Book Reviews: ‘On The Origin Of Time – Stephen Hawking’s Final Theory’

nature Magazine Science Book Reviews – April 2023

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On the Origin of Time

Like his mentor and colleague Stephen Hawking, Thomas Hertog has never shied away from being ambitious in theorizing about the universe. This sweeping book provides an accessible overview of both what we know about cosmology, and some audacious ideas for moving into the unknown. It is an introduction to Hawking’s final theory, but also a glimpse into even grander theories yet to come.

Professor Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – April 13, 2023

Volume 616 Issue 7956

nature Magazine – April 13, 2023 issue: Octopuses use chemotactile receptors (CRs) in the suckers on their arms to ‘taste by touch’ as they explore their sea-floor environment. These proteins evolved from neurotransmitter receptors to allow octopuses to detect poorly soluble natural products on contact.

World’s biggest butterfly is low on genetic diversity

Ornithoptera alexandrae, Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly.
Rare beauty: the Queen Alexandra’s birdwing can have a wingspan of more than 28 centimetres. Credit: Alamy

An endangered butterfly, found only in Papua New Guinea, has had a small population for a million years.

Three ways to solve the plastics pollution crisis

Man walks through a canal which is blocked by piles of plastic waste and food waste dumped, Bangladesh, Dhaka.
A canal blocked by waste, including discarded plastic, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Credit: Ahmed Salahuddin/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Researchers are studying how more-sophisticated policies, smarter recycling and new materials could stem the tide of waste.

Research: New Scientist Magazine – April 15, 2023

New Scientist | Science news, articles, and features

New Scientist Magazine April 15, 2023 issue:

How do we know that therapy works, and which kind is best for you?

How do we know that therapy works, and which kind is best for you?

Psychotherapy has never been more available and yet, with so many options, it can be hard to know where to start. Thankfully, researchers are getting to grips with what really works and why

The Power of Language review: What speaking many languages can do

Physicist David Wolpert on how to study concepts beyond imagination

Design: Brunswick House Remodel Tour, Melbourne

The Local Project – (April 12, 2023) – Located in Brunswick, Victoria, Brunswick House by Placement is a showcase of how a narrow home can contain a lot of graceful design aspects within its walls. Sitting on a small block, the house offers a north-to-south-facing layout, with neighbours flanking on either side.

Tasked to rectify a defunct terrace typology that is common to the area, the architect has employed a refined sense of detail from entrance to the back courtyard. To retain certain aspects of the original home, Placement has chosen to maintain the main bedroom with its original fireplace. While the house tour continues on, small design elements help to reignite the home’s historical character through a modern lens.

Placement has a sense of release and decompression to unveil the house by designing a double-height ceiling that leads into the dining area. When responding to the home’s narrow site, the architect had to find a way to welcome light into the centre of the building. This crucial design element was answered by the use of a central courtyard, which has been finished with large glass windows to allow for light to flood the living spaces. Moving from the dining area, two hallways are revealed, one which accesses the bathroom and another that works as a galley kitchen, and at the end of both hallways sits the living room and rear garden.

An additional mezzanine level is built above the hallways, designed to be used as a multipurpose room, second bedroom or office space. However, the space ultimately helps to zone out the separate dining and living areas. Employing bricks as the main material element within the narrow home, they are laid in a stack bond to accentuate the verticality in the space. Selecting the Nubrik artisan by Brickworks for its tactility and textural quality, the architect has used brick to help define the interior detailing and works alongside the timber joinery. In doing so, the timber is employed to do the heavy lifting of the interior spaces as the joinery creates a seamless transition between living, dining and the mezzanine level by creating overlapping lines.

Travel: A Walking Tour In The Gardens Of Prague

April 11, 2023 – A walking tour through Prague’s most beautiful and enchanting green spaces, including the Waldstein Garden and the Vojan Gardens.

Waldstein Garden (Valdštejnská zahrada) – This strictly geometrically designed early Baroque garden was created parallel with the Wallenstein Palace construction from 1623 to 1629. At first sight, one’s eyes are drawn to the massive sala pavilion, unprecedented at the time of its construction, and an artificial cave with stalactites (grotto). In summer, the garden is the venue for concerts and theatrical performances. The Waldstein garden is probably the first palace garden in Prague built-in connection with the palace object.

The Vojan Gardens (Vojanovy sady) are considered the oldest partially preserved garden in Prague. They are a part of the former fruit garden, which originated simultaneously with demolishing an Episcopal court in 1248. At that time, it was called after its owner Pytlíkovská or Flavínovská. In 1653, Ferdinand III bought the garden and an adjacent house for the Order of Carmelite Sisters. The Carmelites built a convent with a church of St. Joseph in the years between 1673 and 1690. The garden was established around 1670, and it served as a utility garden.

Filmed and edited on April 10, 2023 by: Perception Philosophy

Wonderlands: The Blue Mountains Of Australia

Into the Wild Films (April 11, 2023) – Just 50km west of Sydney Australia, is the spectacular natural wonderland of the Greater Blue Mountains. Known best for the Three Sisters, Echo Point, Scenic World and Wentworth Falls, this documentary explores the natural wonders hidden beyond these grand panoramas.

From the incredible display of the Superb Lyrebird to the underwater world of the Sydney Spiny Crayfish. Descend into its deep dark slot canyons before flying like a bird over the Blue Gum Forest. Discover its rare and ancient Wollemi Pines and explore its mysterious sandstone pagoda landscapes. Witness temperature inversions creating seas of clouds before marveling at the carnivorous plants that inhabit the sheer cliff faces. This is the Blue Mountains as you’ve never seen it before.

Arts/Books: Times Literary Supplement – April 14, 2023

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Times Literary Supplement @TheTLS (April 14, 2023) – This week’s issue features @TristramHuntVA on monuments; @nclarke14 on English caricature; @HettieJudah on Action, Gesture, Paint @_TheWhitechapel; @jntod on J. H. Prynne; @rinireg on the Trump indictment – and more.

News: Macron’s ‘Taiwan Stance’ Backlash, Ethiopia Unrest, IMF Bank Warning

The Globalist, April 12, 2023: Emmanuel Macron confronts hecklers on a state visit to the Netherlands to present his vision for Europe’s future, as his comments on Taiwan spark international outrage.

Plus: unrest in Ethiopia, the cities introducing tourism taxes and the Spanish restaurant set to reopen as a museum.

Front Page: The New York Times — April 12, 2023

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California Economy Is on Edge After Tech Layoffs and Studio Cutbacks

While the California economy maintains its powerhouse status, the state’s most powerful sectors — including tech companies and supply chain logistics — have struggled to keep their footing.
CREDITJASON HENRY FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

As recession fears persist, the troubles in major industries have hurt tax revenues, turning the state’s $100 billion surplus into a deficit.

Pressured by Their Base on Abortion, Republicans Strain to Find a Way Forward

A conservative judge’s ruling on the abortion pill mifepristone, available for decades, underscored the anti-abortion movement’s efforts since Roe v. Wade was struck down last year.
CREDITERIN SCHAFF/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Some in the party are urging compromise, warning of dire electoral consequences for 2024, while other stances, on guns and gay rights, also risk turning off moderates.

An Online Meme Group Is at the Center of Uproar Over Leaked Military Secrets

Youth culture and national defense collided in a community known for edgy jokes. The YouTube celebrity it was dedicated to seemed as surprised as anyone.

Biden Administration Proposes Evenly Cutting Water Allotments From Colorado River

As the river shrinks, the Biden administration is getting ready to impose, for the first time, reductions in water supplies to states.