Royal Society Science Book Prize
Veronika Meduna’s book Science on Ice is a finalist in the Royal Society Science Book Prize
Victoria University scientists Peter Barrett, Tim Naish, Nancy Bertler, Alex Pyne and Lionel Carter are among the Antarctic researchers who feature prominently in a book which has been named as one of three finalists for the 2013 Royal Society of New Zealand Science Book Prize.
Science on Ice: Discovering the Secrets of Antarctica, written by Veronika Meduna and published by Auckland University Press, explores what the frozen continent can tell us about past and future climates, survival in extreme conditions, the evolution of life and the mysteries of the Universe.
The winner of the prize will be announced by Sir Peter Gluckman at the Auckland Writers & Readers Festival on Saturday 18 May.
The judges for the competition (Emeritus Professor Michael Corballis from the University of Auckland, Professor Shaun Hendy from Victoria University, and Alison Balance from Radio New Zealand) commented that “Veronika Meduna skilfully weaves together a multitude of stories to present a comprehensively readable account of the wide range of science that takes place in the Antarctic.
“The book explores what research has and is being done, what it's like to work in such a physically challenging environment, and what insights it has given us about the frozen continent itself as well as how it has contributed to our wider understanding of global processes and issues such as climate change. Together the text and photos present a compelling case for why both science and Antarctica matter.”