Truth or Busted's Science title explores popular myths and legends about the world of science, inventions and discoveries in a light and humorous way that kids will find simply unputdownable. Such statements as 'Sneeze with your eyes open and they will pop out' or 'A black hole in our galaxy will eventually destroy the Earth' are examined as well as where the ideas came, whether they have any basis in truth, or whether they are simply folklore, myths or legends. Each statement is given a TRUTH or BUSTED evaluation.
Fact or Fiction: Science Tackles 58 Popular Myths by the Editors of Scientific American Did NASA really spend millions creating a pen that would write in space? Is chocolate poisonous to dogs? Does stress cause gray hair? These questions are just a sample of the urban lore investigated in this eBook, Fact or Fiction: Science Tackles 58 Popular Myths. Drawing from Scientific American's "Fact or Fiction" and "Strange But True" columns, we've selected 58 of the most surprising, fascinating, useful and just plain wacky topics confronted by our writers over the years. Each brief article uncovers the truth behind everyday mythology, starting with Section One, "In the Animal Kingdom," where we examine some of the more outlandish claims about our fellow earthly inhabitants, such as whether elephants really remember everything and whether a cockroach can live without its head. Other sections cover reproduction, the environment, technology and personal and mental health. While the answers to some questions, such as whether toilets really do flush in the opposite direction south of the Equator, may only serve to raise your Trivial Pursuit knowledge, others, such as whether to pee on a jellyfish sting or wake a sleepwalker, may come in handy. Although this eBook represents a fraction of circulating folk wisdom and urban mythology, we hope that it's an enjoyable fraction and that it encourages you to do some debunking yourself.
This book is the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in our scientific history. It exposes the theories that were once widely regarded as facts but have since been proven to be complete science fiction. From such seemingly crazy ideas as the body being composed of only four things—black and yellow bile, blood, and phlegm—to the discovery of dinosaur bones being accepted as the bones of giants killed in the great flood from Biblical times. They Got It Wrong: Science tells the fascinating story behind 50 erroneous scientific theories and gives incredible perspective on how the way we view the workings of the world has evolved throughout history.
Think Again! False Facts Attacked and Myths Busted by Clive Gifford takes readers on a wild ride through history, science, the natural world and the human body in search of-the TRUTH! Conspiracy theories, popular trivia, old wives' tales, common misconceptions, misinterpretations and other fallacies are explored to untruth exactly why they are wrong, and how and why they were adopted as fact in the first place. Thoroughly entertaining with fun typography, fast-paced text, light and fascinating side-stories, and lively, photo-montaged illustrations, this big huge compendium of curriculum-led subjects appeals to today's technological-savvy children. Fully detailing each myth and error, along with its historical or scientific background, each falsehood is debunked, and then a full explanation of its true facts are presented.
New insights from the science of science Facts change all the time. Smoking has gone from doctor recommended to deadly. We used to think the Earth was the center of the universe and that the brontosaurus was a real dinosaur. In short, what we know about the world is constantly changing. Samuel Arbesman shows us how knowledge in most fields evolves systematically and predictably, and how this evolution unfolds in a fascinating way that can have a powerful impact on our lives. He takes us through a wide variety of fields, including those that change quickly, over the course of a few years, or over the span of centuries.
Can you lick your own elbow? Could you pick up a car? Can you sneeze faster than a cheetah? This book takes a fun look at the human body by asking and answering a series of quirky yet thought-provoking questions such as these! Although primarily a recreational read, the book nevertheless contains a wealth of fascinating information and bizarre facts about the human body that readers will be sure to find captivating.
The bestselling “quackbuster” and “tireless tub-thumper against pseudoscience” fishes for the facts in a flood of misinformation (Maclean’s). Eat this and live to 100. Don’t, and die. Today, hyperboles dominate the media, which makes parsing science from fiction an arduous task when deciding what to eat, what chemicals to avoid, and what’s best for the environment. In Is That a Fact?, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz carefully navigates through the storm of misinformation to help us separate fact from folly and shrewdness from foolishness. Are GMOs really harmful? Or could they help developing countries? Which “miracle weight-loss foods” gained popularity through exuberant data dredging? Is BPA dangerous or just a victim of unforgiving media hype? Is organic better? Schwarcz questions the reliability and motives of “experts” in this “easy-to-understand yet critical look at what’s fact and what’s plain nonsense. “Takes its readers through the carnival of pseudoscience, the morass of half-truths and, finally, the relatively safe road of reproducible scientific knowledge. This journey is made all the more enjoyable by Dr. Schwarcz’s surgical use of words and his mastery of public writing . . . [He] can always be counted on to write about the chemistry of the world in a way that is both entertaining and educational.” —Cracked Science “Written with a light touch and refreshing humor, this book provides a solid, authoritative starting point for anyone beginning to look at the world with a skeptical eye and a refresher for those further along that path.” —Library Journal
The world is full of amazing animals, but some facts about them often seem too strange to be true. Do goldfish really have short memories? Is cow flatulence really ruining the ozone layer? This book takes a magnifying glass to some of the wildest things people say about animals to find the truth behind the exaggerations, misunderstandings, or even lies we accidentally spread as fact. Fact boxes throughout the book help readers separate the facts from fiction, and entertaining cartoons and illustrations add to the animal fun.
This is the book that will put to rest even more rumors, misconceptions, superstitions, and flat out lies that you hear every day--also known as the book your mom never wanted you to see. Think boys are better at math? Don't bet on it. Think an apple-a-day keeps the doctor away? Better buy some oranges too. Think you evolved from a chimp? You might want to check your sources on that. Be in the know on all kinds of amazing subjects!
