Books & Arts in 2010

Ben Shneiderman enjoys a tome full of tools for discovery.

Laura Spinney visits a Versailles exhibition of curiosities.

As Roger Penrose publishes his collected works — six volumes comprising more than 5,000 pages — the mathematical physicist muses on 50 years of groundbreaking research in general relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology, geometry and consciousness.

Yvon Le Maho is moved by a powerful account of the demise of the Adélie penguin.

Linus Pauling's book on bonding brought quantum mechanics into practical chemistry, finds Philip Ball.

Rare species and ecosystem services make uneasy bedfellows, discovers Emma Marris.

W. F. Bynum applauds an open-minded exhibition on the history of recreational drugs.

A history of communications technologies holds lessons for the Internet today, finds Li Gong.

Kim Aarestrup is reminded of how little we know about these endangered fish.

Prince Charles's call to stay close to nature follows a rich tradition of environmental thinking, says Philip Stott.

An engaging biography of John Atanasoff reveals the obscure origins of the computer, explains John Gilbey.

Neil Dodgson admires the technical mastery of sculptor Anish Kapoor.

A useful guide to citation analysis shows that counting publications is harder than it looks, finds Ton van Raan.

Vincent A. Billock recommends an introduction to the mathematics of geometric hallucinations.

A hands-on exhibition shows how online tools are shaping the way we use knowledge, says Aleks Krotoski.

Instructions for the afterlife from Ancient Egypt reveal a step change in moral psychology, discovers Andrew Robinson.