The Science of Why

Ever wonder why onions make you cry? Or why lizards do pushups? Or why leaves change color in the fall?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Acclaimed science writer and broadcaster Jay Ingram wonders the same things. After a long career of asking important questions (Does time speed up as we age? How much Neanderthal is in me? Why do some animals throw their feces?), he’s here to put our scientific quandaries to rest. In this insightful, witty book for curious readers of all ages, Jay shares his favorite head-scratchers and mind-benders, settling pressing questions, such as...

-What is déjà vu?
-Why were Tyrannosaurus Rex’s arms so short?
-Why are you plagued by mosquitoes while your friends aren’t?
-Does your cat actually like you?*
-What is déjà vu?

...along with everything you ever wondered about human echolocation, Bigfoot and farts (though not all at once).

Whimsically illustrated and chock-full of fun science facts (and fictions), this book will delight and surprise your inner science geek.

*SPOILER: She actually thinks you’re a larger, dumber version of her mother.

Jay Ingram has hosted two national science programs in Canada, Quirks & Quarks on CBC radio and Daily Planet on Discovery Channel Canada. He is the author of twenty books, which have been translated into fifteen languages, including the bestselling five-volume The Science of Why series. In 2015, he won the Walter C. Alvarez Award from the American Medical Writers’ Association for excellence in communicating health care developments and concepts to the public, and from 2005 to 2015 he chaired the Science Communications Program at the Banff Centre. Jay has seven honorary degrees, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and is a Member of the Order of Canada. He is a cofounder of the arts and engineering street festival called Beakerhead in Calgary. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Connect with him on X @JayIngram.