Science’s windier shores

‘Someone, millennia back, combined geometry, materials science and physics to invent the wheel,’ writes Andrew Masterson in the introduction to Lolcatz, Santa, and Death by Dog. ‘Other people later used that invention to enable rollerblades, Porsche Cayennes and the Panzer tank – none of which were the wheel’s fault.’

Enter Masterson’s curious, bizarre, deeply moving, and straight-up funny exploration of our world told through the sphere of scientific research. Through a rich collection of stories he mounts an argument for the value-neutrality of science and technology. His is a world where science – even in its weirdest forms – doesn’t care about your beliefs. Or, as Masterson puts it: ‘Cosmology no more prevents a belief in a god than the existence of Big Macs prevents a belief in a plate of spaghetti marinara accompanied by a glass of pinot grigio.’

Like hors d’oeuvres for this banquet for your brain, here are four Lolcatz, Santa, and Death by Dog chapter introductions, just to whet your appetite.

Bon Appétit!

Cats are more popular than you. Cats can bring down governments
When, in the wake of the 2015 Paris massacre, Belgian security forces shut down Brussels to prevent an expected terrorist attack, residents flooded their social media accounts with pictures of cats. It was the most recent example of internet cats exercising enormous political power. They may look cute, but don’t be deceived – lolcatz really do shape history.

Bogus beasts from back of beyond baffle boffins
Despite decades of dedicated searching, a complete lack of evidence fails to dampen the optimism of the courageous few who believe the fabulous creatures of folklore might yet turn out to be real.

Petri dish pork makes great art, but it will never feed the world
Often held up as the great hope of the future, lab-grown food turns out to be a flash in the frying pan…

The science of positive thinking. Oh, wait. There isn’t any
From a thousand self-appointed experts to a million motivational cards, we are daily hammered with the apparently incontestable sentiment that positivity, happiness and health are inextricably linked. It’s a nice thought. It’s also bollocks.