My Current Library..

Books to read by 2014!! CHECKLIST

(Descriptions are from www.waterstones.com; reviews will be added as I conquer them!)

The Serpent's Promise, Steve Jones 

The Bible was the first scientific textbook of all; and it got some things right (and plenty more wrong). Steve Jones' new book rewrites it in the light of modern science. Are we all descended from a single couple, a real-life Adam and Eve? Was the Bible's great flood really a memory of the end of the Ice Age? Will we ever get back to Methuselah given that British life expectancy is still rising by six hours a day, every day? Many people deny the power of faith, many more the power of science. In this ground-breaking work, geneticist Steve Jones explores their shared mysteries - from the origins of life and humankind to sex, age, death and the end of the universe. He steps aside from the noisy debate between believers and unbelievers to show how the same questions preoccupy us today as in biblical times - and that science offers many of the answers. Erudite and accessible, The Serpent's Promise is a witty and thoughtful account of the ability and the limits of science to tell us what we are.

Delusions of Gender, Cordelia Fine

Are men from Mars and women really from Venus? Gender inequalities are increasingly defended by citing hard-wired differences between the male and female brain. That's why, we're told, there are so few women in science, so few men in the laundry room - different brains are just suited to different things. Not so, argues cognitive neuroscientist Cordelia Fine. Whether you've found yourself frustrated by the gender straitjacket that still constrains us, or failed to notice it, Fine's sparkling yet vehement attack on 'neurosexism' will be essential reading.

In Search of Schrodinger's Cat, John R. Gribbin

Quantum theory is so shocking that Einstein could not bring himself to accept it. It is so important that it provides the fundamental underpinning of all modern sciences. Without it, we'd have no nuclear power or nuclear weapons, no TV, no computers, no science of molecular biology, no understanding of DNA, no genetic engineering. In Search of Schrodinger's Cat tells the complete story of quantum mechanics, a truth stranger than any fiction. John Gribbin takes us step by step into an ever more bizarre and fascinating place, requiring only that we approach it with an open mind. He introduces the scientists who developed quantum theory. He investigates the atom, radiation, time travel, the birth of the universe, superconductors and life itself. And in a world full of its own delights, mysteries and surprises, he searches for Schrodinger's Cat - a search for quantum reality - as he brings every reader to a clear understanding of the most important area of scientific study today - quantum physics. In Search of Schrodinger's Cat is a fascinating and delightful introduction to the strange world of the quantum - an essential element in understanding today's world.

Permanent Present Tense: the man with no memory and what he taught the world, Suzanne Corkin

In Permanent Present Tense Suzanne Corkin tells the incredible story of the amnesiac Henry Gustave Molaison - known only as H.M. until his death in 2008 - and what he taught medical science, neuroscience and the world. In 1953, at the age of twenty-seven, Molaison underwent an experimental psychosurgical procedure intended to alleviate his debilitating epilepsy. The outcome was devastating - when Molaison awoke he was unable to form new memories and for the rest of his life would be trapped in the moment. But Molaison's tragedy would prove a gift to humanity, illuminating functions and structures of the brain and revolutionizing the neuroscience of memory.

5 Things you didn't know you were addicted to

An addiction is a habitual or compulsive physiological or psychological need for something. It is often characterized by a yearning that affects daily routine and severe withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms can vary depending on the addictive stimuli, but frequently include low mood states and low energy levels. The stigma of an addict is often a washed out drunkard, and you couldn’t possibly fall into the same category as them, could you? Yes, you can and do. Evolution has meant that most humans are innately geared or conditioned to be addicted to certain things quite simply because it helps us survive.

Human interaction – As social animals, we depend on one another for financial, emotional and materialistic gain. Very few people would be able to survive without assistance from farmers, shopkeepers, or electricians. To ensure our survival, our brain has evolved certain mechanics to keep us socialising. Every time we talk o someone or make physical contact, our reward system is activated, causing a release of dopamine, essentially making us feel happy. This association between happiness and humans conditions us to seek out human interaction to emotionally fulfil us. Being deprived of human interaction, especially in childhood, can have massively adverse effects mentally and emotionally, and sometimes even physically as some abandoned children are reported to unconsciously rock themselves, and spontaneously hit themselves as an unintentional form of self harm. The seeking of human behaviour is evident in our daily routines as we go to a club or chat with others for seemingly no profit, and withdrawal symptoms can be detrimental. Human interaction is the biggest addiction of all.

Sugar – Sugar is a carbon compound that we cannot live without. Glucose (sugar) is essential for cells to respire, and therefore is responsible for all of our actions, including moving and thinking! It is also the trigger of a dopamine reward system that means when we consume sugary food, like when we socialise, we become happier. It is the reason we comfort eat when we’re sad and the reason maintaining a restricted diet is so hard – we crave the high concentration of sugar found in chocolate bars. A sudden decrease in sugar levels can cause people to become slightly moody. Although we are essentially addicted to sugar, too much is very bad for you (for example, causing diabetes) and must be eaten in moderation, and from a healthy source such as fruit.

Laziness – Even in this day and age where we know exercise is beneficial, we still elect to drive to work and are constantly developing technology to do work for us, such as the un-manned vacuum cleaner. This is another evolutionary hangover, as our ancestors did not always have a constant food supply or heated homes, and therefore it was essential to find a short cut for everything to restrict energy expenditure. Now, despite having an abundance of nearly everything and knowing that mental and physical exercise is essential, we often still strive to do minimal and expect reward or recognition when we choose to do anything above that. If we do not get rewarded or are forced to do more, we become stressed and often angry. It would appear that we are in fact addicted to laziness. 

Tanning – As UV rays damage skin cells, your body produces beta endorphins, neurotransmitters created to numb pain and deal with stress. This probably occurs because your body thinks it is being harmed (which it is!). You then get addicted to the pleasurable sensation induces by sun-bathing. Furthermore, sunlight that is detected by the eyes inhibits the production of melatonin, which causes an increase in cortisol levels as they work antagonistically. The increased cortisol levels increases alertness. These effects can also help form an addiction.

Pop Music – 

The Devolution of Man

Are we in fact becoming less and less intelligent? Has our increased dependence on technology and telecommunications made our minds less imaginative or resourceful? Could it now be argued, that we are causing the devolution of mankind...