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Science of the Magical: From the Holy Grail to Love Potions to Superpowers
From the author of The Science of Monsters, this engaging scientific inquiry provides a definitive look into the elements of mystical places and magical objects—from the philosopher’s stone, to love potions to the oracles—from ancient history, mythology, and contemporary culture.
Can migrations of birds foretell our future? Do phases of the moon hold sway over our lives? Are there sacred springs that cure the ill? What is the best way to brew a love potion? How do we create mutant humans who regenerate like Wolverine?
In Science of the Magical, noted science journalist Matt Kaplan plumbs the rich, lively, and surprising history of the magical objects, places, and rituals that infuse ancient and contemporary myth. Like Ken Jennings and Mary Roach, Kaplan serves as a friendly armchair guide to the world of the supernatural. From the strengthening powers of Viking mead, to the super soldiers in movies like Captain America, Kaplan ranges across cultures and time periods to point out that there is often much more to these enduring magical narratives than mere fantasy. Informative and entertaining, Science of the Magical explores our world through the compelling scope of natural and human history and cutting-edge science.
Can migrations of birds foretell our future? Do phases of the moon hold sway over our lives? Are there sacred springs that cure the ill? What is the best way to brew a love potion? How do we create mutant humans who regenerate like Wolverine?
In Science of the Magical, noted science journalist Matt Kaplan plumbs the rich, lively, and surprising history of the magical objects, places, and rituals that infuse ancient and contemporary myth. Like Ken Jennings and Mary Roach, Kaplan serves as a friendly armchair guide to the world of the supernatural. From the strengthening powers of Viking mead, to the super soldiers in movies like Captain America, Kaplan ranges across cultures and time periods to point out that there is often much more to these enduring magical narratives than mere fantasy. Informative and entertaining, Science of the Magical explores our world through the compelling scope of natural and human history and cutting-edge science.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2015
69 people are currently reading
2157 people want to read
About the author
Matt Kaplan
5 books43 followersI'm a retained science correspondent with The Economist and have been contributing to the newspaper on a weekly basis for more than a decade. Over the years, I've also written for National Geographic, The New York Times, Scientific American, Nature and New Scientist. Outside of my journalistic endeavours, I've long been intrigued by the ways in which our ancestors tried to explain mysterious aspects of the natural world with mythology. To this end, I wrote two books on the subject: Science of the Magical and The Science of Monsters. I was awarded a Knight Fellowship in 2014, presumably for writing well, and used the opportunity to study immunology at MIT and folklore at Harvard.
An unabashed geek,* I wrote the widely circulated From Gollum to Avatar which explored how Hollywood made the technological leap from Yoda in the original Star Wars to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and ultimately to the Na’vi in Avatar. I was also the voice behind many other Economist stories of technological evolution, including Stealing The Heat, an analysis of the fast developing field of heat recycling, The Coming Wave, an exploration of how wave generators on the coastlines came to be, and Superstructures, the story of how bridges, tunnels and buildings learned to detect danger and take action.
I am fascinated by the weird, wonderful and often less well respected members of the animal kingdom that have made life better for humanity on the whole. In How Illuminating I explored how the humble jellyfish has made it possible for glowing proteins to be inserted into the human body and used to track the behaviours of cancer cells so they can be better caught and destroyed. In Glue Bones I described how the saliva of the sandcastle worm, which builds the structures that its name implies, has made it possible for researchers to develop a glue that can hold bits of bone together in salty environments, like those found on bloody operating room tables. And in Electrical Potential I revealed that science is on the verge of creating a biological battery modelled after the cells found in the bodies of electric eels**.
I've written about how certain female spiders ooze sticky slime to capture the sexual organs of males so that they can better catch and eat their partners after reproduction (Sexual Appetite), how bats that build tents together out of palm leaves build better social relationships (Bats Building Bonds), and how bomb sniffing dogs are thrown off by the preconceptions of their handlers (Clever Hounds).
Outside of my work for The Economist, I've collaborated extensively with TED to create educational animations about the boundary between myth and science. Together The Science Behind Homer’s Odyssey and The Scientific Origins of the Minotaur have been viewed over three million times. I also annually donate several weeks of my time each year to guest lecture at schools that are keen to get their pupils jazzed about science. A palaeontologist by training, if you have read about evolution, ecology or dinosaurs in Nature, National Geographic or Scientific American, you have probably read my work***.
When not at my desk, I make a good effort at meeting the grim reaper for an early tea on expeditions in far flung regions of the world. I've hacked my way through the Alaskan bush, fended off tiger snakes in the bogs of Tasmania, nearly fallen into a crevasse in Switzerland and got my scuba respirator hose snagged on the sunken wreck of a British minesweeper.
