Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog

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A01=Carly Anne York
Author_Carly Anne York
biology
Category=PDM
Category=PDZ
curiosity-driven research
eq_bestseller
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_science
innovation
landmark research
law of urination
politics
punching shrimp
scientific process
scientists
silly science
squishability
worms

Product details

  • ISBN 9781399817004
  • Weight: 300g
  • Dimensions: 134 x 214mm
  • Publication Date: 19 Jun 2025
  • Publisher: John Murray Press
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
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'York is a witty, whip-smart, lithely engaging science storyteller, truly one of our best'
Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Fuzz

A playful examination of how science's silliest research leads to crucial breakthroughs and enduring insights.

Why would anyone research how elephants pee? Or study worms who tie themselves into a communal knot? Or quantify the squishability of a cockroach?

Carly Anne York shows how unappreciated, overlooked and simply curiosity-driven science has led to breakthroughs big and small. Got wind power? You might have humpback whales to thank. Know anything about particle physics? Turns out there is a ferret close to the heart of it all. And if you want to keep salmon around, be thankful for that cannon! The research itself can seem bizarre, but it drives our economy. York invites us to appreciate the often-unpredictable journey of scientific exploration, highlighting that the heart of science lies in the relentless pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Emphasizing the hard work of the people behind the discoveries, this is an accessible, story-driven book that shows how important and exciting it is to simply let curiosity run wild.

Carly Anne York is currently an associate professor at Lenoir-Rhyne University. She received her PhD in ecological studies from Old Dominion University. She is also the author of two nonfiction science books for children, A Day in the Life: Horses and Queens of the Jungle. She lives in North Carolina.

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