An Immense World

August 27, 2024 11:32 AM

In An Immense World, Ed Yong coaxes us beyond the confines of our own senses, allowing us to perceive the skeins of scent, waves of electromagnetism, and pulses of pressure that surround us. We encounter beetles that are drawn to fires, turtles that can track the Earth’s magnetic fields, fish that fill rivers with electrical messages, and even humans who wield sonar like bats. We discover that a crocodile’s scaly face is as sensitive as a lover’s fingertips, that the eyes of a giant squid evolved to see sparkling whales, that plants thrum with the inaudible songs of courting bugs, and that even simple scallops have complex vision. We learn what bees see in flowers, what songbirds hear in their tunes, and what dogs smell on the street. We listen to stories of pivotal discoveries in the field, while looking ahead at the many mysteries that remain unsolved.
posted by ellieBOA (10 comments total)

Enjoyed this immensely. There is no end to nature's ingenuity!
posted by praemunire at 4:51 PM on August 27 [1 favorite]

I've never spoken to a single person about Ed Yong's books who didn't come away almost evangelical about nature.

(At least for a while, until life grinds us down)

I highly recommend this book in particular, because there's just so much about so many different phenomena that you're sure to find something that really clicks for you
posted by Acari at 5:03 PM on August 27 [2 favorites]

It had been on my reading list since 2022 and so glad I finally read it, absolutely fascinating. I’ve added his first book, I Contain Multitudes, to my list too.
posted by ellieBOA at 5:57 AM on August 28

I think the chapter about touch is my favorite. The sea otter, the star-nosed mole, the manatee--all amazing. But the fact that a harbor seal that is blinded by old age can still hunt by feeling the tracks of fish through the water--that's just off the hook.
posted by polecat at 9:24 PM on August 28 [2 favorites]

Our county library system here in SW Florida does a thing where they choose a single book each year and then organize book groups and events related to the book. Last year it was "An Immense World," and they had a series of talks by scientists who are doing research on dolphins, manatees and other animals. Then in March, they invited Ed Yong to come in and give a talk and Q&A and do a book signing (pix of the huge crowd on this page if you scroll down a bit).

I hadn't read the book but I'm a huge fan of his writing on the COVID-19 virus and response that was published in The Atlantic, so I was there (standing against the wall, left-middle of the overhead crowd shot!). He's a fun and engaging speaker, and his discussion of aspects of the book was just enthralling. If you ever get the chance to hear him speak, don't miss it.
posted by martin q blank at 8:46 AM on August 30 [3 favorites]

Wow that’s awesome! I became aware of him through his excellent work on Covid.
posted by ellieBOA at 6:19 AM on August 31 [1 favorite]

When I read this book, I was insufferable for a month or two, constantly reciting cool animal facts to people in my life. Loved it. Highly recommended.
posted by entropone at 6:50 AM on September 4 [5 favorites]

Same lol!
posted by ellieBOA at 8:16 AM on September 4

"Did you know that scallops have eyes all around the rim of their shell???!!!!???"
posted by praemunire at 8:25 AM on September 4 [2 favorites]

"Did you know some mammals hibernate so hard they get sleep debt and have to rouse themselves for naps?"
posted by yarntheory at 4:17 PM on September 6 [1 favorite]