The Best Australian Science Writing 2021

by Dyani Lewis (Editor), Wilson da Silva (Contributor)

Is there life in the clouds of Venus? How could Indigenous burning practices stave off catastrophic bushfires? What do horseshoe bats, raccoon dogs, and pet cats have to do with the global pandemic? Science writing tells the stories of life and human endeavour in all its marvellous—often messy—complexity. Now in its eleventh year—and with a foreword by Australia’s Chief Scientist, the renowned physicist Cathy Foley— The Best Australian Science Writing 2021 is a collection that showcases the nation’s best science writing. New voices join prominent science writers and journalists, taking us to the depths of the ocean, the fuels of the future, and to the Ryugu asteroid and back. The collection also brings us straight to the heart of complex ethical dilemmas and the calamitous crises challenging scientists and writers alike. Includes the shortlisted entries for the 2021 UNSW Press Bragg Prize and the 2020 UNSW Press Bragg Student Prize winning essay.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 was a hell of a year for science writing, and predictably this annual compendium of articles written the year before has a strong bushfires, climate change and pandemic focus. This leads to some spectacular entries, including John Pickrall's Extreme Conservation, Smriti Mallapaty's exploration of SARS-COV2 in animals, Clare Watson's compelling Walking with Fire - which convinced me to pick up Victor Steffenson's Fire Country - and Jo Chandler's evocative and cathartic COVID-climate collision.
Other entries, however, still contain the wonders of science - of knowing things we didn't know before. Wilson da Silva's excellent piece on venom got me fascinated with something I never thought I would care about, and the fabulous storytelling of Jackson Ryan's To the Dragon Palace and Back celebrates the ambition and price of space exploration. Rob Brook's piece on pre-eclampsia explores understanding of our own selves in ways still as important to me as understanding the cosmos.
But there is a persistent theme of loss and destruction. James Bradley's "A reef history of time" contains staggering figures about the destruction of this continent's shellfish reefs since colonisation - so staggering that the loss was unknown by most for so long. Alice Gorman's piece on space junk, which I had read before, remind us new frontiers are there to be destroyed more than explored if we do not rethink, and perhaps most terrifying is Ceridwen Dovey's piece, Everlasting Free Fall, which raises questions about the destruction inherent in Musk's (and others) plans to colonise our orbit. (For this I strongly recommend reading Sky Country by Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli). Science can be awesome and wonderful, but when power resides in the wrong places, it can also be terrifying.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of really fascinating articles in here, and of course many are included for their good writing or entertainment value. There were a couple of double ups, by which I mean multiple pieces more or less covering the same issue, but in some cases that was nice, to get a broader perspective on said issues. However, the pieces I enjoyed the most were the informative articles on unexpected topics, that haven’t necessarily been all over the mainstream media. Definitely a worthwhile read, even if you just pick out one or two pieces of interest to look at.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection was fantastic, and I will definitely pick up future releases! There was a huge variety, and I loved the mix of science journalism, stories and even poetry. Learned lots and had fun doing it.

[Geoffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of fascinating stuff occurring in our part of the world & showing that much more needs to be done in all aspects of our life.
Some great researchers amongst our midst & some great thinkers who deserve more acknowledgment & funding

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent cornucopia of eclectic essays. Loved the one about the flourish of the phascogales tail, the asteroid with the Queen songs and Japanese folk tale, the ethics of stem cells and much more

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection where you get to learn just a little bit about a whole lot of different topics; from satellites to placentas.