Science Goes Viral: Captivating Accounts of Science in Everyday Life

by Joe Schwarcz

Science has gone viral! In more ways than one. Bestselling popular science author Dr. Joe Schwarcz breaks down the science of essential oils, placenta creams, intermittent fasting, and of course the spread of COVID-19 misinformation in this new collection from the master of demarcating non-science from science Since we first heard rumblings about a novel type of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, terms like pandemic, spike protein, viral particles, variants, mRNA vaccines, antibodies, hydroxychloroquine, social distancing, immune response, convalescent plasma, aerosol transmission, and of course, face coverings, have entered our everyday vocabulary. The scientific literature has exploded with studies exploring every facet of COVID-19, but unfortunately the "viral" spread of misinformation about the pandemic has also reached epic proportions. Science Goes Viral provides a framework for coming to grips with the onslaught of COVID-19 information and misinformation in this ever-changing pandemic. Here, you'll learn about the first antibodies ever identified, the connection between tonic water and coronavirus, and whether we can zap COVID with copper. And although our thoughts and daily activities have been hijacked by the pandemic, life does go on, as does the pursuit of science. Dr. Joe features his usual array of diverse topics, including biblical dyes, essential oils, Jean Harlow's hair, Lincoln's magician, and bioplastics along with assorted examples of quackery. Delving into the many fascinating facets of science can serve as a welcome distraction from the COVID curse. In fact, enchantment with science can also be contagious. Will you be infected?

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Audiobook

264 pages, Paperback

Published October 26, 2021

About the author

Dr. Joe Schwarcz holds a PhD in chemistry and is host of the radio program The Dr. Joe Show, directo of McGill University's Office for Science & Society and the author of fourteen bestselling books. Well known for his informative and entertaining lectures, Dr. Schwarcz has received numerous awards for teaching and deciphering science for the public.

Reviews

[Joseph Spuckler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science goes Viral by Dr. Joe Schwarcz is a pop science book for the masses. Schwarcz is Director of McGill University’s “Office for Science and Society” which has the mission of separating sense from nonsense. He is well known for his informative and entertaining public lectures on topics ranging from the chemistry of food to the connection between the body and the mind. Recently the Office has focused on trying to unravel the mysteries of COVID-19.

Schwarcz covers two areas in this book. The first section exhaustively covers COVID19 and examines the science and disinformation that has spread with the virus from vaccines to home remedies. Schwarcz uses the Spanish Flu for a comparison and shows similar reactions of the general public. His tone and demeaner are straight forward and in a way the successful popular pop science "stars." There is a bit of Bill Nye, James Burke (Connections), and bit of "dad" in the form of his jokes ending each chapter.

The remainder of the book goes into modern science, disinformation, and old wives' tales. The topics range from ginger ale, Plexiglas, selenium, Red Die #2, tobacco, and essential oils. All topics are easy to understand by the non-science reader. Some topics come from the recent news like the woman who mistook Gorilla Glue for hair spray to the more historical like Red Dye #2 which many my age will remember. There is even the unexpected story like how an American became a Hero of the Russian Republic and the Andromeda Strain.

Science goes Viral is easy to understand and listen to. The narrator, Raoul Bhaneja, does an excellent job at reading. He is confident and comfortable in his delivery, so much so, that I kept thinking the narrator's voice was the author's voice. A listener can tell when the narrator is unfamiliar in the subject he or she is reading. The author and narrator compliment each other well in Science Goes Viral. Well worth the read for those with an interest in science, but not necessarily the background.

[donna backshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an odd one. I love science in all its forms, whether it's speculative in a sci-fi novel or the real thing explaining how our world works. The only time I don't like it is when it's misrepresented in social media, something that's been happening a lot in recent years, and people use those misrepresentations to justify their selfish or otherwise harmful actions. Here we got some nice juicy bits of science, some explanations of how they might have been (mis)represented when disseminated to us, and a lot of commentary to tie it all together. It was a timely and welcomed read, because it came from a trustworthy source.

I have to say Science Goes Viral: Captivating Accounts of Science in Everyday Life was a worthy read, but would also stress that Joe Schwarcz not quit his day job of science-ing. He's great at making the facts easy to understand, approachable and even interesting, but his attempts at humor mostly fizzled and died.

I received a copy of this audiobook production from the author and ECW Press Audio through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science has somewhat been thrust into the public domain over the last few years, with covid in the news and at the forefront of many lives. Science goes viral was an amazing example of fantastic science communication and it was so informative, easy to listen to and the content was great.

The book started with not just a viral plague but the plague of discrimination and racism which was a nice inclusion, before going into the science of pandemics and science beyond covid.

It was really well written and split into subsections to make the information easier to digest.

From the starts of the disappearance of toilet paper and the science behind that (who could have known the science behind toilet paper could be so interesting! I was enthralled), to the history of medicine, why hand washing works, history of vaccines and how covid vaccines work, why ginger eases nausea, the science behind plexiglass , intermittent fasting, supplements and plant based burgers? just to name a few. There was a lot of great content included in here.

I learnt so much and it was delivered in such a down to earth, none complicated way, it’s perfect for every reader or listener, whether you’re a avid science reader or never really read science before. As a scientist, there was plenty for me that really engaged my brain but its amazing and so well suited to non scientists too.

This is a book that I’d love to have on my shelf, as it’s one that you can go back to again and again for a re read.

