The anthology includes writing by Stephen Garnett, Glen Ingram, Mark O'Connor, John Lovett, Robyn Williams, Hal Heatwole, Margaret Lowman, Rhonda Dredge, Allan Wallace, Ergard Gold, Rosalie Greener, David McConchie, Justin Murphy, Coralie Creevey, Sally White, Milton Cockburn, Surendra Verma, Bill Birnbauer, Gus Nossal, Terry Stokes, Carmel Bird, Ramona Koval, Peter Hunt, Ian McMillan, Ann Moyal, Les A. Murray, Mark Oliphant, Jane Figgis, John Larkin, Josephine Flood, Kirsten Garratt, Yoland Wadsworth, Moshe and Tess Lang, Henry Handel Richardson.

From the introduction:

The trouble with science and technology is that there is so much of it. How can anyone keep tabs on what is happening, even if only to understand a little of what is going on? Scientists and engineers each have their own area of expertise, but as for the rest of us in our small corners, all we can do is read the papers listen to the various radio science shows, and catch the latest spin-offs from the Chernobyl disaster on TV.

What if atoms could talk? They cannot, and that is one way of distinguishing the natural sciences from the social sciences. Atoms do not have any opinions of what it is to be atoms, or where they are going in their daily activities. People can talk, and have their own opinions and theories about what they are doing and why they are doing it.