Perhaps Albert Einstein said it best: "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe."

We may think of scientists as the brightest of the bright, working hard to better our lives through improved technology, new medicines, and superior knowledge. But sometimes they get it wrong. Really wrong.

Rather than paying tribute to the great discoveries and discoverers, The Book of Science Stuff takes a fun look at the silly, hilarious, horrible underbelly of science. In a series of enjoyable short accounts, it focuses on the failures, reveals the petty squabbles, and introduces the “nerds” who labored in labs around the world.

Check out the blunders—like scary Cold War experiments, idiotic research grants, and space study stupidity; meet the “Sigmund Frauds” and the real Frankensteins; and peek into the secret lives of scientists (if you dare). See how science makes the world go round—and directly affects everyone’s daily lives. Scrutinize Hollywood’s presentation of science on film and TV. And ponder the ways science sometimes pulls the wool over our eyes.

Science has never been quite so entertaining before!

Consider these:

• There’s actually a scientific reason celebrities give all their kids those strange names
• Scientist Duncan MacDougall—a shady sounding doctor who liked to play games like "Drink This Bubbling Liquid" and "Smell my Ether Soaked Rag”—theorized that the soul had weight…and came up with a number: 21 grams.
• In 1673, Johann Conrad Dippel was born in Castle Frankenstein. Seriously. Thought to be the inspiration for the good doctor from Mary Shelley's book, he supposedly spent his days practicing anatomy and alchemy. Naturally, it's said some of this anatomy involved boiling various body parts in large vats to make some kind of madman stew.

JOE RHATIGAN has authored more than fifteen books for children and adults, including Don't Unravel When You Travel and Out-of-This-World Astronomy. He has also produced several best-selling books and series, including 101 Places You Gotta See Before You’re 12!,The Boo Boo Book, and the My Very Favorite Art Book series. Joe has been a poet, a teacher, a marketing manager, and a newspaper boy. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife and three children.