It’s here at last, today is the day for the launch of Richard’s new book, “The Magic of Reality.” (sorry US folks, you wait until 4th Oct). I had the privilege of having a walk-though from him at TAM 9, so I’m really looking forward to it, not for myself, but for an 11 year old who is just ready for it, so this comes at just the right moment.

If curious, about the details, you can find out lots of details here where they explain …

MAGIC takes many forms. Supernatural magic is what our ancestors used in order to explain the world before they developed the scientific method. The ancient Egyptians explained the night by suggesting the goddess Nut swallowed the sun. The Vikings believed a rainbow was the gods’ bridge to earth. The Japanese used to explain earthquakes by conjuring a gigantic catfish who carried the world on his back—earthquakes occurred each time he flipped his tail. These are magical, extraordinary tales. But there is another kind of magic, and it lies in the exhilaration of discovering the real answers to these questions. It is the magic of reality-science. Packed with clever thought experiments, dazzling illustrations and jaw-dropping facts, The Magic of Reality explains a stunningly wide range of natural phenomena. What is stuff made of? How old is the universe? Why do the continents look like disconnected pieces of a puzzle? What causes tsunamis? Why are there so many kinds of plants and animals? Who was the first man, or woman? This is a page-turning, graphic detective story that not only mines all the sciences for its clues but primes the reader to think like a scientist.

This is indeed a new departure, it’s a book for kids, and a really great one, so before you ask, yes, I pre ordered one, so hopefully its on its way as you read this.

Now for some practical details

Finally, to finish off, here is a video of Richard speaking about it on Newsnight a couple of days ago .. its worth watching just to hear Paxman calling the religious stupid and their stories myths (usually you expect the BBC to pander to the religious, so its a refreshing dose of reality)

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