#books


# sci-fi

the xenonite plot armor of project hail mary

Hail Mary was a badly mismanaged, rushed death trap driven by groupthink and politics, and Ryland Grace was right to balk at the idea.
the xenonite plot armor of project hail mary

# tech

hate at first read: book spam by chat bots is smothering the web

Readers feel scammed. Authors are furious. But AI book slop continues to proliferate like a plague.
hate at first read: book spam by chat bots is smothering the web

# astrobiology    

no, no, go on, bring on the hate clicks

Nick Redfern's publishers really didn't like having his theory debunked...
no, no, go on, bring on the hate clicks

# science    

yes, the universe can be explained by the spinning of atoms. get over it.

Curtis White fancies himself a man of deep thought and keep insight. His "nuh-uh" take on Dawkins' The God Delusion shows otherwise.
yes, the universe can be explained by the spinning of atoms. get over it.

# evolution    

why evolution didn't really need darwin

If Darwin never published his treatise, we'd still have a theory of evolution almost identical to the one we have today thanks to his contemporaries.
why evolution didn't really need darwin

# oddities    

shadow nation, now on amazon.com

The sci-fi experiment is now loose on Amazon.com for less than the price of a latte.
shadow nation, now on amazon.com

# oddities    

defending us from enemies, even imaginary ones

Right wing conspiracy theorists are really, really, really invested in a New World Order plot they believe is outlined in a document called Agenda 21...
defending us from enemies, even imaginary ones

# science    

the challenge of popular science writing

No good deed goes unpunished, including writing a science book that will get critiqued by scientists who aren't shy about getting pedantic.
the challenge of popular science writing

# politics    

and so the world loses a titan of journalism…

R.I.P. Christopher Hitchens, 04.13.1949 - 12.15.2011
and so the world loses a titan of journalism…

# oddities    

and now, a reminder about post-modernism

Even a cursory glance at post-modernism shows that it's basically just trendy nonsense. Emphasis on nonsense.
and now, a reminder about post-modernism

# science    

cooking, now with extra science and precision

Cooking is primarily an art. Nathan Myhrvold wants to make it much more of a science with a creative flair.
cooking, now with extra science and precision

# space    

your dose of graphic, dystopian post-humanism

Dougal Dixon has seen the future of the human species and it's not a fun or good one...
your dose of graphic, dystopian post-humanism

# tech    

mixing technology and evolution yet again…

It's often tempting to compare advancements in technology to evolution. But they're two fundamentally different processes.
mixing technology and evolution yet again…

# oddities    

shadow nation: future shock, part three

The third, and for now, final installment of a sci-fi experiment focused on this blog's favorite themes.
shadow nation: future shock, part three

# evolution    

starting a controversy for controversy's sake

Jerry Fodor and Massimo Piattelli-Palmarini wrote a book about evolution riddled with mistakes called out by biologists. Now they're pretending their critics are faceless nobodies with suspect credentials.
starting a controversy for controversy's sake

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