"Ugly Universe", "Ethics without Fools" and 6 more difficult popular science books for long winter evenings

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A selection of new interesting books from physicists, philosophers, anthropologists and other researchers.

If in summer we are drawn to easy reading, then in winter we want something more serious. These books will help you understand the structure of the Universe, plunge headlong into the world of creativity together with Discovery and its "Mythbusters", look at life from the point of view of science and master new effective strategies of thinking.

1. "The Ugly Universe: How the Search for Beauty Leads Physicists to a Dead End", Sabina Hossenfelder

Modern physicists revel in elegant formulas and equations, unwilling to admit the fact that the universe is disordered and complex. Because of this, all significant scientific discoveries in the field of physics were made 40 or even 50 years ago. Physicist and blogger Sabine Hossenfelder believes science must break the deadlock and rethink the way it constructs its theories. How exactly? The answer is in brilliant interviews with leading physicists of our time.

2. “Paleontology of an anthropologist. An Illustrated Guide to the Menagerie of the Past ", Stanislav Drobyshevsky

Baboons, pigs, cats, hyenas - what can they have in common? It turns out that the listed animals influenced the development of man more than others. How could this happen? The popularizer of science Stanislav Drobyshevsky tells in his book. A dizzying plunge into the intricacies of the destinies of our predecessors and their entourage awaits you - without tediousness and complex scientific terms.

3. “Every tool is a hammer. The rules of life and work of the permanent host of "Mythbusters" ", Adam Savage

The most incredible things were done within the four walls of the Mythbusters' workshop. Its creators are sure: a creator lives in every person. It only takes desire to wake him up - and this inspiring book. Legendary program host Adam Savage shares his experience of creating the most incredible crafts - from a sculpture with a heart made of razor blades to a replica of Security Officer Kane's spacesuit from the movie Alien.

4. “Ethics without fools. Cynical observations, terrible theories and effective practices ", Alexander Silaev

Writer and former philosophy teacher Alexander Silaev suggests doing the exercises and changing your personal level of happiness. And also - to find out what the meaning of life is. The book is written from an ethical point of view and makes you think about difficult philosophical questions. For how much are you willing to betray a loved one? Why is the world risk-averse? What border can you reach in the name of a lofty goal?

5. “Autonomy. How the driverless car came to be and what it means for our future”, Lawrence Burns, Christopher Schulgan

Self-driving cars can significantly reduce the number of accidents, reform the transport system, as well as improve the environmental situation in the world and solve the problem of overcrowding of cities with cars. Former corporate vice president of General Motors Lawrence Burns and writer Christopher Schulgan talk about how self-driving will evolve - and with it all of humanity. This is a fascinating story of people who believed in a car without a driver and made their dream come true.

6. “A scientific worldview will change your life. Why do we study the Universe and how does it help us to understand ourselves? ", Evgeny Plisov

All of us at least once in our life ask questions: “Why all this? Why am I here in this country, in this environment? Why was I born at this time and on this planet? What's the point of this? The answers will help to find people who study our world in all its diversity - scientists. The popularizer of science Evgeny Plisov talks about the amazing Universe in which we live and shows how beautiful our world is.

7. "The Book of Effective Decisions: 30 Thinking Strategies" by Peter Hollins

Every time we have to make an important decision - for example, whether to get a dog or change jobs - we use mental models. And the more different mental models we have in our weapons, the less time, money and nerves we spend. Respected psychologist Peter Hollins analyzes how billionaires, CEOs, Olympic athletes and scientists act. And based on his research, he offers 30 winning strategies that will help solve problems of any complexity.

8. “Citizenship. From equality and dignity to humiliation and division ", Dmitry Kochenov

Have you ever thought about the disadvantages of the concept of citizenship? Because of it, we cannot travel as much as we want, freely choose our country of residence, and also bear many responsibilities, such as the need to serve in the army. At the same time, citizenship is determined automatically, and we cannot influence this choice in any way. Doctor of Law Dimitri Kochenov tells how it happened that citizenship, which was conceived as a tool for maintaining equality and freedom, has turned into its complete opposite.