Full Disclosure: I do not read non-fiction books on a regular basis. So, when I was randomly assigned to do a book talk at the next Sciences staff meeting, I was a little… put out. Luckily, I had just gotten in a shipment of books and this one was right on top. Elle, this one's for you.
Paul Halpern’s What’s Science Ever Done for Us: what the Simpsons can teach us about physics, robots, life and the universe was great. No, really! For you library geeks out there, this is fabulous book for a teen book talk or a summer reading club suggestion. It’s also a neat title to take with you to a cottage or something where TV may be scarce. I fully intend to add this to my list of book talk favourites.
Halpern makes science so very accessible. Whether discussing the space-time continuum or the coriolis effect, every chapter is set up using a famous Simpsons moment. Why just talk about radiation, when you can also talk about Mulder and Scully and the Alien Burns? Can we really produce three-eyed fish? Better yet: what happened to the real three-eyed fish? Is Lisa destined to a life of mediocrity or will genetics save the day? I had so much fun reading this book, I actually forgot I as learning things.
Or in some cases unlearning them. Like a lot of gullible viewers, I totally believed that that the water flushes in the opposite direction in Australia. But, as explained in chapter entitled The Plunge Down Under, that’s simply not true. Why would the writers do that to us? Read and find out.
I hope reading for work will be this much fun all the time.
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