Brainy Reads

NBC News released a list of the best brainy (aka science and technology) reads released in 2014. Click here to read the full article.
The Copernicus Complex by Caleb Scharf
The Copernicus Complex: Our Cosmic Significance in a Universe of Planets and Probabilities by Caleb Scharf
The Copernican principle--the idea that there is nothing special about our location in the Universe--may be needing an update, claims the author of this overview of the current state of astrobiology and its intersection with cosmology and philosophy, himself an astrobiologist at Columbia University. Life in the Universe may be rarer than what the naive conclusions of the Copernican principle predict. (Publisher Summary)



Proof: the Science of Booze by Adam Rogers
Proof: The Science of Booze by Adam Rogers
Humans have been perfecting the science of alcohol production for ten thousand years, but modern scientists are only just beginning to distill the complex reactions behind the perfect buzz. In a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers puts our alcoholic history under the microscope, from our ancestors’ accidental discovery of fermented drinks to the cutting-edge laboratory research that proves why—or even if—people actually like the stuff. (Publisher Summary)




Starlight Detectives by Alan Hirshfeld
Starlight Detectives: How Astroners, Inventors, and Eccentrics Discovered the Modern Universe by Alan Hirshfeld
Traces the history of astronomy through advancements in three technologies--photography, spectrometry, and telescopy--and profiles the ambitious scientists behind the birth of modern astronomy. (Publisher Summary)


The End of Absence by Michael Harris
The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We've Lost in a World of Constant Connection by Michael Harris
Only one generation in history (ours) will experience life both with and without the Internet. For everyone who follows us, online life will simply be the air they breathe. Today, we revel in ubiquitous information and constant connection, rarely stopping to consider the implications for our logged-on lives. Michael Harris chronicles this massive shift, exploring what we've gained--and lost--in the bargain. (Publisher Summary)


The Innovators by Walter Issacson
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Issacson
A revelatory history of the people who created the computer and the Internet discusses the process through which innovation happens in the modern world, citing the pivotal contributions of such figures as Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, Bill Gates, and Tim Berners-Lee. (Publisher Summary)


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