---
*Who, by the way, can recite huge chunks of Star Wars by heart and readily explain the differences between the Faerunian gods Kossuth and Lathander. (Just in case you were wondering, Kossuth's portfolio is solely fire while Lathander's includes the sun, warmth and vitality.)
**Shocking, I know.
***My personal favourite is How to Eat a Triceratops.
An unabashed geek,* I wrote the widely circulated From Gollum to Avatar which explored how Hollywood made the technological leap from Yoda in the original Star Wars to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and ultimately to the Na’vi in Avatar. I was also the voice behind many other Economist stories of technological evolution, including Stealing The Heat, an analysis of the fast developing field of heat recycling, The Coming Wave, an exploration of how wave generators on the coastlines came to be, and Superstructures, the story of how bridges, tunnels and buildings learned to detect danger and take action.
I am fascinated by the weird, wonderful and often less well respected members of the animal kingdom that have made life better for humanity on the whole. In How Illuminating I explored how the humble jellyfish has made it possible for glowing proteins to be inserted into the human body and used to track the behaviours of cancer cells so they can be better caught and destroyed. In Glue Bones I described how the saliva of the sandcastle worm, which builds the structures that its name implies, has made it possible for researchers to develop a glue that can hold bits of bone together in salty environments, like those found on bloody operating room tables. And in Electrical Potential I revealed that science is on the verge of creating a biological battery modelled after the cells found in the bodies of electric eels**.
I've written about how certain female spiders ooze sticky slime to capture the sexual organs of males so that they can better catch and eat their partners after reproduction (Sexual Appetite), how bats that build tents together out of palm leaves build better social relationships (Bats Building Bonds), and how bomb sniffing dogs are thrown off by the preconceptions of their handlers (Clever Hounds).
Outside of my work for The Economist, I've collaborated extensively with TED to create educational animations about the boundary between myth and science. Together The Science Behind Homer’s Odyssey and The Scientific Origins of the Minotaur have been viewed over three million times. I also annually donate several weeks of my time each year to guest lecture at schools that are keen to get their pupils jazzed about science. A palaeontologist by training, if you have read about evolution, ecology or dinosaurs in Nature, National Geographic or Scientific American, you have probably read my work***.
When not at my desk, I make a good effort at meeting the grim reaper for an early tea on expeditions in far flung regions of the world. I've hacked my way through the Alaskan bush, fended off tiger snakes in the bogs of Tasmania, nearly fallen into a crevasse in Switzerland and got my scuba respirator hose snagged on the sunken wreck of a British minesweeper.
---
*Who, by the way, can recite huge chunks of Star Wars by heart and readily explain the differences between the Faerunian gods Kossuth and Lathander. (Just in case you were wondering, Kossuth's portfolio is solely fire while Lathander's includes the sun, warmth and vitality.)
**Shocking, I know.
***My personal favourite is How to Eat a Triceratops.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
June 27, 2022
"Does knowing how something magical works make it into something other than magic?" pg 7
In Science of the Magical, science correspondent Matt Kaplan examines phenomena from prophecy to immortality and more, seeking the science behind the magic. The result is a compelling look at life and humanity's beliefs around such things.
"Our ancestors had a magical worldview. ... For the Viking berserkers, no biochemistry was behind their rage; Odin was casting a spell. For pilgrims visiting the oracle at Delhi, no ethylene vapors were creeping up the fault below the temple; the spirit of Apollo was coming to force the priestess to speak with his voice." pg 212
You would think these activities would lose their magical feeling under Kaplan's microscope, but the opposite is true. I felt more wonder learning the studies about Buddhist monks who can sit wrapped in wet sheets and not freeze or the symbiotic relationship between ravens and wolves, which was immortalized in the stories about Odin.
"... Dr. Stahler suspects that because wolf kills are considerably larger than those made by coyotes, the birds have more food to feed on. The ravens seem to have the ability to differentiate between the animals and selectively follow only wolves." pg 102
Though I knew some of what Kaplan reports in these pages, other ideas were totally new to me. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy non-fiction.
In Science of the Magical, science correspondent Matt Kaplan examines phenomena from prophecy to immortality and more, seeking the science behind the magic. The result is a compelling look at life and humanity's beliefs around such things.
"Our ancestors had a magical worldview. ... For the Viking berserkers, no biochemistry was behind their rage; Odin was casting a spell. For pilgrims visiting the oracle at Delhi, no ethylene vapors were creeping up the fault below the temple; the spirit of Apollo was coming to force the priestess to speak with his voice." pg 212
You would think these activities would lose their magical feeling under Kaplan's microscope, but the opposite is true. I felt more wonder learning the studies about Buddhist monks who can sit wrapped in wet sheets and not freeze or the symbiotic relationship between ravens and wolves, which was immortalized in the stories about Odin.
