How Do I
Black Holes, Beakers, and Books:
A Popular Science Book Club
Are you interested in exploring the vast mysteries of the cosmos, understanding human evolutionary history, or talking about the long-term future of the planet earth? These topics and more will be discussed in Black Holes, Beakers, and Books, a popular science book club that reads and discusses popular science books published within the last five years.
Our current theme is This is Your Brain.
Unless otherwise noted, all meetings will take place:
Sundays from 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Director's Conference Room, First Floor
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh — Main
4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland
Upcoming Discussions
Sunday, May 20th, 2012
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
by David M. Eagleman
Acclaimed for his recent collection of fictional vignettes, Eagleman draws upon his day job as a neuroscientist to write this work of nonfiction. He explores the inner workings of the subconscious mind, using vivid written illustrations to explain how our brains behave when we don't even realize it. The neural impulses behind optical illusions, hallucinations, gut feelings, synesthesia, and other tricks of the mind are laid bare.
Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
by David M. Eagleman
Acclaimed for his recent collection of fictional vignettes, Eagleman draws upon his day job as a neuroscientist to write this work of nonfiction. He explores the inner workings of the subconscious mind, using vivid written illustrations to explain how our brains behave when we don't even realize it. The neural impulses behind optical illusions, hallucinations, gut feelings, synesthesia, and other tricks of the mind are laid bare.
Sunday, July 22nd, 2012
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
by Joshua Foer
We all used simple mnemonic devices in elementary school to recall the names of the Great Lakes and other facts. When Foer decides to compete in the U.S. Memory Championship, he learns to create mnemonic devices far more complex. He succeeds at memorizing the order of multiple decks of cards, the names of dozens of strangers, and a host of numerical data that we now often store in our smart phones instead of our brains. Foer reveals how he's able to remember all this information, as well as the neurological networks behind his new abilities.
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything
by Joshua Foer
We all used simple mnemonic devices in elementary school to recall the names of the Great Lakes and other facts. When Foer decides to compete in the U.S. Memory Championship, he learns to create mnemonic devices far more complex. He succeeds at memorizing the order of multiple decks of cards, the names of dozens of strangers, and a host of numerical data that we now often store in our smart phones instead of our brains. Foer reveals how he's able to remember all this information, as well as the neurological networks behind his new abilities.
Sunday, September 23rd, 2012
Playful Brain: The Surprising Science of How Puzzles Improve Your Mind
by Richard Restak and Scott Kim
Neuroscientist Richard Restak and puzzle author Scott Kim admit that the jury's still out on whether Sudoku and crosswords can prevent genetically linked diseases such as Alzheimer's. They do believe, however, that brain teasers, riddles, and other puzzles can enhance the mind. Playing such games can improve both working and long-term memory. Through pages of Kim's illustrated puzzles, Restak explains how solving these enigmas can exercise various abilities in our brains - from spatial and visual thinking to motor skills and mathematics.
Playful Brain: The Surprising Science of How Puzzles Improve Your Mind
by Richard Restak and Scott Kim
Neuroscientist Richard Restak and puzzle author Scott Kim admit that the jury's still out on whether Sudoku and crosswords can prevent genetically linked diseases such as Alzheimer's. They do believe, however, that brain teasers, riddles, and other puzzles can enhance the mind. Playing such games can improve both working and long-term memory. Through pages of Kim's illustrated puzzles, Restak explains how solving these enigmas can exercise various abilities in our brains - from spatial and visual thinking to motor skills and mathematics.
Contact Information
Rita Botts, newandfeatured@carnegielibrary.org, 412-622-3151Visit Local Science Organizations
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History offers exciting exhibits,
science lectures, and more.
Cafe Scientifique presents monthly science
lectures at the Carnegie
Science Center.
Previous Discussions
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography
by Janet Browne
Join us for a discussion of Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography by Janet Browne, which probes the life of scientist Charles Darwin and explains why his theory of evolution is as controversial today as it was more than a century ago. This discussion coincided with Ms. Browne's appearance at the Drue Heinz Lecture series on February 9, 2009.
Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography
by Janet Browne
Join us for a discussion of Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography by Janet Browne, which probes the life of scientist Charles Darwin and explains why his theory of evolution is as controversial today as it was more than a century ago. This discussion coincided with Ms. Browne's appearance at the Drue Heinz Lecture series on February 9, 2009.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The First Human: The Race to Discover Our Earliest Ancestors
by Ann Gibbons
The First Human throws readers into the competitive world of fossil hunting as four international teams race to solve the mystery of human evolution. Ms. Gibbons joined us to fuel the discussion about her fascinating book.
