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New Scientist recommends Wildlife Photographer of the Year and Opticks

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

By David Stock

25 October 2023

Life on the edge by Amit Eshel, Israel Winner, Animals in their Environment Amit Eshel witnesses a dramatic cliffside clash between two Nubian ibex. After hiking to a vantage point on the clifftop, Amit slowly crept closer, using a wide-angle lens to set the action of two clashing Nubian ibex against the dramatic backdrop. The battle lasted for about 15 minutes before one male surrendered, and the pair parted without serious injury. In the run-up to the mating season, part of the males? coat darkens, and their neck muscles thicken. Rivals will raise up on their hind legs and ram their heads together. Their horns sometimes break as they collide. Location: Zin Desert, Israel Technical details: Canon EOS R5 + 24?70mm f2.8 lens at 45mm; 1/800 at f8; ISO 500

Amit Eshel/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

This week, I’ve visited two new photography exhibitions in London that challenged me to think about science in very different ways.

First up was Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the Natural History Museum, which filled me with awe at the rare sight of fireflies lighting up the night sky, Nubian ibex at dusk in Israel (pictured above) and the spores of a parasol mushroom dispersing in a Greek forest. But since much of the natural world is under threat, prepare to be reminded of its fragility – and to leave with a desire to do more.

On a very different…

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