Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with books and science

Can you recommend Science Fiction novels for me?

tumbleweedjack — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:57:52 -0800

The only science fiction novel I've read is "Contact" by Carl Sagan. Can you recommend me more? I like Contact because I feel like it dealt intelligently with humans discovering alien life. I saw that there are other threads about science fiction books, but I am in particular interested in books that explore the theme of 'first contact' between humans and aliens. Outside of that, if there are any absolute must-reads, like a Great Gatsby of Science Fiction, I'm open to that too.

The Origin of the Matrix

madmamasmith — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:30:53 -0800

Origin of the Matrix relating to a Science Fictional setting... I am reading Neuromancer by William Gibson and the main character mentions "the matrix", as something he "jacks in to". Now this is my first foray into sci-fi and I am only about 20 pages in but I was wondering where the term originated. Did The Matrix movie steal this term and its meaning from Gibson or was it already being used in previous sci-fi works? I have only ever heard it used in a sci-fi context so that's why I;m wondering. I'm admitting my lack of knowledge in this area, so please don't make me feel like a ding dong if the answer to this question is blindingly obvious to you! Also, while on the topic of Sci-fi, the last book I read in the genre was Ender's Game in junior high and I loved it, so please suggest any sci-fi reads I should check out.

Picture Book of Humans?

alice_curiouse — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:55:21 -0800

I am looking for a large picture book on anatomical differences of humans around the world... I am looking for a large book that has lots (hundreds?) of photos or drawings of what humans look like in different parts of the world.

I am not sure if National Geographic makes anything like this? Does anyone know of such a book?

Thank you!

Will trade literature for science?

Diagonalize — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:35:36 -0800

Which books can a physicist and a liberal arts type trade to gain a deeper appreciation of literature and science, respectively? Ideally, these would be books we could both read and enjoy. When we met, he was working on his PhD in particle theory and I was studying English literature. Worlds collide, sparks fly, and some four years later, he's Mr. Doctor McPhysics and I'm Little Miss Publishing-Noob. We're still happily together, but I still don't “get” science as much as I'd like, and I'd really like to find some great works of literature that he could enjoy too.

I didn't really take any hard science or math in college, and the science education in my high school was abysmal, so my education is rather lopsided. I have the basics and the odd bits and pieces I've picked up over the years (usually high-level physics), so I'd really love to find some really good, non-technical science books to supplement my unsteady diet of sci fi novels and pop sci articles.

As for Mr. Doctor McP, thanks to philosopher parents, he grew up much better read than many people I know now, but given that he spends the majority of his time slogging through academic papers, when he picks up a novel, he tends to gravitate to the lighter side of things (Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, etc.). That is totally understandable and swell (I loved those series too!), but I'd also love to share a bit more of the adult literary world with him.

Please hope me with this meeting of minds!

There are no gay people in the future. (Or are there?)

mumble — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:55:41 -0800

Looking for book recs about sci-fi, specifically about gender issues and jetpack-related physics. Slowly easing my way into science fiction (classic Star Trek as of right now, with some Blade Runner/Electric Sheep-related thoughts and plans to branch out some more), interested in two aspects of discussion right now. I did some quick Amazon and Google searches (not very helpful) and poked around a bit at AskMe, and was hoping for specific recommendations about these things:

1) Sci-fi as a white, male space </allegation>: Essay collections prefered over single-topic tomes. I'm referring specifically to sci-fi movies and novels and the way women, sexuality and/or race are handled in the narrative and, to a lesser extent, the history and culture of the genre as a whole.

2) Why transwarp teleportation will never be possible </opinion>: Books on the science behind the fiction, preferably written for the layperson without being overly cutesy about it. This sounded pretty ideal, until I read the last paragraph of this review. See 1).

Not looking for actual novel recs, just the meta. Will also take specific essays that can be found online, if you feel like sharing a link. Thanks very much in advance!

In space no one can here you scream, he wrote

fearfulsymmetry — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:41:29 -0800

What's the best literary equivalent of Alien/Aliens? Well obviously there's the Alan Dean Foster adaptations for a start... and the comics.

And I'm not limiting it to 'monster on a spaceship' or 'monsters on a planet + space marines' but anything that successfully merges Space Fiction/Opera and Horror.

