TRANSIENT AND STRANGE Notes on the Science of Life

Nell Greenfieldboyce is an NPR science reporter, so it's no surprise that she has clarity of both argument and speech in her performance of her personal essays. Topics range from the miniscule--fleas, cosmic dust--to the life changing--her difficulty in getting pregnant and her husband's polycystic kidney disease. But all are filled with wit and self-deprecating humor. When her son asks about tornadoes, she gives a scientific explanation and then must backpedal to assure him that the odds of a tornado hitting the area where they live are tiny. The audio version includes bonus essays. In one, a question about Santa Claus sums up her scientific enthusiasm: Children exhibit an inquisitiveness that a scientist would recognize, and when faced with something unfamiliar, they don't revel in awe but try to figure out the answer. A.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2024]