The First Human: The Race to Discover Our Earliest Ancestors
by Ann Gibbons
The First Human throws readers into the competitive world of fossil hunting as four international teams race to solve the mystery of human evolution. Ms. Gibbons joined us to fuel the discussion about her fascinating book.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
by Neil Shubin
This book explores the evolutionary past of our body's anatomy by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years - long before the first creatures walked the earth. Representatives of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History brought fossils to supplement this discussion.
Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body
by Neil Shubin
This book explores the evolutionary past of our body's anatomy by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years - long before the first creatures walked the earth. Representatives of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History brought fossils to supplement this discussion.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology
by Ray Kurzweil
Some scientists have predicted the coming of the “singularity,” at which time human biology and technology will merge. In The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, Ray Kurzweil explores this idea with optimism, predicting that the singularity will create a new human species free from the constraints of biology, even bodily death. Mark Palatucci, a Ph.D student in Robotics/AI at Carnegie Mellon University, joined us for this discussion.
The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology
by Ray Kurzweil
Some scientists have predicted the coming of the “singularity,” at which time human biology and technology will merge. In The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology, Ray Kurzweil explores this idea with optimism, predicting that the singularity will create a new human species free from the constraints of biology, even bodily death. Mark Palatucci, a Ph.D student in Robotics/AI at Carnegie Mellon University, joined us for this discussion.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Almost Human: Making Robots Think
by Lee Gutkind
Amazing advancements in robotics engineering are being made right here in Pittsburgh. In Almost Human, Lee Gutkind, a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh and foremost writer of creative nonfiction, describes the fascinating world of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. Lee Gutkind joined us to talk about his book.
Almost Human: Making Robots Think
by Lee Gutkind
Amazing advancements in robotics engineering are being made right here in Pittsburgh. In Almost Human, Lee Gutkind, a professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh and foremost writer of creative nonfiction, describes the fascinating world of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. Lee Gutkind joined us to talk about his book.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Emotion Machine: Commonsense Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Human Mind
by Marvin Minsky
In the quest to create a viable artificial intelligence, understanding the multifaceted features of the human mind is vital. The Emotion Machine is Marvin Minsky’s call for a “back to basics” approach to using the human mind as a model for artificial intelligence. Marvin Minsky joined us via telephone to discuss his book.
The Emotion Machine: Commonsense Thinking, Artificial Intelligence, and the Future of the Human Mind
by Marvin Minsky
In the quest to create a viable artificial intelligence, understanding the multifaceted features of the human mind is vital. The Emotion Machine is Marvin Minsky’s call for a “back to basics” approach to using the human mind as a model for artificial intelligence. Marvin Minsky joined us via telephone to discuss his book.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet
by Mark Lynas
What will happen to the earth and human civilization if the planet warms by one-to-six degrees Celsius? Mark Lynas tries to answer this question by looking at warming data past and present, concluding that, depending on the level of warming, the consequences range from the loss of mountain glaciers and coral reefs to the total destruction of life on the planet. Lynas recommends some preventive measures to avoid this calamity, but are we already too late to implement them? An employee of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History joined us with objects from the Polar World exhibit to talk about the influence of climate change on polar habitats.
Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet
by Mark Lynas
What will happen to the earth and human civilization if the planet warms by one-to-six degrees Celsius? Mark Lynas tries to answer this question by looking at warming data past and present, concluding that, depending on the level of warming, the consequences range from the loss of mountain glaciers and coral reefs to the total destruction of life on the planet. Lynas recommends some preventive measures to avoid this calamity, but are we already too late to implement them? An employee of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History joined us with objects from the Polar World exhibit to talk about the influence of climate change on polar habitats.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One
by Sylvia A. Earle
Described by some as "a Silent Spring for our era," The World is Blue is Sylvia Earle's depiction of Earth's oceans in crisis, as overfishing, pollution, and climate change drive species into extinction and throw off the delicate balance of the entire planet's ecosystem. Like Rachel Carson before her, Earle calls for an impassioned response to this environmental crisis before it spirals out of control. An employee of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History joined us with objects from the Whales/Tohora exhibit.
