Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

A brief encounter with Ani

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 3d

I have a brief encounter with Grok's Ani chatbot and get a better idea why the appeal is more than appearances might suggest: brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/10/a-br... #chatbots #conversations

Having read a considerable amount about the kind of AI chatbot that is genuinely a way to have a chat with an animated character, rather tha...

Positive Tipping Points - Tim Lenton ***

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 3d

Review: Positive Tipping Points: Tim Lenton *** - An attempt to go beyond climate crisis rhetoric to offer solutions. Unfortunately, it's hard to imagine the required tipping point, driven by the likes of Extinction Rebellion, coming. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/posi... #bookreview #climate

In his subtitle, Tim Lenton makes a daring claim: this book is going to tell us how to fix the climate crisis. This is surely very timely wh...

Having recently driven around 2,000 miles in France it was informative to experience a pricing structure that surely we should be following ...

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 6d

After a lengthy trip to France involving a considerable amount of use of public EV chargers, I think we have some significant lessons to learn from our European neighbour: brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/10/fren... #greenheretic #electricvehicles #carchargers

French lessons

The Shape of Wonder - Alan Lightman and Martin Rees ****

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 7d

Review: The Shape of Wonder: Alan Lightman and Martin Rees **** - A genuinely interesting reflection on what it is to be a scientist and why their work is important, but it's not clear who forms the target audience. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-... #scientists #philosophyofscience

I found this book hard to rate as it's a really good idea, but one where I'm not sure who the natural audience is. The authors (an astrophys...

Sönke Johnsen - Five Way Interview

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 7d

Interview: Marine biologist Sönke Johnsen tells us what got him interested in the ocean, why the subsurface ocean is the least-known habitat and why, despite being an author, he likes the motto 'Study nature, not books.' popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/10/sonk... #interviews #marinebiology

Originally trained in maths and art, Sönke Johnsen has studied optics in biology for the last 35 years, the last 24 of which have been at Du...

Entropy - James Binney ****

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 9d

Review by
@DrAndrewMay
- Entropy: a very short introduction: James Binney **** - Some fascinating insights, but primarily an effective crash course in entropy for serious readers, not a popular science exploration. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/entr... #bookreview #popularscience #physics

Most people are familiar with energy, both in its everyday sense as a resource used for things like heating and powering electrical equipmen...

Death in Holy Orders - P. D. James ****

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 10d

Review (murder mystery): Death in Holy Orders - P. D. James **** This relatively late (2001) addition to the Dalgliesh mysteries was one of her best. Great sense of place if a little over-long. brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/09/deat...

For me, P. D. James’s Dalgleish mysteries are always slightly compromised by the original TV series. With its hauntingly beautiful theme mus...

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (Anniversary Edition) - Carol Rovelli ***

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 12d

Updated as I've realised I've always corrected it to 'Lessons in Physics' - apologies if you've liked/commented on the original post.

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 12d

Review: Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (Anniversary Edition): Carlo Rovelli *** - I can’t agree with the Guardian that this is one of the best books of the 21st century, but a useful tasting menu of a book for pop sci beginners popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/seve... #bookreview #popularscience

Ten years after it first appeared, we have an anniversary hardback edition of Carlo Rovelli's bestseller. It's probably the best-known popul...

What are the chances of that revisited

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 15d

In a updated post from 2015 I look at the relationship between the important thermodynamics concept of entropy and the chance of a monkey with a typewriter producing my book: brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/09/what... #entropy #writingbooks

REVISIT SERIES - An updated post from September 2015 In the book I was writing when this post was written ( Dice World ) I considered the r...

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 16d

The fact she has many followers does not make the action right. Scientists need to be capable of taking criticism, however bluntly worded. I know it’s hard to receive negative remarks (see some of the reviews of my books) but this wasn’t a suitable response.

Fiends in High Places - D. C. Farmer ***

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 16d

Review (fantasy) - Fiends in High Places: D. C. Farmer *** - some engaging points in a plot featuring a kind of fae immigration control, but the attempt to combine fantasy and humour is heavy-handed brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/09/fien... #bookreview #UrbanFantasy

As a big fan of UK-based urban fantasy, I'm always on the lookout for something new: Fiends in High Places promised to deliver that diffic...

The BBC: after the licence fee ***

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 17d

Review: The BBC: After the licence fee? *** - though some are corporate speak, the collection of essays on the Beeb’s future and how to fund it is interesting brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-... #bookreview #UKbroadcasting

It is somehow appropriate that I read this as as result of listening to a podcast where two of the contributors debated whether the BBC was...

