by Paul Halpern
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Product Description
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? Is the Coriolis effect strong enough to make all toilets in the Southern Hemisphere flush clockwise, as Bart was so keen to find out? If Earth were in peril, would it make sense to board a rocket, as Marge, Lisa, and Maggie did, and head to Mars? While Bart and Millhouse can't stop time and have fun forever, Paul Halpern explores the theoretical possibilities involving Einstein's theory of time dilation.
Paul Halpern, PhD (Philadelphia, PA) 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 also the author of The Great Beyond (0-471-46595-X).
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 not for children, 2008-07-18
I made the mistake of buying this book for a grandchild who likes The Simpsons and science. It is definitely not a good choice for children unless you know one who already has a B.S. degree. The writing level and style are not going to interest children. I'm quite sure the author didn't intend it to be for children.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 Simpsons Simplified Science, 2008-01-21
Over the course of nearly 20 years, it's easier to ask what the Simpsons have NOT touched upon. It's the witty, wide ranging and educated way the writers take on the world that has kept the show on the air, and allowed the show to become the basis for studies of religion, philosophy and now science. When working with an animated show you are luckily outside the realm of the real world, so everything is back to normal at the beginning of the next episode. At the same time you can take science and have some fun with it, shrinking people, entering the third dimension and have comets disintegrate in pollution laden air. However, thanks to brainy Lisa, there usually is a baseline of true science even when we enter the realm of science fiction. Paul Halpern takes this baseline truth as a launching point to discuss varied scientific topics. While never delving too deep into the science or causing the reader's eyes to glaze over, he does a competent job in explaining a wide variety of science topics using examples from the show to help illustrate his point. He will often attribute the storyline points on science the subject of artistic license or exaggeration (as exampled by the Cartoon Laws of Physics he references) but he never calls the writers dumb, nor does he call the reader dumb because he or she comes to the book believing that toilets swirl the opposite direction depending on whether you are in the northern or southern hemisphere. Rather he instead approaches the topics with a "well popular culture may have you think this is true because of A, B or C, but the fact is that is incorrect, and here's why." Nothing he writes about goes too deeply into the science topics - you probably would get deeper science in some Wikipedia articles, but for the layman that is good. He feeds you spoon sized lessons for the average reader to digest. You laugh with the Simpsons, and you also learn a little. Even Homer might enjoy this book.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
fun and educational, 2008-01-17
This book talks about an episode of The Simpsons and then goes into the science behind it. There are 26 chapters that each mention a different scientific topic mentioned in The Simpsons. It is a fun read and you learn scientific information. You only learn basic information however, but it is still a good read. The most surprising thing was that in the introduction, the author mentions the educational background of the writers and creators of The Simpsons. Many of them have master's degrees and/or Ph.D.'s in math or science.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Exx-cellent (with tented fingers), 2007-11-10
I am a huge fan of The Simpsons; I think I have watched an episode everyday for the past however many years the series has been on. The show has become part of my stream of consciousness which will cause me to unexpectedly smile or laugh throughout the day. My obsession is so great that friends have even developed an almost psychic ability to recognize when I am thinking about the program. I am also a fan of science and have read many books on scientific subjects so you can appreciate how much I look forward reading about the science of the show.
This book provides great insight to the scientific topics portrayed in some of the best episodes. It was interesting to learn that many of the writers and producer have advanced degrees in science, The Simpsons is one of the most intelligent shows of all time and now I understand why. When reading about the scientific consideration the stories were attempting to impart I now can see why the show is so entertaining. The success of the scripts come from their intellectual conception, this I think resonates almost subconsciously with the fans however is now made clear in this book.
I really appreciated the descriptions of the episodes and the scientific basis of the plots, I found myself laughing even more as the explanation gave me greater awareness however at times the elucidation was to difficult for my high school acumen to comprehend. I think like the show I will just have to read the book again and again to be delighted and educated once more.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
"D'oh!" Versus "D'uh!", 2007-10-31
It's not hard to look at these "Science of..." and "Philosophy of..." and "Psychology of..." and "Plumbing Concepts of..." series as shameless attempts to leech off the popularity of shows that have die-hard fan bases. Star Trek, The Daily Show, Seinfeld. The Simpsons.
I haven't read all of them, so I can't acquit all of the authors involved, but I can say that Paul Halpern doesn't seem to be riding that particular boat. This is a real Simpsons fan. And a real science fan. And the book reads like the musings of a man who likes to mull over both things together on his own; the best books are the kind where the authors write more for themselves than for anyone else.
In fact, the only thing that works against this little volume is that it sometimes lapses into "duh" territory. Halpern uses the show to springboard discussions of various topics -- are matter transporters possible? can fish mutate an extra eye? is it possible to genetically bond tomatoes with tobacco? -- and even though he provides a lot of Lisa-like illumination, some of the info is a no brainer. Homers should be pleased.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, although it meant there were a few points where I felt the book was treading water. Still, Halpern is erudite enough -- and his knowledge of Simpsons arcana vast enough -- to make even these moments fun to read. Halpern is not only excellent at making the most obtuse of topics accessible to readers, he's also a maverick at gracefully weaving in countless references to the show. His knowledge of Simpsons arcana is impressive, and equally impressive is his ability to wield it without being clunky or cute. He doesn't -- like many of these books -- use one half to jump start the other. This book is equal parts Simpsons and science, and both halves are carefully and craftily employed. Even if they don't always blend, they do twine tightly together.
You don't have to be much of a science buff to enjoy the Primer's Approach to Science that Halpern has laid out here. Furthermore, you don't have to be much of a Simpsons buff to chuckle at Halpern's skillful use of Springfieldian trivia in the transitions and topic caps. Of course, if you're either one -- and especially if you're both -- you'll want this book.
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