"Experimental science is one of the most unlikely products of history. Magicians, priests, warriors, and shepherds have swarmed everywhere at will. But this fauna of experimental man requires, as it seems, a set of conditions more unusual to produce than those that engender the unicorn."
I was looking at a shop of an independent bookseller in Urbino (Italy) recently and marveling at how creative children's books have become -- I wanted to be a child again; or the child in me was rejoicing (pick your favorite sentiment) -- and thought 'why couldn't books be more inventive? Then @Adam Mastroianni goes ahead and actually does it.
My library is awesome (I may recommend it to them, as I'm a frequent borrower), but this could be the time I actually buy a new book even though I'm in the midst of radical retrenching on physical possessions. I love the idea(s) and applaud the initiative. Do Italian, please. They still buy and read books in the peninsula, in fact, bookstores are aplenty in every city, many worth visiting...
Sorry about that––I thought the links would automatically redirect if you're clicking from AU, but it that doesn't appear to be happening. Working on it, and will get back to you!
this is soo exciting!! i was reading this and literally thinking "man it sucks im from such an insignificant country theres no way i can get this" and im reading the foonote that there actually WILL be a hungarian translation???? christmas is early this year
There will! Through a publisher called Corvina. I don't have a link yet but will include it in a future post once I get it. And sorry to have missed you––I don't know if you live near Budapest, but I was just there earlier this month. Top-notch escape room scene. 😎
ahh awesome, I can't wait!! yes, I live in Budapest, unfortunately I couldn't make it to Brain Bar whic pains me to this day 😭 but I hope you enjoyed your time here! what escape room(s) did you visit?
I'd love to have a French version, but we haven't been able to find a publisher there yet––apparently the market there isn't huge for nonfiction in translation. Could still happen though!
I'm going to preorder tomorrow! I tend to make discretionary purchases on the 1st of each month, which gives me time during the prior month to figure out the best things to spend my money on. Although no need for extra time to ponder on whether or not this book will be a good purchase.
Also, even if you went REALLY insane, they couldn't lock you up since you've escaped from nearly 200 escape rooms.
Congrats on the book! I'm a bookseller and I gave it a 10/10 bookseller review on the platform indies use and will place an order. Looking forward to it.
I am curious to read your book, because I'd like to know why "Experimental science is one of the most unlikely products of history." I think that experimentation is a deeply human trait linked to our innate creativity. As a paid "Scientist" for almost 20 years, and an artistic streak, I found myself often telling people that humans are inherently creative and experimental. Who hasn't tried a new product? Ruined a dish by adding too much spice or pepper? Wondered what would happen if you crossed a whale with a unicorn? True, most of our mundane experiments are not controlled, except by some internal subjective comparison. However, it is not surprising to me that some smart people recognized how logic, control, and statistics could be applied to our experimental nature, especially facing necessity, industry, fame and of course money $$$$$$. (Also I imagine it felt kind of yummy in their brains.)
Perhaps our lack of scientific breakthroughs is due to an increased lack of imagination? I was having this conversation with a friend, in which I was saying that everything so literal and explicit. Attached to our screens, our concentration is shortened, we don't need our imaginations, someone else has already thought of it, made a video and put it on YouTube. You know what was actually really great for our imaginations? Covid. All cooped up, disconnected, grieving, emotional, scared: fertile ground for reorganization and creativity. Didn't you write about that too?
Hi Margot! I would love to answer this question, but I think to do it properly I'd end up re-typing the book into this text box. The short version is that I think many of the steps involved in acquiring true and useful knowledge feel stupid when you're doing them, and some of them are extremely un-obvious and there is nothing in our environment that cues us to their existence. For instance, gravity has always existed, but its effects are so obvious that it's difficult to even think to investigate them. "Why do things fall down?" "What do you mean? Everything falls down!" (As if that's an answer.) And then, even though we're always doing little experiments, really getting to the bottom of things requires a level of attention and effort that is difficult to sustain unless you are extremely interested in the fundamental nature of the universe, which is not an interest that many people have, or even know they *can* have.
"Experimental science is one of the most unlikely products of history. Magicians, priests, warriors, and shepherds have swarmed everywhere at will. But this fauna of experimental man requires, as it seems, a set of conditions more unusual to produce than those that engender the unicorn."
José Ortega y Gasset
I was looking at a shop of an independent bookseller in Urbino (Italy) recently and marveling at how creative children's books have become -- I wanted to be a child again; or the child in me was rejoicing (pick your favorite sentiment) -- and thought 'why couldn't books be more inventive? Then @Adam Mastroianni goes ahead and actually does it.
