Every day we are bombarded by numbers about politics, economics, health and the environment. This concise introduction by the BBC’s first head of statistics helps clarify the data and decide whether it presents a true picture. It explains the difference between a mean and a medium, correlation and causation, how to evaluate surveys and opinion polls, and the alarm-bell phrases to be wary of.

For the many people with ‘mathematical anxiety’, Chris Waring offers assurance that anyone can learn maths if they want to, and presents an accessible, informal course that can be followed diligently or dipped into, as you wish. The book progresses from arithmetic to probability, in ‘easily digestible’ chapters, enlivened by anecdotes from the history of mathematics and never losing sight of maths’ practical applications in everyday life and in science.

The strongest substance ever discovered, a better conductor than any metal and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify water, graphene is set to revolutionize technology. This guide explores the properties and potential uses of this remarkable new material.

Each volume in this series uses a three-part approach to explain complex ideas. First the ‘helicopter overview’ introduces the concept, then the ‘shortcut’ gives more detail on core elements and the pithy ‘hack’ offers a memorable summary. In this guide to key scientific concepts theories in evolution, genetics and human origins are discussed, as are topics including thermodynamics and Newton’s laws, and hypotheses relating to space and astrophysics.

Along with the gadgets that went straight to landfill – the pneumatic attachment for trousers, illuminated ice cubes, glow-in-the-dark sunglasses or the ‘:Cuecat’ barcode scanner that failed to solve a problem that never existed – this compendium of wrong-headedness includes weird weapons of war, transport disasters and some inventions, such as the dreaded automated pay toilet, that are with us still.