Books

I have recently finished the most important book I have read in decades. And I am not joking. But the core message is an old, plain, and simple thing: Telling stories works. As a scientist, I have heard that too often from communicators and journalists, usually when doing an interview where they struggle to understand what it is what we did and why would someone care. And I always considered stories a soft ball, inferior to telling science as it is: the facts and only the [amazing] facts. ...

Finally, I’m “40 under 40”. 40 days to my 40th birthday that is, not the Forbes award. I won’t lie that the number weighs on me, 40 years old is a big number. Entering the 20s was all about new worlds to explore. Life looked amazing, infinite, boundless. There wasn’t much thought of who I wanted to be, other than a scientist. That was the plan and that was the path, starting from my little corner of a rural village in northern Spain. Whatever it took. Move to the Canary Island to do Astrophysics? Check. Apply for a PhD I surely won’t get? Check. Pass the last uni exam at the last minute so I can accept the PhD position I somehow got? Check. Move to Germany without speaking a word of German? Check. Travel throughout Europe on a budget? Check. I was extremely opinionated as an atheist scientist, and I had a ton of fun as a graduate student in Gottingen, the perfect city for that decade. I made true friendships across Europe that I still keep today. It was also the decade I realized that my understanding of what science should be didn’t agree with what the world says. I felt research and academia could not be all that science is, I knew I had to steer away to find my path, but I was smart enough to enjoy the ride before jumping off the train: I finished my PhD, and accepted a postdoc as rocket scientist in Washington DC, knowing I would probably not finish it. I was also part of the astronaut selection process and was considering a job at fancy global consulting firm. I happily headed to DC, the world felt full of possibilities and time. I would figure out what Science meant for me. I wrapped my 20s as I decided to jump the academic train, without a plan B, without a visa, into the unknown, ready to adjust and learn. Aptly, I finished my 20s skydiving (twice), which was a crazy and boundless experience I loved. ...

This [free as pdf] NAP book is a report from the 2008 NRC Board of Atmospheric Sciences workshop: “Progress and Priorities of U.S. Weather Research and Research-to-Operations Activities”. Despite the chaotic nature of Weather, scientist are currently able to measure (nowcast) and predict (forecast) weather with unprecedented accuracy. Almost certainty within hours, and maybe a week at best with 50% chance. But: Do we need to improve our capabilities? Can we? The report says yes. What can we do? Once we have the forecast of an impending weather event, are we acting accordingly upon predictions? The report says not really. The U.S.A. has the world´s most sophisticated and well-developed weather forecast infrastructure. The federal government also spends, annually, $5 billion in research and operations only in NOAA, and $6 billion for a dedicated agency on disasters (FEMA). Academia and private partners are also tightly involved. Only the generation of weather forecasts costs overall $5 billion annually, but its benefits are (quoted on the book as) 6 times the cost. Despite these impressive benefits on paper, there is much room for improvement. ...

The National Academies Press publishes more than 200 books a year on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and health. I am cursed with endless curiosity, so working there is a love-hate relationship. Love because I love what the NAS does, hate because everyday I find I report “I have” to read. Halfway in my fellowship, I decided to highlight some of the ones I find most interesting. For now, this is the one: ...

Harvey A. Averch, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985. 216 p. I found this lost treasure buried at a second hand bookstore. It dates back some few decades, and the USA was certainly different in 1985, when this book was published. Back then, the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam war, the energy crisis, high unemployment, and very high inflation and escalating interest rates, made any political planning difficult. There was even a raised fundamental concern over the future of American prosperity. ...

With such an appealing title, this book (2002, 120 pages, simple formatting, easy read) went straight to the top of my pile of books to read. You can get the pdf for free at the NAS press or the physical version for around 25$. I paid $10 on eBay, but I wish I had my Kindle back then! It is truly an interesting topic. The approach aims to respond on the tricky business of advising science from inside international organizations. The UN, for example, has made several clear calls to qualitatively and quantitatively strengthen science advice across and throughout its structure (e.g. Agenda 21 Chapter 31). The main goal of such an advisory body would be then to increase awareness, rule making, oversight but also local implementation, address emerging issues and coordinate global cooperation and response. ...

I wanted to read an overview of the international politics of space use… so when I was given this book I couldn´t resist to pose high expectations on it. Space. The use of outer space. It is difficult to imagine a better example of scientific and technological achievement. We are more and more dependent on it. For many developing nations it is an important factor in building their future. For a few nations is the ultimate expression of development. For all of us is an intrinsic part of our present and future daily life. ...