Pulitzer Prize–winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee, a leading cancer physician and researcher, selects the year’s top science and nature writing from journalists who dive into their fields with curiosity and passion, delivering must-read articles from a wide array of fields.

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2013

A Biography of Cancer”. He did a great job of choosing which ones to include here.  There are six articles that I loved and they are still just as relevant some five years later.   1. False Idyll by J.B. McKinnon   In this short reflection of what humans have done to the planet McKinnon proposes more re-wilding. Many of the changes leading to the poverty of our environment are too subtle to notice in real time which means we are less inclined to do anything and think that the park down the road is some kind of substitute. Climate change is just one of the man made factors affecting the environment. “By the time of the Romantics, Britain was much as it is today—a deforested island, its fauna largely reduced to butterflies, birds, and hedgehogs.”  2. Talk to Me by Tim Zimmerman   A story about research and interaction with a pod of Spotted Atlantic Dolphins. Dolphins are one of the only species outside of apes to exhibit self-awareness. A strong scientific article that takes an adventurous turn when a group of bullying Bottlenose Dolphins show up.  3. Out of the Wild by David Quammen   One of the greatest nature writers of this generation, Quammen writes here about deadly illnesses when a woman dies of a rare disease after traveling to Africa. “The experts call such diseases zoonoses, meaning animal infections that spill into people. About 60 percent of human infectious diseases are zoonoses”. They’re protean and effectively RNA viruses which can be quite deadly. My second favorite article.   4. Recall of the Wild - Elizabeth Kolbert  An article about the Oostvaardersplassen, an large reserve in the heart of the Netherlands. An experiment in re-wilding and returning species (or in this case near species relatives) that once roamed the area. Many people in the country sre against the reserve because animals often starve to death by winter’s end. The govt agency that runs the public reserve has determined that many animals in other areas of the wild also don’t make it through the winter. The start of the controversy here is that neighbors who live near the reserve can see dead animals bunched up against the fence by the end of winter. “Can’t we feed the animals”, they say. Fascinating article that discusses pros and cons of animal reserves, the concept of re-wilding and re-introduction of animals.   5. Polar Express by Keith Gessen   An article that follows the life of a first mate as he commandeers a massive cargo ship through the Northwest passage. A new frontier of sorts. Really well written story on a topic that I didn’t think I would find interesting.  6. The Immortal Jellyfish - Nathaniel Rich  My favorite article. It is so fascinating to learn how certain species of jellyfish will revert back to polyps (babies) when injured or too old and start the cycle all over again. These animals have genetic makeups that are largely composed of stem cells. While it is true they can be killed it is also true that they are immortal in the sense that they can’t die of old age since they re-reconstitute as polyps. Since this transformation is so dramatic and to such a primitive state it seems that whatever the jellyfish had learned of his world probably gets erased but that is just conjecture.  4 stars. My favorite book in this series, although I’ve only read a couple. This annual was particularly strong because the guest editor, Mr. Mukherjee, has a good eye for science and is an excellent writer himself.

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