The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One
by Sylvia A. Earle
Described by some as "a Silent Spring for our era," The World is Blue is Sylvia Earle's depiction of Earth's oceans in crisis, as overfishing, pollution, and climate change drive species into extinction and throw off the delicate balance of the entire planet's ecosystem. Like Rachel Carson before her, Earle calls for an impassioned response to this environmental crisis before it spirals out of control. An employee of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History joined us with objects from the Whales/Tohora exhibit.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Chasing Spring: An American Journey Through a Changing Season
by Bruce Stutz
Part science, part travelogue, Chasing Spring follows Bruce Stutz's journey across America to "see spring in various phases." What he discovers on his trip is both fascinating and disturbing: climate change is causing spring to arrive earlier, resulting in altered migration patterns for animals, glaciers that melt more quickly, and unbalanced relationships between plants and pollinators. In the end Stutz's book is both a personal and scientific appreciation of spring, and a warning about our planet's future. Bruce Stutz joined us via teleconference.
Chasing Spring: An American Journey Through a Changing Season
by Bruce Stutz
Part science, part travelogue, Chasing Spring follows Bruce Stutz's journey across America to "see spring in various phases." What he discovers on his trip is both fascinating and disturbing: climate change is causing spring to arrive earlier, resulting in altered migration patterns for animals, glaciers that melt more quickly, and unbalanced relationships between plants and pollinators. In the end Stutz's book is both a personal and scientific appreciation of spring, and a warning about our planet's future. Bruce Stutz joined us via teleconference.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Proust Was a Neuroscientist
by Jonah Lehrer
Can science and the arts be reconciled? Neuroscientist Jonah Lehrer claims they can because artists, such as the writer Marcel Proust, often stumble upon scientific truths independently of scientists. Alison Barth, a neuroscientist at Carnegie Mellon University, joined us for this discussion.
Proust Was a Neuroscientist
by Jonah Lehrer
Can science and the arts be reconciled? Neuroscientist Jonah Lehrer claims they can because artists, such as the writer Marcel Proust, often stumble upon scientific truths independently of scientists. Alison Barth, a neuroscientist at Carnegie Mellon University, joined us for this discussion.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind
by Gary Marcus
The human mind is rightfully held up as an amazing product of evolution, but it is also flawed in numerous ways. Kluge explores why, and offers tips for identifying and working around the errors our minds produce. Kathleen Salerno, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Neuroscience, joined us for this conversation.
Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind
by Gary Marcus
The human mind is rightfully held up as an amazing product of evolution, but it is also flawed in numerous ways. Kluge explores why, and offers tips for identifying and working around the errors our minds produce. Kathleen Salerno, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Neuroscience, joined us for this conversation.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
by Daniel H. Pink
Bestselling author Daniel Pink (A Whole New Mind) moves beyond simplistic notions of human motivation by exploring the latest science about what drives us, and how this science is being implemented by individuals and organizations. Daniel Pink will discuss his book with us via teleconference!
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
by Daniel H. Pink
Bestselling author Daniel Pink (A Whole New Mind) moves beyond simplistic notions of human motivation by exploring the latest science about what drives us, and how this science is being implemented by individuals and organizations. Daniel Pink will discuss his book with us via teleconference!
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Long for This World: The Strange Science of Immortality
by Jonathan Weiner
Weiner’s excellent science writing on finch evolution won him a Pulitzer Prize for The Beak of the Finch. Now he has returned with another eloquent scientific tale, this time about the search for a cure to aging.
Long for This World: The Strange Science of Immortality
by Jonathan Weiner
Weiner’s excellent science writing on finch evolution won him a Pulitzer Prize for The Beak of the Finch. Now he has returned with another eloquent scientific tale, this time about the search for a cure to aging.
Sunday, March 20th, 2011
The Mind's Eye
by Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks is well-known for his terrific books on abnormal psychology, including The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Musicophilia. His latest explores the connection between vision and mind, focusing on six clinical tales of how vision impairment influences the way we perceive reality.
The Mind's Eye
by Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks is well-known for his terrific books on abnormal psychology, including The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Musicophilia. His latest explores the connection between vision and mind, focusing on six clinical tales of how vision impairment influences the way we perceive reality.
Sunday, April 17th, 2011
Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives
by Annie Murphy Paul
There are many environmental influences on children that parents obsess about: the schools they attend, how much television they watch, who they hang out with, etc. But new research suggests that the prenatal environment—including the mother’s nutrition, use of alcohol, and environmental toxins—may be the most important influence that determines our children’s lifelong health and happiness.
Origins: How the Nine Months Before Birth Shape the Rest of Our Lives
by Annie Murphy Paul
There are many environmental influences on children that parents obsess about: the schools they attend, how much television they watch, who they hang out with, etc. But new research suggests that the prenatal environment—including the mother’s nutrition, use of alcohol, and environmental toxins—may be the most important influence that determines our children’s lifelong health and happiness.
