my review:

"The Baldwin Effect is kind of a fascinating idea - that mind can direct evolution. This notion was supposedly laid to rest with the disgrace of Lamarck, but Baldwin (and others) may have found a loophole. We all know the apocryphal interpretation of giraffe neck evolution as presented by Lamarck - by striving to reach leaves on higher branches, early giraffes supposedly stretched their necks and these changes were then passed on to their offspring. The germ/soma distinction, as well as some conclusive experiments involving cutting the tails off many a poor rat (and finding that their offspring had no shorter tails) laid that mechanism to rest.

However, consider this: at some point in the past there were antelope-like precursors to giraffes. If none of those antelope creatures had ever decided to reach for the higher leaves, natural selection would have had nothing to operate on to select for longer necks. Much like Waddington's notion of "genetic assimilation" (another very cool idea, now accepted but beyond the scope of this review), it was the behavior (read: minds) of these giraffe precursors striving for the higher leaves that exposed the genetic variation already existing to the action of natural selection, thus opening up a new channel for evolutionary development.

That's a crude example of the process and this book contains many more sophisticated and interesting treatments, but I think it illustrates the main point - behavior can "lead the way" for genetic modification to follow. We can certainly think of definitive cases where this has been the case. Domestication of plants and animals comes to mind, as well as our own "domestication" since the invention of agriculture. That's not to mention the explicitly mind-directed evolution that is resulting from our conscious use of genetic engineering.

This book provides a good introduction to the Baldwin effect, though it's quite technical and some essays are more convincing than others. As usual, Terry Deacon's star shines and his two contributions are the best in the collection. Read anything by him for a methamphetamine jolt of cerebral wonder."

Evolution and Learning: The Baldwin Effect Reconsidered

I am finishing Kluge. Its primary thesis is that our evolution is messy leading to a clumsiness that could only result from the peculiarities of natural selection. His examples are interesting, especially his discussion of human memory. He debunks many of the ideas of others who have attempted to give a reason for the evolution of a specific feature.

I just finished reading The Link: Uncovering Our Earliest Ancestor by Colin Tudge. The book centers around the discovery of "Ida", the oldest primate fossil ever discovered, a skeleton that is almost complete. When discussing Ida, the book is fascinating. But, much of the book is far too detailed for me to completely understand. Here is my review.

My latest read was The Crucible of Creation: The Burgess Shale and the Rise of Animals by Simon Conway Morris. I had wanted to read this ever since reading Stephen Gould's Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History a couple of years ago since it was my understanding that Conway Morris disagreed with some of Gould's theories.

Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Just finished reading 'The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction' by Larry Young. The book explores the biology and chemistry of everything from gender identity (and sexual orientation) to love (and parenting) to monogamy (and infidelity), taking us inside our bodies to investigate the genes and hormones that influence our approach to love, sex and relationships. The book is very good but could have afforded to focus more attention on the evolutionary reasons behind the phenomenon in question. I've written an executive summary of the book available here:

http://newbooksinbrief.wordpress.com/...

Cheers,
Aaron

Graham wrote: "Steve wrote: "I think it may simply be that I am more interested in the physical, practical side of science and evolution rather that the philosphical side. ..."

A lot of scientists feel like that..."

I'm halfway through "How the Hippies Saved Physics" by David Kaiser, which is about the contributions to quantum mechanics (specifically quantum entanglement) by a group of "New Age" physicists who were dissatisfied with the "shut up and calculate" approach of the physics establishment of the time (which was itself a reaction to the philosophical / interpretive approach of the previous generation). This was definitely a far out group of people, but I can see how their unconventional thinking was indispensable to moving forward with something so weird as quantum mechanics. (And he's dropped hints about their contributions to higher-dimensional physics, but so far hasn't focused on that.) The group got a fair amount of popular exposure in the '70's and apparently not much credence amongst "serious" scientists, but the author seems to be building a decent case that we wouldn't be talking about (potentially) practical things like quantum cryptography if it wasn't for these philosophical (and more than a little nutty) physicists. Folks who remember the '70's might already be familiar with the physicists in question (Elizabeth Rauscher et al.)

It's easy to scoff at a lot of the ideas they put forward and hoaxes they bought into, but in amongst the non-sense were some important gems that more credible thinkers probably never would have dreamed up. I don't want to give the impression that these folks were just abstract thinkers; they were genuine theoretical and experimental physicists armed with equations and laboratories, and like anyone, some of their ideas held up to testing and some didn't.

Anyway, I find it an interesting take on the necessity for philosophy (or "interpretive" thinking) along side science.

I just finished reading 1434 The Year a Magnificent Chinese Fleet Sailed to Italy and Ignited the Renaissance. It is a wonderfully original book based on reams of evidence, that a Chinese fleet reached Italy in 1434. The ships were stocked with massive encyclopedias, learned scientists and scholars, and weapons, and exerted a great influence on the Renaissance. Here is my review.

