I was in the local branch of my public library and I came across the title, Defining the Wind. I had never heard of the title, nor the author, Scott Huler. I was blown away by Scott's seemingly bottomless interest, his total commitment to investigation and understanding, and his equanimity when the universe doesn't deliver on expectations. I reached out to Scott with gratitude for the good read, and asking for some advice for an aspiring writer. He was fireworks in response, knife sharp and funny. This was the beginning of our correspondence.  

I later read A Delicious Country, another book of full of curiosity and commitment. Scott retraced one of the earliest published accounts of a European trekking through the Carolinas. By this point I had started the podcast and knew Scott would make for a phenomenal chat. He did not disappoint. Scott is full of writerly wisdom, and you are going to love this conversation.

Full Transcript Here.

00:00–10:00

• Tripp introduces Scott Huler and highlights two books: Defining the Wind and A Delicious Country.
• Scott describes his work as a call to pay attention to the world around us.
• He praises Beaufort and Lawson as careful observers and communicators.
• Language and expression are central to his curiosity and writing.
• He fell in love with the Beaufort scale first as a piece of language, then as a scientific tool.

10:00–20:00

• Scott discusses the poetic rhythm and structure of the Beaufort scale.
• He describes joy in uncovering untold historical details behind the scale.
• Research involved years of international calls and deep dives in libraries.
• He valued discovering things even experts didn’t know.
• Reflects on how curiosity and deep engagement sustained the project.

20:00–30:00

• Scott explains how he moved from journalism into book writing via feature stories.
• The Beaufort book was initially rejected by his agent.
• During a period of isolation, he applied for a fellowship to revisit the idea.
• New agents became interested, and the proposal gained traction.
• A fellowship and book deal gave him the resources to pursue the project fully.

30:00–40:00

• Scott describes the transformative year spent at a fellowship in Ann Arbor, fully immersed in writing without distractions.
• He contrasts the depth and time required for books versus articles—books must offer beauty, complexity, and multiple angles.
• Compares the form of a book to natural units of human understanding, like a Beethoven symphony on a CD.
• Praises the physical book as a “perfect technology”—interactive, durable, portable, and deeply familiar.
• Emphasizes his lifelong love of books, recalling his identity as a bookish kid.

40:00–50:00

• Scott says writing should be fun—even with serious topics, he wants readers to enjoy the experience.
• He’s drawn to science because it’s structured, cumulative, and leads to results.
• Describes science as “beautiful, magical, and understandable”—it enables modern life.
• Reflects on the evolution of scientific understanding, from Newton to Einstein to quantum physics.
• Criticizes science denialism (e.g., about climate change) as a refusal to engage with objective reality.

50:00–60:00

• Scott shares the emotional experience of tracking down historical records tied to the Beaufort scale.
• He visited the UK Met Office and saw handwritten observations but never found a full personal archive.
• A choreographer created a dance piece based on his book—he read the Beaufort scale aloud during the performance.
• Readers have created their own Beaufort scales (e.g., for laundry or in prison), which deeply moves him.
• He compares the spread of these creative responses to having kids—his ideas continue without him.

60:00–70:00

• Scott recounts paddling Lawson’s route and realizing Lawson likely wasn’t paddling himself—he was being guided.
• Emphasizes that Lawson’s journey relied entirely on Native American guides and established paths.
• Notes that Lawson was unusually aware that he was witnessing the decline of Native cultures, not their peak.
• Highlights Lawson’s respectful, detailed descriptions of Native life—plants, food, rituals, and more.
• Praises Lawson’s empathy and commitment to documenting what he saw with care and honesty.

70:00–80:00

• A Native American woman told Scott that reading Lawson in college was life-changing—“he gave me my history.”
• She introduced Scott to her tribe’s land and longhouse, the first their people had owned in a century.
• Encounters like this reaffirmed his commitment to the work, regardless of book sales.
• Scott emphasizes he wasn’t trying to retrace every step, but to follow Lawson’s method of observing and documenting.
• Frames the journey as a modern transect—adding new data to Lawson’s original record.