Sunday, May 22nd, 2011
Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire
by Alan S. Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa
Miller and Kanazawa, noted evolutionary psychologists, explain why we do what we do based on gender and other biological traits. Believing our minds and bodies are essentially stuck in the Stone Age, they say humans' impulses haven't caught up to today's technological world. Donald McBurney, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, joined us for the discussion.
Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters: From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire
by Alan S. Miller and Satoshi Kanazawa
Miller and Kanazawa, noted evolutionary psychologists, explain why we do what we do based on gender and other biological traits. Believing our minds and bodies are essentially stuck in the Stone Age, they say humans' impulses haven't caught up to today's technological world. Donald McBurney, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, joined us for the discussion.
Sunday, July 24th, 2011
The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments
by George Johnson
Unlike today's researchers who often conduct lengthy experiments in multiple trials with many participants, these scientists often worked alone. Their resulting discoveries were groundbreaking, from Lavoisier's discovery of oxygen to Millikan's discovery of the electron. Johnson profiles those moments when, "using the materials at hand, a curious soul figured out a way to pose a question to nature and received a crisp, unambiguous reply."
The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments
by George Johnson
Unlike today's researchers who often conduct lengthy experiments in multiple trials with many participants, these scientists often worked alone. Their resulting discoveries were groundbreaking, from Lavoisier's discovery of oxygen to Millikan's discovery of the electron. Johnson profiles those moments when, "using the materials at hand, a curious soul figured out a way to pose a question to nature and received a crisp, unambiguous reply."
Sunday, September 25th, 2011
How Music Works: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond
by John Powell
Author John Powell longed to be a rock star but ended up a physicist. Perhaps that's why he's able to present his acoustical theories in a fun, accessible manner. He explores questions such as why we enjoy some sounds but are repulsed by others, why some folks have perfect pitch, and why minor keys sound mournful.
How Music Works: The Science and Psychology of Beautiful Sounds, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Beyond
by John Powell
Author John Powell longed to be a rock star but ended up a physicist. Perhaps that's why he's able to present his acoustical theories in a fun, accessible manner. He explores questions such as why we enjoy some sounds but are repulsed by others, why some folks have perfect pitch, and why minor keys sound mournful.
Sunday, November 20th, 2011
How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival
by David Kaiser
In 1970s California, the physicists of the Fundamental Fysiks Group were not stereotypical scientists in lab coats with pocket protectors. This eccentric group dealt with quantum theory while wearing dashikis and beards, bringing Eastern mysticism and philosophy to their physics during an otherwise quiet decade in their field. Kaiser joined the discussion via teleconference.
How the Hippies Saved Physics: Science, Counterculture, and the Quantum Revival
by David Kaiser
In 1970s California, the physicists of the Fundamental Fysiks Group were not stereotypical scientists in lab coats with pocket protectors. This eccentric group dealt with quantum theory while wearing dashikis and beards, bringing Eastern mysticism and philosophy to their physics during an otherwise quiet decade in their field. Kaiser joined the discussion via teleconference.
Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
by Brian Greene
The brilliant author of The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos returns with a book on parallel universes. This Rhodes scholar's explanations of relativity theory, multiverses, and black holes are meant to be accessible to the layperson. Edward Gerjuoy, emeritus physics professor at the University of Pittsburgh, joined us for this discussion.
The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
by Brian Greene
The brilliant author of The Elegant Universe and The Fabric of the Cosmos returns with a book on parallel universes. This Rhodes scholar's explanations of relativity theory, multiverses, and black holes are meant to be accessible to the layperson. Edward Gerjuoy, emeritus physics professor at the University of Pittsburgh, joined us for this discussion.
Sunday, March 25th, 2012
Physics of the Future
by Michio Kaku
Dr. Michio Kaku, the co-creator of string field theory and a Harvard and Berkeley grad, predicts the next 90 years of physics advancements, which he views largely as positive. Kaku believes humans will be controlling objects with their minds, living in "intelligent" rooms, shopping online via contact lenses, and forgetting the meaning of the word "tumor."
Physics of the Future
by Michio Kaku
Dr. Michio Kaku, the co-creator of string field theory and a Harvard and Berkeley grad, predicts the next 90 years of physics advancements, which he views largely as positive. Kaku believes humans will be controlling objects with their minds, living in "intelligent" rooms, shopping online via contact lenses, and forgetting the meaning of the word "tumor."
