David Farrier Nature’s Genius Evolution’s lessons for a changing planet 288pp. Canongate. £20. In David Farrier’s latest book, he warns us that humanity is endangering every facet of life on Earth thr

DICK DURHAM

We need to encourage our kids to celebrate, not mock, their intelligence, says Susie Dent

Yossi Yovel The Genius Bat Understanding our most mysterious mammal 336pp. Oneworld. £20. Philosophy begins with wonder, according to Plato and Aristotle. As for philosophy, so, and more so, for biolo

We are all told the same story as children: that we grew from a single cell into a human being. We learn that all of our trillions of cells developed from the first union of egg and sperm, and that we

Our round-up of the funny, fascinating and unusual stories this fortnight