New Books in Science, Technology, and Society

Humanity's relationship with black holes began in 1783 in a small English village, when clergyman John Michell posed a startling question: What if there are objects in space that are so large and heavy that not even light can escape them? Almost 250 years later, in April 2019, scientists presented the first picture of a black hole. Profoundly inspired by that image, physicist Jonas Enander has traveled the world to investigate how our understanding of these elusive celestial objects has evolved since the days of Michell. With the particular goal of discovering our human connection to black holes, Enander visits telescopes and observatories, delves deeply into archives, and interviews over 20 world-leading experts, including several Nobel laureates. With Facing Infinity: Black Holes and Our Place on Earth (The Experiment Press, 2025), he takes us on a spellbinding journey into the universe's greatest mystery, deciphers the most mind-bending science, and answers questions surrounding how black holes work, where they come from, and what role they play in the universe. Along the way Enander discovers how our desire to understand black holes inadvertently paved the way for the invention of Wi-Fi and the calibration of our global navigation satellites, how astronomical discovery became entangled with colonial conflicts, and how our looking outward gave us critical evidence of the impact of climate change. Facing Infinity helps us appreciate and understand as never before these mysterious celestial objects and our surprising connections to them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

It has become habitual to think of our relationship with energy as one of transition: with wood superseded by coal, coal by oil, oil by nuclear and then at some future point all replaced by green sources. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz’s devastating but unnervingly entertaining book shows what an extraordinary delusion this is. Far from the industrial era passing through a series of transformations, each new phase has in practice remained almost wholly entangled with the previous one. Indeed the very idea of transition turns out to be untrue. The author shares the same acute anxiety about the need for a green transition as the rest of us, but shows how, disastrously, our industrial history has in fact been based on symbiosis, with each major energy source feeding off the others. Using a fascinating array of examples, Fressoz describes how we have gorged on all forms of energy – with whole forests needed to prop up coal mines, coal remaining central to the creation of innumerable new products and oil still central to our lives. The world now burns more wood and coal than ever before. This book reveals an uncomfortable truth: ‘transition’ was originally itself promoted by energy companies, not as a genuine plan, but as a means to put off any meaningful change. More and More and More: An All-Consuming History of Energy (Harper, 2025) forces its readers to understand the modern world in all its voracious reality, and the true nature of the challenges heading our way. Jean-Baptiste Fressoz is a historian at the CNRS and the EHESS. He works on the history of the contemporary environmental crisis. He is currently working on the history of energy and material symbioses in the 19th and 20th centuries. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book Recomendations: 1. The Shock Of The Old: Technology and Global History since 1900 by David Edgerton2. Fin du monde et petits fours by Édouard Morena3. Accumuler du béton, tracer des routes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Have you ever stopped to think about how your morning cappuccino came to be? From the coffee bush that yielded the beans, to the grass for the cattle – or perhaps the soya – that produced the milk, plants are an indispensable part of our everyday life. Beginning with some of the earliest uses of plants, in 50 Plants that Changed the World (Bodleian, 2025) Dr. Stephen Harris takes us on an exciting journey through history, identifying fifty plants that have been key to the development of the western world, discussing trade, imperialism, politics, medicine, travel and chemistry along the way. There are plants here that have changed landscapes, fomented wars and fuelled slavery. Others have been the trigger for technological advances, expanded medical knowledge or simply made our lives more pleasant. Plants have provided paper and ink, chemicals that could kill or cure, vital sustenance and stimulants. Some, such as barley, have been staples from earliest times; others, such as oil palm, are newcomers to western industry. We remain dependent on plants for our food, our fuel and our medicines. As the wide-ranging and engaging stories in this beautifully illustrated book demonstrate, their effects on our lives continue to be profound and often unpredictable. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Taking recent spectacular progress in AI fully into account, Mark Seligman's AI and Ada: Artificial Translation and Creation of Literature (Anthem Press, 2025) explores prospects for artificial literary translation and composition, with frequent reference to the hyperconscious literary art of Vladimir Nabokov. The exploration balances reader-friendly explanation (“What are transformers?”) and original insights (“What is intelligence? What is language?”) with personal and playful notes, and culminates in an assortment of striking demos The book’s Preface places the current AI explosion in the context of other technological cataclysms and recounts the author’s personal (and not always deadly serious) AI journey. Chapter One (“Extracting the Essence”) assesses the potential of machine translation of literature, exploiting Nabokov’s hyperconscious literary art as a reference point. Chapter Two (“Toward an Artificial Nabokov”) goes on to speculate on possibilities for actual artificial creation of literature. Chapter Three (“Large Literary Models? Intelligence and Language in the LLM Era”) explains recent spectacular progress in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), as exemplified by Large Language Models like ChatGPT. On the way, the chapter ventures to tackle perennial questions (“What is intelligence?” “What is language?”) and culminates in an assortment of striking demos. In this episode, Ibrahim Fawzy sat with Mark Seligman to talk about how the current AI revolution fits into the long arc of cultural and technological shifts, Seligman's framing of the “Great Transition” between Humanity 1.0 and 2.0, Nabokov’s style as a lens for thinking about artificial creativity, the possibilities and limits of machine translation and literary artistry, and the philosophical stakes of whether AI-generated works can ever truly be considered art.Ibrahim Fawzy is an Egyptian literary translator and writer based in Boston. His interests include translation studies, Arabic literature, ecocriticism, disability studies, and migration literature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Lucy Sante, a seasoned writer and author of 'Nineteen Reservoirs', dives deep into the intricate history of New York City's reservoir system. She uncovers the emotional narratives of displacement faced by rural communities and the socio-economic impacts of these monumental constructions. Highlighting the duality of triumph and tragedy, Sante illustrates the ongoing tensions between urban needs and rural realities. Listeners will also get a sneak peek into her upcoming works, including reflections on 1960s New York and the Velvet Underground.

