Category Archives: science
Circumference (Nicholas Nicastro)
When I first learned about Eratosthenes from some long-forgotten astronomy book in my youth, roughly age 10, I fell in love with the name: Air-uh-TOSS-the-knees. I’ve always enjoyed pronouncing long words and names like that. Once I had the name … Continue reading
Tree: A Life Story (David Suzuki & Wayne Grady)
Evergreens help make much of the Pacific Northwest one of the most beautiful places on earth. Pines, cedars, and Douglas-fir line the horizon almost everywhere I go, and I’m lucky enough to see a few out any window of my … Continue reading
First Scientific American (Joyce Chaplin)
I was telling you last time how much enjoy reading about Benjamin Franklin. Now permit me to mention the umpteenth biography I’ve read about him. Franklin had at least five successful careers: writer, businessman, scientist, civic leader, international statesman. Biographers … Continue reading
This is Your Brain on Music (Daniel Levitin)
Musicians are constantly toying with us. They roll a melody up and down a musical rollercoaster. They take us on unexpected sidetracks. They bounce themes from one instrument to another like kids playing hackey sack. And sometimes they smuggle other … Continue reading
The Anatomist (Bill Hayes)
The Anatomist [LibraryThing / WorldCat] was an interesting plunge into one subject (anatomy) and three lives (the author of Gray’s Anatomy, the illustrator of that same book, and the author of this book). It was not the book I expected … Continue reading
