Gisli Palsson

Oct 25, 2024 | skeptic.com | Gisli Palsson

The great auk (Pinguinus impennis) displayed in the Natural History Museum of Denmark stands erect on its pedestal, its great beak jutting forward, apparently fearless. It is possessed of a certain dignity and grace. It demands my attention. It was probably killed off in Iceland, where I come from, and was one of the last of its kind.

Oct 4, 2024 | fivebooks.com | Tom Chivers |Cat Bohannon |Kashmir Hill |Gisli Palsson

You are chair of the judges for the 2024 Royal Society Science Book Prize, which seeks to reward the best new works of popular science. What were you looking for, when you were reading the submissions? The prize is about the best science communication in books. So: reaching a broad audience in a novel way, that is informative or clever or funny, or a combination of those things. And, most importantly, being accessible to a general audience—the science-interested public. That’s a very broad remit.

Aug 7, 2024 | lrb.co.uk | Gisli Palsson |Anna Yates |Liam Shaw

‘Great Auk’ by John James Audubon (1836). The great auk, or garefowl, was a flightless North Atlantic seabird and it tasted delicious, perhaps a little like duck with a hint of seaweed. It’s hard to be sure because by the 1860s the great auk was extinct. It had once been abundant: in the 16th century, a breeding ground off Newfoundland – known as Funk Island for the overpowering stench of guano – offered a welcome source of sustenance for European sailors crossing the Atlantic.

Mar 7, 2024 | phys.org | Gisli Palsson

Rising temperatures and melting ice play a central role in the unfolding Anthropocene—i.e., the most recent geologic period in Earth's history. What distinguishes the Anthropocene from prehistoric human impacts on the environment, mainly those caused by the early use of fire, is the fact that humans are now aware of what's going on—more or less.