Just finished reading the New York Times bestseller 'The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail--but Some Don't' by Nate Silver. The book explores the factors that complicate forecasting across many fields, with a focus on the economy. The book also delves into the subtle things that can be done to help make us better predictors. Essentially, Silver brings a little science to the the art of prediction. The book is superb. I've written a full executive summary of the book here:

http://newbooksinbrief.com/2012/10/15...

Cheers,
Aaron

deleted user wrote: "James wrote: "I finished reading Richard Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution ..."

You've sold me on that, James. It does sound good. I've read his 'God Delusion' and 'The Selfish Gene', and can heartily recommend both, although the latter does get a little drawn out towards the end with the 'Prisoner' game.

I just abandoned The Quantum Universe, by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, due to the focus on mathematics and some very vague explanations on equations. Although I'm fascinated by the sub-atomic world, I'm uncertain about quantum mechanics (geeky joke).

If I can hold out one book to everyone here, it would have to be Bill Bryson's A Short History Of Nearly Everything, which is a fascinating exploration into the origins of all the sciences.

Any recommendations for books on theoretical physics, particularly black holes/warp holes?

Aaron wrote: "Just finished reading the New York Times bestseller 'The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail--but Some Don't' by Nate Silver. The book explores the factors that complicate forecastin..."

Sounds interesting, Aaron. A while ago I read the book
The Predictioneer's Game: Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future. Although the book really is a self-serving, self-advertisement for the author, it is very thought provoking. The author claims that a model that he developed allows him (and his students) to reliably predict political events.

I just finished Plutonium: A History of the World's Most Dangerous ElementJeremy Bernstein If you are interested in the history of how plutonium came to be and a lite dose of the science around it then this is a very readable book. I would give it 5 stars.

Just finished reading George Church's new book called Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves. The book tracks the evolution of genomics and genetic engineering (now called synthetic biology), and explores current and upcoming developments and technologies in biotech from biomaterials to bioenergy to biomedicine. The book is invigorating and inspiring. I've written a full executive summary of the book at:
http://newbooksinbrief.com/2012/10/30...

Cheers,
Aaron

Just finished reading Thinking, Fast and Slow by the grandfather of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman. The book breaks down thinking into two systems: intuition and deliberation, and explores their interaction. The main argument of the book is that intuitive thinking often misleads us, and that it is important to know the many ways that it does so in order that we may catch the errors. Very interesting and useful stuff. I've written a full executive summary of the book available here: http://newbooksinbrief.com/2012/11/13...

Cheers,
Aaron

Aaron wrote: "Just finished reading Thinking, Fast and Slow by the grandfather of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman. The book breaks down thinking into two systems: intuition and deliberation, and explores th..."

I agree Aaron, it's a very good book. I especially enjoy books by people who are truly experts in the subject. The thorough understanding of the subject shines through, and the explanations really ring true, especially when written as well as this one is!

I'm a bit more than half-way through Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution Excellent stuff covering the evolution of the universe as well as life. It seems much more narrative driven than his other books I've read recently (primarily because those were compilations of articles from other sources I think)

I recently picked up Geology Underfoot in Northern Arizona while at Sunset Crater near Flagstaff. Having now read this wonderful book I can't wait to go back to the region and visit each of the amazing geologic wonders it describes.

Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Just finished reading Ray Kurzweil's new book How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed. The book charts the progress of artificial intelligence, and points up how these machines are already operating according to the same principles as our brains. As our understanding of the brain continues to advance, Kurzweil argues, we will be able to use this knowledge to build machines that are ever more human-like--until, eventually, our machines will achieve human-level intelligence, and beyond. The book is inspiring and daunting all at once. I've written an executive summary of the book available here: http://newbooksinbrief.com/2012/11/27...

Cheers,
Aaron

I've just finished reading Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe. Despite the title, this excellent book is really about the construction of the first electronic computers at the Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton, and the search for scientific problems that could be attacked by computers. It features a number of people who worked in this area, principally John von Neumann. Here is my review.

David wrote: "I've just finished reading Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe. Despite the title, this excellent book is really about the construction of the first electronic computers at the ..."

I am reading a book on energy called the Quest. It has a John von Neumann story in it. A young math PhD approached Neumann at a rail station and was having a pleasant conversation when Neumann asked him what he was working on. He said he was working on helping build an electronic calculating device that could do 300 multiplications per second. The conversation stopped being pleasant and became a PhD thesis defense at once! The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World

I am reading E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation. It is a well written and greatly illustrated book. Reading this book i came to know how actually this equation came into existence.

I just finished by Daniel Yergin over 1500 pages on my e-reader but if you want to be informed about the energy situation, worth the read. Not a lot of science as such but very relevant for informed discussions.

