Science Ink: Tattoos of the Science Obsessed

by Carl Zimmer, Mary Roach

Overview

Body art meets popular science in this elegant, mind-blowing collection, written by renowned science writer Carl Zimmer. This fascinating book showcases hundreds of eye-catching tattoos that pay tribute to various scientific disciplines, from evolutionary biology and neuroscience to mathematics and astrophysics, and reveals the stories of the individuals who chose to inscribe their obsessions in their skin. Best of all, each tattoo provides a leaping-off point for bestselling essayist and lecturer Zimmer to reflect on the science in question, whether its the importance of an image of Darwins finches or the significance of the uranium atom inked into the chest of a young radiologist.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402789359
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	54 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Carl Zimmer is a journalist and lecturer on science writing at Yale University. His numerous critically praised books include Parasite Rex (Atria Books), which the LA Times called “capable of changing how we see the world”; Soul Made Flesh (Atria Books), one of the top 100 books of 2004, according to the New York Times Book Review; and Microcosm (Vintage), which the Boston Globe called “superb … quietly revolutionary.” He writes for countless publications, including the New York Times and Scientific American, and regularly appears on radio (including on Fresh Air and This American Life) and on TV. His blog, The Loom, is regularly cited as one of the web's best science blogs. He lives in Guilford, CT.

Table of Contents

Foreword Mary Roach vii

Introduction ix

Mathematics 1

Physics 23

Chemistry 45

Astronomy 67

Earth Sciences 85

DNA 95

Darwin 111

Paleontology 119

Evolution 141

Natural History 157

Humanity 189

Neuroscience 205

What the Mind Makes 219

Acknowledgments 241

About Carl Zimmer 243

About Mary Roach 245

Index 259

Editorial Reviews

Noting a colleague’s DNA-inspired tattoo at a pool party, science writer Zimmer (A Planet of Viruses) wondered how widespread the phenomenon of the inked scientist was. He solicited pictures for his blog, “The Loom,” and, inundated with photos and stories from scientists and laypeople alike, quickly became a curator of science-inspired body art. Mary Roach’s foreword lays out why, given the passion with which so many approach their fields, it should be no surprise to encounter this worldwide tribe whose obsessed love for every far-flung corner of science’s domain was marked permanently on their bodies. Divided into 13 sections, the book is filled with breathtaking color photos accompanied by grounding texts: Portuguese geneticist Dônovan Fereira Rodrigues, who got Isaac Newton’s “shoulders of giants” quote inked on his back, tells the story behind the phrase; August Kekule’s “discovery” of benzene’s structure inspired Virginia pharmacology PhD. Jeffrey Ikeda; a tattoo of Nikola Tesla’s visions of a wireless future lies on the arm of Abraham Orozco, the science director of a children’s community center in L.A. Genetics, neuroscience, and evolution (Darwin gets his own section) form the book’s modern cornerstones and the tattoos range from full back pieces and sleeves to little—often concealable—personal reminders. Encyclopedic in essence, Zimmer’s coffee-table art book presents a wealth of material. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

 “Carl Zimmer is one of the best science writers we have today.” --Rebecca Skloot, author of the bestselling The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
 
“Zimmer brilliantly animates the intoxicating passions of science lovers in perfectly precise, perfectly poetic short stories.” --Jad Abumrad, host of the award-winning “Radiolab”
 
“Reveals the great ideas and deep passion for science in some of the most creative body art on the planet today.” --Neil Shubin, author of the bestselling Your Inner Fish
 
“Every page of this book is a delight. Be dazzled by the images, wowed by the formulas, and inspired by the stories behind them all.” --Sean Carroll, author of From Eternity to Here

From the Publisher