Doctor Who battles tortoise for book prize

A book about the science of Doctor Who, a biography of a tortoise and a compilation of Sun headlines are among the contenders for the most prestigious awards in popular science writing.
Twelve books feature on the longlist for the Royal Society prizes for science books (formerly known as the Aventis prizes). They cover science in all its diversity, from climate change and genetics to psychology, astronomy and neuroscience. The list also pits established scientists, including Sir Patrick Moore and Nobel prize winner Eric R Kandel, against less obvious candidates such as the Queen guitarist Brian May and Sun journalist John Perry.