Never Mind the B#ll*cks, Here's the Science: A Scientist's Guide to the Biggest Challenges Facing our Species Today

by Luke O'Neill, Ruairi Conaghan (Reading)

In his fascinating and thought-provoking book, Professor Luke O’Neill, one of the leading voices of authority during the COVID-19 pandemic, grapples with life’s biggest questions and tells us what science has to say about them:

Do we have control over our lives?

Can we escape working in bullshit jobs?

Must we vaccinate our children?

Are men and women’s brains different?

Will we destroy the planet?

Covering topics from global pandemics to gender, addiction to euthanasia, Luke’s trademark easy wit and clever pop-culture references deconstruct the science to make complex questions accessible. Arriving at science’s definitive answers to some of the most controversial topics human beings have to grapple with, Never Mind the B#ll*ocks is a celebration of science and hard facts in a time of fake news and sometimes unhelpful groupthink.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, History, Irish Literature, Technology

Audio CD

Published December 2, 2020

Reviews

[Rob Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

In fifteen chapters the author/narrator covers a wide variety of contemporary issues. These range from global pandemics to gender, addiction to euthanasia. He deconstructs the science in an attempt to make complex questions accessible. Covering the history of these subjects, how they have developed and where they are both now and are going in the future.

But in some chapters he states opinions as fact. He presents no evidence or references to back them up or without expanding any further on the point he has made.

All in all the book leaves reader entertained but not always better equipped to dispute fake news and unhelpful groupthink.

[Emily O’Dowd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - Some chapters were brilliant, particularly those on the vaccine and funding of medications. However, it was a bit too positivist for me at times, with Professor O'Neill placing a lot of emphasis on RCTs and levels of evidence even when the topic in question is much more complex - not everything can be separated from politics and biases even if the scientists intend it. I think it was maybe trying to do too much, and cover too broad an area.

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting book to listen to. A lot of topics were covered including vaccines, obesity, depression, addictions, race, wealth and charity, global warming, euthanasia and ending with a look to the future. In each section important questions were discussed, and the related science – with references – quoted. Definitely worth reading.

[Don Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audio and thought it was a refreshing look at some of the topics of today. I plan on listening to it again, or buying a paperback to go through some favourite points.

[Darragh Howley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall an enjoyable book which gives a basic overview of some interesting topics and issues facing society today. It's an easy read aimed at the general public so not overly scientific/academic (although I thought this was the type of book I would get when picking it up). The book does a good job in informing and providing information on a number of topics both affecting people globally and here in Ireland. Some good discussion points around freedom, how free we actually are and our freedom to choose (drugs, euthanasia). I also found the Chapters on why you aren't in jail and vaccinations informative and very interesting.

In his own words the intention of the book was to "science the sh!t" out of the topics being discussed however I felt it lacked a real scientific discussion on most topics. Going by the title I thought the book would be tackling common misconceptions or debunking myths (i.e the "boll*cks part of the title) and provide scientific evidence to prove why this information would be wrong and sort of steer us in the right direction. The chapter on vaccinations is . maybe the only chapter to do this.

Each chapter is titled with a question yet I don't feel he makes a compelling argument for most of the questions he sets out. He talks about the topics in a very general way but don't feel he makes a compelling argument, science based or not, either way for most chapters. For example, The chapter on why do you believe in diets gave a good background of different types of diet's but doesn't seem to make a scientific case for the points he is making.

Without having a scientific background I have to take the arguments he makes , supported by the studies he has included, at face value.Some of the references he has used are for on-line articles, newspaper articles and wikipedia which means you would need to go a step further to check the sources they have used and validity of the sources. I don't know if the pop culture references add much to his points but maybe just to make the book a bit more palatable.

In some chapters he states opinions as fact without evidence/references to back them up or without expanding any further on the point he has made. An example of this is Chuck Feeney's impact on irish education system. No explanation as to how the money he donated has had such a huge impact or how it had been used. Also some unnecessary digs at Facebook, trump supporters which were again based on his own opinion and not science or backed up with any references.

