ISAAC ASIMOV said that the phrase most likely to herald a scientific discovery is not “Eureka!” but “That’s funny…”. It is fitting that Michael Brooks chose that sentiment to kick off 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense. Based on his hugely popular New Scientist article (19 March 2005, p 30), this entertaining and often provocative book examines such mysteries as dark matter and dark energy, the prospect of life on Mars, sex and death, free will and the placebo effect, among other head-scratchers.
If Asimov provided the epigram, philosopher Thomas Kuhn provided the central thesis: it is those niggling…
