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The Best American Science Writing 2005
Together these twenty-seven articles on a wide range of today's most current topics in science, from Oliver Sacks, James Gleick, Atul Gawande, and Natalie Angier, among others, represent the full spectrum of scientific writing, proving once again that "good science writing is evidently plentiful" ( Scientific American ).
322 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
2 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Alan Lightman
49 books1,308 followersAlan Lightman is an American writer, physicist, and social entrepreneur. Born in 1948, he was educated at Princeton and at the California Institute of Technology, where he received a PhD in theoretical physics. He has received five honorary doctoral degrees. Lightman has served on the faculties of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and was the first person at MIT to receive dual faculty appointments in science and in the humanities. He is currently professor of the practice of the humanities at MIT. His scientific research in astrophysics has concerned
black holes, relativity theory, radiative processes, and the dynamics of systems of stars. His essays and articles have appeared in the Atlantic, Granta, Harper’s, the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, Salon, and many other publications. His essays are often chosen by the New York Times as among the best essays of the year. He is the author of 6 novels, several collections of essays, a memoir, and a book-length narrative poem, as well as several books on science. His novel Einstein’s Dreams was an international bestseller and has been the basis for dozens of independent theatrical and musical adaptations around the world. His novel The Diagnosis was a finalist for the National Book Award. His most recent books are The Accidental Universe, which was chosen by Brain Pickings as one of the 10 best books of 2014, his memoir Screening Room, which was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the best books of the year for 2016,
and Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine (2018), an extended meditation on science and religion – which was the basis for an essay
on PBS Newshour. Lightman is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also the founder of the Harpswell Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to advance a new generation of women leaders in Southeast Asia.” He has received the gold medal for humanitarian service from the government of Cambodia.
black holes, relativity theory, radiative processes, and the dynamics of systems of stars. His essays and articles have appeared in the Atlantic, Granta, Harper’s, the New Yorker, the New York Review of Books, Salon, and many other publications. His essays are often chosen by the New York Times as among the best essays of the year. He is the author of 6 novels, several collections of essays, a memoir, and a book-length narrative poem, as well as several books on science. His novel Einstein’s Dreams was an international bestseller and has been the basis for dozens of independent theatrical and musical adaptations around the world. His novel The Diagnosis was a finalist for the National Book Award. His most recent books are The Accidental Universe, which was chosen by Brain Pickings as one of the 10 best books of 2014, his memoir Screening Room, which was chosen by the Washington Post as one of the best books of the year for 2016,
and Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine (2018), an extended meditation on science and religion – which was the basis for an essay
on PBS Newshour. Lightman is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is also the founder of the Harpswell Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to advance a new generation of women leaders in Southeast Asia.” He has received the gold medal for humanitarian service from the government of Cambodia.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 28, 2017
"Given that nearly half of Americans disavow evolution..."
(A really scary statistic from the preface to Darwin or Not by David Quammen.)
A disappointment! I expected much more from The Best American Science Writing 2005, the first volume of this apparently long-running series that I have read. I had an appetite for a good number of brilliant, thought-provoking, awe-inspiring essays on modern science, but among the 26 pieces in this set I found just one great essay, and only four or five strong ones, including a fascinating and quite curious non-science item. In my arrogance I think that several essays included here do not even deserve to be in a collection that has "best science writing" in its title.
To me Frank Wilczek's essay Whence the Force of F = ma from Physics Today clearly stands out. The Nobel Prize-winning quantum theorist uses short sentences, simple language, and refers to knowledge many of us get in a high-school physics course (F = ma) to discuss - on just five pages - the vagueness of the concept of force, apparently fundamental in physics. There is depth and grace in this piece and a tremendous pun on physics in its last sentence:
Small Silences by Edward Hoagland, an incongruous piece in this collection of science writings, is a lyrical yet rich and earthy ode to the beauty of nature. The essay is even more fascinating because of its strangely sexual undertones - I am too obtuse to figure the point of these but even so I loved the non-scientific prose.
To briefly mention few other worthwhile pieces: Atul Gawande writes about the last cases of polio in a poor region in India and raises a momentous issue: eradicating polio may be a great human achievement yet poverty, hunger, lack of sanitation continue to kill many times more people. I have read the essay The Genome in Black and White (and Gray) with deep sadness about how the currently prevailing PC ideology prevents furthering research that could help people of all colors. The Biology of Hope cogently discusses the so-called placebo effect. Aging Research's Family Feud reads almost like a mystery: the dispute between two scientists is recounted in a captivating yet rather non-scientific way.
