Science is all the rage. So much so that it has at times enraged and created division. And, yet, the scientific method and rational inquiry still enable some of the world’s greatest minds to learn more about life, the universe, and everything and then share what they’ve found out with the rest of us. The world of science books, written for a popular audience, is thriving and a change in one’s knowledge and understanding of what’s actually happening in nature can shift one’s perspective on the world and add to one’s appreciation of life.
Science can be summed up with the sentence: “This is what we know right now based on the evidence we have found.” Both the cool – and sometimes confusing – thing is that what we know about many areas of nature and being human changes rapidly based on the extraordinary range of studies and experiments going on. It can be challenging to those who want absolute, concrete answers immediately and do not feel comfortable with the ambiguity of the unknown, or the possible changing of our understanding about fundamental aspects of the universe in a matter of moments.
The history of science is filled with heroes, villains and everything in between – but one thing it has never been short on is passionate people trying to make sense of what’s going on – sometimes correctly and sometimes erroneously – and the public responding in many different ways in many different time periods.
Here are some popular science titles that have had an impact on me in recent days; perhaps they have or will make an impact on you. Ultimately, the best part about reading science is not only learning something new, but reflecting on it, analyzing it for yourself and letting it enhance your sense of wonder.
An Immense World by Ed Yong explores the world of animal perception. Beyond the human capacity to see, hear, taste, smell and more are animals of many different species who can see aspects of the light spectrum we cannot, hear things beyond our capacity, and sense in different, non-human ways that underscore the fact that human beings see the universe through the senses they evolved over time just like every other animal. Do animals have feelings? Findings show that mammals, to name one branch of the tree of life, do. Of course, anyone who has a dog or cat can already tell you that they’re intelligent, feeling creatures with rich inner lives – all influenced by their senses and how they perceive the world. In that way, humans are not so different from other animals.
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow is a sociological re-evaluation of how human societies have coexisted and evolved. What are the implications of hunter-gatherer societies living alongside pastoralists, all living alongside or at the same time as, for instance, the Sumerians? One, according to the authors, is that groups of human beings have organized themselves in myriad ways over the course of human existence, ranging from egalitarian groups to rigid hierarchies. The takeaway is that our conventional notion of linear human “progress” in terms of how societies evolve may not be exactly what we thought it was. On occasion, re-evaluating everything can be invigorating and, yes, controversial.
Finally,
Determined by Robert Sapolsky explores the concept of determinism and lack of free will. This is an idea that has been – and will be – debated likely as long as there are human beings. Regardless of one’s view, Sapolsky puts forth a compelling argument that a person’s biology and environment inform the individual’s capacity for thought and action. A question he often likes to ask is one along the lines of: “How did you become the kind of person who would make a particular decision at a particular time?” From Sapolsky’s point of view, one’s biology – even one’s ancestor’s behaviors – along with environmental factors determine an individual’s behavior, and not an essential self that is beyond the physical brain. His conclusions can be freeing, frightening or both.
Ultimately, science is the quest to understand what’s going on in the universe. Reading popular science books is a way to enhance your own knowledge, challenge your understanding, draw your own conclusions and take part in the conversation.
By: Chip McAuley, Hopewell Branch
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