My library is awesome (I may recommend it to them, as I'm a frequent borrower), but this could be the time I actually buy a new book even though I'm in the midst of radical retrenching on physical possessions. I love the idea(s) and applaud the initiative. Do Italian, please. They still buy and read books in the peninsula, in fact, bookstores are aplenty in every city, many worth visiting...
Bookstores are packed in Italy indeed! And by people of all ages!
G’day Adam… what’s the situation with Australia? Do we wait until it’s published then get a copy via the US or the UK?
Sorry about that––I thought the links would automatically redirect if you're clicking from AU, but it that doesn't appear to be happening. Working on it, and will get back to you!
Another vote for Australia!!
It's on booktopia for pre-order.
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-strangest-idea-in-the-world-adam-mastroianni/book/9780241732205.html
The only thing I'm more excited about than your posts is a book-length version of them. I've preordered it and can't wait for it to come out!
this is soo exciting!! i was reading this and literally thinking "man it sucks im from such an insignificant country theres no way i can get this" and im reading the foonote that there actually WILL be a hungarian translation???? christmas is early this year
There will! Through a publisher called Corvina. I don't have a link yet but will include it in a future post once I get it. And sorry to have missed you––I don't know if you live near Budapest, but I was just there earlier this month. Top-notch escape room scene. 😎
ahh awesome, I can't wait!! yes, I live in Budapest, unfortunately I couldn't make it to Brain Bar whic pains me to this day 😭 but I hope you enjoyed your time here! what escape room(s) did you visit?
So exciting, but why not in French ?
I'd love to have a French version, but we haven't been able to find a publisher there yet––apparently the market there isn't huge for nonfiction in translation. Could still happen though!
Stupid French, too proud ;))
May be "un mal pour un bien" as your idiomatic style is probably better in the native version !
Just preordered. If it’s good (and I trust it will be), I know what some of my people are getting for Christmas.
Sounds cool! Ordered from bookshop.
Nice! Congratulations on the project. I preordered!
I'm going to preorder tomorrow! I tend to make discretionary purchases on the 1st of each month, which gives me time during the prior month to figure out the best things to spend my money on. Although no need for extra time to ponder on whether or not this book will be a good purchase.
Also, even if you went REALLY insane, they couldn't lock you up since you've escaped from nearly 200 escape rooms.
good point
Congrats on the book! I'm a bookseller and I gave it a 10/10 bookseller review on the platform indies use and will place an order. Looking forward to it.
Thanks, Carolanne! Much appreciated.
Congratulations! Looking forward to it.
Dear Adam,
I am curious to read your book, because I'd like to know why "Experimental science is one of the most unlikely products of history." I think that experimentation is a deeply human trait linked to our innate creativity. As a paid "Scientist" for almost 20 years, and an artistic streak, I found myself often telling people that humans are inherently creative and experimental. Who hasn't tried a new product? Ruined a dish by adding too much spice or pepper? Wondered what would happen if you crossed a whale with a unicorn? True, most of our mundane experiments are not controlled, except by some internal subjective comparison. However, it is not surprising to me that some smart people recognized how logic, control, and statistics could be applied to our experimental nature, especially facing necessity, industry, fame and of course money $$$$$$. (Also I imagine it felt kind of yummy in their brains.)
Perhaps our lack of scientific breakthroughs is due to an increased lack of imagination? I was having this conversation with a friend, in which I was saying that everything so literal and explicit. Attached to our screens, our concentration is shortened, we don't need our imaginations, someone else has already thought of it, made a video and put it on YouTube. You know what was actually really great for our imaginations? Covid. All cooped up, disconnected, grieving, emotional, scared: fertile ground for reorganization and creativity. Didn't you write about that too?
Hi Margot! I would love to answer this question, but I think to do it properly I'd end up re-typing the book into this text box. The short version is that I think many of the steps involved in acquiring true and useful knowledge feel stupid when you're doing them, and some of them are extremely un-obvious and there is nothing in our environment that cues us to their existence. For instance, gravity has always existed, but its effects are so obvious that it's difficult to even think to investigate them. "Why do things fall down?" "What do you mean? Everything falls down!" (As if that's an answer.) And then, even though we're always doing little experiments, really getting to the bottom of things requires a level of attention and effort that is difficult to sustain unless you are extremely interested in the fundamental nature of the universe, which is not an interest that many people have, or even know they *can* have.
This does look really interesting. I’m in!
Excited! All the best Adam 🌻
So cool!