80:00–90:00

• Scott compares Lawson’s journey to the Odyssey—both are human stories of striving and transformation.
• He sees Lawson’s journey as witnessing a pivotal cultural moment—one that led directly to conflict and Lawson’s death.
• Lawson was trusted but also complicit in colonization; Scott highlights this moral complexity.
• Draws a parallel between Lawson’s time and today—both marked by upheaval and existential uncertainty.
• Notes the reality of climate change and extinction, questioning what kind of future remains.

Scott's website: ScottHuler.com
Some of Scott's books:
A Delicious Country: Rediscovering the Carolinas along the Route of John Lawson's 1700 Expedition
No-Man's Lands: One Man's Odyssey Through The Odyssey
On the Grid: A Plot of Land, an Average Neighborhood, ​and the Systems That Make Our World Work
Defining the Wind: The Beaufort Scale, ​and How a Nineteenth-Century Admiral Turned Science into Poetry

Some of Scott's articles:
Inside the Weird and Wonderful World of Miniatures (for Esquire)
Opinion: Trump isn't just betraying the Constitution, he's betraying the Declaration of Independence ​

Longitude by Dava Sobel

Willard Bascom’s Waves and Beaches first appeared in 1964 and quickly became a classic of coastal and wave science. Favored by readers who wanted to dig deeper into the physics of waves, it has stood for decades as a clear and engaging introduction to the subject.
​
But the new third edition? It wipes out. The wave science remains largely outdated, and new sections insert climate commentary that doesn’t reflect the current state of research. If you want to learn more, check out the episode. For some bonus material that didn't make the cut, read on.

​Let’s talk about a pair of figures; one from the original 1964 edition of Waves and Beaches and one from the new third edition. I will describe them, but please look below and check them out. The comparison tells you everything you need to know about the 3rd Edition.

The original figure is a classic conceptual representation of the ocean’s wave energy spectrum, first produced by Walter Munk in 1951. It’s a single continuous curve plotted against timescales from hours down to seconds. Bascom labeled each section according to the type of water wave that corresponds to that period: tides at the hour mark, wind-generated ripples at the second mark. The y-axis reads “relative amount of energy present.” This isn’t a measured spectrum, but a conceptual one, the height of line represents the relative importance of different kinds of wave motions. There’s a clear peak for swell and sea, reflecting the fact that wind waves dominate ocean surface energy in most places most of the time.

The fact that the line is continuous is conceptually important. It shows that ocean waves form a spectrum across scales. While there may be a separation in scales between ripples and tides, there is often no clear difference between wind seas and swell. The categories of wind sea and swell are just convenient labels; there are no sharp boundaries in nature. 

Now, compare this to the updated figure in the third edition. Instead of a continuous curve, we get a series of discrete bubbles. The y-axis is labeled “change in sea level,”. What does “change” even mean here? Is it absolute change, variation, or something else? The units of the y-axis are in terms of length [m]. But a wave spectrum isn’t a plot of raw heights, it’s a distribution of variance with frequency or period, and its proper units are variance density, typically [m²/Hz]. This isn’t a trivial detail, the caption still calls this a “wave spectrum,” which it clearly is not. This shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what a spectrum represents.

The x-axis still represents periods with units of time (note the axis has been flipped), but now runs from fractions of a second to millennia. There are little bubbles for capillary, ripples, chop, sea, swell, etc. To me, this implies that these should be separate, discrete phenomena, which is wrong. Beyond tides, we have “seasons,” “El Niño,” "sunspot cycle" (what!?), and even a bubble labeled “industrialization.” If I’m generous, I’d interpret that last one as sea level rise from post-industrial warming, but the figure gives no explanation. In fact, since the y-axis begins with msl (mean sea level) you might assume we are talking about variations in reference to the mean sea level, but anything beyond tsunami is variations of the mean sea level. Then we have Milankovitch cycles on scales off 100k years? Even if these are periodic phenomena, they are not ocean waves (if this needs to be stated), and on these scales the ocean basins and sea levels change, rendering msl meaningless.

What was once an elegant conceptual diagram showing the continuous nature of ocean waves has been replaced with a careless hodgepodge that reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what water waves are and what a spectrum represents.