"... Dr. Stahler suspects that because wolf kills are considerably larger than those made by coyotes, the birds have more food to feed on. The ravens seem to have the ability to differentiate between the animals and selectively follow only wolves." pg 102
Though I knew some of what Kaplan reports in these pages, other ideas were totally new to me. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy non-fiction.
June 27, 2025
3.5 stars rounded down might write a review later
November 17, 2015
Exuberantly (and openly) speculative, Kaplan connects a wide range of magical beliefs, traditions, myths, and legends, with current scientific and historical explanations. “Science of the Magical” is interesting, fun, and sometimes even persuasive.
As a science journalist for the Economist, Kaplan is wide ranging in his interests, consulting with specialists in biology, astronomy, minerology, physics, toxicology, paleontology, etc. to help evaluate the plausibility of various scientific explanations for mysterious phenomena. In some cases, Kaplan personally enters into the “research,” tracking wolves and ravens through Yellowstone to investigate their relationship, attempting to navigate a sailboat using Iceland spar (a crystal used to locate the sun during foggy conditions in Icelandic saga), trying to investigate the source of prophetic inspiration at Hera's oracle at Cumae, etc.
As you would expect, Kaplan is equally skeptical of supernatural events in all religions and cultures, but he writes in the spirit of “explaining” rather than “debunking,” and his attitude towards the people of a less scientifically oriented world is consistently respectful. As he says,
(One of the most intriguing stories he goes on to tell is about moly, an herb which Odysseus is given by the god Hermes to protect him from the magic of the sorceress Circe. In 1981, neurologists proposed that Odysseus's moly may have been snowdrop, a plant matching the description of moly in the Odyssey, and which contains a chemical compound which has “the ability to protect specific neurotransmitters from being damaged by diseases and toxins” (p. 35). The compound, galantamine, is currently being used in Alzheimer's treatments, and, Kaplan points out, it would have been particularly useful in Odysseus's situation since its effects are relatively long lasting.)
Breezy and sometimes (especially in the footnotes) flippant, Kaplan's tone suits his approach to the subject, in which he takes his science seriously, checking details with specialists and requiring a fair degree of probability to support theories, but also cheerfully allows that his suppositions of scientific explanations for magical phenomena may well be wrong. (And, speaking of the footnotes, some of them are pretty funny. There is a footnote reference to Pratchett's Death of Rats which caught me by surprise and made me laugh. The quotations from movies, at the beginning of each chapter, are also fun.) I enjoyed this very much.
As a science journalist for the Economist, Kaplan is wide ranging in his interests, consulting with specialists in biology, astronomy, minerology, physics, toxicology, paleontology, etc. to help evaluate the plausibility of various scientific explanations for mysterious phenomena. In some cases, Kaplan personally enters into the “research,” tracking wolves and ravens through Yellowstone to investigate their relationship, attempting to navigate a sailboat using Iceland spar (a crystal used to locate the sun during foggy conditions in Icelandic saga), trying to investigate the source of prophetic inspiration at Hera's oracle at Cumae, etc.
As you would expect, Kaplan is equally skeptical of supernatural events in all religions and cultures, but he writes in the spirit of “explaining” rather than “debunking,” and his attitude towards the people of a less scientifically oriented world is consistently respectful. As he says,
“Yet it would be wrong to always portray people who lived long ago as the clueless ones. Things have sometimes worked in reverse, with our ancestors understanding the world in a remarkable way that has been lost, to the ravages of time.
Legend tells of the Vikings possessing an artifact called the sunstone, which allowed them to successfully navigate the Atlantic Ocean centuries before the invention of the magnetic compass. For decades, historians dismissed the sunstone as mere fantasy, but evidence is now emerging from the fields of physics, mineralogy, and archaeology that this object actually existed. Similarly, stories in The Odyssey portray the Greeks as aware of plants with powerful medicinal properties. They considered them to be magical herbs, and often connected them to fantastic stories of the gods. For centuries such tales were disregarded as nothing more than fictions, but recently a number of scientists and historians have started to think that the Greeks were onto something” (pp. 4-5).
(One of the most intriguing stories he goes on to tell is about moly, an herb which Odysseus is given by the god Hermes to protect him from the magic of the sorceress Circe. In 1981, neurologists proposed that Odysseus's moly may have been snowdrop, a plant matching the description of moly in the Odyssey, and which contains a chemical compound which has “the ability to protect specific neurotransmitters from being damaged by diseases and toxins” (p. 35). The compound, galantamine, is currently being used in Alzheimer's treatments, and, Kaplan points out, it would have been particularly useful in Odysseus's situation since its effects are relatively long lasting.)
