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Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments (Harvest Original)

by Alex Boese

Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments (Harvest Original) Cover

ISBN13: 9780156031356
ISBN10: 0156031353
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Only 2 left in stock at $9.95!

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

When Tusko the Elephant woke in his pen at the Lincoln Park Zoo on the morning of August 3, 1962, little did he know that he was about to become the test subject in an experiment to determine what happens to an elephant given a massive dose of LSD. In Elephants on Acid, Alex Boese reveals to readers the results of not only this scientific trial but of scores of other outrageous, amusing, and provocative experiments found in the files of modern science. Why can't people tickle themselves? Would the average dog summon help in an emergency? Will babies instinctually pick a well-balanced diet? Is it possible to restore life to the dead? Read Elephants on Acid and find out!

Review:

"Author Boese (Hippo Eats Dwarf, The Museum of Hoaxes) returns with another look at scientific oddities, this time focusing on unlikely but actual experiments. Included are notorious examples such as the Stanford Prison Experiment and Stanley Milgram's infamous shock treatment obedience experiment, but it's the lesser-known studies that will generate the most interest. Disembodied heads, animal resurrection ('Zombie Kitten,' 'Franken-Monkey') and the direct stimulation of a subject's emotions (via electric brain prod) are some of the more grim activities Boese describes (though, thankfully, he steers clear of examples from Nazi Germany). Lighter subjects include attempts to prove the myth that the bar patrons become more attractive at closing time and the effects of staying awake for 11 days straight. These and other tales will obviously appeal to armchair scientists, but the short, witty, ceaselessly amusing entries should delight anyone with a healthy sense of morbid curiosity." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

About the Author

Alex Boese holds a master's degree in the history of science from the University of California, San Diego. He is the author of The Museum of Hoaxes and Hippo Eats Dwarf and the creator and curator of www.museumofhoaxes.com. He lives near San Diego.

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
Thomas Kirby, November 26, 2007 (view all comments by Thomas Kirby)
This book is an amusing collection of stories of strange experiments in science, and what sometimes passes for science. Some of the experiments are fairly controversial, others you most likely never heard of. The stories are long enough to describe the experiments and their effects, both positive and negative, yet short enough to be able to read on your bus/train ride to work. Like his previous books, The Museum of Hoaxes, and Hippo Eats Dwarf, I highly recommend this one.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780156031356
Subtitle:
And Other Bizarre Experiments
Author:
Boese, Alex
Publisher:
Harvest Books
Subject:
General
Subject:
General science
Subject:
Science
Subject:
Experiments
Subject:
Curiosities & Wonders
Subject:
Science -- Experiments.
Copyright:
Series:
Harvest Original
Publication Date:
November 2007
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
290
Dimensions:
7.96x5.36x.77 in. .97 lbs.

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