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

From Sun Dials to Quantum Clocks

Posted on Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Physicist Adam Frank calls it the "braiding" of cosmology and culture: I review his book About Time in the current issue of Physics World.

Common life, rare intelligence?

Posted on Thursday, March 29, 2012

In my latest post for the MIT SciWrite blog, I speculate on the path that led to language-using homo sapiens here on Earth – and what it might mean for the prospects of finding intelligent life in the universe.

Two blog posts: The Universe, and the Knights

Posted on Sunday, January 1, 2012

In my first post for the MITSciWrite blog, I look at the chances of having a universe like the one we live in: What were the odds? And in my latest blog post here on danfalk.ca, I talk about my experiences as a Knight Science Journalism Fellow.

The Enigma of Easter Island

Posted on Sunday, November 6, 2011

My travel article on Easter Island appears in today’s Los Angeles Times. Known for its ancient stone statues, or moai, the remote island remains a place of exquisite solitude. (I also have a number of images in the accompanying photo gallery.)

In Search of Galileo

Posted on Friday, November 4, 2011

Often considered the “father of modern science,” Galileo blazed a trail in astronomy and physics that remains bright today. In this article for COSMOS magazine, I take the reader on a tour of Galileo’s Italy. (Also see my video on Galileo’s “falling bodies” experiment, which has now received more than 20,000 views.)

Knight Fellowship begins!

Posted on Monday, August 15, 2011

As of today I am officially a Knight Fellow! Soon I’ll be selecting classes to take at both MIT and Harvard, along with 11 other science journalists from the U.S. and around the world. The Knight Science Journalism Fellowship runs through May 2012.

Tech musings amid the music at NXNE

Posted on Friday, June 17, 2011

The pros and cons of “worshipping at the altar of buzz” – a report from NXNEi, the “Interactive” component of the annual music, film, and technology festival held in Toronto, for New Scientist’s “Culture Lab” blog.

The Psychology of Facebook

Posted on Monday, June 13, 2011

What can psychologists learn about human behavior from Facebook? Tune in to Spark this Sunday (June 19), when I look at the intriguing differences between the way that men and women use the big blue website. The program begins at 1:05 pm.

Learning to love experimental sci-art film

Posted on Friday, June 3, 2011

Flickering fractals, perplexing pixels, far-out films: I review a screening of experimental “audiovisual art-science” for New Scientist’s Culture Lab blog.

Is Anything Sacred?

Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Would we really be better off in the world described in John Lennon’s Imagine, with no heaven and hell – “Nothing to kill or die for / And no religion too”? Philosopher Ronald De Souza and psychologist Jordan Peterson recently debated that question at U of T. Read my blog post about the event.

Pages