Best reading on junk science

Neale — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:44:35 -0800

What's the best reading available for a summary of "Junk Science"? I'm looking for books/papers/literature at that demonstrate [1] Why people resort to junk science [2] What it looks like [3] How it's used and "proved" [4] Where it's been used [eg. ID, AIDS denial, global warming, cigarette cancer], [5] why it's important and the impact it's had [6] and how to argue against it.

Back to the Future Books

Pennyblack — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:46:30 -0800

Do you know of any old books which predicted (correctly or incorrectly) 'future' advances and applications of emergent technology? I just got a wonderful old book. Giant Brains: Machines that Think (1949). This is an early treatise on computers and their potential for the 'future'. I'm looking for other non-fiction, (similar to Popular Science/Mechanics) books written by early pioneers of research and development. Thanks!

Tell me a story about the outdoors

ajarbaday — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:57:32 -0800

What are your favorite layman's natural history books? I've read and enjoyed John McPhee's "Oranges", Pollan's "Botany of Desire", Armand Marie Leroi's "Mutants". I'm looking for other books that offer interesting narrative accounts with natural history as their theme. I would especially love to run into a good study of mushrooms (edible, not psychedelic).

I can browse through Amazon's recommended category, but I would love to hear some personal recommendations.

Looking for childhood Encyclopedia set.

studentbaker — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:46:40 -0800

I’m trying to remember the name of a set of themed encyclopedias for children from my childhood. Each book focused on a particular theme and had amazing illustrations and images that blew my little mind. The themes I can remember were dinosaurs, the ocean, plants, mammals, reptiles and I believe there was one focused on Native Americans and another on space exploration. I think I had around fifteen to twenty of the books. Each book was a different color. I think a new one came every year or six months, or maybe as my parents could afford them. This was in the late 70's, early 80's.

My mom gave them to a coworker for his children when I was in high school. I recently asked her about the books and she barely remembers books them, let alone the name. I would love to track down and purchase a set.

Is that a textbook in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

shaun uh — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 10:18:21 -0800

What small, easy-to-carry-around books provide a satisfying introduction to mathematic and scientific fields, topics and/or concepts? I'm a voracious reader who would rather spend my subway rides with my nose in a book instead of an ipod in my ear. Unfortunately, a lot of the types of things I've been reading lately are not easy to carry around with me for whenever I've got ten minutes to spare. Think textbooks - neuroeconomics, artificial intelligence, statistics, and oh, I picked up Roger Penrose's Road to Reality recently, it's great but too heavy to leave my room. Anyway, as much as I've been enjoying my textbooks, it's hard to make much headway, whereas I speed through anything I can carry around with me.

I would really love to be able to read textbook-like books (or at least pop sci books that can function as serious introductions to a topic or field) while sitting on the subway or while waiting somewhere for a friend. Something roughly novel-sized I could stuff into my handbag or keep in my backpack without killing my back. Any recommendations?

(I'm especially interested in learning more about statistics, probability theory, artificial intelligence, computational models, and various maths, but my interests are pretty vast so if you know a good book on a different topic feel free to recommend.)

please translate: bow wow. Meow. Buzz buzz.

grumblebee — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:02:45 -0800

Recommend non-fiction books about animals -- books that will blow my mind. I've read Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human.

I want to be smart so I can write clever Askme Headlines

Bageena — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:45:34 -0800

What are some easy, relatively quick ways to learn to write better, think clearer, and express myself better? There are a thousand reasons that I'd like to learn more about everything, not that anyone should need a reason to want that. Basically, when I'm writing on Mefi or on my blog, I keep finding myself grasping for words to express myself and coming up short. I know my grammer stinks as well. I want books, movies, and other means and mediums by which I can raise my intelligence quota a little. I'm interested in not just learning to write better, but learning to think clearer, argue my beliefs and values better, and feel more enlightened all-around. Extra points for pointing the way to free and/or 'fun' (ie: Nintendo DS games) paths to enlightenment.

Classic works in social and environmental sciences?

jofuu — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:31:03 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations on some must-read/classic literature from the social and environmental fields of science. I am currently taking general ed classes in the hope of pursuing a degree in anthropology (I'll be applying at Uconn this semester) and need some good material to hold me over.