Patricrk wrote: "I just finished by Daniel Yergin over 1500 pages on my e-reader but if you want to be informed about the energ..."

Patricrk, I enjoyed reading that book, too. I found it to be very comprehensive.

Patricrk wrote: "I just finished Quest by Daniel Yergin over 1500 pages on my e-reader ..." I loved his earlier book, The Prize, about the history and politics of oil. Such a great writer in putting so much history together and make the nattative come out like a story.

I just finished by Michael Capuzzo. It is about using forensics to solve cold-case murders. I found the profiling portion to be the most interesting. I am interested in psychology. I didn't like the way the author jumped around from case to case. At times, it was quite confusing.

A friend who knew that I read quite a bit of science loaned me his copy of A Short History of Nearly Everything. Despite some of the comments made by members of this group I felt obligated to read it. And yes it was a very high-level overview of a raft of discplines, and now more than a touch out of date (e.g. when talking about paleoanthropology he doesn't mention the Denisovans), but nevertheless it was an enjoyable read and had some humorous and/or different slants on individuals or discoveries that I had previously read about. As others have said, it's the kind of book to recommend to your teens, friends or relatives that appear to have an interest in science but have yet to read very much in the field.

Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Steve wrote: "A friend who knew that I read quite a bit of science loaned me his copy of A Short History of Nearly Everything. Despite some of the comments made by members of this group I felt obligated to read..."

I love that book! I also love Eiseleys The Immense Journey with is half-a-century out of date but the writing and the insights are so profound it goes way beyond the raw science and is very much still relevant.

The Immense Journey: An Imaginative Naturalist Explores the Mysteries of Man and Nature

Currently I'm reading "The Biology of Belief" by Bruce H. Lipton. As a biologist, I find the reading really interesting and breathtaking. The story itself is presented in an unique and exciting way.

Interesting, I thought this was about religion, but on looking it up, it seems to be one of those "little engine that could" books. :)

Kenny wrote: "Interesting, I thought this was about religion, but on looking it up, it seems to be one of those "little engine that could" books. :)"

It is, indeed :)

Just finished reading the new book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb called Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder. Taleb makes the case that complex systems (including the body, technology, businesses, the economy, politics etc.) benefit when they are allowed to unfold organically and with a measure of randomness, as opposed to being designed in a top-down, formulaic way (though it is the spirit of the age to think otherwise). It’s a very intriguing point of view. I’ve written a full executive summary of the book available here: http://newbooksinbrief.com/2012/12/17...

Cheers,
Aaron

I was given a copy of Physics of Star Trek and even though it is somewhat dated (1996) I still found it worthwhile. Here's my review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Last year I read the "Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. I was fascinated as well as horrified at the liberties taken with Henrietta's cells and the fact that the medical community didn't feel it was necessary to inform her family what they were doing. It was a very interesting and thought provoking book.

We read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks as a group read in April 2011. As you said, it was fascinating, but maddening.

I just finished reading The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution & Future of the Human Animal by Jared Diamond. Like Diamond's other books, it is filled with speculation--but it is fascinating and very entertaining. Here is my review.

Betsy wrote: "We read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks as a group read in April 2011. As you said, it was fascinating, but maddening."
It was maddening to me how much the book focused on the attitudes of surviving family members who didn't even remember their mother as well as the irrelevant social pathologies in that family and Skoots struggle to draw out their story. That Johns Hopkins never made any profit off the HeLa cells is buried in the story, so the righteous indignation gets misplaced.

The book did do a good job on the value of the cell line and on the origins of informed consent for use of one's cells.

David wrote: "I just finished reading The Third Chimpanzee--it is fascinating and very entertaining..." Thanks for a nice review. I can add to that by recommending Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are, which also explores how bonoboes might be more relevant to understanding human nature than chimpanzees.

Am eager to get my hands on Diamond's The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies?.

I'm interested in that Jared Diamond book as well, but from the reviews I read it doesn't expand much on what he's said before.

David wrote: "I just finished reading The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution & Future of the Human Animal by Jared Diamond. Like Diamond's other books, it is filled with speculation--but it is fascinating and very ..."

David, from your review it sounds as though 3rd Chimp covers some of the same territory as the book we're reading this month. Are you reading it and do you have any thoughts about their relative merits?

Steve wrote: "David wrote: "I just finished reading The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution & Future of the Human Animal by Jared Diamond. Like Diamond's other books, it is filled with speculation--but it is fascina..."

Yes, there is a bit of overlap. But the emphasis is entirely different between the two books. The emphasis in
The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human is on neuroscience, and on experiments that give clues about how the brain works. The emphasis in The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution & Future of the Human Animal is more about trying to understand human behavior, by figuring out what evolutionary advantage these behaviors gave to our ancestors.