Science is wonderful. I'm a science writer, and you'd expect me to say that, but it really is. And when the other day I read an interview with actor Mark Rylance where he spouted a stream of anti-science balderdash, I had to sigh deeply. But we do need to recognise that science also has its limitations - every now and then (for example when Stephen Hawking proclaimed that philosophy was dead because science had covered all its bases), scientists do overreach themselves, and I think the most common reason is when they forget that real world systems tend to be a lot more complex than the models that are used to understand them. I was reminded of this listening to Tim Harford's excellent Cautionary Tales podcast about the difficulties of attempting to control the weather or the climate. While there is no doubt that we can influence both, the systems are sufficiently complex that we have to be extremely wary of unintended consequences. I was a bit surprised that caution has ...

There's something cosily appealing about looking into why we use the (mostly written) word in a particular way, which Paul Anthony Jones does in this entertainingly readable little book. It might not interest everyone, but if you are into books (and particularly if, like me, you're a writer), this should be on your wishlist. The book is structured as a series of questions, and Jones kicks of with a brilliant one, in that it appears simple, but it really isn't: 'What is a word?' He sets up a number of possibilities, only to knock them down with counter-examples and puzzling exceptions. Is, for instance, "that's" one word or two? Some of the questions work better for me than others. I think Jones is at his best when he's following the main thread of the book, which is on written English and its antecedents. Part of the enjoyment of the book is his frequent deviations along the way, and this will often include detours into one of the languages that ha...

This book is, in effect, a sequel to Holdstock's astonishing fantasy novel Mythago Wood (though the author considered it not a sequel, but rather a story using the same setting with some overlapping characters). It's hard to rate it, as the first half of the book is even better than its predecessor, but then there is a change of gear into part two, which for me doesn't work as well. Once again, the action centres on Ryhope Wood, a place where ancient woodland has mysterious ties to the past and where interaction between humans and the woodland allows echoes of myth from the far past to become solid and dangerous. The exact setting is unclear - the introduction by Lisa Tuttle says the real world setting is Holdstock's childhood home in Kent - but Mythago Wood puts the location as Herefordshire, while in Lavondyss  a local is described as having a Gloucestershire accent. This is even more confusing when Holdstock rather beautifully brings in Ralph Vaughan Williams as a ...

On my other blog, Popular Science , I review both popular science books (duh) and science fiction. I squeezed SF into that blog because I reckoned that many people who are interested in science also read science fiction (as, indeed, I am). And if you were to ask me until recently whether I preferred SF or fantasy I would have proudly stated 'science fiction'... but I'm starting to wonder if it's true. If I had to list my favourite fiction authors, I would certainly mention some SF writers, from Fred Pohl to Adam Roberts, but there would be a strong showing from fantasy novelists. Throughout my teens, my 'go to' author was Alan Garner, and since then the likes of Gene Wolfe, Neil Gaiman and Ben Aaronovitch have featured regularly amongst my best-rated fiction. Recently I’ve rediscovered Robert Holdstock’s remarkable Mythago Wood and picked up on outstanding fantasy titles from current writers, such as  The Night Circus . For that matter, some authors more freque...

Whenever time travel is discussed, the idea of going back and manipulating history comes up. I've written a couple of books about the real science of time travel - How to Build a Time Machine ( Build Your Own Time Machine in the UK) and 10 Short Lessons in Time Travel . One of the main takeaways from these is that while time travel to the future is relatively easy thanks to the special theory of relativity, even without the paradoxes that inevitably arise, getting into the past is practically impossible, even though it is not strictly prohibited by the laws of physics. Yet I have discovered an interesting time travel related development involving manipulating the past. Of course, changing our view of the past by re-writing history is nothing new. Arguably, everyone who writes a successful history book does this to some degree. And now that the internet is the major source of information for much of the world, comprehensively removing something from the net has become something of...

Do you enjoy solving tricky puzzles? Here's a chance to crack a mind-bending challenge, with two prizes for correct solutions. A while ago I wrote a book called Conundrum , which provides a series of puzzles, ciphers and code-breaking challenges to the reader, culminating in the opportunity to get a place on the Conundrum roll of honour for completing it. While many have taken on the challenge, and enjoyed it despite not getting all the way, sixteen plucky individuals worldwide have now completed the whole book and made it to the roll of honour. To keep things interesting, I occasionally add a bonus puzzle with a prize attached. Here's the latest. Take the number of the motorway heading east from the English seaside town that could be Dublin. Add Blake's space travelling number plus 284's amicable friend. Take the next smallest prime number. Which authority might come to mind? Two correct entries will get signed copies of my book 10 Short Lessons in Time Travel . When t...