Breezy and sometimes (especially in the footnotes) flippant, Kaplan's tone suits his approach to the subject, in which he takes his science seriously, checking details with specialists and requiring a fair degree of probability to support theories, but also cheerfully allows that his suppositions of scientific explanations for magical phenomena may well be wrong. (And, speaking of the footnotes, some of them are pretty funny. There is a footnote reference to Pratchett's Death of Rats which caught me by surprise and made me laugh. The quotations from movies, at the beginning of each chapter, are also fun.) I enjoyed this very much.
July 20, 2015
Need a bit of personality with your nonfiction? Enter Matt Kaplan. If you are on a quest to expand your brain and find magic, mythology, ancient lore and religion all to be interesting topics but can't handle one more dry, unemotional observation, you should really consider giving this book a go.
I can't honestly say that I have ever read a nonfiction book where the footnotes were funny, until this one. Matt Kaplan approaches science through a different perspective. Clearly he is intelligent and interested in many facets of the world around us and that comes through in his writing, but he approaches things in a way that makes the reader feel involved and keeps you wondering what he is going to conquer next. Through his recounting of personal experiences interwoven with scientific fact, he gives us a broader view of the topics at hand.
You'll feel smarter after you read his work, but you won't feel that usual brain burn that tends to follow reading a serious text. This would be a great book for older students, as it won't put them to sleep. The author included a variety of different topics and made each one of them interesting and easy to understand.
Honestly, this is the most fun I've had with a nonfic in a long time, possibly ever. Highly recommended. Looking forward to checking out the author's other work now.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I can't honestly say that I have ever read a nonfiction book where the footnotes were funny, until this one. Matt Kaplan approaches science through a different perspective. Clearly he is intelligent and interested in many facets of the world around us and that comes through in his writing, but he approaches things in a way that makes the reader feel involved and keeps you wondering what he is going to conquer next. Through his recounting of personal experiences interwoven with scientific fact, he gives us a broader view of the topics at hand.
You'll feel smarter after you read his work, but you won't feel that usual brain burn that tends to follow reading a serious text. This would be a great book for older students, as it won't put them to sleep. The author included a variety of different topics and made each one of them interesting and easy to understand.
Honestly, this is the most fun I've had with a nonfic in a long time, possibly ever. Highly recommended. Looking forward to checking out the author's other work now.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
August 30, 2017
I like a quirky non-fiction book. I'm not an academic; I just like to learn things. Still, I wish this had gone a little more in-depth.
March 18, 2017
A few months ago I started reading The Pained Bird by Jerzy Kosinski and I found myself astonished by the portrayal of a folk doctor Olga the Wise One as being exquisitely knowledgeable and outrageously "out there" in her beliefs. She takes in a young outsider and he watches her treat patients with skill that, in its way, borders on magic. On the other hand, the boy has to suffer the troubling mystical and xenophobic notions that seem to come hand-in-hand with the medical knowledge based in science. Because he is darker than the other country folk, he is considered to be "possessed" by an evil spirit, and this causes him not only to be mistrusted, but also to mistrust himself. A lot of us might know in a logical sense that stories aren't true, but they can still affect our belief systems in damaging and dangerous ways. To a degree, there are many whose belief systems are still very much stuck in the middle ages and probably long before that, because the power of stories is profound and often keeps us from unlearning nonsense and relearning updated ways of looking at the world. (It's hard to let go of a flat earth, because it's not as good for Gods to play frisbe with. Gods play frisbee, not soccer!!!)
But, back to the Kosinsky and Olga the Wise who is at once a deeply intelligent scientist and a peddler of bizarre and mistaken but not uncommon xenophobic mystical notions. And I got to thinking, it makes sense to a degree that these things could come together, folk beliefs about the supernatural etc. and rigorous science, an odd but not incomprehensible marriage of convenience. One small example, strangers might bring 'new' diseases with them that could harm people who have not built immunity to them (I should know...I live near Amherst, a place named for the guy who used Smallpox as biological warfare against the Native Americans) and so folk medicine and superstition ('foreign' people being possessed by evil spirits, i.e.) might grow tangled together and stay tangled for a good many generations (or eons.)
So how do we look at ancient texts and old myths and try to parse out what in them resembles truth. Of course, this isn't a new line of inquiry. The first thing that comes to my mind is biblical historians trying to prove that things that happen in sacred texts have some basis in historical reality. And I imagine there is a long history of people studying other mythologies and folklores for hints of 'real' history and science.
Kaplan doesn't go too deeply into the work of his predecessors and I think it would be a much better book if it gave a bit more credit to those who came before him, not just because it's a nice thing to do, but also because it would strengthen and deepen and add seasoning to his arguments. This book is a quick romp through a subject matter that could go on and on and on. The 'quick romp' factor accounts for some of this books charms and some of its drawbacks.