[Ian D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Δροσερό κι ανάλαφρο ανάγνωσμα, ό,τι πρέπει για τους καλοκαιρινούς μήνες και τα χρόνια όπου καταιγιζόμαστε από "ειδήσεις" που ξεκινούν με το ΔΓΙΑΔΩΣΤΑΙ.
Αν και δεν πρόκειται για την αρτιότερη των γραφών (δεν περίμενα ότι θα το έλεγα ποτέ αλλά ο συγγραφέας ευλογεί τα γένια τόσο τα δικά του όσο και της επιστήμης εν γένει υπερβολικά πολύ), δεν μπορώ να μην το εξαίρω ως αντίδοτο στον επιστημονικό αναλφαβητισμό και την επιφυλακτικότητα που διέπουν την εποχή μας απέναντι σε πολλές τεχνολογικές κι ιατρικές ανακαλύψεις, από την κλιματική αλλαγή ως τη χρήση των εμβολίων.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

good set of articles on a variety of topical questions
strikes me that author would be great for a pub chat, seems to have grasp of many subjects and good science communicator
often the examples were specific to Ireland and very much of the time, 2020 Covid environment
did feel like a bit of a rush to publish, take a set of articles, build out some padding, done

[trijnewijn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit is het eerste volwassen non-fictie boek dat we grotendeels met het gezin samen beluisterden. Het leidde tot interessante gesprekken over onderwerpen die niet zomaar spontaan ter sprake komen, zoals seksisme, depressie, diëten, vaccinaties, medicatie, verslaving, klimaatverandering en nog andere. Zijn toekomstperspectieven zijn wel heel erg gekleurd door zijn voorliefde voor science fictie, waardoor manlief (als wetenschapsgeek) verschillende van zijn uitspraken onmiddellijk moest tegenspreken.

De hoofdstukken over bullshit jobs en euthanasie luisterden man en ik zonder de kinderen en dat was misschien maar best ook. Het hoofdstuk over euthanasie bevatte zo'n overduidelijke bias waar de auteur zich niet bewust van lijkt, die we hier wel vaker merken als Belgen in Ierland. De ingesteldheid over onderwerpen als euthanasie is totaal anders in Ierland, waar het toch nog grotendeels gezien wordt als moord, dan in België, waar het al zo lang wettelijk mag. Vinden dat bejaarden laten sterven aan longontsteking (dus stikken) of gradueel de morphine opdrijven bij kanker als palliatieve zorg te verkiezen is boven euthanasie, dat vraagt om het verzoenen van tegenstrijdige gedachten. Een langzame dood waardiger achten dan een bewust en goed gekaderd waardig afscheid, dat is iets waar ik als Belg al lang niet meer in getraind werd.
Ik groeide op met een opa die het jammer vond dat euthanasie nog niet mocht toen hij jarenlang aftakelde door Parkinson, een pepe die niet op tijd zijn wil had laten vastleggen, op heldere momenten zo vaak huilde dat hij wilde sterven en niet snapte waarom het niet mocht, een vriendin die als minderjarige langer afzag dan ze wou (ze stierf minder dan een maand na haar 18e verjaardag) en een schoonmoeder met kanker die stikte terwijl de eerste stappen voor euthanasie al gezet werden. In mijn ogen is kunnen kiezen voor euthanasie een zegen.

[Delcene Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an interesting book written by a very clever Irish Professor specialising in medical research pertaining to inflammatory diseases so, he definitely knows his shit.

However, most chapters, whilst interesting and written for the humble non scientific layman, didn’t have much overwhelmingly startlingly new information or theories.

As most scientific and economic arguments require there was plenty of data and facts. Consequently I glazed over during a few bits and quickly skimmed over many mind numbing paragraphs.

Although I did have a few ‘bugger me I didn’t know that!’ moments which made it worth glazing through the book.

So was enlightened and enjoyed some of the book.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Easy to read science book about everyday events . Love Prof O Neill ‘s positivity and daft humour . I’m sure he would make a great dinner guest .

“ Behind every great man is a woman rolling her Eyes “ 🤣

[Sarah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely perfect

Informative, funny and gloriously Irish. Such a positive yet factual look at humanity and our future.

Luke O'Neill please go for pints with me I want to learn more from you!!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar style to his book, Humanology, with a broader scope. I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the chapter on Star Trek! I learned a few things along the way. Caution: very sweary!

[Shannen Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book. Interesting with some good facts and well researched. Some chapters could have been made shorter but on the other hand some chapters could have used more explanation.

[Natalie Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The personal context was interesting bc Dr. O’Neill is one of my profs. I liked it overall, I just prefer more detail on one subject. If you have no background in vaccine science, I’d really recommend bc the explanation is really nice.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of mixed bag. Good in parts but the majority of the material will not be new to a well informed citizen.

[Neil Kenealy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off - this is a beautiful book. There are great pictures and it has the best title ever. It's a nod to the author's musical influences which are mentioned here and there in the book. Sting doesn't come out too good. But it's a lot more than that because all the chapters were peer-reviewed by experts in each field. There are lots of references in the notes so all scientific principles are followed in the writing of this book. Being the great science communicator that he is, he makes the topics deceptively easy. When reading it, you can almost hear Luke talking if you know him from his radio interviews. There are lots of Irish references which makes it very local and we don't always get that in Ireland with science books. I would guess that readers outside Ireland could extrapolate the examples to their own countries.

