Articles by George Johnson

Articles and reviews by George Johnson

Listed chronologically. (Please click here for a listing by topic.)

There is also an RSS feed of my New York Times articles.

Plugging Into the Sun National Geographic, September 2009.
Scientist Tries to Connect Migration Dots of Ancient Southwest New York Times, June 30, 2009.
Vatican's Celestial Eye, Seeking Not Angels but Data New York Times, June 23, 2009.
Everything Is Illuminati: Why can't the Catholic Church shake free of a 200-year-old conspiracy theory? Slate, May 14, 2009.
Far Out (a review of "Cosmic Imagery: Key Images in the History of Science" by John D. Barrow) New York Times Book Review, December 5, 2008.
Einstein's Mistakes (a review of a book by Hans C. Ohanian) Los Angeles Times Book Review, October 12, 2008.
The Theory That Ate the World New York Times Book Review, August 24, 2008.
Eureka! Where Do I Cash the Check? Week in Review, June 29, 2008.
Playing the Odds (a review of Leonard Mlodinow's "The Drunkard's Walk") New York Times Book Review, June 8, 2008.
Vanished: A Pueblo Mystery Science Times cover story, April 8, 2008.
A Question of Blame When Societies Fall Science Times cover story, December 25, 2007.
So You Want to Be a Nobelist (a review of James Watson's "Avoid Boring People") New York Times Book Review, November 25, 2007.
Bright Scientists, Dim Notions Week in Review, October 28, 2007.
KING ALGORITHM: An Oracle for Our Time, Part Man, Part Machine Week in Review cover story, September 23, 2007.
Alex Wanted a Cracker, but Did He Want One? Week in Review cover story, September 16, 2007.
Sleights of Mind Science Times cover story, August 21, 2007.
Endless Universe (a review of a book by Paul J. Steinhardt and Neil Turok), Los Angeles Times Book Review, August 5, 2007.
A Trip Back in Time and Space Science Times cover story, July 10, 2007.
Meta Physicists (a review of "Faust in Copenhagen" by Gino Segre), New York Times Book Review, June 24, 2007.
God Is in the Dendrites Slate, April 26, 2007.
"Einstein" (a review of two new biographies by Jürgen Neffe and Walter Isaacson), Los Angeles Times Book Review, April 22, 2007.
A New Journey into Hofstadter's Mind (a review of "I Am a Strange Loop," by Douglas Hofstadter), Scientific American, March 2007.
What We Don't Know: Why is Fundamental Physics So Messy? Wired, February 2007.
Dancing With the Stars (a review of "The Scientist as Rebel" by Freeman Dyson), New York Times Book Review, January 7, 2007.
A Free-for-All on Science and Religion Science Times cover story, November 21, 2006.
Oh, for the Simple Days of the Big Bang Week in Review, October 8, 2006.
Scientists on Religion (a review of books by Owen Gingerich, Francis Collins, Richard Dawkins, and Carl Sagan), Scientific American, October 2006.
The Inelegant Universe (a review of "Not Even Wrong" and "The Trouble With Physics"), Scientific American, September 2006.
The Math Was Complex, the Intentions, Strikingly Simple Week in Review, August 27, 2006.
Favored by the Gods (a review of three books on the science and history of happiness), Scientific American, June 2006.
Worlds Apart: The Dalai Lama Comes to Washington Tricycle, Spring 2006.
Testing Faith; Science and Religion, Still Worlds Apart Week in Review, April 9, 2006.
War of the Worlds Science & Spirit, January 2006.
The Nitpicking of the Masses vs. the Authority of the Experts (Britannica vs. Wikipedia), Science Times essay, January 3, 2006.
Getting a Rational Grip on Religion (a review of "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon," by Daniel C. Dennett), Scientific American, January 2006.
Enigmatic (a review of "The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer," by David Leavitt. New York Times Book Review, December 18, 2005.
For the Anti-Evolutionists, Hope in High Places Week in Review, October 2, 2005.
God, Science, and a Standoff in Cambridge Science Times essay, September 27, 2005.
'The Universe in a Single Atom': Reason and Faith New York Times Book Review, September 18, 2005.
Star Wars: Episodes 1 and 2 (a review of "Empire of the Stars" by Arthur I. Miller and "Conflict in the Cosmos" by Simon Mitton), New York Times Book Review, June 5, 2005.
A Customer Base of One (a review of "Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop," by Neil Gershenfeld), Scientific American, June 2005.
Sometimes the Information Highway Isn't Paved With Silicon Week in Review, May 22, 2005.
Revelations from Feynman's Pen (a review of "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From the Beaten Track: The Letters of Richard P. Feynman"), Los Angeles Times Book Review, May 22, 2005.
