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
"Spider" Probes the Early Universe
Posted on Wednesday, November 12, 2014This winter, a balloon-borne probe called "Spider" will study the early universe. It may even find evidence for the gravitational waves that eluded BICEP2 earlier this year. I report on the new experiment for Scientific American.
Eden Mills Writers' Festival
Posted on Monday, September 15, 2014I'll be speaking at the Eden Mills Writers' Festival this weekend; my session will be on Sunday afternoon as part of a non-fiction panel (see the festival's full schedule). And I have more talks coming up this fall in Burlington, Mississauga, and Toronto; see my events page for more information. (Be sure to catch my presentation at Nerd Nite on Oct. 2!)
"Mind and Machine" wins Silver at the New York Festivals
Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2014I'm pleased to announce that my two-part Ideas documentary from 2013, Mind and Machine, has won a Silver Award from the New York Festivals. This is the third time that one of my Ideas documentaries has been recognized by the Festivals ("In the Beginning" won a Gold in 2004, and "Living on Oxford Time" won a Silver in 2009).
Kid vs. Computer: Can you spot the bot?
Posted on Saturday, June 21, 2014"Eugene Goostman," a chatbot designed to act like a 13-year-old boy, was recently said to have passed the Turing test. In this segment on Day 6, on CBC Radio One, I chat about chatbots and A.I. with host Brent Bambury, while listeners try to distinguish Eugene from two real 13-year-old boys.
A closer look at the Turing test
Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2014It was widely reported last weekend that a "chatbot" had passed the famous Turing test for the first time. As I explain in an article for Smithsonian.com, the real story is more complicated. AI is making progress in many areas, but conversation skills remain elusive.
The National Post reviews The Science of Shakespeare
Posted on Saturday, May 24, 2014Philip Marchand has reviewed The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright's Universe for the National Post, calling the book a "lucid history of early Renaissance science."
The Science of Shakespeare: a short video
Posted on Monday, May 19, 2014I've made a short video about The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright's Universe, focusing on changing conceptions of the cosmos during the playwright's lifetime.
The Science of Shakespeare: Excerpts, Interviews, and Articles...
Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2014The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright's Universe was released in the U.S. one week ago, and there's already been a fair bit of media interest – including an excerpt in Scientific American, an article I wrote for Slate.com on Shakespeare's possible flirtation with atheism, an interview with Smithsonian.com, a radio interview with NPR's The Takeaway, a short article I wrote for cbc.ca on Shakespeare and science, and a cover story I wrote for New Scientist on Shakespeare and astronomy.
The Science of Shakespeare
Posted on Saturday, April 12, 2014My new book, The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright's Universe, is released this week in Canada, and will be available next week across the U.S. The book tour kicks off this weekend in Fredericton, NB, with more talks in Canada and the U.S. in the weeks ahead. Also listen for my new radio documentary – also called "The Science of Shakespeare" – on Ideas on CBC Radio One on Monday evening (April 14). Some of the early reviews for the book are already in: Library Journal, for example, called it "eminently readable" in their recent review.
William Shakespeare, the 'king of infinite space'
Posted on Tuesday, January 28, 2014What did Shakespeare know about science? In a feature story in today's Daily Telegraph (U.K.), I explore the question of what the playwright knew about the universe and when he knew it. (I investigate these issues in much more detail in my forthcoming book, The Science of Shakespeare: A New Look at the Playwright's Universe, to be published in April.)
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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)