Climate change is real, important, and worthy of serious discussion, but climate is not a wave. A book like Waves and Beaches exists to define and explain physical phenomena in the natural world with clarity and accuracy. When that mission is abandoned, when metaphor is confused with mechanism, and sloppy language replaces careful explanation, it does more than misinform. It undermines public understanding of science at a time when precision and trust matter most. That is the real failure of this new edition.

Full Transcript Here.

0:00 – 8:00

• Introduction to the episode and why this review is different from your usual positive tone.
• Waves and Beaches (1964) introduced as a classic of wave science by Willard Bascom.
• Background on its origin in Scientific American articles and the Science Study Series.
• Brief history of editions: 1st (1964), 2nd (~1980), and 3rd (2023, Patagonia).
• Praise for Bascom’s original—accessible, descriptive, and beloved for decades.
• Criticism begins: The 3rd edition feels like a picture book with little connection between text and images.

8:00 – 16:00

• Bascom’s influence: only popular-level wave science book for decades; alternatives too technical.
• Comparisons to Susan Casey’s The Wave (different audience, more surf-focused).
• Bascom’s background: mining, the Waves Project, nuclear test measurements, Project Mohole.
• His reputation as a provocative public communicator (example: waste disposal in oceans).
• Bascom’s writing as readable and poetic, a major reason for the book’s legacy.
• Questions arise: Why was McCoy chosen for this edition, and who is he?

16:00 – 24:00

• McCoy’s background: few publications, mostly in ocean instrumentation, and self-mythologizing stories.
• Criticism of the edition’s lack of updated wave science—ignores advances in spectral modeling, GPS buoys, and satellite observations.
• McCoy’s two main contributions: forced climate-change insertions and personal adventure anecdotes.
• Example of incoherent climate writing: “The wave of climate change is another very long wave…”
• Your argument: Climate science belongs, but McCoy’s treatment is shallow and confusing.
• Contrasts in tone: Bascom’s clear, textbook-like writing vs. McCoy’s tall tales and poor analogies.

24:00 – 32:00

• Extended critique of McCoy’s climate discussions as unscientific and buzzword-heavy.
• Example: “We have become part of the spectrum”—a meaningless metaphor in context.
• ENSO confusion: McCoy conflates climate oscillations with literal ocean waves.
• Exasperation at editing failures: questionable sections published without fact-checking.
• Praise for Bascom’s fieldwork descriptions: his transition from lab theory to real-world wave observation still resonates.
• McCoy’s interludes occasionally entertaining (stellar navigation story) but likely embellished.

32:00 – 40:00

• The notorious blender analogy: comparing ACE (tropical cyclone energy) to blender settings—debunked in detail.
• Discussion of climate attribution: you consult Dr. Kevin Walsh, who clarifies what science actually says about storms.
• Walsh’s insights: detection vs. attribution, observed vs. projected trends in tropical cyclones.
• Current consensus: fewer total storms, stronger intense storms, higher rainfall rates, and storm surge worsened by sea level rise.
• Critique of McCoy’s misunderstanding of basic wave physics (e.g., fetch-limited growth in cyclones).
• Beach change mischaracterized as “permanent,” which misunderstands coastal dynamics.

40:00 – 47:00

• Broader frustration: lack of curiosity and scientific rigor in McCoy’s writing.
• Humorous but telling critique of his reckless approach—likened to his free-diving story.
• Suggestion that Patagonia prioritized making a coffee-table book rather than a serious science update.
• Acknowledgment of Bascom’s enduring value—recommend reading 1st or 2nd editions instead.
• Appreciation for Bascom’s poetic lines and communication style; “go and see” highlighted as a motif.
• Closing thanks to Dr. Kevin Walsh and invitation to explore show notes and further discussion.

Helen Czerski is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London and her research focus is the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean surface. Since 2011 she has presented a wide range of science documentaries for the BBC on the physics of everyday life, and atmospheric and ocean science. She currently co-hosts BBC Radio 4's flagship climate and environment show, Rare Earth. She is also a central member of the Cosmic Shambles Network. 