For example, in the opening chapter, he breaks up "healing" into "Prayers, Sacred Pools, Regeneration, and Holy Eyeliner" and twenty pages later we're in the next chapter. "Transformations" goes on for another mere twenty pages, including a two-page verse excerpt from Ovid's Metamorphoses about Hermaphrodite and another couple of paragraphs of Kaplan explaining his childhood rebellion and its relationship to his art museum experiences (unlike other rebelling kids, he didn't "drink" and "drive too fast" but rather, since his mother was a Renaissance scholar, he decided to go for Baroque.) His discussion of transgender folks leaves quite a bit to be desired. The one good thing I can say about this chapter is that he mentions that hormone blockers have been used therapeutically with kids successfully and with little to no side-effects for many years for conditions not related to being trans. That's nice because some people worry trans kids shouldn't use hormone blockers because it might "stunt" their growth, etc. It's safe, people. And I can't tell you how often I wish they were available when I was a kid (along with some more supportive parents).
If you are looking for a thorough, scholarly and well-contextualized address of the topics addressed in this book (mythology, folklore, folk medicine, magic, science...), this isn't it. If you are looking for an interesting and intelligent book that touches upon many topics and includes the author having conversations with quite a few experts on intersting subjects, such as whether looking at the livers of animals for the sake of prognostication might have any real-life scientific merit, well, you're in luck.
This book is more of a 3.5 when I look at it as a whole, but I decided to round up as there are so many wonderful moments scattered throughout.
But, back to the Kosinsky and Olga the Wise who is at once a deeply intelligent scientist and a peddler of bizarre and mistaken but not uncommon xenophobic mystical notions. And I got to thinking, it makes sense to a degree that these things could come together, folk beliefs about the supernatural etc. and rigorous science, an odd but not incomprehensible marriage of convenience. One small example, strangers might bring 'new' diseases with them that could harm people who have not built immunity to them (I should know...I live near Amherst, a place named for the guy who used Smallpox as biological warfare against the Native Americans) and so folk medicine and superstition ('foreign' people being possessed by evil spirits, i.e.) might grow tangled together and stay tangled for a good many generations (or eons.)
So how do we look at ancient texts and old myths and try to parse out what in them resembles truth. Of course, this isn't a new line of inquiry. The first thing that comes to my mind is biblical historians trying to prove that things that happen in sacred texts have some basis in historical reality. And I imagine there is a long history of people studying other mythologies and folklores for hints of 'real' history and science.
Kaplan doesn't go too deeply into the work of his predecessors and I think it would be a much better book if it gave a bit more credit to those who came before him, not just because it's a nice thing to do, but also because it would strengthen and deepen and add seasoning to his arguments. This book is a quick romp through a subject matter that could go on and on and on. The 'quick romp' factor accounts for some of this books charms and some of its drawbacks.
For example, in the opening chapter, he breaks up "healing" into "Prayers, Sacred Pools, Regeneration, and Holy Eyeliner" and twenty pages later we're in the next chapter. "Transformations" goes on for another mere twenty pages, including a two-page verse excerpt from Ovid's Metamorphoses about Hermaphrodite and another couple of paragraphs of Kaplan explaining his childhood rebellion and its relationship to his art museum experiences (unlike other rebelling kids, he didn't "drink" and "drive too fast" but rather, since his mother was a Renaissance scholar, he decided to go for Baroque.) His discussion of transgender folks leaves quite a bit to be desired. The one good thing I can say about this chapter is that he mentions that hormone blockers have been used therapeutically with kids successfully and with little to no side-effects for many years for conditions not related to being trans. That's nice because some people worry trans kids shouldn't use hormone blockers because it might "stunt" their growth, etc. It's safe, people. And I can't tell you how often I wish they were available when I was a kid (along with some more supportive parents).
If you are looking for a thorough, scholarly and well-contextualized address of the topics addressed in this book (mythology, folklore, folk medicine, magic, science...), this isn't it. If you are looking for an interesting and intelligent book that touches upon many topics and includes the author having conversations with quite a few experts on intersting subjects, such as whether looking at the livers of animals for the sake of prognostication might have any real-life scientific merit, well, you're in luck.
This book is more of a 3.5 when I look at it as a whole, but I decided to round up as there are so many wonderful moments scattered throughout.
July 17, 2020
Mis seisab müütide taga, mis võib olla nende tekkepõhjus ja palju nendes tõde on? Terve rida müüte või uskumusi ja katseid neid teaduslikult seletada. Kõigest lühidalt, isegi pealiskaudselt, kuid selgelt, mul oli kogu aeg huvitav. Päris hea raamat.