A Really Long History of Time New York Times Book Review, February 27, 2005.
Who Do You Trust More: G.I. Joe or A.I. Joe? Week in Review, February 20, 2005.
The Books in the Basement, to be published in a forthcoming volume of essays on Einstein's "Miracle Year," edited by John Brockman, 2005.
Worshipping in the Church of Einstein (or How I Found Fischbeck's Rule), published in the anthology Secrets of Angels and Demons, edited by Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer, December 2004.
On the Trail of the Illuminati: A Journalist's Search for The Conspiracy That Rules the World, published in the anthology Secrets of Angels and Demons, edited by Dan Burstein and Arne de Keijzer, December 2004.
Cognitive Rascal in the Amorous Swamp: A Robot Battles Spam Science Times essay, April 27, 2004.
SP@M SHEN@NIG@NS!!: That Gibberish in Your In-Box May Be Good News Week in Review, January 25, 2004.
Can Science Prove the Existence of God? Science Times 25th Anniversary Issue, November 11, 2003.
Atomic Scales: Striking Notes of Progress on the World's Tiniest Guitar Week in Review, November 9, 2003.
Tongue-Tied by Physics: The Ineffable Lightness of Being Week in Review, October 12, 2003.
Contrarian's Contrarian: Galileo's Science Polemics Science Times, August 12, 2003.
Deep in Universe's Software Lurk Beautiful, Mysterious Numbers Science Times, May 20, 2003.
Doughnuts and Spheres: What is the Poincare Conjecture All About? Week in Review, April 20, 2003.
At White Sands New York Times "Sophisicated Traveler" magazine, March 2, 2003.
With Sheet Metal Cutouts, the Tree of Life Emerged, and Spot the Double Helix New York Times special section on the 50th anniversary of DNA, February 25, 2003.
The Purr of the Qubit Time Magazine, February 24, 2003.
'Faster Than the Speed of Light': E = mc²(Except When It Doesn't) New York Times Book Review, February 10, 2003.
Loss of the Shuttle: The Real Science Happens Down Here on Earth Week in Review, February 10, 2003.
A Theory That's Not Even Wrong Week in Review, November 17, 2002.
Rene Thom, 79, Inventor of Catastrophe Theory, Dies New York Times, November 10, 2002.
Per Bak, Physicist of Sudden Change, Dies at 54 New York Times, October 29, 2002.
The Rise and Fall of Element 118 Science Times cover story. October 15, 2002.
Oil and Water: Why Prizes and Science Don't Mix Week in Review. October 13, 2002.
From Here to Infinity: Obsessed With the Magic of Primes Science Times. September 4, 2002.
Sometimes, the March of Science Goes Backward Science Times. July 23, 2002.
To Err Is Human Week in Review cover story. July 14, 2002.
At Los Alamos, Two Visions of Supercomputing Science Times cover story. June 25, 2002.
What's So New in a Newfangled Science? Week in Review. June 16, 2002.
"A New Kind of Science" Review of the book by Stephen Wolfram. New York Times Book Review. June 9, 2002.
Science Revokes a Poetic License Week in Review. April 28, 2002.
Supercomputing@Home Science Times cover story. April 23, 2002.
In Classic Math Riddle, DNA Gives a Satisfying Answer Science Times. March 19, 2002.
Years of Research Yield Nothing, and That's Good News for Physicists Science Times cover story. February 5, 2002.
More Up There Than Meets the Eye Week in Review. January 20, 2002.
Colors Are Truly Brilliant in Trek Up Mount Metaphor Science Times. December 25, 2001
Lost in Cyberspace: If You Can't Touch It, Can You Steal It? Week in Review. December 16, 2001
Challenging Particle Physics as Path to Truth Science Times cover story. December 4, 2001.
Double Bind Week in Review cover story. November 11, 2001.
Quantum Stew: How Physicists Are Redefining Reality's Rules Science Times essay, October 16, 2001.
Order of Magnitude The Week in Review. September 16, 2001.
Physicists Strive to Build a Black Hole Science Times cover story. September 11, 2001.
Suddenly, the Cosmos Becomes More Fickle Week in Review cover story. August 19, 2001.
Searching for Alien Heartbeats Week in Review cover story. August 5, 2001.
Back to Basics: How Did Space Get Its Dimensions? Science Times. June 26, 2001.
Connoisseurs of Chaos Offer a Valuable Product: Randomness Science Times cover story. June 12, 2001.
Computing, One Atom at a Time Science Times cover story. March 27, 2001.
Claude Shannon, Mathematician, Dies at 84 New York Times, February 27, 2001.
A Passion for Physical Realms, Minute and Massive Science Times. February 20, 2001.
First Cells, Then Species, Now the Web Science Times cover story. December 26, 2000.
Surprise! Elections Have Margins of Error, Too Week in Review. November 19, 2000.
The Ultimate Laptop: A Black Hole Science Times cover story. September 5, 2000.
