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The Science of Rick and Morty: The Unofficial Guide to Earth’s Stupidest Show, Matt Brady, Atria Paperback, 2019, $17.00 (paper)

The adult animated sitcom Rick and Morty, which chronicles the misadventures of an antihero scientist and his grandson, has entertained audiences since 2013. Now teacher and writer Matt Brady gives fans a closer look at the science depicted in the show. For example, Rick and Morty travel to many planets. In his explanation of the transit method, one technique astronomers use to detect faraway worlds, Brady compares the blip of an exoplanet in front of its host star to a shadow flitting across an ominous horror-movie hallway. One episode of the show, “M. Night Shaym-Aliens!” has Rick concentrating dark matter to travel across space. Brady separates that fiction from what physicists know about dark matter and how they know it. Even with the references to Rick and Morty, science-prone readers who are not fans of the show will probably find something they like in the book. —al

Nikola Tesla for Kids: His Life, Ideas, and Inventions, with 21 Activities, Amy M. O’Quinn, Chicago Review Press, 2019, $16.99 (paper)

A gifted physicist, engineer, and inventor, Nikola Tesla emigrated to the US in 1884, when he was 27 years old. Although he would go on to develop many technologies that we take for granted, such as AC electrical power and radio, Tesla never earned the renown of some of his more famous contemporaries, such as fellow inventor Thomas Edison. In Nikola Tesla for Kids, teacher and educational writer Amy O’Quinn presents an easily accessible introduction to the life and remarkable ideas of this eccentric genius. Aimed at readers 9–12 years of age, the book includes 21 hands-on activities and more than 70 black-and-white photos and illustrations. —cc

Cook, Taste, Learn: How the Evolution of Science Transformed the Art of Cooking, Guy Crosby, Columbia U. Press, 2019, $26.95

In Cook, Taste, Learn, food scientist Guy Crosby discusses the science involved in food preparation, from improving flavor to increasing energy and nutrients. He starts with a history of human development, beginning with the ability to control fire and the emergence of agriculture. He then discusses how the cooking of food has given us an advantage over all other species by influencing the human brain’s development and increasing our life spans. He explains how early theories in the classical sciences evolved and were applied to cooking and explores the chemistry and physics involved in various cooking techniques. Each chapter features one of the author’s favorite recipes to help illustrate the science involved. —cc

Moon Rush: The New Space Race, Leonard David, National Geographic Partners, 2019, $26.00

Amid the plethora of books marking the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing, Moon Rush aims to guide the reader through the past, present, and future of Earth’s satellite, with an emphasis on its future. Veteran space journalist Leonard David begins with a discussion of the Moon’s origins and moves on to the mid-20th-century space race before launching into the current resurgence of interest in lunar exploration, from Moon outposts and mining operations to orbiters acting as interplanetary way stations. Rather than serving as a mere stepping-stone to other destinations, however, the Moon is itself a valuable resource, says David, and is becoming the focus of attention in a new space race among scientists, governments, and private companies. —cc

Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics, Gregory J. Gbur, Yale U. Press, 2019, $26.00

A falling cat’s innate ability to land on its feet has intrigued scientists “for almost as long as science itself has existed,” writes physics professor Gregory Gbur in Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics. One reason is that until the 19th century, the study of animal motion was limited by the speed of the human eye. The development of photography over the past two centuries has allowed researchers to better study animal movement, which in turn has led to advances in various scientific disciplines, including physics, neuroscience, physiology, mathematics, and robotics. With numerous anecdotes about eccentric scientists and crucial insights into long-standing scientific puzzles, Falling Felines is both entertaining and educational. —cc

Gastropod, Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, 2014–

The 45-minute podcast, which covers the science and history of food, reached its fifth anniversary in September 2019. Science journalist hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley recently reported on the use of CRISPR to improve yogurt making and on the history of genetically modified crops. Another recent episode dug into the science of omega fatty acids and the diseases that supplement makers claim they can cure. New episodes are served every two weeks. —al

Damn Particles: Physics Cartoons, Sidney Harris, Kindle Direct Publishing, 2019, $14.95 (paper)

Veteran cartoonist Sidney Harris has published a new collection, titled Damn Particles. Harris summarizes complex physics concepts “with an economy of inked lines that flow from his pen,” writes Arthur W. Wiggins, a professor emeritus at Oakland Community College, in the foreword to the book. One cartoon shows Isaac Newton’s father reading equations to him before going to bed. Another illustrates how garbage near the event horizon of a black hole in a trash can gets pulled in. The captions are pithy, insightful, and funny. —al

Space Exploration: A History in 100 Objects, Sten Odenwald, The Experiment, 2019, $25.00

From the 70 000-year-old Blombos ochre drawing to the first-ever image of a black hole, Space Exploration: A History in 100 Objects presents an eclectic selection of the tools and technologies humans have developed over the millennia to depict, study, and interpret the cosmos. Author Sten Odenwald, a NASA astrophysicist, says he made a point of choosing not only iconic images but also lesser-known ones that probably “you’ve never even heard of before.” Arranged chronologically, the entries feature stunning photography paired with several paragraphs of explanatory text. —cc