stevenpoole
Conquest by Nina Allan review – alien invasion, coding and Bach
A science fiction story from the 50s propels this brilliantly digressive exploration into art, ecology and the psychology of conspiracy theories
Steven Poole
26, May, 2023 @6:30 AM
The Experience Machine by Andy Clark review – how our brains really work
A cognitive philosopher explains how prediction, rather than perception, is the mind’s secret weapon
Steven Poole
04, May, 2023 @10:00 AM
Stuck Monkey by James Hamilton-Paterson review – our deadly addictions
A jeremiad on the modern habits that harm the planet, from golf to gardening
Steven Poole
21, Apr, 2023 @8:00 AM
Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy review – in sickness and in health
A fascinating account of how diseases have shaped humanity, from the neolithic to Covid-19
Steven Poole
06, Apr, 2023 @6:30 AM
The Earth Transformed by Peter Frankopan review – history through a different lens
From volcanoes to man-made climate change, the author of Silk Roads shows how closely our environment shapes civilisation
Steven Poole
02, Mar, 2023 @7:30 AM
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler – how to speak octopus
What if the first alien intelligences we encountered were already living with us on planet Earth? This near-future novel of ideas wittily explores the nature of consciousness
Steven Poole
18, Feb, 2023 @7:30 AM
Sunak refuses to commit to raising benefits in line with inflation and reinstates fracking ban – as it happened
PM says he will act to protect vulnerable people; Sunak also tells MPs he ‘stands by’ fracking ban after it was lifted by Liz Truss
Nadeem Badshah (now); Léonie Chao-Fong and Caroline Davies (earlier)
26, Oct, 2022 @5:42 PM
Check your ‘privilege’: unpacking the real meaning of the most overused word in politics
Becoming prime minister was ‘the greatest privilege’ of Rishi Sunak’s life. But the phrase loved by both sides of the political spectrum is sometimes a humble brag – and sometimes an insult
Steven Poole
26, Oct, 2022 @12:33 PM
Joined Up Thinking by Hannah Critchlow review – the power of collective cognition
A lively examination of communal endeavour and the technological advances that could spur greater cooperation
Steven Poole
17, Aug, 2022 @8:00 AM
The Edge of the Plain by James Crawford review – beyond borders
A richly essayistic account of how borders make and break our world, from Hadrian’s Wall to China’s Great Firewall
Steven Poole
11, Aug, 2022 @8:00 AM
The big idea: are we living in a simulation?
Could the universe be an elaborate game constructed by bored aliens?
Steven Poole
08, Aug, 2022 @11:30 AM
Journey of Humanity by Oded Galor review – inequality explained?
An study of the factors behind economic growth attempts to reveal the ‘great cogs’ that drive development
Steven Poole
12, May, 2022 @8:00 AM
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