Helen is also a science writing hero of mine. I read and loved both Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life (2016) and Blue Machine: How the Ocean Shapes our World (2023).

Blue Machine in particular is a masterclass in science writing. It is epic in scope, the prose is beautiful, the tone is inviting, and it gets the science storytelling balance right: not getting bogged down in details and not flying over the important bits. 

The comparison that comes to mind is Rachael Carson's The Sea Around Us. These days, Carson is remembered for Silent Spring, which jump started the environmental movement in the United States by exposing the detrimental impact of synthetic pesticides such as DDT. But before Silent Spring, Carson wrote not one but three books about the ocean. The Sea Around Us was her oceanic magnum opus, covering all of oceanography that was known up unto the point of publication 1951, which had recently bloomed in the post-war era. This was an ambitious project pulled off with Carson’s signature panache. I see The Blue Machine as the heir to Carson's throne in this tradition. Czerski really pulled off something amazing, a book with elegant prose, ambitious scope, bubbling enthusiasm, and in the end inspirational, simply put this is oceanic storytelling at its finest.

Full Transcript

Welcome and Introducing Helen Czerski (0:00–5:00)

• I open the show from Melbourne, acknowledging the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation.
• Introduce Book Science as a podcast about how science books are written and why they matter.
• Introduce Dr. Helen Czerski — physicist, oceanographer, BBC presenter, author, and bubble expert.
• Highlight Helen’s background, from explosives physics to ocean science.
• Frame Blue Machine as a major achievement in ocean science writing — compared to Rachel Carson.
• Emphasize the book’s invitation to see the ocean as a powerful, knowable system.

Seeds of Blue Machine (5:00–10:00)

• I ask Helen about a passage in Storm in a Teacup that hints at Blue Machine.
• Helen describes the evolution of the book idea — how it developed over years of curiosity.
• Discusses physics as patterns in the world and the public’s misunderstanding of the discipline.
• Pushback against the elitism of physics — a defense of intuitive, everyday understanding.
• Framing the ocean as a life support system alongside the body and civilization.

Why Write a Book? (10:00–15:00)

• Helen reflects on why she waited until she had “something to say.”
• Critique of performative communication — the importance of contribution over attention.
• Insight into writing as thinking — the book forces deeper articulation of ideas.
• Discomfort with social media’s shallow engagement and desire to fill space without substance.
• The value of earned authority and the responsibility of taking up a reader’s time.

Structure, Storytelling, and Perspective (15:00–20:00)

• I ask Helen about the structure of Blue Machine, citing the “Russian doll” chapter on dead water.
• Helen explains her organic approach to structure — built from nested ideas.
• Emphasizes the universality of physics and the joy of finding patterns across contexts.
• Science writing as perspective-sharing, not just explanation or fact delivery.
• The goal is to leave readers with a mental model — a scaffold for future knowledge.

Curiosity, Cinematic Writing, and the Joy of Play (20:00–25:00)

• We talk about the playful, invitational tone of Helen’s writing.
• Adults are encouraged to stay curious — science is not just for children.
• Anecdote: a reader tempted to push toast off a hotel table to test physics.
• I describe Helen’s scenes as cinematic — she credits her TV work with that skill.
• Discusses Cosmic Shambles' “boring photo” advent calendar — finding wonder everywhere.

Why Books Still Matter + What’s Next (25:00–30:00)

• Helen shares her deep love for books as immersive tools for perspective transfer.
• Books are the most powerful medium for mind-to-mind communication across time.
• We discuss Cosmic Shambles as a curiosity-driven community without snobbery.
• Helen highlights the value of indigenous and non-Western perspectives on the ocean.
• Quick mentions of her BBC Radio 4 series Rare Earth, new book ideas, and summer science festivals.
• I thank Helen and encourage listeners to explore her books and online work.

The Good Virus by Tom Ireland
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
Alive by Gabriel Weston
Fire Weather by John Vaillant
Material World by Ed Conway
​A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Feathers by Melissa Stewart
The Earth by Richard Fortney
What am I Doing Here by Bruce Chatwin
Hawai-iki Rising by Sam Low
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot