As the heat of July 2025 rages on, we at Scientific American have managed to enjoy some time under the sun and indulge in a few hot dogs, all while diving into some of the season’s top science reads. This month has been packed with fascinating literary journeys—from advice for parents grounded in science, to encounters with a highly sarcastic robot, delving into the secret world of garbage trafficking, and voyaging to the furthest corners of the globe where secrets about Earth’s past and future are being unearthed.
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by Melinda Wenner Moyer
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, May 2025
It seems the world is becoming tougher, especially when it comes to parenting. Challenges like climate change, political instability, and pervasive misinformation online are making parental responsibilities even more daunting. Fortunately, Melinda Wenner Moyer’s new book, Hello, Cruel World!, offers parents science-based strategies to prepare their children for these complex times. In her book, Moyer interviews experts who provide evidence-based tips to help kids handle life’s challenges, build connections, and develop resilience. During a conversation with Scientific American, Moyer emphasized the importance of engaging kids in discussions about the media they consume by asking open-ended questions. She also advised parents to listen attentively to their children’s responses, even if they disagree, as it’s crucial for developing critical thinking skills. —Brianne Kane
The Murderbot Diaries series
by Martha Wells
Tor Books, 2017–present
The thrilling conclusion of the first season of the Apple TV+ series Murderbot just aired, wrapping up an eagerly anticipated adaptation of Martha Wells’s critically acclaimed novella series, The Murderbot Diaries. One might wonder whether Murderbot itself would appreciate its own show. In Wells’s narratives, Murderbot—a cyborg security unit tasked with protecting a team of researchers on a perilous planet—is a lover of melodramatic TV dramas and mushy romantic twists, which the show cleverly emphasizes. Apple TV+ has impressively adapted these aspects, delving into the dynamics of the research team and even exploring complex relationship dramas with finesse. Wells’s blend of neuroscience and robotics in her books provides a scientifically plausible yet engaging backstory for Murderbot. While many fans argue that the books surpass the show, the adaptation offers a commendable portrayal of Murderbot’s internal monologues and complex persona, fittingly set within the expansive setting of the Corporation Rim. On the same day the season finale was released, the digital magazine Reactor debuted a new Murderbot short story by Martha Wells. —B.K.
Ends of the Earth: Journeys to the Polar Regions in Search of Life, the Cosmos, and Our Future
by Neil Shubin
Dutton, February 2025
The polar regions, remote and stark, are at the heart of Neil Shubin’s latest exploration. A paleontologist and evolutionary biologist, Shubin is no stranger to extreme locales, having co-discovered the Tiktaalik roseae, a fossil that blurs the line between fish and terrestrial animals and dates back 375 million years. In his new book, Ends of the Earth, Shubin delves into how ice cores and glaciers not only narrate Earth’s climatic history but also our cosmic ancestry. For instance, the study of over 50,000 meteorites found in Antarctica has sharpened our understanding of when the solar system was formed. Moreover, historical changes in glacier dimensions have been pivotal in shaping global weather patterns and sea levels, affecting the evolution of early human ancestors by creating diverse environmental conditions that may have spurred the development of larger brains and advanced cognitive functions. Shubin warns that the rapid changes in polar ice today are narrowing our window to understand these critical connections. —Andrea Gawrylewski
Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife of Your Trash
by Alexander Clapp
Little, Brown and Company, February 2025
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Cameron Aldridge combines a scientific mind with a knack for storytelling. Passionate about discoveries and breakthroughs, Cameron unravels complex scientific advancements in a way that’s both informative and entertaining.