Download or read book Can Science Be Witty written by Marc-Denis Weitze and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-02-01 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Can science be funny?" takes a close look at an element of modern science communication that is as innovative as it is promising for the future: comedy! Readers are guided through vividly presented academic theory as well as exciting hands-on and best practice examples from renowned practitioners and cabaret artists: - What do sheep's cheese and car tires have in common? - Can laughter break down walls? - How does "Die Anstalt" work? - How does magic create knowledge? - Is there humor in museums? - When a Dalmatian comes to the cash register - Three steps to humor - Serving suggestion for the Holy Spirit - dictatorship of stupidity - And much more! But it's not all just funny. Comedy can also take away some of the biting sharpness of criticism, making it digestible, even palatable, for the addressees. "Can Science Be Funny?" navigates between criticism and cabaret, tackling comedy in various guises from different perspectives. 22 contributions show how the results of science, research and technology can be brought to the general public in new ways. In particular, they also demonstrate how humour can be used as a critical and questioning force - valuable for all types of communication and helpful so that they come across more shrewdly in the future. The translation was done with the help of the artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). The text has subsequently been revised further by the original editors in order to refine the work stylistically.
Download or read book Ha written by Scott Weems and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An entertaining tour of the science of humor and laughter Humor, like pornography, is famously difficult to define. We know it when we see it, but is there any way to figure out what we really find funny? In this fascinating investigation into the science of humor and laughter, neuroscientist Scott Weems uncovers what's happening in our heads when we giggle, guffaw, or double over with laughter. Beginning with the premise that humor arises from inner conflict in the brain, Weems explores such issues as why surprise is so important for humor, why computers are terrible at recognizing what's funny, and why cringe-worthy stereotypes make us laugh the hardest. From the role of insult jokes to the benefit of laughing for our immune system responses, Ha! reveals why humor is so idiosyncratic, and why how-to books alone will never help us become funnier people. Packed with the latest research, amusing anecdotes (and even a few jokes), Ha! is a delightful tour of why humor is so important to our daily lives.
Download or read book Elements of Wit written by Benjamin Errett and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Got wit? We’ve all been in that situation where we need to say something clever, but innocuous; smart enough to show some intelligence, without showing off; something funny, but not a joke. What we need in that moment is wit—that sparkling combination of charm, humor, confidence, and most of all, the right words at the right time. Elements of Wit is an engaging book that brings together the greatest wits of our time, and previous ones from Oscar Wilde to Nora Ephron, Winston Churchill to Christopher Hitchens, Mae West to Louis CK, and many in between. With chapters covering the essential ingredients of wit, this primer sheds light on how anyone—introverts, extroverts, wallflowers, and bon vivants—can find the right zinger, quip, parry, or retort…or at least be a little bit more interesting.
Download or read book Comedy and Social Science written by Cate Watson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-06-12 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While there have been many sociological and psychological studies of humor, few can claim to be funny. Humor may be regarded as a legitimate topic for social scientists, but in general, they present their research rather seriously. In academia, humor tends to be trivialized and dismissed. This is more than just a missed opportunity for otherwise fun-loving academics. In literature, it is readily accepted that comedy is integral to the human condition. To ignore humor is to reject a potentially insightful methodological approach, as the humorous worldview presents unique opportunities for investigating the social. This book constitutes a unique resource, presenting chapters on irony, satire and parody as tools for analysis and means of representation, as well as considering humor in the conduct of research, and offering guidance on getting published. Through presenting examples from across the social sciences, the book seeks to persuade and inspire rather than to prescribe an approach – a closure which would (ironically) be inimical to the multiplicity and ambiguity which characterizes humorous research and lends it its distinctive edge.
Download or read book Evolution and the Myth of Creationism written by Tim M. Berra and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 1990 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gives a description of evolutionary theory and analyzes the arguments of the creationists.
Download or read book Rabid written by Bill Wasik and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-06-25 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most fatal virus known to science, rabies-a disease that spreads avidly from animals to humans-kills nearly one hundred percent of its victims once the infection takes root in the brain. In this critically acclaimed exploration, journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years of the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies. From Greek myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment, Rabid is a fresh and often wildly entertaining look at one of humankind's oldest and most fearsome foes. "A searing narrative." -The New York Times "In this keen and exceptionally well-written book, rife with surprises, narrative suspense and a steady flow of expansive insights, 'the world's most diabolical virus' conquers the unsuspecting reader's imaginative nervous system. . . . A smart, unsettling, and strangely stirring piece of work." -San Francisco Chronicle "Fascinating. . . . Wasik and Murphy chronicle more than two millennia of myths and discoveries about rabies and the animals that transmit it, including dogs, bats and raccoons." -The Wall Street Journal
Download or read book The Science of Wit written by Ian McCarthy and published by Ian McCarthy. This book was released on 2005-10-18 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How would you like to be that person in your group of friends that can always make other people laugh? Have you ever wished that you could be more witty in your everyday life? With this book you can learn what it takes to be a funny, witty person at home, at work, or just hanging out with your friends. Don't have any friends? The Science of Wit can help you there, too.
Download or read book The Humor Code written by Peter McGraw and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-04-28 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist travel the globe to discover the secret behind what makes things funny, questioning countless experts, including Louis C.K., along the way.