Thanks Metafilter

Trying to remember a children's science fiction book series from my childhood

Schmucko — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:33:18 -0800

I'm trying to remember a children's science fiction book (or series of books) that I read about 35 years ago. One had a giant tentacled creature that held the good guys in its tentacles--drawn either on the cover or within the book. The other book I think was called "The Boy With the Power". The boy of the title I think was eventually revealed to have telekinisis or something, but as the book starts, he has amnesia and wakes up on a planet of Alpha Centuri, where he walks by a barbecue, smells hot dogs and hamburgers, and finds the hambergers tastier. Odd collection of things I remember--can anyone find links to the actual books?

Yes, I enjoy predictably irrational long tail freakonomics.

joshrholloway — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:27:04 -0800

Recommend some works similar to The Long Tail, Predictably Irrational, and Freakonomics. Within the past year I have read all three of these books and I absolutely loved them. I personally saw a common thread among them that really intrigued me, and I'm looking for more of the same.

I really like how they take on the common perceptions of how aspects of our world work and flip them on their heads, and expose the psychology and the underbelly of whole mindsets. I guess I'm looking for things that challenge the popular way of thinking and reveal possibilities about how stuff works that most people haven't thought about. If you've read any or all of these books, you'll understand what I'm talking about

I already have Everything Bad is Good For You by Steven Johnson, which I think will go along with this theme somewhat as well. So, AskMeFi, throw out some recommendations. Any books, articles, or similar are appreciated. Audiobooks (or podcasts or whatever) would be particularly awesome, because I have a moderately long commute that I like to use wisely.

Looking for an engaging, well-written book that explains scientific thinking

ManInSuit — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 19:34:51 -0800

Looking for an engaging, well-written book that explains scientific thinking A bunch of friends of mine are starting a science book club. They are mostly artist/poet/musician/writer types, who want to learn more about science.

As the most scientifically-minded of the bunch (ie: not very), what I really want is for them to learn a bit about how to think scientifically. So while they may be initially drawn to mind-blowing stuff about cosmology or quantum physics, what I really want is for them to get down to earth, and learn some solid basics of critical thinking, and scientific method. I want them to learn how to respond critically to science reporting in the papers, maybe get a little smarter about statistics, get over their innumeracy, maybe be smart about the perils and temptations of drawing inferences too quickly.

Mostly, I guess, I just want them to stop being such artist/poet/musician/writer types all the time.

Can anyone recommend any good book(s)?

Something well-written and interesting, that'll apeal to some pretty literate readers?

Thanks!

Got an (particular) old textbook there?

Squid Voltaire — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:56:46 -0800

I need to know the table of contents for the 2nd edition of Eysenck and Keane's Cognitive Psychology: A Student's Handbook, published in 1990, ISBN# 0863771548 I'm compiling a list of the tables of contents from various Cog Psych textbooks of the past four decades, as a (very) rough way to get a look at how the field has changed. I've managed to find the ToC for Eysenck and Keane's 1st edition textbook, as well as editions 3 through 5--all I need is the second edition to complete the set!

I do realize that this is a ridiculous thing to ask, but you never know. Maybe someone will read this and immediately meMail me the table of contents from E&K's Cognitive Psychology: A Student's Handbook, 2nd Ed., published in 1990. (:

Help me complete the set! I have to catch them all!

Blue Man, not the group.

Slap*Happy — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:25:47 -0800

I'm looking for an old science fiction novel about an evil, blue giant titled "The Blue Man" - the Google and Amazon search is poisoned by both The Blue Man Group, and a young-adult science fiction novel "The Blue Man" which isn't it at all. There is a science fiction novel I read long, long ago called, I think, "The Blue Man" - the Google and Amazon search is poisoned by both The Blue Man Group, and a young-adult science fiction novel "The Blue Man".

It was about a mysterious giant, the titular Blue Man, who laid waste to various human colonies on alien planets, a scene sticking out the most was of the giant being filmed rampaging though a domed-over city, then noticing the camera man and reaching for him, the broadcast going blank thereafter...

It was (I think) a cheesy 60's environmental/war political message dressed up as science fiction, but the scenes where the giant was doing his thing were really thrilling to this closeted giant-monster fan.

