Natural sciences

In the bestselling The Signal and the Noise, Nate Silver showed how forecasting would define the age of Big Data. Now, in this timely and riveting new book, Silver investigates "the River," the community of like-minded people whose mastery of risk allows them to shape-and dominate-so much of modern life.

'Illuminating' TIM MARSHALL 'Refreshing' THOMAS HALLIDAY A revolutionary journey through time, showing how biology has shaped human history. This book will change your perspective. We are evolutionary wonders, yet flawed. Our bodies and minds fail, and to be human is to live with this contradiction. Being Human reveals how our nature shaped history, and still impacts progress today.

In pursuit of answers, Munroe runs computer simulations, pores over stacks of declassified military research memos, solves differential equations and consults everyone from astronauts to nuclear reactor operators. His responses are masterpieces of clarity and hilarity, complemented by comics. (They often predict the complete annihilation of humankind, or at least a really big explosion.) Welcom

The Light Eaters is a deep immersion into the drama of green life and the complexity of this wild and awe-inspiring world that challenges our very understanding of agency, consciousness, and intelligence.

Stories brought us together Books spread our ideas – and our mythologies The internet promised infinite knowledge The algorithm learned our secrets – and then turned us against each other What will AI do? NEXUS is the thrilling account of how we arrived at this moment, and the urgent choices we must now make to survive – and to thrive.

The millions of people around the world who read and loved What If? still have questions, and those questions are getting stranger. Thank goodness xkcd creator Randall Munroe is here to help. Planning to ride a fire pole from the Moon back to Earth? The hardest part is sticking the landing. Hoping to cool the atmosphere by opening everyone's freezer door at the same time? Maybe it's time for a bri