Islands in Infinity
Derek Ward Thompson et al. Stereoscopic London (2025)
This stunning book of photographs of the universe is dedicated to the late astronomer and broadcaster Patrick Moore, who introduced the authors to each other. Astrophysicist Derek Ward-Thomson, rock guitarist Brian May – who also holds a PhD in astrophysics – and astrophotographer J.B. Metsävainio displays some of the “billions of vast islands glowing in the immensity of what seems like infinite space and time.” Many images appear in side-by-side pairs and can be viewed in 3D using a stereo-focused viewer.
After bending
Ellen Wall Princeton University. He presses (2025)
River geomorphologist Ellen Wall studies how rivers shape the environment of the lands they flow through. Having grown up near the rivers surrounding the Great Lakes in the United States, she writes in her engaging book: “I’ve always had trouble turning back rather than following one more bend of the river to see what’s in front of me.” As for the future of rivers, she is concerned about several aspects, such as climate change and the spread of floating plastics, and supports the declaration of legal personality for four important rivers in 2022, including the American Klamath River.
Inside an academic scandal
Max H. Bazerman With the press (2025)
Rarely has academic fraud been discussed so openly as in this engaging book by behavioral researcher Max Bazerman. It relates to a 2012 social science study on honesty conducted by Bazerman and four co-authors, which found that people are more honest when filling out a form if they sign it beforehand, rather than afterward. But in 2021 and 2023, academic investigators showed that two of the trials were, ironically, fraudulent. Although Bazerman is not personally involved, he regrets his reluctance to question his co-authors’ statements.
Pale blue data point
John Willis university. Chicago Press (2025)