Finds
Books and useful things we've come across while researching our articles. We list them because they're on topic, not because we've tested them all. Each one links back to the article it came from, which is the place to start.
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Mind
The Nocturnal Brain Guy Leschziner
A sleep neurologist's case histories from the strange end of the night, and a good next step if the mechanism is what hooked you.
From the article: You wake up, you can't move, and someone is in the room
(Ad) See on AmazonSleep Paralysis: Night-mares, Nocebos, and the Mind-Body Connection Shelley R. Adler
An academic look at the night-visitor experience and how culture shapes it. Denser, and more rewarding for it.
From the article: You wake up, you can't move, and someone is in the room
(Ad) See on AmazonCurious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond Robert R. Provine
The researcher behind much of this field, on the odd things our bodies do without asking. A very good one to give to a curious friend.
From the article: Contagious yawning: what the science has and hasn't worked out
(Ad) See on AmazonReusable cold gel pack
For your own small, thoroughly unscientific attempt at the forehead experiment. Handy for sprains too.
From the article: Contagious yawning: what the science has and hasn't worked out
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Body
Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy
A history of rabies from myth to modern medicine, and how it shaped our fear of animals.
From the article: The bat bite you never feel is the dangerous one
(Ad) See on AmazonSpillover David Quammen
How viruses jump from animals to people, told through field reporting. Bats make several appearances.
From the article: The bat bite you never feel is the dangerous one
(Ad) See on AmazonThe Flamingo's Smile Stephen Jay Gould
A classic collection of natural history essays. Despite the flamingo in the title, it ranges far beyond birds.
From the article: Yes, carrots can turn you orange. Here's how many it takes
(Ad) See on AmazonIngredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put in Us and on Us George Zaidan
A funny chemist explains how to think about the risks in what we eat and use, which is useful after reading about carrots.
From the article: Yes, carrots can turn you orange. Here's how many it takes
(Ad) See on AmazonAdrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea Steven Callahan
A sailor's first-hand account of surviving alone in a life raft, including the constant problem of getting fresh water. Gripping.
From the article: Why drinking seawater makes you thirstier
(Ad) See on AmazonSalt: A World History Mark Kurlansky
The substance that's trying to kill our shipwrecked sailor also built empires. A surprisingly enjoyable history.
From the article: Why drinking seawater makes you thirstier
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Nature
The Genius of Birds Jennifer Ackerman
An accessible account of what birds notice and work out, which makes results like this one feel less strange.
From the article: City birds flee from women sooner than men, and nobody knows why
(Ad) See on AmazonCompact binoculars
If this makes you look at the birds in your local park more carefully. Please watch from a distance, as walking straight at them is exactly what makes them leave.
From the article: City birds flee from women sooner than men, and nobody knows why
(Ad) See on AmazonParasite Rex Carl Zimmer
The modern classic on parasites, and proof that the screwworm is far from the strangest. Not ideal reading over dinner.
From the article: Why planes are dropping millions of flies over Texas on purpose
(Ad) See on AmazonThe Wasp That Brainwashed the Caterpillar Matt Simon
Lighter and very funny, on the improbable solutions that evolution has come up with.
From the article: Why planes are dropping millions of flies over Texas on purpose
(Ad) See on AmazonEntangled Life Merlin Sheldrake
The book that made a lot of people fall in love with fungi. It's about how they shape the world, much more than about getting high.
From the article: The mushroom that makes people see tiny elves
(Ad) See on AmazonOyster mushroom growing kit
A safe way to scratch the itch: grow an ordinary edible mushroom on your kitchen counter. Follow the kit's instructions and cook them properly.
From the article: The mushroom that makes people see tiny elves
(Ad) See on AmazonThe Book of Eels Patrik Svensson
A lovely, strange book on how little we still know about eels, even the common ones. If this article did something for you, start here.
From the article: 2.8 million eels, one tiny underwater mountain, and no explanation
(Ad) See on AmazonThe Deep: The Extraordinary Creatures of the Abyss Claire Nouvian
A large photo book of the deep sea and its inhabitants. It looks like science fiction and it isn't.
From the article: 2.8 million eels, one tiny underwater mountain, and no explanation
(Ad) See on AmazonSpiders: Learning to Love Them Lynne Kelly
Written by someone who started out afraid of spiders. A friendly place to start if this article made them slightly less horrifying.
From the article: Jumping spiders twitch in their sleep, and catch up after a bad night
(Ad) See on AmazonClip-on macro lens for a phone
Adult Portia are only around a centimetre long, and jumping spiders in general reward a close look. Please keep your distance and let them get on with things.
From the article: Jumping spiders twitch in their sleep, and catch up after a bad night
(Ad) See on Amazon
Science & tech
Physics of the Impossible Michio Kaku
A tour of what science fiction gets right and how far away it is, with invisibility among the topics. A natural next read.
From the article: The real invisibility cloak only fools one kind of camera
(Ad) See on AmazonThermal camera attachment for a phone
It won't reveal any cloaks, but it does make heat visible around the house: draughts, pipes, the warm patch on your laptop. Check that it fits your phone's port before buying.
From the article: The real invisibility cloak only fools one kind of camera
(Ad) See on AmazonThe Planet Factory Elizabeth Tasker
A planetary scientist's guide to how worlds form and why so many look nothing like ours. A good next read if you liked the strangeness of this one.
From the article: This lava planet appears to wear sunscreen
(Ad) See on AmazonBeginner's telescope
You won't see TOI-561 b with one, as exoplanets need far bigger instruments. You will see the Moon's craters and Jupiter's largest moons, which is a very good start.
From the article: This lava planet appears to wear sunscreen
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