Recommended Books

The Demon-Haunted World - The next-to-last book written by Carl Sagan, this is a lucid and compeling discussion of how science is really the only tool we have in trying to understand our universe. In this book Sagan takes on faulty reasoning and pseudoscience (such as UFOs, psychic phenomena, faith healing, and creationism), and provides a critical thinking 'toolkit' of methods for separating reality from "baloney".

Rare Earth - By Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee, this popular science book examines the question of how common, or rare, are Earth-like planets - hosting complex animal life - in the universe. This book is highly relevant to environmental concerns, because it points out how difficult it probably is to form and maintain a biosphere on a planet, and why a pleasant planet like ours is likely to be a very unusual phenomenon.

The Life and Death of Planet Earth - Also by Ward and Brownlee, and written as a follow-up to their book Rare Earth. In this book, the authors discuss the ultimate fate of our world in the distant geologic future. How will the world end, and when? The authors describe how natural phenomena such as plate tectonics, the Sun's life cycle, and biology will likely result in a slow, lingering death for our biosphere, within the next several hundred million years. Don't read this while depressed.

The Five Ages of the Universe - By physicists Fred C. Adams and Greg Laughlin, lays out the history of our universe from start to finish in readable, entertaining language for the non-scientist. Beginning with the first instants of the Big Bang, Adams and Laughlin take the reader on a tour through five major phases in the character of the cosmos, including the primordial era of high energy and exotic particles, through the era of bright stars and galaxies, to desolute future eras of dark galaxies and empty entropic vistas stretching out trillions upon trillions of years. Reading this book is quite a mind-expanding experience.

The Elegant Universe (by Brian Greene), and The Whole Shebang (by Timothy Ferris) - Both of these books are very readable for the layman, and describe the current state of our knowledge about the universe, its beginnings, and its ultimate structure. Both are well-written and very entertaining for someone interested in cosmology and astronomy.

The Beak of the Finch - By Jonathan Weiner, is one of the best books I have ever read about the mechanics of evolution. Written for the layman, this fascinating book traces the studies of Peter and Rosemary Grant, evolutionary biologists studying Galapagos finches for the past thirty-odd years. The Grants have demonstrated that severe selection pressures (in this case on a harsh, desert island in the ocean) can result in measurable evolutionary change in animal populations in as little as one year, rather than the millions of years most people assume that evolution requires to work.

The Song of the Dodo - By David Quammen, is part travelogue, part history of evolution studies, and part lament over what appears to be an oncoming mass extinction on Earth caused by human takeover of habitats. This book gives a sobering look at species extinctions caused by humans in the last centuries, today, and in the near future. This is a very readable and absorbing look at how evolution works in isolated communities such as islands, and what this tells us about our own future on Island Earth.

Podcasts

Evolution 101 Podcast - Recorded by Zachary Moore, a molecular biologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Each episode of this podcast addresses a specific question or concept in evolutionary biology, using plain language and straightforward description. This is an invaluable resource of information on the genetic and biological dimensions of evolution. Highly recommended!

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe - The Skeptics Guide to the Universe is a weekly Podcast talkshow produced by the New England Skeptical Society (NESS) discussing the latest news and topics from the world of the paranormal, fringe science, and controversial claims from a scientific point of view.

Skepticality: Truth in Podcasting - [From their website:] We're tired of pertinent social and science news being buried in claptrap. Our podcast is here to bring you relevant, under reported current events, as well as in-depth discussions from a scientific, critical, skeptical, and humorous point of view. In our travels we will tackle the beasts of pseudoscience; the paranormal, supernatural, ufo / alien encounters, misunderstood history, and overwrought legends - urban or otherwise. Welcome to Skepticality, truth in podcasting.

This Week in Science: the Kickass Science Podcast - [From their website:] The kickass weekly science and technology radio show presenting a humorous and irreverent look at the week in science and technology. Each week TWIS discusses the latest in cutting edge news on topics such as cybernetics, space exploration, DIY neurochemistry mods, and a show favorite: "Countdown to World Robot Domination". The show is hosted by Kirsten, a PhD candidate in neuroscience, and Justin, a smart-ass, professional washing machine salesman. Great show - check it out.

Science Friday - Science Friday, as heard on NPR, is a weekly discussion of the latest news in science, technology, health, and the environment hosted by Ira Flatow. Ira interviews scientists, authors, and policymakers, and listeners can call in and ask questions as well. Hear it each week on NPR stations nationwide, or online.

Weblinks

National Center for Science Education - The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) defends the teaching of evolution in public schools. We are a nationally-recognized clearinghouse for information and advice to keep evolution in the science classroom and "scientific creationism" out. NCSE is the only national organization to specialize in this issue.

PlanetQuest - Astronomers around the world are engaged in one of the most important activities of all time; the search for other life-bearing worlds in the cosmos. This website shows how astronomers search for other solar systems, and how many of them we've found already (154 planets so far, in 97 different star systems - as of 9 September, 2005). There's even a really good 3D map (the New Worlds Atlas) of where the other known star systems are in our galactic neighborhood. For up-to-date information on the newest extrasolar planet discoveries, also check out The California & Carnegie Planet Search.

How Stuff Works - This massive site contains articles on an astounding variety of topics, including hundreds of different scientific and environmental subjects. It's a great resource for brief, clear, and useful information on everything from how to make beer to how a nuclear reactor works.