August 6, 2020
Did not finish - far too speculative, with a hokey "dad-joke" tone - for someone who loves both science and the wide world of things considered magic, this book was a huge disappointment. Also, maybe interview some trans people for your section on transgender.
March 8, 2023
This is a poor man’s soup.
Kaplan waves a hand in the direction of today’s pop culture heroes, while discussing such chestnuts like the oracle at Delphi was stoned on cave gases or engaging wild suppositions about why bird flight or animal innards were used for prophecy.
This is a rehash and he admits selling a story on plant communication by referencing avatar — this whole book is doing that.
Finally, Kaplan has to jump on the transgender bandwagon, making false claims that blocked puberty or delivered sex hormones have no long term consequences, and finally falling back on the cliched, wrong, and binary assertion that children can either be welcomed as cosplayers or death by suicide will result.
Bad stuff here
Kaplan waves a hand in the direction of today’s pop culture heroes, while discussing such chestnuts like the oracle at Delphi was stoned on cave gases or engaging wild suppositions about why bird flight or animal innards were used for prophecy.
This is a rehash and he admits selling a story on plant communication by referencing avatar — this whole book is doing that.
Finally, Kaplan has to jump on the transgender bandwagon, making false claims that blocked puberty or delivered sex hormones have no long term consequences, and finally falling back on the cliched, wrong, and binary assertion that children can either be welcomed as cosplayers or death by suicide will result.
Bad stuff here
May 9, 2019
I love Matt Kaplan's writing style; I love that he takes science and traditional folk beliefs and shows how the two influence each other in meaningful ways. His footnotes are clever and funny, which makes reading his books instructional and amusing.
February 7, 2024
Breezy and entertaining. Similar to a Sam Kean popular-science work. Kaplan got a lot of impressive people to blurb this.
December 3, 2015
"Most of us only encounter magic when we want to."
That would be one of the quotes from the book, which I find that I like very much. While the book isn't one of those open a page and bam QUOTES GALORE sort of book, it's a very eye-opening book.
Science of the magical looks at things that we consider magic or mythical, to see if there can be any basis in reality. So, can superheroes really exist? What about love potions? And was Circe from The Odessy really a witch? All these, and more, are topics covered in the book.
Matt Kaplan writes in an engaging, and easy to understand style. Each chapter can stand alone, and within each chapter, he writes about his discoveries in the order that he makes it. There are tons of references, and I'm glad that he is there to break it down for the reader. I read this in two sittings, and neither time did I have to close the book because I was learning so much that my brain needed to take a break. I was learning, but it wasn't a chore.
I don't really have much to say, apart from that. If you're the sort that's inspired or curious about myths and legends (or you want to find out the possibility of becoming one of the X-Men), I think you'd enjoy this book. As for me, I'm going to try to see if I can get my hands on a copy of one of his earlier works - Science of Monsters (or something like that).
To close, I leave you with another quote that I particularly liked:
With this final point in mind, I'd argue that science and magic are not as much at odds with each other as we tend to think. I might even describe the experience of discovering the science behind our myths as magical.
Disclaimer: I got a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
November 4, 2020
Carino, ricco di spunti interessanti e di agevole lettura, grazie al taglio giornalistico. È intrigante seguire i ragionamenti di Kaplan da uno spunto mitologico all'altro in cerca di una spiegazione scientifica di fenomeni altrimenti ascritti al mondo del sovrannaturale. La pecca è che spesso gli spunti servono solo come pretesto per parlare di un argomento correlato, e così si perde l'intento iniziale di indagare proprio quel fenomeno in particolare. In ogni caso una lettura interessante e godibile.
September 23, 2018
To sum up: “Maaaybe? But most likely...absolutely not.”
February 4, 2016
Meh. Didn't feel there was much new in this one. 2.5 stars.
January 19, 2024
I was thoroughly enjoying this book. Then the author decided to include the sentence "when we finally cure autism" and my enjoyment was significantly diminished.
Scientific journalism is the glue that holds the scientific community together. People go into their fields with a focus that narrows them into a speciality, which is a good thing for the most part. However, it tends to make them miss the forest for the trees. If you're a chemist testing how the Medicis poisoned people but lack historical knowledge of wine production in the 16th century, the materials people used to make dinnerware and the social customs during banquets, you are working with a bunch of blind spots. Getting someone to see those blind spots and gather a few people to figure out what's going on is important. Kaplan does that a fair bit, and I appreciated it.