10 Physics Questions to Ponder for a Millennium or Two Science Times. August 15, 2000.
The Jaguar and the Fox Atlantic Monthly. July 2000.
Refining the Cat's-Eye View of the Cosmos Week in Review. July 16, 2000.
New Generation of Physicists Sustains a Permanent Revolution Science Times cover story. June 20, 2000.
How Memories Are Made Time Magazine. June 12, 2000.
Physicists Finally Find a Way to Test Superstring Theory Science Times cover story. April 4, 2000.
Afloat in a Cosmic Hall of Mirrors Week in Review. March 5, 2000.
A Small Step for Man, a Giant Leap of Faith Week in Review cover story. February 20, 2000.
Only Connect: The Coming of the Omninet Wired. January 2000.
How Is the Universe Built? Grain by Grain Science Times cover story. December 7, 1999.
Terra Incognita New York Times Magazine. October 22, 1999.
Wrestling With Unruly Numbers Week in Review. October 22, 1999.
From Two Small Nodes, a Mighty Web Has Grown Science Times cover story. October 12, 1999.
It's a Fact: Faith and Theory Collide Over Evolution Week in Review cover story. August 15, 1999.
Building a Cosmic Tape Measure Week in Review. June 6, 1999.
Searching for the Essence of the World Wide Web Week in Review. April 11, 1999.
Mindless Creatures Acting 'Mindfully' Science Times cover story. March 23, 1999.
Space-Time: The Final Frontier Review of Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe. New York Times Book Review. February 21, 1999.
Of Mice and Elephants: a Matter of Scale Science Times cover story. January 12, 1999.
Almost in Awe, Physicists Ponder 'Ultimate' Theory Science Times cover story. September 22, 1998. With a sidebar: The Physicists' Macarena
Science and Religion Cross Their Line in the Sand Week in Review cover story. July 12, 1998.
Science and Religion: Bridging the Great Divide Science Times essay. June 30, 1998.
Elusive Particles Continue to Puzzle Theorists of the Sun Science Times cover story. June 9, 1998.
Physical Laws Collide in a Black Hole Bet Science Times cover story. April 7, 1998.
Once Upon a Time, There Was a Big Bang Theory Week in Review. March 8, 1998.
Tests Prove That Nobody's Smart About Intelligence Week in Review cover story. March 1, 1998.
The Big Question: Does the Universe Follow Mathematical Law? Science Times cover story. February 10, 1998.
Is the Artist's Angst All in Your Head? Week in Review. November 16, 1997.
Undiscovered Bach? No, a Computer Wrote It Science Times cover story. November 11, 1997.
To Test a Powerful Computer, Play an Ancient Game Science Times cover story, July 29, 1997.
The Unspeakable Things That Particles Do Week in Review. July 27, 1997.
A Universe of Universes Review of Lee Smolin's The Life of the Cosmos. New York Times Book Review. July 27, 1997.
On the Internet, Hysteria Over Heaven's Gate Week in Review Cover Story. March 30, 1997.
Proteins Outthink Computers in Giving Shape to Life Science Times cover story. March 25, 1997.
A Plague in the Pot Review of Richard Rhodes's Deadly Feasts. New York Times Book Review. March 16, 1997.
Why It's Impossible to Clone a Brain Week in Review cover story. March 2, 1997.
Quantum Theorists Try to Surpass Digital Computing Science Times cover story. February 18, 1997.
Black Holes and Stephen Hawking Week in Review. February 16, 1997.
The Real Star Wars: Between Order and Chaos Week in Review. January 18, 1997.
Pierre, Is That a Masonic Flag on the Moon? Week in Review. November 24, 1996.
Scholars Debate Roots of Yiddish, Migration of Jews Science Times cover story. October 29, 1996.
Indian Creationists vs. Archeologists Page 1. October 22, 1996.
Social Strife May Have Exiled Ancient Indians Science Times cover story. August 20, 1996.
On Skinning Schrodinger's Cat Week in Review. June 2, 1996.
In Sick, Crowded Ponderosa Forests of the West, Seeds of Infernos Lie Ominously in Wait May 11, 1996.
Dark Matter Lights the Void Week in Review cover story. January 21, 1996.
Let's Boot Up the Trash-80 and Play Some Oldies Week in Review article about antique software and old radios. August 20, 1995.
Linguists Debating Deepest Roots of Language Science Times cover story. June 27, 1995
Chimp Talk Debate: Is It Really Language? Science Times cover story. June 6, 1995.
Imaginary Witness: O.J.'s Blood and the Big Bang, Together at Last Week in Review cover story. May 21, 1995.
The Conspiracy That Never Ends Week in Review. April 30, 1995.
Can a String of Numbers Tie the Universe Together? Week in Review. February 5, 1995.
Cosmic Noise: Scaling Lofty Towers of Belief, Science Checks Its Foundations Week in Review cover story. July 10, 1994.

