David Attenborough, arguably planet’s best known science based documentary film-maker quipped not so long ago that “If I had a torch I would hand it to Brian Cox.” For those who dwell in science rather casually, that is equal part heartening and worrying. Why worrying?
Some years ago, in the same space, I had reviewed Brian Cox’s then celebrated book The Quantum Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen. While it was a pleasurable read for me, I didn’t help but note that my experience around the book was in the most part shaped by my maths background till the senior secondary school. It stuck me that for those who have not studied maths till a certain level, many sections of that book would be far less enjoyable, if not outright incomprehensible. That limits it as a book as Cox definitely planned it as a general read, not as something that is supplementary to the textbook.
Brian Cox is a particle physicist and a professor at the University of Manchester. However, his claim to fame is his by now a long stint as a BBC presenter and a science broadcaster. It is clear that while his broadcaster side compels him to produce amazing documentaries, his physicist side inadvertently takes over when it comes to converting those documentaries into books. That was pretty evident with The Quantum Universe. It did not help either that his co-writer Jeff Forshaw is also an academician. The experience was no different while reading their previous collaboration named Why Does E=mc²?
So when I picked Forces of Nature for review, I was a little bit worried. However, I realised that he has instead collaborated with the Head of the BBC Science Unit, Andrew Cohen. Those not in the know, Cox and Cohen have previously collaborated on one of BBC’s most popular science series, called Wonder Trilogy. All three of them were then adapted as books. And all of them were very readable, even for those who had but passing interest in physics and maths. This was encouraging.
Like many who will eventually read Forces of Nature, I had seen the documentary before the book came into my hands. As a documentary, Forces of Nature is as much a visual spectacle as it is serious science. High Definition footages keep audiences hooked as Cox unleashes the beauty of science.
That this visual spectacle cannot sufficiently be adapted into words, does not affect this book in any way; although several pages of coloured images on high quality print have been included nonetheless. The book is divided into four sections: Symmetry, Motion, Elements and Colours.
The book starts with snowflakes. Authors’ underlying theory here is that “the whole universe, the whole of physics, is contained in a snowflake.” That would sound like too simplistic, or too reductionist for that matter; but authors go on to explain how the cumulative effect of gravity, electromagnetism, the nuclear force of atoms and symmetry results in the formation of a snowflake, and in the process try to explain all these scientific phenomena. He further explains how that leads to the basic building blocks that form the earth. It is truly a fresh approach at physics, no doubt.

every phenoMenon here is accoMpanied by soMe sorT of scienTific hisTory

But that is not all. Cox and Cohen take us all the way to Spain, where the authors demonstrate how Spaniards build a human tower or human pyramid, as it is called sometimes, based on the geometry of circles. Or to Nepal where hexagonal honeycombs become basis to describing stability and force. Similar examples are drawn from Florida to Japan. The cumulative impact is dazzling, and in a good way.
Having said that, the book is not without its fair share of criticism. In many instances, equations and diagrams have been used that are simply out of the grasp of a casual reader. And they become intense and less comprehensible as the book progresses. However, in reality, I am just nit-picking here.
As authors, Cox and Cohen will definitely be able to explain some of the basic forces of nature such as rain, tidal wave and what not without taking you for a dumb. There is no dumbing down for the sake of readership. And that’s itself a big achievement considering how scientific writing has started playing too much to the gallery these days.
Another important aspect of this book is that every phenomenon is accompanied by some sort of scientific history. It reflects upon the achievements of Eastern civilisation in general and Muslim civilisation of Middle East, Central Asia and Spain in particular. This is almost revolutionary considering the amount of negativity that has been spread vis-à-vis Islam in continental Europe and otherwise.
It is a must buy book for the readers of all ages, except for really young teenagers. If not anything, it will at least inculcate a habit of questioning among kids; the building stone of a science-based, rational society.
In the past few years, BBC has been successfully adapting its popular productions into books, and has mostly done well with it. Forces of Nature is a sure-shot feather in that cap.