Download or read book Wit s End What Wit Is How It Works and Why We Need It written by James Geary and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2018-11-13 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A witty book about wit that steers an elegant path between waggishness and wisdom." —Stephen Fry Much more than a knack for snappy comebacks, wit is the quick, instinctive intelligence that allows us to think, say, or do the right thing at the right time in the right place. In this whimsical book, James Geary explores every facet of wittiness, from its role in innovation to why puns are the highest form of wit. Geary reasons that wit is both visual and verbal, physical and intellectual: there’s the serendipitous wit of scientists, the crafty wit of inventors, the optical wit of artists, and the metaphysical wit of philosophers. In Wit’s End, Geary embraces wit in every form by adopting a different style for each chapter; he writes the section on verbal repartee as a dramatic dialogue, the neuroscience of wit as a scientific paper, the spirituality of wit as a sermon, and other chapters in jive, rap, and the heroic couplets of Alexander Pope. Wit’s End agilely balances psychology, folktales, visual art, and literary history with lighthearted humor and acute insight, drawing upon traditions of wit from around the world. Entertaining, illuminating, and entirely unique, Wit’s End demonstrates that wit and wisdom are really the same thing.
Download or read book Funny Science Fiction written by Mike Resnick and published by UFO Publishing. This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Seventeen of the funniest science fiction stories published in the past decade (2005-2015), featuring alien invasions, global conspiracies, time travel and even animal uprisings. Fiction by Hugo and Nebula award winners and nominees as well as talented newcomers. Stories were selected by the Unidentified Funny Objects series curator Alex Shvartsman.
Download or read book A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm written by Robert Lefkowitz and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2021-02-02 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rollicking memoir from the cardiologist turned legendary scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize that revels in the joy of science and discovery. Like Richard Feynman in the field of physics, Dr. Robert Lefkowitz is also known for being a larger-than-life character: a not-immodest, often self-deprecating, always entertaining raconteur. Indeed, when he received the Nobel Prize, the press corps in Sweden covered him intensively, describing him as “the happiest Laureate.” In addition to his time as a physician, from being a "yellow beret" in the public health corps with Dr. Anthony Fauci to his time as a cardiologist, and his extraordinary transition to biochemistry, which would lead to his Nobel Prize win, Dr. Lefkowitz has ignited passion and curiosity as a fabled mentor and teacher. But it's all in a days work, as Lefkowitz reveals in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Stockholm, which is filled to the brim with anecdotes and energy, and gives us a glimpse into the life of one of today's leading scientists.
Download or read book Goodnight Lab written by Chris Ferrie and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2017-07-04 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the vein of Goodnight Moon, say "goodnight" to your lab in this picture book parody of a beloved classic. Perfect for scientists of all ages! It's been a long day at the lab for this scientist. Now it's time to say goodnight! Goodnight laser Goodnight notebook Goodnight picture of Einstein with a stern look While poking fun at the clutter and chaos of lab life, scientists of all ages will appreciate ending their day with this sweet parody. They'll be rested and ready to return to the world of research in the morning! This scientific parody book in the style of Goodnight Moon is a delight for little lab girls and guys. Goodnight Lab is written by Chris Ferrie, author of Quantum Physics for Babies and other books in the Baby University series. Parents and kids both will love the accurate descriptions of all the quirks of grownup laboratories. Readers who love the Lab Girl book or Nerdy Babies will adore this humorous and educational book for kids. This book is the perfect solution if you're looking for science baby gifts and physics gifts for curious kids.
Download or read book Caesar s Last Breath written by Sam Kean and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2017-07-18 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Guardian's Best Science Book of 2017: the fascinating science and history of the air we breathe. It's invisible. It's ever-present. Without it, you would die in minutes. And it has an epic story to tell. In Caesar's Last Breath, New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean takes us on a journey through the periodic table, around the globe, and across time to tell the story of the air we breathe, which, it turns out, is also the story of earth and our existence on it. With every breath, you literally inhale the history of the world. On the ides of March, 44 BC, Julius Caesar died of stab wounds on the Senate floor, but the story of his last breath is still unfolding; in fact, you're probably inhaling some of it now. Of the sextillions of molecules entering or leaving your lungs at this moment, some might well bear traces of Cleopatra's perfumes, German mustard gas, particles exhaled by dinosaurs or emitted by atomic bombs, even remnants of stardust from the universe's creation. Tracing the origins and ingredients of our atmosphere, Kean reveals how the alchemy of air reshaped our continents, steered human progress, powered revolutions, and continues to influence everything we do. Along the way, we'll swim with radioactive pigs, witness the most important chemical reactions humans have discovered, and join the crowd at the Moulin Rouge for some of the crudest performance art of all time. Lively, witty, and filled with the astounding science of ordinary life, Caesar's Last Breath illuminates the science stories swirling around us every second.
Download or read book A Natural History of Australia written by Tim M. Berra and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It also deals with the country's colorful history, its laidback lifestyle and the quirky and entertaining brand of English that Australians speak.
Download or read book The Violinist s Thumb written by Sam Kean and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2012-07-17 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, language, and music, as told by our own DNA. In The Disappearing Spoon, bestselling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In THE VIOLINIST'S THUMB, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA. There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. Genes illuminate everything from JFK's bronze skin (it wasn't a tan) to Einstein's genius. They prove that Neanderthals and humans bred thousands of years more recently than any of us would feel comfortable thinking. They can even allow some people, because of the exceptional flexibility of their thumbs and fingers, to become truly singular violinists. Kean's vibrant storytelling once again makes science entertaining, explaining human history and whimsy while showing how DNA will influence our species' future.
Download or read book What s So Funny about Science written by Sidney Harris and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Surely You re Joking Mr Feynman Adventures of a Curious Character written by Richard P. Feynman and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2018-02-06 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most famous science books of our time, the phenomenal national bestseller that "buzzes with energy, anecdote and life. It almost makes you want to become a physicist" (Science Digest). Richard P. Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. In this lively work that “can shatter the stereotype of the stuffy scientist” (Detroit Free Press), Feynman recounts his experiences trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets—and much more of an eyebrow-raising nature. In his stories, Feynman’s life shines through in all its eccentric glory—a combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah. Included for this edition is a new introduction by Bill Gates.
