Islands in Infinity
Derek Ward-Thompson et al. London Stereoscopic (2025)
This spectacular book of photographs of the Universe is dedicated to the late astronomer and broadcaster Patrick Moore, who introduced the authors to one another. Astrophysicist Derek Ward-Thompson, rock guitarist Brian May — who also holds a PhD in astrophysics — and astrophotographer J.-P. Metsävainio showcase some of the “billions of vast glowing islands in the immensity of what seems like infinite space and time”. Several of the photos appear in adjacent pairs, visible in 3D with a stereo-focusing viewer.
Following the Bend
Ellen Wohl Princeton Univ. Press (2025)
Fluvial geomorphologist Ellen Wohl studies how rivers shape the ecology of the lands they flow through. Having grown up near rivers around the US Great Lakes, “I’ve always had trouble turning back rather than following just one more bend of the river to see what’s ahead”, she writes in her appealing book. As for rivers’ future, she worries about several aspects, such as climate change and the spread of floating plastics, and supports the 2022 declaration of legal personhood for four important rivers, including the US Klamath River.
Inside an Academic Scandal
Max H. Bazerman MIT Press (2025)
Academic fraud is seldom as openly discussed as it is in this absorbing book by behavioural researcher Max Bazerman. It relates to a 2012 social-science study about honesty by Bazerman and four co-authors, in which people were found to be more truthful when filling out a form if they signed it beforehand, rather than afterwards. But, in 2021 and 2023, academic sleuths showed that two of the experiments were, ironically, fraudulent. Bazerman, although not personally implicated, regrets his reluctance to question his co-authors’ data.
The Pale Blue Data Point
Jon Willis Univ. Chicago Press (2025)
