Mad Science: Einstein's Fridge, Dewar's Flask, Mach's Speed, and 362 Other Inventions and Discoveries that Made Our World

by Randy Alfred (Editor)

365 days of inventions, discoveries, science, and technology, from the editors of Wired Magazine.

On January 30, Rubik applied for a patent on his cube (1975). On the next day, 17 years earlier, the first U.S. Satellite passed through the Van Allen radiation belt. On March 17, the airplane "black box" made its maiden voyage (1953). And what about today? Every day of the year has a rich scientific and technological heritage just waiting to be uncovered, and Wired's top-flight science-trivia book MAD SCIENCE collects them chronologically, from New Year's Day to year's end, showing just how entertaining, wonderful, bizarre, and relevant science can be.

In 2010, Wired's popular "This Day in Tech" blog peaked with more than 700,000 page views each month, and one story in 2008 drew more than a million unique viewers. This book will collect the most intriguing anecdotes from the blog's run-one for each day of the year-and publish them in a package that will instantly appeal to hardcore techies and curious laypeople alike.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Reference, History Of Science, Technology

390 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Erikka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little outdated, but still an interesting look at a scientific (usually tech) discovery or event that happened each day of the year. Honestly, this is more history than science, as the events aren't likely to change since they occurred in the past. Only a few had inaccuracies.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the ultimate bathroom reader for science geeks - which of course means that I loved it! In fact, I'm going to leave it in my bathroom so I can go through it again at a more leisurely pace. It provides a little anecdote, for almost every day of the year, about some scientific discovery or mathematical idea that profoundly affected how we live our lives.

[Yuvaraj kothandaraman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mad Science is like a daily calendar of cool science stories that flips through 366 inventions, discoveries, and weird tech moments from history.
Randy Alfred and a bunch of Wired writers pack each day with short, punchy entries about things that changed the world - from the first canned beer to why Edison electrocuted an elephant. It's perfect for anyone who loves bite-sized facts and wants to sound smart at parties without reading a huge textbook. The book feels like chatting with history nerds who dig up forgotten stories.

Right from January 1, it hooks you with the Gregorian calendar switch in 1582, when Pope Gregory skipped 10 days and caused riots because people thought their lives got shorter. Countries jumped dates unevenly - some skipped Christmas, and the Soviet Union later celebrated their October Revolution in November because they stuck with the old Julian calendar too long. These human reactions make dry history feel real and messy.

The entries mix big breakthroughs with quirky fails. January 2 covers Brooklyn Bridge construction starting in 1870, where John Roebling died from tetanus, his son got the bends in caissons, and Emily Roebling - with no formal engineering training basically ran the show and saved the project. It's inspiring how women like her stepped up when tech pushed limits. The writing keeps it lively without dumbing down facts.

Strengths really shine in how it connects dots across time. January 3 tells about the Hamilton Electric 500 watch in 1957 - first battery-powered wristwatch that didn't need winding but flopped because batteries died fast and it broke easy, paving way for quartz watches. You see tech evolution clearly, like how early ideas flop but plant seeds. The "Also on this day" bits add bonus facts without clutter.

Some entries get dark but honest about tech's double edge. January 4 details Edison electrocuting Topsy the elephant in 1903 with 6,600 volts AC plus cyanide to scare people from Tesla's alternating current - part of his dirty war to protect DC patents, but AC won anyway. It shows inventors weren't saints; ambition could get cruel. Still, these stories make you think about progress costs.

Where it stumbles is depth - entries are super short, so complex stuff feels rushed. January 5 on Nixon approving the space shuttle in 1972 promised cheap flights at $50 million each, but real cost hit $1.3 billion per launch, way over budget despite 135 missions. You want more analysis on why estimates flop so bad in big projects. No images either, which hurts for visual inventions like bridges or gadgets.

The format can feel random since it's date-based, not themed. January 25 covers R.U.R. play inventing "robot" in 1921 (from Czech for forced labor) where chemical-made humans rebel and wipe out people, plus first robot death in 1979 when a Ford factory arm crushed worker Robert Williams. Cool coincidences, but jumping topics daily might tire readers wanting flow. Some trivia repeats if you know history well.

Later months keep quality up with space and computer gems. January 22 on Apple's 1984 Super Bowl ad launching Macintosh with a hammer-smashing Big Brother screen, selling 50,000 units fast despite being underpowered at 8 MHz with 128K RAM. It captures hype moments perfectly. February 4 on Facebook starting as Harvard-only in 2004, beating MySpace by going open to everyone including parents. Modern entries feel fresh.