Thank you to the publishers and author for this audiobook via NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.

[Thus Kvothe The Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covid has impacted our view of science and its application to the medical field. Schwarcz has written a book that looks at the science and pseudo-science behind the personal and social treatments of the virus, as well as a few other common products. Each chapter is digestible alone, though they are related. Some have nothing to do with Covid, but they do generally flow one into another.

The author is a doctor and scientist who popularizes science by writing of it in ways that are easy for most non-scientists to understand. Here he includes the history of the science being examined, snapshots of the people who collected and interpreted the data, and how it was applied. Without realizing he has done so, Schwarcz repeatedly illustrates that science itself doesn’t say anything, but scientists do.

This audiobook was not as engaging as many I have heard. The subtitle reads “Captivating Accounts of Science in Everyday Life” but these stories are not captivating, though they are interesting. Attempts at humor fall flat and the material is politicized. This is more a collection of semi-related essays than anything else.

Three stars. My thanks to ECW Press Audio via NetGalley.

#ECWPressAudio #NetGalley #ScienceGoesViral #catsandbookstagram #catsandbooks #booksandcatstagram #booksandcats #ifcatscouldread

[Mary Pilkington · Rating 3 out of 5]

As popular science books go this is a very easy read, well within the grasp of second level chemistry students and even those who may not have much scientific knowledge at all. A nice collection of stories but in reality nothing that isn’t already fairly common knowledge. The first section devotes itself to covid related issues and the rest is referred to as life outside covid and in many ways this is the downfall of the book as it dates it immediately. Not entirely the fault of the author as it was very difficult to foresee the pace at which this pandemic has developed.
I opted for the audio book but I feel that was a mistake. The narrator did not seem comfortable with a lot of the language used and was overly careful with pronunciation which made for slightly uncomfortable listening. American pronunciations can be gotten used to and expected but some words were simply pronounced incorrectly to my ear.
I can certain recommend it as an easy read which shows the interesting parts of science and I’m sure most readers will come away with a useful piece of knowledge and I may indeed pick it up again as the written version.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publishers for this audio ARC

[Atty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science goes Viral by Dr. Joe Schwarcz is a must read! Interestingly enough, Dr. Schwarcz is part of McGill University’s “Office for Science and Society” whose mission of separating sense from nonsense- very fitting when considering this book.

This book was so informative and filled with current research which I love! The side comments and humor insert just made the book so much more “human” and easier to digest. I find it hilarious when an academic uses humour, maybe because I’m currently being subjected to my professor’s humor, but it was great!

I found that Dr. Schwarcz managed to hit on a lot of interesting and current topics, including COVID, which is phenomenal. Science in general is very confusing so having difficult and controversial topics broken down was very helpful.

I highly recommend everyone pick up this book as it gives you a great break down of science in an easy to digest manner.


Thank You to Dr. Joe Schwarcz and ECW Press Audio for the audio-digital ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent look at everyday science

I enjoyed this book. The snippets are well written and in a conversational tone, with Dr. Schwarcz showing a sense of humor, although some of the attempts at humour fell flat. But this is more than compensated for by how interesting the topics of conversation are. Although very sciency, Schwarcz explains everything very clearly and does not use jargon. The book also discusses misinformation in an honest and appropriately blunt manner. In addition, Schwarcz relates some personal information, creating a stronger bond between reader and writer. Overall, this book is well worth reading and does indeed provide captivating accounts of science, for people familiar or not with science. Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for the advance reader copy.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be both interesting and informative. The author spend a bit of time on COVID, which surprised me, because I didn't expect something that happened so recently to turn up here; however, the added information, beyond what I already knew, was welcome.

The entries ranged from small and interesting tidbits, to some that were longer and more detailed. There were also a number of surprises and even funny pieces. The author, Joe Schwarcz, has a natural ability to make facts interesting, instead of dry and scholarly which made the book enjoyable to read.

I would recommend this to others.

[Bruce Eckert · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually really like reading non-fiction science books that expose the myths of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories, but I could not get past the scatter approach of the author. Some parts of the book were interesting (like the origin of vaccines), but some topics were of no interest and the writing style was too off-putting for me.

[Ben Reay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of cool info but probably too much to just read cover to cover. I enjoyed it but I think it is more of a coffee table, onevchaptervat a time sort of book. Lots of science info and background of "fakts" with some well referenced/explained debunking if necessary.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting things and some not so interesting. But Dr. Joe knows had to explain science so worth the read.

[Ilona Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mokslininkas paprastai aiškina sudėtingus dalykus ir dekonstruoja populiarius mitus. Nuo eterinių aliejų, bambos masažuoklių, geomagnetinių terapijų iki spec gertuvių, kurios "pagerina vandenį: jonizuoja ar prisotina kvarco ar deguonies eleksyrais". Visi tie stebuklingi produktai "neutralizuoja negatyvias vibracijas, atblokuoja energijos šaltinius, harmonizuoja elektromagnetinius dažnius" ir žinoma "detoksikuoja". Šios frazės veikia kaip raudonos vėliavėlės kritiškai mąstantiems žmonėms, o visiems kitiems - kaip sirenų dainos... Super edukacija!

[Dramatika · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this bizzare collection of various facts disappoitning. The review of the science behind presented here is often incomplete or too short. Most importanyly, the sciience part is quite weak.