I think I would like to read it again, but it's been hell trying to track down a copy. I may have the title wrong.

Make my 10th grade bio teacher proud!

Attackpanda — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:21:15 -0800

I'm going to college soon. (Age 24; been working a desk job in health care since I was 18.) I've got an inkling I want to study biology. Recommend me some books to help me get the lay of the land and get fired up about this. Things that are awesome, weird or fascinating: evolution, viruses (where do they hide in your body, anyway?), fungi, genetics, the human body and especially the brain, insects (what are they good for?), dinosaurs, biotechnology (for starters, what the hell is it?), diseases (we had this one patient with a bone infection — I didn't even know there was such a thing), organ transplanting, ecology.

What books would you recommend to get a curious non-scientist oriented and excited about any of those subjects?

Things I'm not interested in: nursing or med school, dental hygiene, "customer service."

What books or courses will help me learn science?

dylan20 — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:35:24 -0800

What books or online courses will best help me learn science and engineering? I'm especially interested in physics, astronomy, general electronics, and computer science. I've got what I think is a pretty good basic aptitude for science -- I did very well in it in high school -- but avoided taking science or engineering classes, or for that matter any math, through college. Now, 15 years after graduating, I feel that I may have missed my calling.

I'm interested in substantive introductory treatments of the topics -- not just "A Brief History of the Universe" glosses on the big picture, but books or courses that will help me understand what's really going on, from a basic level and building on up. Mind you, I'm not trying to turn myself into a physicist, I just want an understanding that goes beyond the vague fuzzy hand-waving stage.

I've started reteaching myself calculus using Silvanus P. Thompson's Calculus Made Easy, which is fun, and challenging. So I'm not afraid of math, as long as it's explained, or as long as I can figure out where to get an explanation.

Finding anatomy poster source image?

andreux — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:50:06 -0800

How can I find the original source image from an anatomy poster? I'm looking for the original source image that this poster is taken from.

It looks like it's from an old anatomy textbook and is probably something now in the public domain.

I've found similar old anatomy color plates on Wikipedia and Project Gutenberg but can't find this particular work. I've also tried Googling some of the phrases from the inscription, but no luck.

Any suggestions?

Math for pre-schoolers

billtron — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 07:42:11 -0800

My cousin's four year old son is obsessed with things like quarks and infinity. He insists to his mother that infinity is the last number. She isn't so sure, and wants to know more about things like strangeness. I don't want to determine this kid's future, but it seems fun to feed his curiosity. And since my wife's babysitter was Murray Gell-Mann, the responsibility has fallen partially on my shoulders to help answer his questions. What kinds of information can you recommend that I give to his mother so that she, an attorney and not a mathematician, and her son can learn more about this information. In particular, what kinds of books, games, and projects would introduce him to other neat ideas in mathematics and physics?

Please help me find the title to this sci-fi book

passtehbrainz — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:47:27 -0800

Please help me find a specific sci-fi book earth destroyed distant future ---- many societies of people travel
on man made spheres. live forever have implant that allows them to
communicate with a computer and gives them information

one society visits the a settlement of previous vatican catholic
society ruled by priest and a pope council.

Tensions develop when they are visited by the advanced society.
Eventually, after a group wants to leave the pre- industrielized
society and join the others (rebellion) leaving the other society
short of citizens that could not be sustained, a nucluer bomb is snuck
on board the orbiting society and it slowly sinks out of orbit.
Before it does, survivoirs make way to a rescue craft and start a
new. They have to travel several generatons to another sphere that
is like a backup and reserve in case of problems. They no longer can
live forever but survive based on the training of the computers
education.

The catholic society is detroyed by the fall out of the orbiting spher

Fantastic fake science books and where to find them

easternblot — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:08:24 -0800

I'm looking for recommendations for fake science books, or humoristic books in the style of a science book. Examples: the Haggis-on-Whey books, or J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Disclaimer: It's for a tentative "humor" section of a fake course manual I'm supposed to write for a not-for-credit teaching course. My chosen course would be "science and pop culture", and I don't want to do the whole thing about movies and tv so I'm curious if there are enough of these parody books to warrant one or two proposed lecture hours on humor/comedy. The take home message would be: people have to be familiar with the way in which science is usually presented to be able to enjoy these kinds of books.