Library

Great science sites

Bookshelf

There are some great science sites to be found on the web. Below is a selection of some of my favorites and more will be reviewed and added in the future. Web site recommendations are very welcome.

Web site of the month

Howtoons.com is a great site with some amazing cartoons describing how to do build things, from soda bottle submersibles to marshmallow shooters. They also have a blog, which is updated regularly with fun science news, links to cool web sites and more. I also like their glossary section, and now know the meaning of the words 'Arborist' and 'Embouchure'!

Cool web sites

http://www.sciencebob.com/ Has some good experiments to try at home and other cool stuff

http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/index.html Nice site- the Airjunk section is good!

http://www.brainpop.com/ I love this site, it's great. They have movies on everything, from spiders to relativity to the big bang. Look at it now!

http://www.abc.net.au/science/default.htm Great science news articles and fun stuff to try.

http://www.scienceyear.com/wired/start.html Really nice site- their amazing facts section is cool.

For science news

http://www.newscientist.com/home.ns News section from New Scientist magazine

http://www.nature.com/news/index.html News section from Nature magazine

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/default.stm BBC science news section

Got a science question? Then try these sites

http://www.madsci.org/ Ask-a-scientist on this site is good for science questions you just can't get your head around!

http://www.physlink.com/Education/AskExperts/ For all those physics questions you may have.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/ Explanations of hundreds of everyday phenomena

http://www.newscientist.com/lastword.ns Last word section of New Scientist takes questions which are answered by scientists who read the magazine. They have loads of great stuff.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson is a great book that explains a vast number of scientific principles and discoveries without ever feeling anything like a textbook. The author's real talent is in describing the stories behind and the people involved in some of science's greatest achievements. There are laugh out loud moments throughout the book and Bryson's story-telling ability ensures that the reader comes away from the book feeling amazed at just how small we all are in comparison with the universe around us. The fact that Bryson is not a scientist himself means that he focuses more on the story rather than the science, but this doesn't detract from what is a really good read. Highly recommended!

Carl Zimmer's Parasite Rex : Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures is a fascinating insight into the fascinating, albeit sometimes gruesome, world of the parasite. From the parasite that eats a fish's tongue and replaces it, to Fleischmania, which eats the flesh from your face, this book is horrifying in places. Yet, you can't help but feel impressed by just how ingenious, beautiful and adaptable some parasitic species are. This book is understandable to a non-scientist and contains a good mixture of science and story, although it is slightly long in places. Overall, its a good read that will make you look at the world in a completely new way.

The Science of Superheroes is a fun book that ignites curiosity in science through a fairly light-hearted discussion of the science behind some of the better known comic book heroes. Deep down, everyone knows that a massive dose of radiation is more likely to kill than give an unfortunate person superhuman abilities, so attacking the science of comic books might seem a little bit of an easy target to some. However, the authors also delve into some interesting scientific principles and make the reader realize that science can be applied to pretty much everything! At times, the book is a little complex for what it is and can be a little over the top in places. Luckily, the chapters stand alone and you do not have to wade through the entire thing at once.