Under The Microscope

Science Overview

THE NEW SCIENTIST INSIDE SCIENCE, edited by Richard Fifield; Penguin, 1992; 356 pages; $34.95

If you want an overview of reasonably up-to-date science, this is a good place to start, covering astronomy, environmental science and human biology.

The material is readable, yet authoritative in most cases. I did note two errors in a small section on our Kaikoura UFO incident. And one has to be aware of the writers' biases -- John Gribbin's section on "Climatic conflict, Greenhouse v. the ice age" doesn't actually address this debate.

The text frequently flips between the main body of the text and related side stories. Add lots of clear and informative diagrams, and it's easy to lose track of where you are. That aside, this guide does provide a good background to commonly encountered science.

Vicki Hyde, NZSM

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.