Part of the reason why I find science fiction attractive as a focus for study is because of its inherent uncertainties. For instance, Altman states that ‘most genre critics prefer to deal with films that are clearly and ineluctably tied to the genre in question’. This has certainly not been my approach to science fiction. For instance, I have included discussion of films that are less than clear examples of the genre and have chosen to read films like Crash (dir. David Cronenberg, 1996) and The Terminal Man (dir. Michael Hodges, 1974) as science fictions. I am not sure that it is possible to consider science fiction in the kind of vacuum that Altman suggests is prevalent ...

On the Origin of Species, published in 1858, transformed our view of the world and made Charles Darwin one of the most controversial figures in science. This biography begins much earlier with his long search for a profession, his five-year voyage around the world on the Beagle, and the decades-long intellectual journey he made in his study and garden. But it is for his theory about the origin of man and natural selection that he is remembered. His book threw the scientific community into a heated debate that continues today, and has made evolutionary biology one of the liveliest areas of science. This new biography looks at the person behind the controversy whose earth- shaking discoveries and ideas remain as exciting and interesting as today's headlines.

From uttering a prayer before boarding a plane, to exploring past lives through hypnosis, has superstition become pervasive in contemporary culture? Robert Park, the best-selling author of Voodoo Science, argues that it has. In Superstition, Park asks why people persist in superstitious convictions long after science has shown them to be ill-founded. He takes on supernatural beliefs from religion and the afterlife to New Age spiritualism and faith-based medical claims. He examines recent controversies and concludes that science is the only way we have of understanding the world.

 

Popular Science Vol.268 #2

Now in a thoroughly-updated and expanded second edition, Wiley Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology covers fundamental concepts and practical requirements in food science, as well as cutting-edge technological and industry information. The encyclopedia features A-to-Z coverage of all aspects of food science, including: the properties, analysis, and processing of foods; genetic engineering of new food products; and nutrition. In addition, nontechnical information is included, such as descriptions of selected scientific institutions, and research and development in government agencies. Like the first edition, this Second Edition will become the standard reference for food scientists, bioengineers, and biotechnologists.