Back to the autism comment. For the purposes of this book, Kaplan focuses on autistic people with "superpowers" (I am not even gonna get into this one). Good ol' savants. I don't think I need to point out that savants are a rarity and not the norm. My issue with this careless comment is that it implies there is something inherently harmful about being autistic for the autistic person. I would like to, once and for all, make it clear that most of the distress endured by autistic people has an external cause. There is, for example, the oversensitivity to noise and light that a lot of people who aren't even on the spectrum also suffer from, and the social isolation that comes from social anxiety. Both of those issues should be solved at a societal level.
We are animals. Some of us have found ourselves in big urban environments full of noise and bright lights that shine into the night way past the point of reason. This is, in fact, not great for anybody's psyche. The social isolation is also something that could be alleviated by recovering social scripts for awkward and uncomfortable situations (it worked well for Mr. Darcy) and benefit everybody. Not that long ago people used to know what to say after a disappointing date, and now ghosting has been normalised. I am not going to keep writing about the ills that plague us as a society, but perhaps Kaplan should.
Scientific journalism is the glue that holds the scientific community together. People go into their fields with a focus that narrows them into a speciality, which is a good thing for the most part. However, it tends to make them miss the forest for the trees. If you're a chemist testing how the Medicis poisoned people but lack historical knowledge of wine production in the 16th century, the materials people used to make dinnerware and the social customs during banquets, you are working with a bunch of blind spots. Getting someone to see those blind spots and gather a few people to figure out what's going on is important. Kaplan does that a fair bit, and I appreciated it.
Back to the autism comment. For the purposes of this book, Kaplan focuses on autistic people with "superpowers" (I am not even gonna get into this one). Good ol' savants. I don't think I need to point out that savants are a rarity and not the norm. My issue with this careless comment is that it implies there is something inherently harmful about being autistic for the autistic person. I would like to, once and for all, make it clear that most of the distress endured by autistic people has an external cause. There is, for example, the oversensitivity to noise and light that a lot of people who aren't even on the spectrum also suffer from, and the social isolation that comes from social anxiety. Both of those issues should be solved at a societal level.
We are animals. Some of us have found ourselves in big urban environments full of noise and bright lights that shine into the night way past the point of reason. This is, in fact, not great for anybody's psyche. The social isolation is also something that could be alleviated by recovering social scripts for awkward and uncomfortable situations (it worked well for Mr. Darcy) and benefit everybody. Not that long ago people used to know what to say after a disappointing date, and now ghosting has been normalised. I am not going to keep writing about the ills that plague us as a society, but perhaps Kaplan should.
May 4, 2018
A truly interesting read. So nice to see a well-researched book with lots of new information and topics to find out and think more about. Literature, history, mythology, biology - you'll find a nice mix of everything here. Hard to add anything more to this review - you'll just have to find out the magical (or scientific?) world of this book for yourself.
April 20, 2025
Breezy pop science with interesting bits, this book looks specifically into potions and prophecies, magic and myth. A fairly personal approach, with the author many times referencing how he had to convince his editor to back a particular story. It seems likely that many chapters are articles stitched together, but the topics are pretty solid and the seams don't really show.
This casual approach isn't thorough, and the author has caught some flack for oversimplifying autism and transgender topics. The book is light and readable, and overall likeable. Probably I would enjoy reading his blog.
This casual approach isn't thorough, and the author has caught some flack for oversimplifying autism and transgender topics. The book is light and readable, and overall likeable. Probably I would enjoy reading his blog.
August 31, 2021
Minu arvamuse leiab blogist https://triinuraamatud.wordpress.com/...
June 20, 2025
A beautiful example demonstrating the power of storytelling. We progress as a society, as a species, because of our own curiosities - what better way to cultivate curiosity than through stories? Even those as magical and mystical as the folk and fairy tales we hear throughout our lives. There’s some truth to it all.
April 19, 2017
It wasn't quite as good as the previous work, but due to my mysterious and inscrutable review whims, I'm still giving it 4 stars. Call it 4.5 and round up.
August 23, 2018
Folklore, legends, myths, and science. Everything I’ve ever wanted from non-fiction.
September 30, 2015
Note: Originally posted on One Grain of Sand - 30/09/2015.
Science of the Magical is the latest book written by Matt Kaplan, and a spiritual successor to The Science of Monsters. Written in the same vein, Science of the Magical is a “scientific inquiry” that promises to examine the mystical places and objects from tales both of old and new, and try to explain the science behind them.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “what if” about things like The Philosopher’s Stone, the Apple of Eden, or even magical love potions, then Science of the Magical may just be the book for you.
Science of the Magical is the latest book written by Matt Kaplan, and a spiritual successor to The Science of Monsters. Written in the same vein, Science of the Magical is a “scientific inquiry” that promises to examine the mystical places and objects from tales both of old and new, and try to explain the science behind them.
