New Books in Science Podcast Por New Books Network arte de portada

New Books in Science

New Books in Science

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Interviews with Scientists about their New Books Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/scienceNew Books Network Ciencia Historia Natural Naturaleza y Ecología
Episodios
  • Craig Hogan, "The Unlikely Primeval Sky" (American Scientist, November-December)
    Nov 13 2025
    Of all the patterns that could possibly be preserved in the post–Big Bang radiation, the one we see is surprisingly smooth on large angular scales. Sitting by a campfire on a dark night, looking up at the Milky Way, a curious child asks, “What does the sky tell us? Where does it all come from? Does space go on forever?” A caring adult might share a little awe and humility about humanity’s place in the grand scheme or perhaps relate a traditional creation story. A scientist like me, who came of age soon after the discovery that the sky is not actually dark but awash in primeval radiation, might instead relate the still-unfinished scientific story of the boundaries and origins of time and space. That tale is displayed in nature’s own record of the structure of the early universe, a mosaic of temperature and density fluctuations preserved in the primordial light that astronomers call the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science
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    30 m
  • Facing Infinity: Black Holes and Our Place on Earth
    Nov 13 2025
    Humanity’s relationship with black holes began in 1783 in a small English village, when clergyman John Michell posed a startling question: What if there are objects in space that are so large and heavy that not even light can escape them? Almost 250 years later, in April 2019, scientists presented the first picture of a black hole. Profoundly inspired by that image, physicist Jonas Enander has traveled the world to investigate how our understanding of these elusive celestial objects has evolved since the days of Michell. With the particular goal of discovering our human connection to black holes, Enander visits telescopes and observatories, delves deeply into archives, and interviews over 20 world-leading experts, including several Nobel laureates. In Facing Infinity: Black Holes and Our Place on Earth (The Experiment, 2025), Dr. Enander takes us on a spellbinding journey into the universe’s greatest mystery, deciphers the most mind-bending science, and answers questions surrounding how black holes work, where they come from, and what role they play in the universe. Along the way, he discovers how our desire to understand black holes inadvertently paved the way for the invention of Wi-Fi and the calibration of our global navigation satellites, how astronomical discovery became entangled with colonial conflicts, and how our looking outward gave us critical evidence of the impact of climate change. Facing Infinity helps us appreciate and understand as never before these mysterious celestial objects and our surprising connections to them. Our guest is: Dr. Jonas Enander, who is a science communicator with a background in cosmology and astrophysics. His previous research focused on dark matter and Einstein’s theory of general relativity. He has worked as a physics teacher at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and participated in the construction of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. He hosts the podcasts Spacetime Fika and Rumtiden. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a freelance editor. She is the producer of the Academic Life podcast, and writes the show’s newsletter at ChristinaGessler.Substack.Com. Playlist for listeners: The Space-Suit Technician The Climate Change Scientist The Well-Gardened Mind Doctors by Nature The Surprising World of Wasps The Killer Whale Journals The Shark Scientist A Day in the Life of Bugs Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by downloading and sharing episodes. Join us again to learn from more experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 275+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science
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    56 m
  • Eduardo Mercado III, "Why Whales Sing" (JHU Press, 2025)
    Nov 11 2025
    With breathtaking complexity and haunting beauty, the songs of whales have long fascinated scientists. Whales are the only mammals that can sing continuously for ten hours or more, changing the unique songs they sing every year. In Why Whales Sing (JHU Press, 2025), bioacoustician and cognitive scientist Eduardo Mercado transforms our understanding of these enigmatic sounds and proposes a groundbreaking theory that challenges decades of established science. Fifty years of field research have led most scientists to conclude that humpback whales sing for the same reason that birds do: to advertise their sexual fitness. But if whale songs are nothing more than tools of attraction, why do whales sing even when they're alone and there are no listeners nearby? In light of modern advances in neuroscience and ocean acoustics, Mercado reaches the surprising conclusion that whales may not actually be "singing," but rather engaging in an activity more commonly associated with dolphins and bats--echolocating--which enables them to see their world with sound. By incessantly streaming sounds while listening closely to the returning echoes, whales may be actively tuning their brains in ways that allow them to monitor the movements of silent whales located miles away. Sophisticated, long-range sonar can enable whales to perceive their vast underwater worlds in unimaginable ways. From the military origins of whale song recordings to the persistent mysteries of cetacean communication, this book displays the wonder of whales and reshapes how we view their intelligence, behavior, and acoustic mastery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science
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    1 h y 6 m
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