Here are the topics in the fifteen chapters: Do we control our lives? Anti-vaccination, why are medicines expensive? diets, depression, addiction, legalization of drugs, who goes to jail? male-female differences, fear of others, meaningless jobs, donating to charity, climate change, assisted dying and predicting the future.

It's that choice of topics that makes this book interesting because all of them are far from solved by science. Learning scientific facts that are already solved is boring but speculating what may be the truth is the stuff of human curiosity and what got us to where we are.

In the first chapter called What makes you think you've control over your life, he covers customs, social media, religion, social pressure because they all have an influence on what we do.

Vaccination is the single most effective tool medicine has today and yet 30-40% are skeptical. There's a thorny one. How do we deal with anti-vaccers? And what about the famous ones  - Robert DeNiro and Robert Kennedy.

There's a good explanation of why drugs cost so much. There's a lot of work involved and lots of failures - makes you appreciate what goes into discovering anything. It's not just about sitting in a bath and shouting 'Eureka'

Diets seem to be the area science knows least about except that they don't work. It's also the area where there is most advice coming at us from media, friends, and family. And they also say in such a definite way, don't they? Many people are more than willing to fill a gap that science doesn't have an answer for just yet.

Depression is a bit more optimistic than dieting. Science doesn't know the cause but some of the treatments are effective. We also know a lot more about what is quackery e.g. Freud. Even though the science is inconclusive it's comforting to read Luke's summary of the situation.

Addiction: A lot unknown here and dopamine is a bit factor but we don't know exactly how. Like a lot of the thorny scientific problems, it's a complex mixture of nature and nurture.

Why are drugs illegal? - There are both scientific and political angles to this and it's an area that is changing rapidly.

What keeps you out of jail? There are some stark reminders here of why certain sections of the population end up in jail and others don't. The US is the extreme example but the principle is the same here in Ireland.

Differences between men and women - science does have a lot to say here. This is well worth reading because there are a lot of misconceptions. The general population is way behind the science here. The same applies to our ideas of race. Science got it badly wrong in the 1930s but they are ahead of the posse now so this chapter is worth reading.

There's a chapter on climate change and it digs into the thorny side of it - what the hell can we do about it?

The last chapter on predicting the future examines how well previous predictors performed and what are the current predictions. This chapter really leaves you wanting more.

This book is an on-ramp to more books on science.

[Donal Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative and nicely presented book and easy to read. Luke O'Neill is well known in Ireland, particularly in the last year, on radio and television for explaining science to the public.
A couple of quibbles.
He should mention his conflict of interest when he gives Roche as an example of a drug company that spends on average $8.4 billion per year on research. Roche in September 2020 paid €380m for a company he was owner of.
Also he lists Bob Dylan as someone who has suffered from depression. I can't see any evidence that Bob Dylan has ever publicly revealed that he has suffered from depression.

[Ciara Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, it's honest, up to date and really insightful into some of the most talked about and often taboo subjects of our age. This through the lense of Covid-19 is also interesting to see how these have been impacted.

[Jake · Rating 3 out of 5]

World issues viewed through the lens of fact based science written in a fun and engaging way.

[MS Meagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, very readable, funny and engaging, and robust research despite the breadth of topics tackled.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost a coffee table pick up put down book but with much more detail and citations. Bit of a guide to cutting through stuff to try and base ideas on facts

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Topical science themes covered in an accessible way.

Popular science writing, but with a bit of meat.

In fifteen chapters the author/narrator covers a wide variety of contemporary issues, some all too relevant this year (vaccination in a COVID world). By asking general questions, he covers the history of such subjects, how they have developed and where they are both now and are going in the future.

The cost of medicines, diets, depression, drugs, euthanasia, but also some questions that resonate: why aren’t you in jail? Why are you working a b******t job? A full lifetime of questions, that cover the environment, bodies, society, moral issues.

I did find the author’s focus on Irish figures a little distracting and not broad enough, though of course we all have our own country and area of interest. But the variety of subjects was excellent, I enjoyed the format of general questions then getting down to the science. Covering the background as well as relevant modern issues for each question worked to give a full picture.

The author makes an engaging narrator and even gives us a personal perspective when some issues come close to the bone for him.

I really enjoyed listening to this. Some great details I didn’t know, with regards to history of drugs for example. This wasn’t academic enough to put readers/listeners off, it’s accessible and with a touch of lightness about it, while covering a range of important topics that might send you seeking out more in-depth information.

A good starting point for someone interested in scientific concepts but who doesn’t feel confident about difficult-looking volumes.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing an Audible copy.

