The Best Australian Science Writing 2020

The annual collection – now in its tenth year – celebrating the finest voices in Australian science writing. Can fish feel pain? Does it matter if a dingo is different from a dog? Is there life in a glob of subterranean snot? Science tackles some unexpected questions. At a time when the world is buffeted by the effects of a pandemic, climate change and accelerating technology, the fruits of scientific labour and enquiry have never been more in demand. Who better to navigate us through these unprecedented days than Australia's best science writers? Now in its tenth year, this much-loved anthology selects the most riveting, poignant and entertaining science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. In their expert hands such ordinary objects as milk and sticky tape become imbued with new meaning, while the furthest reaches of our universe are made more familiar and comprehensible. With a foreword from Nobel laureate and immunologist Peter C Doherty, this collection brings fresh perspective to the world you thought you knew.

Should we alter animals’ DNA to save them from extinction? What secrets will old ice reveal to us about the Earth’s deep past? How is the world’s most expensive — and explosive — substance made? Great science writing offers fascinating insights into our surrounding environments, inspires awe at the wonders of the natural world, and also seeks to understand and address some of the biggest problems of our time. Science writing encompasses the vastness of the universe and all the diverse life forms within it. Stories abound in both the microscopic and the astronomical, from the scientists trying to reverse-engineer brain circuitry to the largest radio telescope of its kind on Earth which could help us detect alien life. This much-loved anthology — now in its thirteenth year — selects the most thought-provoking, poignant and dazzling science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. With a foreword by scientist and engineer Professor Mary O’Kane AC, The Best Australian Science Writing 2023 covers another remarkable year filled with watershed moments in science. INCLUDES THE SHORTLISTED ENTRIES FOR THE 2023 UNSW PRESS BRAGG PRIZE FOR SCIENCE WRITING, AND THE 2022 STUDENT PRIZE–WINNING ESSAY. CONTRIBUTORS: Jo Chandler Angus Dalton Nicky Phillips Jacinta Bowler Helen Sullivan Heather Taylor-Johnson Sara Webb Meredi Ortega Drew Rooke Amalyah Hart Alice Klein Lauren Fuge Zoe Kean Miki Perkins Bianca Nogrady Rebecca Giggs Alice Gorman Belinda Smith and Alan Weedon Felicity Plunkett Clare Watson Fiona McMillan-Webster Euan Ritchie Paul Biegler Tabitha Carvan Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli Jane McCredie Elizabeth Finkel Smriti Mallapaty Anne Casey Jackson Ryan Carl Smith

Is there life in the clouds of Venus? How could Indigenous burning practices stave off catastrophic bushfires? What do horseshoe bats, raccoon dogs and pet cats have to do with the global pandemic? Science writing tells the stories of life and human endeavour in all its marvellous – often messy – complexity. Now in its eleventh year – and with a foreword by Australia’s Chief Scientist, the renowned physicist Cathy Foley – The Best Australian Science Writing 2021 is a collection that showcases the nation’s best science writing. New voices join prominent science writers and journalists, taking us to the depths of the ocean, the fuels of the future, and to the Ryugu asteroid and back. The collection also brings us straight to the heart of complex ethical dilemmas and the calamitous crises challenging scientists and writers alike. Includes the shortlisted entries for the 2021 UNSW Press Bragg Prize and the 2020 UNSW Press Bragg Student Prize winning essay.

Now in its tenth year, this much-loved anthology selects the most riveting, entertaining, poignant and fascinating science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. In their expert hands such ordinary objects as milk and sticky tape become imbued with new meaning, while the furthest reaches of our universe are made more familiar and comprehensible.

A collection of the best science and nature writing published in North America in 2019, guest edited by New York Times best-selling author and ground-breaking physicist Dr. Michio Kaku. "Scientists and science writers have a monumental task: making science exciting and relevant to the average person, so that they care," writes renowned American physicist Michio Kaku. "If we fail in this endeavor, then we must face dire consequences." From the startlingly human abilities of AI, to the devastating accounts of California's forest fires, to the impending traffic jam on the moon, the selections in this year's Best American Science and Nature Writing explore the latest mysteries and marvels occurring in our labs and in nature. These gripping narratives masterfully translate the work of today's brightest scientists, offering a clearer view of our world and making us care. THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE AND NATURE WRITING 2020 INCLUDES RIVKA GALCHEN - ADAM GOPNIK - FERRIS JABR - JOSHUA SOKOL - MELINDA WENNER MOYER - SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE - NATALIE WOLCHOVER and others

The annual collection -- now in its thirteenth year -- celebrating the finest voices in Australian science writing. Should we alter animals' DNA to save them from extinction? What secrets will old ice reveal to us about the Earth's deep past? How is the world's most expensive -- and explosive -- substance made? Great science writing offers fascinating insights into our surrounding environments, inspires awe at the wonders of the natural world, and also seeks to understand and address some of the biggest problems of our time. Science writing encompasses the vastness of the universe and all the diverse life forms within it. Stories abound in both the microscopic and the astronomical, from the scientists trying to reverse-engineer brain circuitry to the largest radio telescope of its kind on Earth, which could help us detect alien life. This much-loved anthology -- now in its thirteenth year -- selects the most fascinating, thought-provoking, poignant and dazzling science stories and essays from Australian writers, poets and scientists. With a foreword by scientist and engineer Professor Mary O'Kane AC, this anthology covers another remarkable year filled with watershed moments in science. It includes the shortlisted entries for the 2023 UNSW Press Bragg Prize for Science Writing, and the 2022 Bragg Student Prize-winning essay.

This much-loved anthology showcases the nation's best science writing. New voices join prominent science writers and journalists, taking us to the depths of the ocean, the fuels of the future, and to the Ryugu asteroid and back. The anthology also takes us straight the heart of complex ethical dilemmas and the calamitous crises frustrating scientists and writers alike.