Many "meh" pieces or obligatory contributions towards ideology trends round up the collection. The Wilczek's essay and the Hoagland's prose will stay with me for a long time. I lost interest in reading any more writings of Dr. Berlinski. But the most important benefit that I have derived from reading the set is my awoken interest in checking whether the points the authors made 12 or 13 years ago are still valid. I will attempt to read current writings on several of these topics. The potential for stimulating the readers' interest is the only reason I marginally recommend the collection.
Two and three quarter stars.
(A really scary statistic from the preface to Darwin or Not by David Quammen.)
A disappointment! I expected much more from The Best American Science Writing 2005, the first volume of this apparently long-running series that I have read. I had an appetite for a good number of brilliant, thought-provoking, awe-inspiring essays on modern science, but among the 26 pieces in this set I found just one great essay, and only four or five strong ones, including a fascinating and quite curious non-science item. In my arrogance I think that several essays included here do not even deserve to be in a collection that has "best science writing" in its title.
To me Frank Wilczek's essay Whence the Force of F = ma from Physics Today clearly stands out. The Nobel Prize-winning quantum theorist uses short sentences, simple language, and refers to knowledge many of us get in a high-school physics course (F = ma) to discuss - on just five pages - the vagueness of the concept of force, apparently fundamental in physics. There is depth and grace in this piece and a tremendous pun on physics in its last sentence:
"A big part of the explanation for its [force's] continuous use is no doubt (intellectual) inertia."On the opposite end of the spectrum I find the essay by David Berlinski, a famed philosopher, mathematician, and science writer. His overlong essay On the Origins of the Mind uses florid language that obscures the points I believe the author is trying to make, and lacking any depth attempts to dazzle with terminology instead. It also contains an astounding statement that "differential equations" "govern a flow of time." Huh?
Small Silences by Edward Hoagland, an incongruous piece in this collection of science writings, is a lyrical yet rich and earthy ode to the beauty of nature. The essay is even more fascinating because of its strangely sexual undertones - I am too obtuse to figure the point of these but even so I loved the non-scientific prose.
To briefly mention few other worthwhile pieces: Atul Gawande writes about the last cases of polio in a poor region in India and raises a momentous issue: eradicating polio may be a great human achievement yet poverty, hunger, lack of sanitation continue to kill many times more people. I have read the essay The Genome in Black and White (and Gray) with deep sadness about how the currently prevailing PC ideology prevents furthering research that could help people of all colors. The Biology of Hope cogently discusses the so-called placebo effect. Aging Research's Family Feud reads almost like a mystery: the dispute between two scientists is recounted in a captivating yet rather non-scientific way.
Many "meh" pieces or obligatory contributions towards ideology trends round up the collection. The Wilczek's essay and the Hoagland's prose will stay with me for a long time. I lost interest in reading any more writings of Dr. Berlinski. But the most important benefit that I have derived from reading the set is my awoken interest in checking whether the points the authors made 12 or 13 years ago are still valid. I will attempt to read current writings on several of these topics. The potential for stimulating the readers' interest is the only reason I marginally recommend the collection.
Two and three quarter stars.
June 9, 2012
Finally went back and finished this off, years after starting it. It's worth a read but some of the essays are skippable, and some lean toward the whimsical at the expense of enlightening the reader. The David Berlinski piece on evolutionary psychology was pretty tiresome, but I did enjoy the more medicine-focused ones such as Philip Alcabes' "The Bioterrorism Scare," and Ellen Ullman's "Dining with Robots" is also really well-done.
January 15, 2013
april 2006 book club pick.
it always goes into our dirty santa swap and I do whatever it takes to make sure it comes home with me every year.
it always goes into our dirty santa swap and I do whatever it takes to make sure it comes home with me every year.
September 28, 2021
Review Title: Excellent, smooth-reading science material for everyone
Reading this book will get you current on some of the hottest topics in the science world. The stories are well-written, flow smoothly, and understandable. The variety of science topics covered was very appealing to me. Topics ranged from the fate of the universe to how the human mind works. I bought this book to broaden my knowledge and to satisfy my renewed interest in science. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to round out their reading and expand their science horizons. There are stories from 26 writers, and I enjoyed them all.
Reading this book will get you current on some of the hottest topics in the science world. The stories are well-written, flow smoothly, and understandable. The variety of science topics covered was very appealing to me. Topics ranged from the fate of the universe to how the human mind works. I bought this book to broaden my knowledge and to satisfy my renewed interest in science. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to round out their reading and expand their science horizons. There are stories from 26 writers, and I enjoyed them all.
October 16, 2007
Great collection of essays. I'm not sure why but I've been in a non-fiction mood lately.
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September 2, 2010I know it's a little out of date, but if I'm going to get up to speed, I have a lot to catch up on...
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews