AsapSCIENCE: Answers to the World's Weirdest Questions, Most Persistent Rumors, and Unexplained Phenomena

by Mitchell Moffit, Greg Brown

Overview

The instant New York Times bestselling book of entertaining, irreverent, and totally accessible illustrated answers to the scientific “questions you had no idea were bugging you all your life” (Fast Company), from the creators of the wildly popular YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE.

Why do we get hung over? What would happen if you stopped sleeping? Is binge-watching TV actually bad for you? Why should I take a power nap? In their first-ever book, Mitchell Moffit and Greg Brown, the geniuses behind the YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE, explain the true science of how things work in their trademark hilarious and fascinating fashion.

Applying the fun, illustrated format of their addictive videos to topics ranging from brain freeze to hiccups to the science of the snooze button, AsapSCIENCE takes the underpinnings of biology, chemistry, physics, and other hard sciences and applies them to everyday life through quirky and relatable examples that will appeal to both science nerds and those who didn’t exactly ace chemistry. This is the science that people actually want to learn, shared in a friendly, engaging style.

“Science is big fun. The ASAP guys get that, and they’ll show you—they’ll even draw you a diagram” (Bill Nye, “The Science Guy”). And amid the humor is great information and cocktail conversation fodder, all thoughtfully presented. Whether you’re a total newbie or the next Albert Einstein, this guide is sure to educate and entertain...ASAP.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476756240
Publisher:	Scribner
Publication date:	03/17/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	21 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mitchell Moffit is the cocreator of the award-winning YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE. He graduated from the University of Guelph in Ontario in 2012.

Greg Brown is the cocreator of the award-winning YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE. He graduated from the University of Guelph in Ontario in 2012.

Table of Contents

Resolving Persistent Questions, Rumors, and Weird Phenomena

Does being cold make you sick? 3

Are silent farts more deadly? 9

Is cracking your joints bad for you? 15

Is the 5-second rule legitimate? 19

Which is worse: childbirth or getting kicked in the balls? 25

Does shaving make your hair grow thicker? 33

Can sneezing pop your eyeballs out? 39

Could you spontaneously combust? 45

Is binge TV watching bad for you? 51

Which come first: the chicken or the egg? 55

Body Talk

Brain farts 65

The science of bad breath 71

Can snot save us? 77

Is there a hiccup cure? 83

The scientific secret of muscle & strength 89

Why are men so hairy? 95

The science of aging 101

The science of brain freeze 107

Hypotheticals

Could a zombie apocalypse happen? 115

What if you stopped going outside? 121

Sensory Perception

Why do we get pins and needles? 129

Why do we itch? 135

Selfie science: Why do we hate photos of ourselves? 141

Where does all the light go when you turn off the lights? 145

Why does time feel faster as we age? 149

Hot Sex and Other Amorous Pursuits

The science of sexy 159

The science of heartbreak 163

The science of love 169

The science of orgasms 175

Will dancing get you laid? 181

Getting to the Bottom of Bad Behavior

The science of swearing 189

The science of lying 193

The science of procrastination 199

The scientific hangover cure 205

Dreaming, Waking, Napping, Sleeping

The scientific power of naps 213

The science of morning wood 217

The science of lucid dreaming 223

What are eye boogers? 229

Should you use the snooze button? 235

What if you stopped sleeping? 241

Acknowledgments 248

Editorial Reviews

Bill Nye always maintains that science should be fun and nobody demonstrates that principle better than Mitchell Moffit and Greg Brown, the founders and keepers of YouTube's popular AsapSCIENCE vlog. In their very first book, this robust Canadian pair tackles questions large and pesky; from our need for sleep and whether cold temperatures really give us colds to a cure for hiccups and the cause of early morning eroticism. Entertaining illustrations and fun facts: the perfect combination for quirky science at its best.

10/15/2014
Have you ever wondered if there is a guaranteed cure for hiccups? Why we get "brain freeze"? If someone could spontaneously combust? Coauthors Moffit and Brown, founders of the namesake AsapSCIENCE YouTube channel, explore these and many other strange questions and old wives' tales. From bodily functions to swearing and lying, love and lust, there is something in this book for readers of all ages. While sometimes catering to our more childish sides, the authors have nonetheless created a fun read that strikes a fine balance between science and levity, offering delightful drawings relevant to the text. Each topic is presented with enough information to explain the science involved but not so much that the reader is swimming in terminology and detailed descriptions. VERDICT Recommended for younger readers with a curiosity about the world around them. However, the work should be approached with guidance from adults, as some of the issues covered (orgasms, hangovers, and "nocturnal penile tumescence") may be inaccessible or a too mature.—John Kromer, Miami Univ. of Ohio Lib., Oxford, OH

Library Journal

01/05/2015
Moffit and Brown, the founders of AsapScience, are a pair of Canadian 20-somethings whose highly clickable YouTube videos, which bring science to younger adults and older teens, attract millions of hits. In their illustrated debut, the pair answers the kinds of questions kids often ask and adults occasionally ponder, such as why people hate photos of themselves, why people mostly catch colds during cold weather, whether humans can spontaneously combust, if sneezing can cause one’s eyeball to pop out, and whether cracking one’s joints in puberty leads to arthritis in old age. The book is accurate—for example, the authors do not overstate the importance of the endogenous chemical oxytocin to feelings of love—and entertaining, though it may not be a perfect gift for parents to give to teens, considering chapters entitled “Will Dancing Get you Laid?,” “The Scientific Hangover Cure,” and “The Science of Morning Wood.” Questions of propriety aside, there is plenty of valuable material in the book, particularly for the young and curious. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"From concise examinations of tiny topics like the science of love and aging, to answers to questions you actually care about—should you use the snooze button?—this book has something for everyone who is curious about the world around them. (That is to say: everyone.) This is science at its most fun, accessible, and well-illustrated."

David Epstein

"Science is big fun. The ASAP guys get that, and they'll show you— they'll even draw you a diagram."

Bill Nye “The Science Guy

From hiccup cures to the 5 second rule, this book put a bemused smile on my face and answered the oddball questions of life. An irreverent stroll through the arcane and taboo, guided by the science behind it.

Chris Hadfield

"These guys answer the questions you had no idea were bugging you all your life."

Fast Company

Science is fun! But it's even more so when Mitch and Greg get their hands on it. Gross, funny, interesting, weird: It's all science, and it's all cool.

Phil Plait a.k.a. The Bad Astronomer

"Science is big fun. The ASAP guys get that, and they'll show you— they'll even draw you a diagram."

Bill Nye “The Science Guy

"These guys answer the questions you had no idea were bugging you all your life."

Fast Company