WTF [science]

by Harry Bright, Jakob Anser

The question IS the answer.

One question lies at the heart of our eternal quest for scientific truth: WTF? And sometimes, the answer is the same as the question: WTF!
Inside you'll find a collection of weird, true facts—discoveries so over the top, you won't look at the universe in the same way ever again. For example:
— Every sunrise is a mirage.
— Space smells like a NASCAR race.
— Lizard spit can curb your appetite.
— Herring communicate by farting.
— And the next big thing for data storage? Human DNA.

Our universe is truly a marvel. Always question. Always wonder. And don't be afraid to say, WTF?!

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

169 pages, Hardcover

Published August 14, 2015

Reviews

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best thing about books nowadays is that you can find almost anything at the reach of your finger tips. And in this case if you are a fan of science fact but don't have the time to enjoy a long complicated read then here is the book for you. Cheeky and full of fun bite-sized scientific facts this book provides a quick read just when you need a respite from the world around you.

What makes it even better is that unlike other trivia and fact books there is a bit of a common thread going on as each fact is tied to the one before it. The previous fact usually introduces the topic change that the next two or three may cover thus giving the book a bit of a flow to its direction.

Another thing is the fact that the subjects addressed are a mixture. The reader who is into such types of books will find some information as already having been shared and thus known while other pieces will most definitely be new to their eyes. As such it makes the book balanced for the reader can be familiar with what they know while reading about other topics that aren't quite so familiar.

Unfortunately even for the high praise that I have for this book it also bothered me quite a lot. For being such a scientific book, Harry Bright couldn't seem to provide the scientifically correct name of orca or bison but instead used the politically incorrect names. He also appears to be a bit on the snooty side with comments like the 100-eyed scallop being amazing since it has no brains and also focuses on a bunch of facts focusing on the reproductive tract (why do all these books focus so much on this one area?).

If you are more forgiving and can overlook the things that irked me then this will be at least a good scientific read for a rainy day or even when you want something of meat but don't have the time.

[Mr. Grr · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this could be shared with my niece and nephew but they may be too young for it. I liked the idea of just weird true facts, but I wished the book provided more substance to the fact it is providing. How about the study,or where I can be located. It's not a terrible book just expected more. Wouldn't be bad to have on the coffee table for a friend to veer through.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is certainly full of strange facts, many of which you may not have even thought of! I enjoyed learning new information and being amazed. An enjoyable ride.

[Sharif · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little read. I found myself questioning quite a few of the entries but some of the most interesting ones were:

Bacteria are not clones of each other but rather unique social creatures which display sophisticated group dynamics. Apparently even if they are closely related, they compete over resources with such intensity that they actually develop chemical compounds to which their group are immune but destroy their rivals.

The Peacock Mantis shrimp has a raptorial appendage (arm that functions like a slingshot). This appendage stores so much elastic energy that it's striking power is the equivalent of a .22 caliber bullet.

A woman's body responds to an embryo much like it would any foreign entity. However, there is a molecule inside the sperm known as CD38 which helps to establish maternal immune tolerance by stimulating the mother's production of tolerogenic cells.

One of the most fascinating creatures is by far the turritopis dohrnii (a small, bell-shaped jellyfish in the Mediterranean Sea). It is known as the immortal jellyfish because it has the unusual ability of reverting to an earlier stage of development. Through a process referred to as transdifferentiation it can transform older cells into newer ones.

There are a number of others but these were a few of my highlights.

[BookEater100 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw several errors here, particularly when it came to animals. I was also disappointed that the authors would make a one-sentence statement and then provide no evidence to back it up. A few of these were on single pages, so it would have been very easy to add in an explanation. Some of this just seemed lazy to me. Obviously a lot of people enjoyed it, but I'm personally irked by many things. Using Mesonychoteuthis as an example for a feature of its anatomy common to all squid (that I know of) seemed random to me, and made it sound exceptional in this regard. They had the opportunity to talk about the massive size of the colossal squid (its common name), but they didn't! Almost all their images for the species they discuss in the book are also terrible and lazy. Herring and zebrafish don't look like that, they're mention of shrimp and chitin had an image of an amphipod, and so on and so forth. The classic chicken and the egg question could have been so much better if they had taken an evolutionary tack rather than their super obvious, face-value answer. If you look at hard-shelled eggs from an evolutionary perspective they came well before chickens were domesticated (from the red jungle fowl). So in that context the egg came first. Anyway I was annoyed, so if you're obsessed with zoology like me then you'll probably be annoyed a few times too. But the other stuff was quite interesting, although those are all subjects that I suck at. Maybe physicists, astronomers, and chemists would find errors I wouldn't notice.

[The Ink Sipper · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had an office or a waiting room where the public could just paw through, this book would be front and center for them to oogle through- and either leave them better versed or scared, and probably a bit confuddled. Weird, cool, and a little bizarre this book will get some thinking, some snickering, and some double checking. Needless to say I've really enjoyed it, and have shared some facts with the kiddos, though it's not one I would let them run off with.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have always been a bit of a bookworm and trivia queen. This work was right up my alley. It's definitely a quick read and quite informative. It contains facts from just about every angle of science.

It's fun and fascinating. Worth the read!

[H.R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of interesting information, but a lot of it makes me second guess a few things.

[Jon Thysell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, fun little book

[Ricardo Arrechea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given to me as gift. Quick read. Sort of interesting.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bunch of random facts that I doubt that I’ll use let alone remember no matter how interesting.

[Lelynn Napolis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually learned quite a few things from this book and I recommend this book to all of you.

[Kandice · Rating 5 out of 5]

This not literature, and if you are looking for that, look elsewhere. What this is, is fun! What my father would call a WC book. Little chunks of text that impart small amounts of knowledge that will occasionally blow your mind!

I think I will leave this on an end table in my living room. It's sure to spark conversation and you can pick it up on any page. One of my favorite gifts this year!

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It's cute, mostly easy to read, and great for many coffee tables. My only qualm to this is that the facts are random (there is a lack of reasoning for picking them), and some of them are worded awkwardly.

[Stephanie Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with random scientific trivia

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy read of factoids

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alright
Nothing amazing. Just okay

[Dick Pilskog · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the weird true facts. Easy book and I read it in several hours. Too much about bugs. Filled in the time.

[K.X. Nightshade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cool facts!