Book Reviews

I Think, Therefore I Am Not a Dog Review of Derek Bickerton's Language and Human Behavior. New York Times Book Review, December 10, 1995.
What Really Goes on in There Cover review of Daniel Dennett's Consciousness Explained. New York Times Book Review, November 10, 1991.
Evolution Between the Ears Review of Gerald Edelman's Bright Air, Brilliant Fire. New York Times Book Review, April 19, 1992.
The Odds on God Review of Frank Tipler's The Physics of Immortality. New York Times Book Review, October 9, 1994.
Wanted: the Meaning of Life Review of Robert Wright's Three Scientists and Their Gods. New York Times Book Review, August 7, 1988.

Older Stuff

My favorite few will eventually have hypertext links.

"Memory: Learning How It Works," cover story, New York Times Magazine, August 9, 1987.
"Wanted: the Meaning of Life," a review of Robert Wright's "Three Scientists and Their Gods," New York Times Book Review, August 7, 1988.
"Two Sides to Every Science Story," cover review of Francis Crick's "What Mad Pursuit," New York Times Book Review, April 9, 1989.
"A Menace or Just a Crank?" a review of Dennis King's "Lyndon LaRouche and the New American Fascism," New York Times Book Review, June 18, 1989.
"Casting Their Neural Nets," a review of Jeremy Campbell's "The Improbable Machine," New York Times Book Review, December 24, 1989.
"New Mind, No Clothes," a review of Roger Penrose's "The Emperor's New Mind," The Sciences, July/August, 1990.
"A Man With a Mission," a profile of Jonas Salk, New York Times Magazine, November 25, 1990.
"Cerebreactors and Processmorphs," a review of Todd Siler's "Breaking the Mind Barrier," New York Times Book Review, December 30, 1990.
"How a Computer Can Carry a Tune," a review of Margaret Boden's "The Creative Mind," New York Times Book Review, April 7, 1991.
"After Chaos," lead review of three books on the Santa Fe Institute, "Complexity," by Mitchell Waldrop, "Complexity," by Roger Lewin," and "Artificial Life," by Steven Levy, Wilson Quarterly, Spring 1993.
"The Thing in Our Head That Thinks," review of Steven Rose's "The Making of Memory," New York Times Book Review, February 27, 1994.