Frederick Sharman, an architect and researcher at Morgan State University, dives into Gerard O'Neill's revolutionary vision for space colonies from the 1970s. O'Neill proposed these habitats to solve Earth's environmental crises by harnessing space resources. Sharman highlights O'Neill's innovative ideas about sustainable living in space and the potential to beam energy back to Earth. The conversation also touches on the legacy of early space evangelists and the cultural implications of their narratives, raising questions about our future in space and the environment.

In this discussion, scientist Samuel Arbesman delves into the essence of coding as a universal force connecting diverse fields, likening it to DNA in biology. He highlights how code shapes human communication and our perceptions, drawing on the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. Arbesman emphasizes the ethical implications of technology and the need for broader engagement beyond tech experts. He also explores the beauty of programming languages like Lisp and the creativity possible through coding, posing both opportunities and challenges in our digital age.

Simon James Copland, an Honorary Fellow at the Australian National University and author of "The Male Complaint: The Manosphere and Misogyny Online," explores the troubling rise of the Manosphere, where misogyny thrives online. He delves into its connection to mainstream neoliberal social structures and the allure it holds for alienated men seeking community. Discussing the backlash against feminism and the interplay of masculinity with political distrust, Copland advocates for constructive dialogue and understanding to address these critical societal issues.

Jessica Urwin, an environmental and Australian historian, explores the complex legacy of nuclear colonialism in Australia. She discusses the impact of uranium extraction and nuclear testing on Aboriginal communities, highlighting their fight for rights and reparations. Urwin reveals how Indigenous peoples have resisted and reshaped colonial mechanisms over time. The conversation also touches on the intertwining of anti-nuclear activism and Aboriginal rights, emphasizing the importance of land reclamation and the resilience of Indigenous voices in the face of historical injustices.

Cornelia C. Walther, an author and senior fellow at the Wharton Initiative for Neuroscience, shares her insights on technology's role in society. She discusses her transformative journey from humanitarian work to advocating for pro-social technology. The conversation highlights the duality of tech during the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing inequalities while fostering connectivity. Walther introduces 'Aspirational Algorithms' and her 'Values In, Values Out' framework, stressing the importance of human-centered design in AI to enhance rather than exploit human capabilities.