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'The greatest unknown was how much energy would be released by the weapon': How scientists prepared for the Trinity nuclear testBook excerpt In this excerpt from "Trinity: An Illustrated History of the World’s First Atomic Test," author Emily Seyl looks at the buildup to the 1945 test that changed history. She explores the huge effort to design experiments that would ultimately establish whether the gargantuan explosion in the middle of the desert was a success.
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'A fine line between reducing stigma and trivialising conditions': Social media, self-diagnosis and the glamorization of ADHDBook excerpt Social media, self-diagnosis and the glamorization of ADHD
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'No longer will anything seem impossible or marvellous': How an 'immoral, foul-mouthed and violent man' wrote the first eyewitness account of a total solar eclipseBook excerpt In this excerpt from the book "Solar Eclipses" by William Sheehan, we learn of how an ancient Greek poet, who wrote a series of scurrilous songs and deserted the field of battle, became a hero among eclipse-watchers today.
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'These were harder than any other blades, cut sharper and cost more'Book excerpt In this excerpt from "The Age of Alchemy," author Kit Chapman reveals how ancient Sri Lankans created steel of legends by harnessing monsoons.
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'The apparent chaos of the Anthropocene is turbocharging evolution itself'Book excerpt In this excerpt from "Despite it All," author Fred Pearce explores the ways plants are adapting and evolving in the face of climate change — and how we need to recognize this reality and foster its potential boost to biodiversity, rather than holding steadfast to our notions of what types of nature should and shouldn't be allowed to thrive.
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'A dangerous proposition': How AI is warping the social fabric and the ways we collectively imagine the futureExcerpt In this excerpt from "Predicted: How AI Is Restructuring Social Life," author Mona Sloane examines how artificial intelligence is reconfiguring our understanding of the world and how we imagine the future.
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'He looked like Ramses the Great': How experimental archaeologists used ancient techniques to mummify a modern-day personExcerpt In his new book, "Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists Are Re-creating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations," science writer Sam Kean explains the odd and intriguing world of experimental archaeologists.
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'Animals were imprisoned in jails where humans were incarcerated': The bizarre trials of the Late Middle Ages — and surprising lack of criminal catsExcerpt Animal trials took place across Europe from the Late Middle Ages until the end of the 18th century. In this excerpt from "Cats: A History", Rod Phillips explores this strange practice, and looks why cats appear to have been largely law-abiding.
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'We were being bullied in our own home': How 'authoritarian' HOAs are contributing to the insect apocalypseExcerpt In the book "Bitter Honey," writer and researcher Jennie Durant explores how industrial agriculture is destroying bees — and what can be done to stop them.
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