One annoyance: contributor initials at ends (like RA or TL) make it feel like a magazine dump, not seamless book. Tech jargon stays when needed - like "caissons" or "hysteresis" - but explained simply. No fluff, just facts.

Overall, Mad Science rewards curious minds who dip in daily. It's humane in showing inventors as flawed people - brilliant, greedy, lucky. Great for science fans, history buffs, or trivia addicts. Skim for fun facts or read straight for a year of "aha" moments. Not for deep dives, but excellent starter for how everyday tech happened.

My rating:4/5 starts

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting concept in a compact package, this book presents a scientific marvel or discovery on the day that it was made and then proceeds to you give the basic facts about it. It's a fantastic primer for those who like to know a hundred little facts they can drop into conversations to seem smart or for someone who is interested in science but doesn't know where to begin.

This would be fantastic as one of those fact-a-day calendars because reading it as a book grows a bit tiresome. The list format works with what they're going for, but there is no narrative in the way the facts are presented. I do get that most people interested in scientific facts might not be looking for a book that presents them in an entertaining manner, but the quick and witty writing couldn't keep the tedium of quick fire facts at bay. This might just be another example of something that's brilliant online yet doesn't translate correctly into the real world.

That said, I would totally recommend this book as something to browse every once in a while to keep the mind sharp.

[Marcy Graybill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like history books, I like science books. I was pretty sure I'd love this book. Though I've put this book on my "Read" Shelf, it's not the kind of book you sit down and read straight through. I looked at it, read many of the entries, but ended up buying it instead of just reading it and returning it to the library.
Written as a calendar, each day it gives a small blurb about a famous or important science discovery that occurred on that date, then it lists other interesting things that happened the same day or the same year as the original entry.
As a child I'd read anything, the encyclopedia, the almanac, the dictionary so I wouldn't be bored. This fits right in there, when I'm bored and can't get into another book, it will be perfect to just pick up and go through reading bits and pieces.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned a great deal but reading this type of book is not easy. Broken up as entries in a calendar it is not a smooth read. Certainly worth it but it does not flow like many other types of informative books. It is worth it though. You will find some assumptions of history dispelled. You will certainly learn things you never knew. Each entry is only one page so it is a very concise lesson on each page. If you like history and want to see what technology and science has done throughout the centuries then this is a great find!

[Eric Bettencourt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like one of those calender's where there's a new fun fact everyday but more in depth. It was great for procrastinating from more important things. Since each segment was it's own article/story you could read for 30 seconds and drop it. Perfect for the quick brain infusion.

[Salvatore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun way to get some facts every day of the year. Yes, I know there are websites or apps that can do this same thing, but this book was actually born out of the love for Wired’s online presence. A more gift to give on New Year’s Eve and to pass along to friends or family.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out really liking this book, however, by the end I was really happy to be done with it. The book provides a technological historical fact for every day of the calendar. Full of fun facts, but they are just so short you're kind of left wanting more.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable snippets of many interestings happenings in science.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and fun!

[Ashlea (plotdriven.com) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I confess: I haven't actually read every word of this book. But that's because I actually want to read it as it's laid out, as one entry per day, like a devotional for knowledge.

There's so much here, it's difficult to take in all at once. January 1: the Gregorian calendar aligns the calendar with the solar year. My birthday, March 21st: Twitter's first tweet. Christmas Day: The Huygens probe begins its decent to Saturn's largest moon. Not just inventions, but the scope of human ideas since the end of the Dark Ages.

Each entry is maybe 200 words long, and while a fully complete summary, I suspect that many just a spark to a quest for more - so far I've googled almost every entry I've read.

Yes, you could just read the blog online, but - especially as I've not read the blog before - it's great to have a hand-picked introduction. And, with Christmas looming, it's a great gift for all sorts of readers.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads program.

[Jen Yttri (Lynch) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Designed as a breakthrough-a-day reader, this book certainly puts a
smile on my face. Written with levity yet detailed, Alfred spends a
page for each scientific breakthrough, ranging from the odd (first
account of a dog-to-dog blood transfusion, Niagra falls running dry)
to the society changing (invention of Teflon, the start of the
internet). The real joy, other than the easy to read writing, is
looking back on how little moments in history continue to change our
lives – from the first artificial snowfall to the invention of the
“@”… in 1536! Although I’m a science nut by trade, this book is nice
in that it does not cater to the scientist. Instead, there are many
important non-scientific breakthroughs as well. Finally, famous
events that occurred in that year or on that day are also given for a
good perspective. One of the most entertaining item-a-day books I’ve
come across!

