Reviews for The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright’s Universe
A "lucid history of early Renaissance science" — The National Post
"...a fascinating and wide-ranging exploration of the astronomical knowledge of the era" — The Chronicle-Herald
"Falk takes the reader on an eventful tour through science in the early modern era...It’s an enjoyable read, and will appeal to non-specialists, but nonetheless is based on a comprehensive engagement with the pertinent academic scholarship. The work is well-informed, enthusiastic, and recommended to anyone seeking a new take on the oft-studied Bard." — Chemistry World
Latest News
Top Ten science stories of 2016
Posted on Thursday, December 22, 2016Gravitational waves, planets, early humans and more: I round up the year's top ten science stories for Mental Floss magazine.
The Philosopher Who Helped Create the Information Age
Posted on Monday, November 14, 2016Philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Leibniz, who died 300 years ago, foresaw the "Information Age." I report on Leibniz's legacy for Slate Future Tense.
BookLab on "Fresh Air"
Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2016The BookLab podcast -- hosted by myself and science journalist Amanda Gefter -- gets a plug on CBC Radio's "Fresh Air." I chat with host Chris dela Torre about this year's hot science books.
A Galaxy Where Dark Matter Rules
Posted on Thursday, August 25, 2016A new telescope reveals ultra-dim galaxies -- composed primarly of "dark matter" -- for the first time. My report for Mental Floss.
A Debate over the Physics of Time
Posted on Tuesday, July 19, 2016This summer, physicists and philosophers got together at the Perimeter Institute to debate the nature of time. My report for Quanta magazine.
In search of Shakespeare's London
Posted on Sunday, May 29, 2016William Shakespeare was born in Stratford -- but he lived in London throughout his professional life. Although the capital has changed greatly over the past 400 years, traces of the city that the playwright called home can still be found. My latest video takes the viewer on a brief tour of Shakespeare's London.
The delicate business of scientific humour
Posted on Thursday, May 19, 2016It's no secret that scientists can be funny -- but sneaking puns and jokes into peer-reviewed journal articles is no easy task. I look at the long tradition of science-publishing shenanigans in this report for Slate.
A new view of the quantum world
Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2016In the traditional view of quantum mechanics, everything is fuzzy and unpredictable -- but as I report in a feature story for Quanta Magazine, a new experiment may lend support to an alternative view, one that's more concrete, but still extremely weird.
Tracking climate change, back in the day
Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2016Scientists have studied climate records from far northern Europe and from Japan, dating back to the 17th and 15th centuries, respectively -- and found that they point to the same troubling conclusion, as I report for Mental Floss.
2015 Science in Society Journalism Award
Posted on Monday, May 2, 2016I'm delighted to have won the 2015 Science in Society Journalism Award from the Canadian Science Writers' Association, for my story on artificial intelligence, focusing on the work of AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton. The story was published in the University of Toronto Magazine last summer.
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Dan Falk is an award winning freelance writer and broadcaster specializing in science stories, and was a 2011/12 Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT.
St. Martin's Press (USA) / Goose Lane (CAN)
St. Martin's Press (USA) / McClelland & Stewart (CAN)
Arcade (USA) / Penguin (CAN)
