in Helgoland, Rovelli brings the basics of quantum physics to life and lays out what they actually mean for us and our understanding of the universe. he captures an incredibly complex and counter-intuitive subject and pins it down in lush, sensory prose.

i loved the framing of quantum mechanics as a fundamental change in perspective — from a worldview focused on measurement to one built on probability; from a world of objects to one defined by the relationships between every single part of nature, including us.

”“Everything is what it is only with respect to something else.”

at times (especially the second half) it does get a little esoteric if you don’t have any existing background on physics, philosophy, neuroscience or the russian revolution, but otherwise a truly stunning piece of science communication.

”Watching what appeared to be as solid as rock melt into air makes lighter, it seems to me, the transitory and bittersweet flowing of our lives. The interconnectedness of things, the reflection of one in another, shines with a clear light that the coldness of 18th century mechanics could not capture, even if it leaves us astonished — even if it leaves us with a profound sense of mystery.”

pokemon poetry!!! i’ll take five billion copies please!!!

ok ok ok guys i am absolutely crazy about this book. and not only because poetry and pokemon happen to be two of my favorite things. capable monsters is just… so EXPANSIVE and IMPRESSIVE and EXCITING. it’s 36 pages but it’s a whole living breathing lifetime. incredibly moving, beautifully complex. and so. fucking. cool. (i mean, it’s structured ike a literal POKEDEX??? how awesome is that???)

i think w poetry, it can often be taught in a super inaccessible way. it can feel very rigid, almost antiquated. i love love love contemporary poetry that embraces the freedom, the looseness, of now - doesn’t restrict itself to writing about things on whose inherent beauty humans have always agreed. i love when contemporary poets choose instead to write about and find the poetry in the small stupid gorgeous distracting every day shit: social media, cars and texts and facetime calls, favorite albums and anime and doing the fucking laundry and in this case - pokemon, something lots of people wouldn’t ever consider to be deep or even artful. but this book rejects that, it is a book about growing up black and queer and it is a book about little monsters and it is a book about wondering if you are a monster too because that’s what you’ve been told, looking for your own power, your own strength, wondering where you fit, can you ever even be “cataloged” at all. it is gorgeous and fresh!! it is everything!!!!

This was a fascinating deep dive (pun intended) into the ocean depths. The author did a truly thorough investigation, traveling to indigenous communities up in northern Canada to learn about crowdsourcing mapping initiatives, traveling on research ships, some funded by universities and some by rich billionaires, as well as individual scientists and their work. She also looked into attempts to begin deep sea mining and the development potential devastating impacts on the ocean and environment. She explains the benefits of mapping the ocean, the myths surrounding it, and the downsides of technologies potential impact on marine life. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who loved marine biology as a kid.