Received as a first read giveaway

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I won this on goodreads giveaways and as soon as it came in the mail it became my go to book. It is full of interesting facts about ordinary things we use everyday. It was written in a way where you could read one entry a day or just sit down with it and gobble it all up in big chunks. It had other little factoids on each page that went with the date of the discoveries that were written about. It was cross referenced so I would find myself flipping back and forth through the book but interesting enough that I would read some entries the second time I came to them and still enjoy it as much as the first time. I was amazed at how many great things were discovered by accident and chance. This was a very good book and I will look forward to next year's edition hoping this one will become an annual event.

[Fred Dameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mad Science what can I say? The original plan was to read a page a night before bed but, I wanted to go faster so I started reading a month at a time. Worked out better for me.
Interesting serendipity type note: July 5 the Bikini is born and most of the planet thinks cool. July 6th the AK - 47 becomes the standard Soviet weapon. Today it's the preferred weapon of terrorists, communist countries, and drug gangs around the world and most of the planet thinks not so cool.
I want more bikini days.

[Christine K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kept this book on the night stand and would read an entry or two here and there. Very interesting topics covered and a lot of it I had never heard of so I felt that made it a good book. A lot of these kind of books are real shallow and have common things you've read of before even if they're listed as "uncommon" so that was a plus. It also appealed to my science/nerd side when reading about the applications of the discoveries.

- Won through a Good reads giveaway-

[Clayton Yuen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to pass on finishing this tech book put out by Wired magazine. It gives detailed happenings on everyday of the year, and you can see that they have to stretch to fill in everyday. It is informative, but as a book it is very magazine-like (of course, since these are excerpts from Wired Magazine!).

I gave this book 2 stars = it was okay, but it was disjointed and uneventful (i made a funny!) . . .

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received this book through goodreads first reads. what I love about this book is that you can either read just the page for the day your on and learn what great things happened on that same day but in earlier years or you can flip through it and read as many as you want. Found this to be full of very interesting facts.

[Wesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I won this book as a part of a good reads giveaway*

This book is set up like a "page a day" calendar, giving you a science tidbit for each day of the year. Even if you are not a "science" person the short tidbits of interesting facts are fun and entertaining.My husband is a science teacher and my copy of this book has already been confiscated by him to use in his classroom in the new year!

[bitmaid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish the last pages were included in Amazon’s preview, so I’d know these articles can be found on Wired.com and in more detail, no less. I give it 1 on an 1-5 informative scale. I knew most of the stuff, even if I didn’t, this still wouldn’t be all that informative. I guess my bigger gripe is that the chief editor did not understand what “Mad” means.

[Carlos Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found it to be a great book to pick up ever so often when you just want a daily piece of "This day in mad science history." Well formatted and a great way to pass the time when you are waiting for a date or meeting with friends.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is in a calendar style, it tells a little story each day about discoveries or inventions that changed the world. This would make a good gift for someone who likes science and history but doesn't want to sit down for eons to read about it. The quips are short sweet & informative.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a collection of trivia than anything else. Some of it was fascinating, but it was light on backstory. Good for being able to put down at a moment's notice and come back to without having lost your place, but ultimate the non fiction version of microwave popcorn.

[Vinit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but not that you would want to start and finish. Each page corresponds to a date (most of the times) and describes a great event that happened on that day in the history. Information for each event is given in good detail, but can't replace encyclopedia.

[Derick Douglas · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a goodreads give away I won.
Entertaining book. It is like a discovery a day calendar in convenient book form. It was short blurbs about significant scientific discoveries.

[Susan Ozimkiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting collection, assemblage, and compilation of human progress.

[Stéphane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent toilet read, one 5-minute story per day. Nothing ground-breaking, but quite entertaining & informative.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent informative book. It's easy to pick up and read off and on whenever you are looking for a little bit of science history. It is well written and great for all ages.

[Kristen]

If this was in page-a-day calendar form, I would love it. However, it's a little much to just sit and read through beginning to end. I set it aside in favor of some kind of narrative story.

[Ghalia]

science