Skyline Happenings

By Jay Bennett , Rachael Lallensack

From The Smithsonian – thanks to Ann M. for sending this.

Science books offer an opportunity to step back from the constant stream of dramatic new discoveries to consider the broader implications of ongoing research. The books on this list attempt to piece together the long story of how humans came to be the species we are today, examine how we have change the world around us, and scrutinize the biases and shortcomings of our knowledge. These titles can help illuminate the findings of science to any casual reader, from the unexpected roles of insects, to the miraculous workings of our immune systems, to the ecological challenges we face in the future.

Origins: How Earth’s History Shaped Human History

In Origins, astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell outlines the many profound ways that the geology of our planet has shaped the development of humans and human societies. In the East African Rift Valley, for example, a chasm in the Earth’s crust created highly variable climates that human ancestors were forced to adapt to, Dartnell argues, by relying more heavily on tools and social cooperation. Retreating ice caps brought the warm and wet conditions of the Holocene, allowing for the rise and spread of agriculture. Following the dawn of history, the forces of the atmosphere and ocean continued to influence the spread of human civilizations, and such natural forces play a major role in the future of our species as well.

Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects

Some bugs spread disease, others bite or sting, and many are just plain annoying. But these animals aren’t just creepy-crawlies: Insects are important pollinators, a food source for many bigger species, critical for decomposition, and they even keep us safe from harmful organisms. In Buzz, Sting, Bite, author and professor of conservation biology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson addresses the medley of threats that insects face, including climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, light pollution and more. Losing insects could trigger a detrimental cascade of effects on ecosystems, so to reverse your aversion to arthropods Sverdrup-Thygeson takes readers into the wonderful world of bugs. Take, for example, the chocolate midge. It’s the only pollinator that services cocoa plants, and no cocoa means no chocolate. Drisophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, is critical to basic medical research. And without a tiny wasp that makes galls on oak trees, America’s founders wouldn’t have had ink for the Declaration of Independence.