The World's Best Book Summaries
How can we adapt to climate change? Can we do something practical about rising sea levels and extreme heat? In False Alarm, Bjorn Lomborg discusses several ways to combat climate change head-on. He realizes, though, that some things are beyond our control. To some extent, we just have to adapt to the realities. Continue reading to learn about some practical adaptations that could help us continue to flourish.
Why can the Netherlands deal with flooding better than Bangladesh can? What’s the connection between economic growth and climate change? Investments in innovation and adaptation lessen the impact of climate change, but many countries lack the funds to make this investment. Consequently, Bjorn Lomborg argues that creating economic growth in poor countries is itself a promising climate policy. Keep reading to see how Lomborg arrives at this conclusion.
What’s a carbon tax? What difference could a global carbon tax make for the economy and the environment? Beyond general strategies to combat climate change, Bjorn Lomborg also endorses specific policies in his book False Alarm. In particular, he argues that we should implement a global carbon tax. Read more to discover the benefits of a carbon tax.
How could we get the most out of solar, wind, and nuclear energy? What can we learn from trees about carbon emissions? What’s geoengineering? In the past, we’ve often solved problems via innovation—developing new approaches rather than relying on old ones. The same is true of climate change. This is the view of Bjorn Lomborg, who argues that we should invest in innovative solutions to climate change. Keep reading to learn about novel approaches to energy storage, nuclear energy, carbon capture technology, and geoengineering.
What is synthetic meat? How is it produced? Is synthetic meat good for you? In recent years, investors have been pouring money into the synthetic, or “no-kill,” meat industry. However, technical and economic factors may limit its growth. Read on to learn what exactly synthetic meat is and everything else to know about the no-kill industry.
What are the impacts of technology on agriculture and conservation? What are the roles of big data and robotics? New technology in big data management and robotics is giving nature a hand, on the farm and in the wild. Reducing human labor and protecting vulnerable animals are just a couple of the positive impacts of modern technology on agriculture and conservation. Keep reading to learn about the four primary impacts of technology on agriculture and conservation.
How can we understand what science doesn’t explain? How can we find meaning in our everyday lives? For Jordan Peterson, meaning and experience are strongly connected. In his book Maps of Meaning, he illumines the path from experience to myth and, ultimately, to meaning. Keep reading to learn about Peterson’s theory on meaning and experience.
What’s the difference between science and mythology when it comes to how we understand the world and ourselves? What are their distinct goals? Jordan Peterson contends that science plays a role in helping us understand objective reality but that we need myths to inform our subjective judgments. Myths provide meaning that science cannot. Read more to understand Peterson’s argument.
Why do we need salt? What is salt’s impact on technological and scientific innovation? In Salt, Mark Kurlansky argues that salt played a major role in developing new innovations. To understand this, we have to look at the way salt is harvested and where to find it on Earth. Continue reading to learn why we need salt for societal development.
Are we stardust? What assumptions do physicists make? Why should people study the cosmos? Science educator Neil deGrasse Tyson finds it exciting to know there’s so much left in the universe to discover. In his book, he says that the study of astrophysics gives us a valuable perspective on ourselves while revealing the nature of the universe in which we live. Continue reading for a few Astrophysics for People in a Hurry quotes, along with some context and explanation.