Re: SMP book/essay club
 

DB,

yeah, thats the stuff I really like. Very nice post.

Re: SMP book/essay club
 

Sorry I only just read this and realised it was intended to be in the biology field. My suggestion has pretty much nothing to do with that. Nonetheless, I think you should all read it. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: SMP book/essay club
 

Timeless Reality by Stenger is a nice wide-ranging, lay-level physics book. Part of it presents a non-orthodox view of time, but a lot of it covers the development of modern physics nicely. Maybe not the thing here, but I wanted to throw out something non-biology [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. Selfish gene is actually about the best book on earth (or was when I read it).

Re: SMP book/essay club
 

I suggest the 20-page paper "A dialog on quantum gravity" by Carlo Rovelli, available here: http://lanl.arxiv.org/abs/hep-th/0310077

This represents a chapter in the ongoing string theory vs. loop quantum gravity war that those who follow modern physics may be aware of. Rovelli is a loop quantum gravity theorist, and the paper is in the format of a conversation between a fictional graduate student and professor, debating over the relative merits of the theories.

There is no math, but the language used assumes familiarity with modern physics concepts. E.G. you should know what the standard model is about, and why "perturbation theory" is important. If you're up for it, you'll definately gain some interesting perspective on why there are opposing camps in theoretical physics these days that don't really seem to like or understand each other very much.

And, of course, it's free and only 20 not-very-dense pages.

Re: SMP book/essay club
 

I've been meaning to shelve out for Gravitation by Thorne, Misner, and Wheeler, but it's just so damned BIG.

Re: SMP book/essay club
 

Found a non-treewasting copy of the Selfish Gene.

So, yeah, interested. Especially if it covers a wide range of stuff. See location. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

book should include religion somehow
 

therefore, i suggest...
Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought by Pascal Boyer

Just got it. Haven't read it yet, but looks good.

Re: book should include religion somehow
 

[ QUOTE ]
therefore, i suggest...
Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought by Pascal Boyer

Just got it. Haven't read it yet, but looks good.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just to note... this is good, and Im pretty sure I can get an educational copy in pdf format, if that is something I would be allowed to do wrt the sites T and C.

Re: book should include religion somehow
 

I'm game for anything guys, like I said, as long as it doesn't cost me to get a hardback edition.

Should we have a vote or something?

Re: book should include religion somehow
 

I vote for something more philosophical. How about Power/Knowledge by Foucault?