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The universe literally encompasses everything we were, are and will be, everything we knew, know and can know. When we decide to understand the universe as a whole, new truths come to light, and unexpected perspectives illuminate our take on life. 30-Second Universe explains all the tantalising concepts, principles and theories that make up our knowledge and it explains these astrophysical answers succinctly, each entry taking only a short time to read, with further exploration flagged, and key scientists noted. This one small book sheds light on the biggest ideas, concepts and discoveries in life, in the universe, in everything. One of the Co-authors, Prof. Karen Masters from Haverford College will discuss some of the topics in the book and the process of writing it.
 

Marsh talks nerdy with Cara!

Cara Santa Maria is a Los Angeles Area Emmy and Knight Foundation Award-winning journalist, science communicator, television personality, author, and podcaster. Cara is the science correspondent on National Geographic’s popular television series Brain Games as well as the creator and host of the weekly science podcast Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria. In addition to co-hosting the long-standing Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe podcast, she also coauthored the Skeptics Guide to the Universe book. Cara is the spokesperson for National Geographic’s Almanac 2019 and Almanac 2020, a founding member of the Nerd Brigade, and cofounded the annual science communication retreat #SciCommCamp. Previously, Cara was a correspondent on National Geographic’s Explorer, Netflix’s Bill Nye Saves the World, TechKnow on Al Jazeera America, and Real Future on Fusion. She also cohosted TakePart Live on Pivot TV, America’s Greatest Makers on TBS, Brain Surgery Live on National Geographic Channel, and FabLab on Fox. Before that, she was the Senior Science Correspondent for The Huffington Post and costarred in Hacking the Planet and The Truth About Twisters on The Weather Channel. Prior to her career in media, Cara was the laboratory manager and chief cell culture technician at the Center for Network Neuroscience. She also taught biology and psychology courses at the high school and undergraduate level. Her published research has spanned various topics, including clinical psychological assessment, the neuropsychology of blindness, neuronal cell culture techniques, and computational neurophysiology. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of North Texas in 2004 followed by a Master of Science in Neurobiology in 2007. She is currently working toward a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Social Justice and Diversity from Fielding Graduate University.

As ethnic nationalism and the far-right become stronger, race science is experiencing a revival, fuelled by the abuse of data and science by politically-motivated groups. The story of who humans are and how we evolved is being rewritten to suit their agendas. Even well-intentioned scientists, through their unconscious use of old-fashioned categories, betray some suspicion that race has some basis in biology – a problem that has played out in speculation around why certain groups are more affected by the Covid-19 virus. In truth, race is no more real than it was hundreds of years ago, when racial categories were invented and hardened by those in power. In Superior, award-winning author Angela Saini explores the concept of race, from its origins to the present day, explores why we find it so hard to let go of the notion that race is biologically real, and the political consequences of this dangerous idea.

Angela Saini is an award-winning British science journalist and broadcaster. She has presented science programmes on BBC TV and radio, and her writing has appeared in New Scientist, The Sunday Times, National Geographic and Wired. Her latest book, Superior: the Return of Race Science, was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and named a book of the year by The Guardian, Nature and the Financial Times. Her previous book, Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, has been translated into thirteen languages. Angela has a Masters in Engineering from the University of Oxford and was a Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Site: https://www.angelasaini.co.uk Book: https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780008293864/superior-the-return-of-race-science/ Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/gZ6bID