[Bill Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed listening to Professor Luke O’Neill’s scientific contributions on RTÉ radio during the pandemic as these always seemed balanced and well-grounded yet liberally interspersed with his own unique humour and wit. This book similarly follows O’Neill’s informative and entertaining style but covers a much broader range of topics than one might expect a biochemist/immunologist to write about, although he does acknowledge the help of various named individuals and experts in writing some of the chapters. All the topics however are covered in a thought provoking and informative way, utilising hard scientific evidence where possible to support his views. Although the scientific elements are very well explained in a way that should make them understandable even to someone with no scientific background, this not a book to read when you are tired at the end of the day or with a glass of wine by your side - it does require a relatively clear head! I found this book to be a very welcome antidote to the nonsense and lies which seem to abound on social media and emanate from the mouths of many vile politicians these days. As I expected from Luke O’Neill, this book did not disappoint and, as one of the reviewers mentions on the dust cover, it truly does inform, educate and entertain. Highly recommended reading!

[Mike Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A generally enjoyable read that definitely gives some food for thought. The concept is quite interesting and the author does attempt their best to answer all the major questions that they think are important to society at the time of writing. Some aspects of the book are very strong, such as the early chapters on biology subjects such as vaccinations which are the authors forté, but the book does lag in parts where you feel the author isn't as competent in that field (understandable since their field of expertise is biology). Judging from the acknowledgement, the author does try to mitigate these weak sections by using experts in these fields to vet hs work, but the chapters still feel a bit incoherent and also are prone to random statements that have no reference backing them up. That said the chapters that do shine, shine very well, which is a testament to the author and how well they can explain complex subjects in leyman's terms, which is a strong indication that they know exactly what they're talking about. The author's natural humour also shines in these chapters.

Overall a fun read at times that will make you ponder about potentially new aspects (to the reader) of science and technology.

[Ming Suan Ong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Easy to read and covers all the biggest questions we have today in an accessible fun way - why we should get vaccinated, what makes us fat and do diets work, what causes depression and addiction and what makes you more likely to commit a crime, racism, what’s the position in jobs for the future and euthanasia .obviously he cannot deal with these questions in an in depth manner but there’s enough to make you think or see things in a new way. The most interesting thing I learnt was that the idea of race as we define it today came about when Europeans came into contact with groups from different continents and classified them to discriminate and imply superiority. The term race has to scientific basis - we are all members of the species Homo sapiens. Genetic differences between humans is tiny - 1 to 3 % but differences follow a “cline” - a gradient that is observed in a trait across a geographical range. OMG. Why do not More people know this? The chapter on why medicines cost so much was fascinating too and taught me stuff I didn’t know.

[Peter Thew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor Luke O'Neill has become the friendly face of scientific research in Ireland, appearing regularly on radio and TV. In this book, he asks and answers 15 questions relating to our lives today - is it wise to get vaccinated? why are medicines so expensive? does dieting work? should drugs be legalised? what is the future of our planet? should we let people die if they want to? and others. His answers are all backed up with the latest research and presented in his user-friendly style. A fantastic array of information in friendly, bite-sized chunks.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got it as a gift from my accountant....
A very good book, from my point of view, as a not very bright old man, it was a hard read, but surely that's the point, science (and everything else) is not simple, it's got grey areas and there are nuances.

but if everyone read things like this, Johnson, Brexit, Facebook, Trump, Murdoch wouldn't be running the world, but stupid (white, male) racists generally win, because they can find some one to easily blame and they do and their media tell their simple story...

Most people who need to read it won't, that's why the world is fucked

[Brian Kerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable listen for me (well I'm into pop science type books). It covers topics like vaccination, drug development, depression, addiction, climate change, euthanasia, gender, what we can learn from science fiction including star trek and predictions for what the future might hold.

I think this book will be a form of a time capsule written during early days of covid-19 and with knowledge based on what we know currently.

I like the optimism and positive outlook of the book and the curiosity and humour of the Author, would recommend!

[Carmel Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of science thanks to school experiences. then along came covid-19 and Prof Luke O'Neill - a sane, educational, informative and upbeat voice on Irish radio. And so I listened to his book and found it really interesting and entertaining. He distills the science into a format we can understand without being talked down to and topics that are relevant to our lives from vaccines to diets to star trek predictions! Highly recommend. I just wish he was the one reading it on my audio version.

[Catherine Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 really. This was a very uneven book to read, veering wildly in knowledge levels between a whole chapter on Star Trek to the very complicated DNA processes involved in some diseases. It read more like someone on a roll one Sunday afternoon after a few pints. The author didn't even bother to explain the scientific process which also irritated me. A far better book on science and humanity is Bill Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything, as at least that had a proper structure and approach.