University of Hull Professor Mark Lorch crowdfunds new science anthology

University of Hull Professor Mark Lorch is crowdfunding a new science anthology, featuring both the best-established and emerging writers in the field.

The anthology, ‘Great Explanations,’ will feature a selection of the most pressing, fascinating and sometimes overlooked topics from the far reaches of science, engineering and maths.

The aim of the book is to introduce the reader to a range of science topics and writers. The crowdfunding model also gives readers the opportunity to influence the content of the book.

Professor Lorch, Head of Chemistry at the University of Hull, said: “Great Explanations aims to give the reader a flavour of some of the best science writers out there.

“Some of the contributors are incredibly well known – including Hull honorary alumni and Astronomer Royal and Lord Martin Rees – but I also want to uncover new talented writers and give them the opportunity to showcase their work alongside the greats.

Topics featured in the book will include the predictive powers of Bayes Theorem, the role that relatives play in the evolution of species, and how to go about winning a Nobel prize.

The book will also support Sense about Science, some of the contributing authors in the new anthology are part of the charity’s Voice of Young Science network, and 15% of the profits will be donated to the charity, which champions public interest in sound science and ensures evidence is recognised in public life and policy making.

Contributors include:

• Astronomer Royal, and 60th President of the Royal Society, Lord Martin Rees
• Sir David John Spiegelhalter OBE FRS, Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at the University of Cambridge, and author of Covid by numbers, making sense of the pandemic with data.
• Dr Suze Kundu, Nanochemist, writer for Forbes Science and Head of Public Engagement at the technology company Digital Science.
• Dr Kit Chapman, award-winning science journalist and science historian, and author of the fabulous Superheavy: Making and breaking of the periodic table.
• Dr Kat Arney, award winning science writer, author and broadcaster. Her latest book is Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution and the Science of Life.
• Kelly Stanford, Science communicator, researcher and sci-artist
• Prof Adam Hart, entomologist and the University of Gloucestershire’s Professor of Science Communication.

A series of merchandise to accompany the anthology is also available.

The project can be supported via the publisher’s (Ubound) website.