Lightning Often Strikes Twice: The 50 Biggest Misconceptions in Science

A revealing and entertaining guide through some of the biggest misconceptions in science that many of us still believe.

You may well be familiar with the fact that lightning, contrary to the popular saying, often strikes the same place twice. But this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what many of us wrongly believe about the way the world works. Whether it's word of mouth, myths you've read about online, or misremembered facts from school, we're bombarded by misconceptions about the science we come into contact with every day - this book will uncover the most popular myths to help you avoid contributing to the perpetuation of these misunderstandings.

Breaking it down into fifty of the most popular misconceptions in science, each chapter of this book will be headed up with a 'fact', followed by the real story, providing the science and theory that debunks the myth. From fears about the exponential growth of the human population to the embarrassment of always pointing out the north star as the brightest in the sky, this is the book to read if you want to separate the science fact from fiction.


About the Author
Brian Clegg studied physics at the University of Cambridge and is now an award-winning and bestselling science writer and public speaker who has written over forty popular science books and a growing range of novels. His books include Ten Patterns that Explain the Universe, Dark Matter and Dark Energy, Everyday Chaos, and The God Effect.

He has also written for a wide range of publications such as Nature, BBC History, The Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Observer, and is the editor of www.popularscience.co.uk.

Brian lives in a Wiltshire village with his wife and twin children.