Quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host Jim Al-Khalili reveals how 8 lessons from the heart of science can help you get the most out of life Today’s world is unpredictable and full of contradictions, and navigating its complexities while trying to make the best decisions is far from easy. The Joy of Science presents 8 short lessons on how to unlock the clarity, empowerment, and joy of thinking and living a little more scientifically. In this brief guide to leading a more rational life, acclaimed physicist Jim Al-Khalili invites readers to engage with the world as scientists have been trained to do. The scientific method has served humankind well in its quest to see things as they really are, and underpinning the scientific method are core principles that can help us all navigate modern life more confidently. Discussing the nature of truth and uncertainty, the role of doubt, the pros and cons of simplification, the value of guarding against bias, the importance of evidence-based thinking, and more, Al-Khalili shows how the powerful ideas at the heart of the scientific method are deeply relevant to the complicated times we live in and the difficult choices we make. Read this book and discover the joy of science. It will empower you to think more objectively, see through the fog of your own preexisting beliefs, and lead a more fulfilling life.

This book reveals that scientific logic is an extension of common, everyday logic and that it can and should be understood by everyone. Written by a practicing and successful scientist, it explores why questions arise in science and looks at how questions are tackled, what constitutes a valid answer, and why. The author does not bog the reader down in technical details or lists of facts to memorize. He uses accessible examples, illustrations, and descriptions to address complex issues. The book should prove enlightening to anyone who has been perplexed by the meaning, relevance, and moral or political implications of science.

This book offers guidance to scientists and engineers seeking more satisfying, balanced, and successful personal and professional lives.

"In The Joy of Science, Jim Al-Khalili presents eight lessons that serve as a guide to thinking and living life a little more scientifically. It is a gentle entrâee to the conceptual core of what science is and the spirit of how it is practiced, which will help any reader understand how to live a more rational life and benefit from doing so. The book will connect the lay public with what science fundamentally is - not knowledge per se, but rather a way of thinking, which gives us the power to turn encounters with the unknown into greater insights into the true nature of reality. In an engaging, conversational tone, and writing from the perspective of a practitioner of science, Al- Khalili invites readers to engage with the world in a new way and to think as scientists are trained to do about unsolved mysteries; the nature of truth, uncertainty, and the role of doubt; the value and dangers of simplification; the challenges of complexity or too little information; the importance of evidence-based thinking; the value of guarding against bias (in oneself and others); the importance of being able to change one's mind, and more. By the end, the reader will come away with a clear sense of how the ideas at the heart of the scientific method are deeply relevant to our current times, lives, and personal decision making. Knowing how to think and live more scientifically can make our all of our lives better, and this short book gives non-specialists a welcoming introduction to this knowledge, sharing 'the joy' that science can bring."--

"The Joy of Being Eaten," subtitled: "Journeys into the Bizarre Sexuality and Private Love Lives of the Ancient Layers of the Human Brain" is a science fiction novel based on psychology, and includes (1) the newest factual brain-imaging research that reads the mind (Professor Jack Gallant see demonstration video at http://gallantlab.org), (2) triune brain evolution of layers of the brain (Paul MacLean, late Senior Research Scientist at National Institute of Mental Health), (3) the paleoanthropology of the Homo erectus people, (4) the neuroscience of the holograms of the mind (Professor Karl Pribram), and (5) the artificial intelligence of tomorrow. "The Joy" is the story of two young women who journey into the ancient layers of the brain to experience 200 million years of "deep autobiographical memory" that includes our reptilian past and the Homo erectus people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobiographical_memory). This strongly science-based novel is an excellent supplemental reader for college-level courses in psychology, anthropology, computer science, and physics, or a helpful reader for anyone undergoing any of the psychological therapies.