Category: Physics Books

How to Teach Physics to Your Dog: Coming This Christmas

I have an official release date for the book-in-production: December 22nd. There’s no lay-down date, though, so they may turn up in stores before then. Mark it down on your Christmas list now… There’s also an official title and cover: Emmy’s slightly miffed that she’s not the dog on the cover, but that’s what she… Continue reading How to Teach Physics to Your Dog: Coming This Christmas

Award-Winning Science Writing

The winners of the American Physical Society’s Science Writing Awards for 2008 were announced today: Ann Finkbeiner won in the Journalist category for The Jasons, her book about a secretive groups of scientists who work on classified problems for the US government. Gino Segre won in the Scientist category, for Faust in Copenhagen, about the… Continue reading Award-Winning Science Writing

Heads Talking About Quantum History

I’m running a little behind this week, but I wouldn’t want this week’s Science Saturday bloggingheads to slip by without a mention. It’s a conversation between George Johnson and Louisa Gilder about The Age of Entanglement, which I liked quite a bit: The conversation is primarily about her book, the story it tells, and how… Continue reading Heads Talking About Quantum History

Icarus at the Edge of Time, by Brian Greene

Or, Brian Greene Writes a Kid’s Book… This is a very odd book. It’s printed on boards, like a book for very small children, but the story is a bit beyond what I would imagine reading to a normal kid of the age to want books of that format. It’s too short and simple, though,… Continue reading Icarus at the Edge of Time, by Brian Greene

Textbook Prices: Highway Robbery, or High-Seas Piracy?

There was a mix-up in textbook ordering for this term (entirely my fault), and the books for my modern physics course were not in the bookstore when the term started. I made a spare copy available in the interim, and also half-jokingly suggested buying it from Amazon rather than waiting for the bookstore to get… Continue reading Textbook Prices: Highway Robbery, or High-Seas Piracy?

The Age of Entanglement by Louisa Gilder

I made a run to the library last week on one of the days I was home with SteelyKid, as an excuse to get out of the house for a little while. I picked up three books: Counterknowledge, The Devil’s Eye by Jack McDevitt (an Antiquities Dealers Innnnn Spaaaaaace novel, and a good example of… Continue reading The Age of Entanglement by Louisa Gilder

Physics Books for Middle Schoolers?

Sometime commenter “Dr. Pain” asked, on a mailing list, for book recommendations for his son, who “wants to read up about physics, especially weird modern physics.” He adds some qualifications: Kid’s books on physics are way too elementary for him, but the typical “naive adult” book is over his head. Does anyone have any good… Continue reading Physics Books for Middle Schoolers?

DonorsChoose Payoff: “Favorite” Book

Another question from a generous donor, in this case Natalie, who asks: As for my question, how about “who is your favorite author, and why?” or, if you’d rather, “what’s your favorite book, and why?” This is a difficult question, because it’s subject to a sort of quantum projection noise. That is, my “favorite book”… Continue reading DonorsChoose Payoff: “Favorite” Book

Talking to My Dog About Science: Weblogs and Public Outreach

I gave my talk this morning at the Science in the 21st Century conference. Video will eventually be available at the Perimeter Institute Recorded Seminar Archive site, but if you’d like to get a sense of the talk, a few people were live-blogging it in the FriendFeed room for the meeting. You get a pretty… Continue reading Talking to My Dog About Science: Weblogs and Public Outreach