What's Science Ever Done For Us? : What The Simpsons Can Teach Us About Physics, Robots, Life, And The Universe

Description

This is a playful and entertaining look at science on The Simpsons. This amusing book explores science as presented on the longest-running and most popular animated TV series ever made: The Simpsons. Over the years, the show has examined such issues as genetic mutation, time travel, artificial intelligence, and even aliens. "What's Science Ever Done for Us?" examines these and many other topics through the lens of America's favorite cartoon. This spirited science guide will inform Simpsons fans and entertain science buffs with a delightful combination of fun and fact. It will be the perfect companion to the upcoming Simpsons movie. The Simpsons is a magnificent roadmap of modern issues in science. This completely unauthorized, informative, and fun exploration of the science and technology, connected with the world's most famous cartoon family, looks at classic episodes from the show to launch fascinating scientific discussions mixed with intriguing speculative ideas and a dose of humor. Could gravitational lensing create optical illusions, such as when Homer saw someone invisible to everyone else?

First published 2007.

Reviews

"...as fast paced and slick as the show [The Simpsons]". Cosmos May 2008

Author description

Paul Halpern, PHD, is professor of physics and mathematics at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and a 2002 recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship. He is the author of The Great Beyond, also from Wiley.

Table of contents

Introduction: Learning Science From Springfield's Nuclear Family. PART ONE: IT'S ALIVE! 1. The Simpson Gene. 2. You Say Tomato, I Say Tomacco. 3. Blinky, The Three-Eyed Fish. 4. Burns' Radiant Glow. 5. We All Live In A Cell-Sized Submarine. 6. Lisa's Recipe For Life. 7. Look Homer-Ward Angel. PART TWO: MECHANICAL PLOTS. 8. D'ohs Ex Machina. 9. Perpetual Commotion. 10. Dude, I'm An Android. 11. Rules For Robots. 12. Chaos In Cartoonland. 13. Fly In The Ointment. PART THREE: NO TIME TO DOHS. 14. Clockstopping. 15. A Toast To The Past. 16. Frinking About The Future. PART FOUR: SPRINGFIELD, THE UNIVERSE, AND BEYOND. 17. Lisa's Scoping Skills. 18. Diverting Rays. 19. The Plunge Down Under. 20. If Astrolabes Could Talk. 21. Cometary Cowabunga. 22. Homer's Space Odyssey. 23. Could This Really Be The End? 24. Foolish Earthlings. 25. Is The Universe A Donut? 26. The Third Dimension Of Homer. Inconclusion: The Journey Continues. Acknowledgments. The Simpsons Movie Handy Science Checklist. Scientifically Relevant Episodes Discussed in This Book. Notes. Further Information Index.