Can scientists speak freely in public?

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 21d

Recently, physicist and science communicator Sabine Hossenfelder @hossenfelder.bsky.social
has been removed from her post for criticising theories online. Even if you don't like her style, this is not the right thing to do brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/09/can-... #freespeech #sciencecommunication

Sabine Hossenfelder is a theoretical physicist who has primarily moved into science communication. I've personally found her helpful (if som...

Physics Around the Clock - Michael Banks *****

1 1

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 21d

What does making coffee have in common (physics wise) with volcanic lightning? This is where you'll find out:

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 28d

Review: Physics Around the Clock: Michael Banks ***** 11 September 2025 - Makes scientific concepts approachable by tying into aspects of everyday life. While some is predictable, many surprising delights included. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/phys... #bookreview #popularscience

One of the easiest ways to make science accessible is to tie it to everyday life - and this is something Michael Banks does well in his expl...

Free Creations of the Human Mind - Diana Kormos Buchwald and Michael Gordin *****

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 21d

A rarity: a genuinely different take on Albie E:

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · Sep 8

Review: Free Creations of the Human Mind - Diana Kormos Buchwald and Michael Gordin ***** - A very different approach to a scientific biography taking deep dives into six aspects of Einstein's mind - refreshing and interesting. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/free... #bookreview #popularscience

It's hard to believe that there could be anything more that could usefully be written about Einstein - and then this impressive little book ...

Liz Kalaugher - Five Way Interview

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 22d

Interview: Journalist @lizkalaugher.bsky.social tells us of a light switch analogy for the scientific method, why a book about zebras became about zoonotic diseases and the best way to reduce the risk of more of these. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/liz-... #interview #environment #health

Liz Kalaugher is a science journalist and campaigner, based in Bristol, who has written for the New Scientist, BBC Wildlife, the Guardian, B...

Tales of Militant Chemistry - Alice Lovejoy ***

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 23d

Review: Tales of Militant Chemistry: Alice Lovejoy *** - Not as the subtitle suggest about Hollywood, but Kodak and Agfa's chemistry, primarily war work. More of a magazine story: making it a book meant too detailed. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/tale... #bookreview #popularscience #chemistry

I felt a touch misled by the subtitle of this book - it refers to 'the film factory'. While technically accurate, I think most people think ...

Where the Axe is Buried (SF) - Ray Nayler ***

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 24d

Review - Where the Axe is Buried (SF): Ray Nayler *** 15 September 2025 - Sold as a sci-fi thriller, some interesting ideas about the future of politics, but is quite heavy going and rarely thrilling. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/wher... #bookreview #sciencefiction #futurepolitics

This book was described to me as a 'gripping technological thriller'. It's not that at all - it's a book driven by ideas and politics which ...

The Killer Question - Janice Hallett *****

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 27d

Review (murder mystery): The Killer Question - Janice Hallett ***** - Once more we get a story told in messages that manages to both engage and enthrall - I am, as always, in awe of Hallett's cleverness. Excellent twists too. brianclegg.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-... #bookreview #murdermystery

It's very rare I pause the book I'm reading because another one has come out - but when it's a new Janice Hallett I really have no choice. A...

Physics Around the Clock - Michael Banks *****

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 28d

Interview: Journalist Michael Grunwald tells us why getting agriculture right is essential for the climate, the dangers of biofuel and the importance of growing more food using less land. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/mich...

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · 28d

Review: Physics Around the Clock: Michael Banks ***** 11 September 2025 - Makes scientific concepts approachable by tying into aspects of everyday life. While some is predictable, many surprising delights included. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/phys... #bookreview #popularscience

One of the easiest ways to make science accessible is to tie it to everyday life - and this is something Michael Banks does well in his expl...

Free Creations of the Human Mind - Diana Kormos Buchwald and Michael Gordin *****

1 4

Brian Clegg @brianclegg.bsky.social · Sep 8

Review: Free Creations of the Human Mind - Diana Kormos Buchwald and Michael Gordin ***** - A very different approach to a scientific biography taking deep dives into six aspects of Einstein's mind - refreshing and interesting. popsciencebooks.blogspot.com/2025/09/free... #bookreview #popularscience

It's hard to believe that there could be anything more that could usefully be written about Einstein - and then this impressive little book ...