Thursday, March 21, 2024

Cover Reveal for STAR AND THE MAESTRO!

Greenwillow Books has released the cover for Thor's new children's book, featuring wonderful illustrations by Portland artist Matt SchuStar and the Maestro: How a Musical Bird Made Melodies with Mozart will be released on September 24th.  Visit Greenwillow/Harper Collins to learn more and find links for pre-orders!

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Thor Featured in Dan Aykroyd's UnBelievable!

 

As a guest on The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, Thor helps explain the science of everything from headless chickens to The Oracle of Delphi to the glowworms of Waitomo Cave. Tune in to this fun and informative ten-episode series on The History Channel.  Click here for broadcast schedule and streaming options.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

HURRICANE LIZARDS Now in Paperback!

 

 

A NY Times Editor's Pick and finalist for The Pacific Northwest Book Award, Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid is now available in paperback across North America!  For a review, check out this one in The New York Times, and for an introduction to some of the stories in the book, here a video Thor did for WIRED.

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

National Book Award Finalists Announced

 

 

More than 600 titles were submitted for consideration in the nonfiction category for the 2022 National Book Awards.  Thor and four other judges have winnowed that list to five finalists:   

Meghan O’Rourke, The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness

Riverhead Books / Penguin Random House

 

Imani Perry, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation

Ecco / HarperCollins Publishers

 

David Quammen, Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus

Simon & Schuster

 

Ingrid Rojas Contreras, The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir

Doubleday / Penguin Random House

 

Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice

Viking Books / Penguin Random House

All of these are spectacular books worthy of attention.  The winner will be announced at the National Book Award Ceremony in New York on November 16th.  Read more about the award and the finalists here.

Monday, September 5, 2022

WarWilding Featured in The Guardian

 A sign warns of mines near the Irpin River, which was reflooded by the Ukrainian army to block Russian forces in the early days of the war. 

Thor's comments on the idea of "warWilding" in Ukraine and beyond feature prominently in a recent article by journalist and photographer Vincent Mundy.  Click here to read the full story in The Guardian.

Monday, July 18, 2022

Thor Talks Feathers and Fashion on WIRED Currents

Thor returns to the popular WIRED Currents series to discuss feathers in the fashion trade.  Drawing from his book FEATHERS, Thor shows how people have co-opted plumage for adornment, using feathers for the same purposes (and often in the same places on the body) as they evolved in birds.  Watch the full video episode on YouTube or WIRED.

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Thor Returns to WIRED Tech Support!

The folks at WIRED recently asked Thor to return and answer more biology questions gleaned from Twitter, including such queries as how ticks latch on, how salt kills slugs, and whether or not ostriches actually bury their heads in the sand.  The videos appear as part of the WIRED Tech Support series and have been viewed more than five million times.  Click these links to watch Biology Support 3, Biology Support 2, or the original Biology Support 1.