The world is full of conspiracy theories. They can be interesting to learn about, but it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. The books in this blog wrestle with this topic, discussing issues such as political bias behind the Nobel Peace Prize, science and politics in the time of Churchill, aliens, and much more.
Aliens : the world’s leading scientists on the search for extraterrestrial life
“Scientists from around the world weigh in on the latest advances in the search for intelligent life in the universe and discuss just what that might look like. Included are essays from a broad spectrum of the scientific community: cosmologists, astrophysicists, NASA planetary scientists, and geneticists, discussing the latest research and theories relating to alien life. The debate has intensified over whether life exists beyond our solar system, and whether we’ll ever make contact. ” (Adapted from Amazon.com)
Secrets from the black vault : the Army’s plan for a military base on the Moon and other declassified documents that rewrote history / Greenewald, John
“What happens when the history books are wrong? Real facts emerge from declassified documents that challenge what you thought you knew. The Black Vault reveals declassified programs and formerly top-secret illustrations that detail an Air Force’s secret plan to build a Mach 4 flying saucer; the Department of Defense’s plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on the surface of the moon; the use of psychic spies within the CIA and much more.” (Adapted from Amazon.com)
Betraying the Nobel : the secrets and corruption behind the Nobel Peace Prize / Turrettini, Unni
“A revelatory examination of the Nobel Peace Prize—the most prestigious, admired, and controversial honor. The Nobel Prize, regardless of category, has always been surrounded by politics, intrigue, even scandal. Norwegian writer Unni Turrettini completely upends what we thought we knew about the Peace Prize. Desmond Tutu, a 1984’s winner said, “No sooner had I got the Nobel Peace Prize than I became an instant oracle.” (Adapted from Amazon.com)
Churchill’s bomb : a hidden history of science, war and politics / Farmelo, Graham
“A brilliant insight into Britain’s atomic scientists during the war from the Costa Award-winning author of The Strangest Man. Churchill was the only prominent politician to foresee the nuclear age and he played a leading role in the development of the Bomb during World War II. He became the first British Prime Minister with access to these weapons, and left office following desperate attempts during the Cold War to end the arms race. (Adapted from Amazon.com)
The petroleum papers : inside the far-right conspiracy to cover up climate change / Dembicki, Geoff
“As investigative journalist reveals the decades-long conspiracy to keep the oil sands flowing into the U.S. would fail to stop the climate crisis. Plus the high-stakes stories of people fighting back: a Seattle lawyer who brought down Big Tobacco and is now after Big Oil, a Filipina activist whose family drowned in a climate disaster, and a former engineer who asked the hard questions. Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)
Making sense of science : separating substance from spin / Dean, Cornelia
“Cornelia Dean draws on her 30 years as a science journalist with the New York Times to expose the flawed reasoning and knowledge gaps that handicap readers when they try to make sense of science. She calls attention to conflicts of interest in research and the price society pays when science journalism declines and funding dries up.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)
