Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The Real Science Behind Hacky Headlines, Crappy Clickbait, and Suspect Sources Superfoods, right brain versus left brain, survival of the fittest--these and other commonly shared pop science topics are certainly catchy and all-to-quick to trend online. But they are also often wrong (or, not quite right). These shorthand analogies, memes, and phrases distort the actual science and leave out key details, leading readers to develop a misunderstanding of the world around them.
In The Stickler's Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation, R. Philip Bouchard takes a closer look at 13 pervasive scientific untruths--tackling a range of topics from gravity and radiation to global warming and pandemics--and humorously and accessibly shares the real science behind them. You'll learn why trees do not "store" carbon dioxide, why getting your genome sequenced tells you much less than you think it does, and why a day is not actually 24 hours.
The deeper we understand these issues, the better we can do as citizens in an era of half-truths, propaganda, and outright lies. The Stickler's Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation makes well-researched science go down easy, satisfying curiosity and sparking further inquiry along the way.
Synopsis
The Real Science Behind Hacky Headlines, Crappy Clickbait, and Suspect SourcesWe have more scientific information at our fingertips today than ever before. And more disinformation too. Online, on television, and in print, science is often communicated through shorthand analogies and phrases that obscure or omit important facts. "Superfoods," "right- and left-brained" people, and "global warming" may be snappy and ear-catching but are they backed by scientific facts? Lifelong educator R. Philip Bouchard is a stickler for this kind of thing, and he is well-prepared to set the record straight.
The Stickler's Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation unpacks the many misuses of terms we see used every day, revealing how these popular "scientific" concepts fall short of real science. Find out why trees do not "store" carbon dioxide; a day is not actually 24 hours; DNA cannot provide a "blueprint" for a human being; and an absence of gravity is not the reason that astronauts float in space.
With The Stickler's Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation, Bouchard makes hard science go down easy, satisfying curiosity and sparking further inquiry that will keep you from getting fooled again.
Synopsis
We have more scientific information at our fingertips today than ever before. And more disinformation too. Online, on television, and in print, science is often communicated through shorthand analogies and phrases that obscure or omit important facts. "Superfoods," "right- and left-brained" people, and "global warming" may be snappy and ear-catching but are they backed by scientific facts? Lifelong educator R. Philip Bouchard is a stickler for this kind of thing, and he is well-prepared to set the record straight.
The Stickler's Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation unpacks the many misuses of terms we see used every day, revealing how these popular "scientific" concepts fall short of real science. Find out why trees do not "store" carbon dioxide; a day is not actually 24 hours; DNA cannot provide a "blueprint" for a human being; and an absence of gravity is not the reason that astronauts float in space.
With The Stickler's Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation, Bouchard makes hard science go down easy, satisfying curiosity and sparking further inquiry that will keep you from getting fooled again.
Synopsis
The perfect remedy for our culture of fake news, bad science, and propaganda.
We have more scientific information at our fingertips today than ever before. And more disinformation too. Online, on television, and in print, science is often communicated through shorthand analogies and phrases that obscure or omit important facts. "Superfoods," "right- and left-brained" people, and "global warming" may be snappy and ear-catching but are they backed by scientific facts? Lifelong educator R. Philip Bouchard is a stickler for this kind of thing, and he is well-prepared to set the record straight.
The Stickler's Guide to Science in the Age of Misinformation unpacks the many misuses of terms we see used every day, revealing how these popular "scientific" concepts fall short of real science. Find out why trees do not "store" carbon dioxide; a day is not actually 24 hours; DNA cannot provide a "blueprint" for a human being; and an absence of gravity is not the reason that astronauts float in space.