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “what if” about things like The Philosopher’s Stone, the Apple of Eden, or even magical love potions, then Science of the Magical may just be the book for you.
October 17, 2015
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
**I received a copy of Science of the Magical by Matt Kaplan courtesy of NetGalley and Scribner**
Have you ever found yourself wondering about the Philosopher's Stone and the myth of its 'powers'? What about love potions and sleeping draughts? The effect of moon phases? Look no further, because Science of the Magical explores all of that!
Science of the Magical is by far one of the most entertaining and enjoyable nonfiction books I have read all year. Matt Kaplan is truly a master at creating a lively and engaging narrative that combines science with ancient history, mythology, and folklore. Kaplan's purpose is to describe the scientific accuracy and origins of these myths. What I really appreciated about his writing was that he didn't try exceptionally hard to make the scientific aspect fit, and he also didn't poke fun at the origins of some of these ideas, whether they seem silly or not.
The information presented throughout this book is the kind that makes you turn to the nearest human in your vicinity (or move to a location where there is a human in the area) and say, "Hey, did you know?" or "Wow, listen to this..." My poor mother said she didn't mind, but after you've done it for the twentieth or so time, you start to wonder if she really means that. Kaplan introduces such a wide variety of magic and myths that the book easily flows from one topic to the next. Almost all of these supernatural ideas have a natural or almost scientific origin that led to their creation, and it is extremely fascinating to discover this backstory.
Overall, Science of the Magical will be receiving four-and-a-half stars. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's even slightly curious about magical and mythical things. Similarly, you're looking for something funny and informative at the same time, here you go! This would be perfect for anyone who just needs a good book to read and enjoy, because Kaplan will definitely give you that.
**I received a copy of Science of the Magical by Matt Kaplan courtesy of NetGalley and Scribner**
Have you ever found yourself wondering about the Philosopher's Stone and the myth of its 'powers'? What about love potions and sleeping draughts? The effect of moon phases? Look no further, because Science of the Magical explores all of that!
Science of the Magical is by far one of the most entertaining and enjoyable nonfiction books I have read all year. Matt Kaplan is truly a master at creating a lively and engaging narrative that combines science with ancient history, mythology, and folklore. Kaplan's purpose is to describe the scientific accuracy and origins of these myths. What I really appreciated about his writing was that he didn't try exceptionally hard to make the scientific aspect fit, and he also didn't poke fun at the origins of some of these ideas, whether they seem silly or not.
The information presented throughout this book is the kind that makes you turn to the nearest human in your vicinity (or move to a location where there is a human in the area) and say, "Hey, did you know?" or "Wow, listen to this..." My poor mother said she didn't mind, but after you've done it for the twentieth or so time, you start to wonder if she really means that. Kaplan introduces such a wide variety of magic and myths that the book easily flows from one topic to the next. Almost all of these supernatural ideas have a natural or almost scientific origin that led to their creation, and it is extremely fascinating to discover this backstory.
Overall, Science of the Magical will be receiving four-and-a-half stars. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's even slightly curious about magical and mythical things. Similarly, you're looking for something funny and informative at the same time, here you go! This would be perfect for anyone who just needs a good book to read and enjoy, because Kaplan will definitely give you that.
January 29, 2016
In Science of the Magical, science writer for The Economist Matt Kaplan investigates possible scientific truths behind tales of the magical from folklore, mythology and pop culture. For instance, can examining the liver of an animal really tell you anything about the future? Or is there something to the eye make up that the Ancient Egyptians wore to grant protection? As it turns out, the liver of an animal can tell you much about the environmental conditions it lived in, and the eye makeup contained chemicals that brought some protection from disease.
Science of the Magical is basically a collection of interesting facts. At times it was interesting, and at times it felt like he was reaching. Given the nature of the book, it’s easy to pick up and put down again. It took me about three weeks to actually read the entire thing when I more usually read books in a matter of days.
I did like the breezy style and references to pop culture. There was a footnote that referenced Discworld that I absolutely adored.
The book was generally well researched, but I do have issues with a couple of sections. There’s a section about genderbending, such as Tiresias from Greek mythology, where Kaplan starts talking about transgendered people. However, he never actually speaks to someone who’s transgender. He does the same thing for a section on savants when he’s talking about autistic people and never speaks to someone autistic. He talks to psychologists who study these people, but he never talks to the people themselves!
I’m not certain if I’d recommend Science of Magic or not. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t read it, but I finished it a week ago and feel like I’ve already forgotten most of it. In whole, it failed to make an impression, probably due to the disparate nature of the stories it investigates.
Review originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Science of the Magical is basically a collection of interesting facts. At times it was interesting, and at times it felt like he was reaching. Given the nature of the book, it’s easy to pick up and put down again. It took me about three weeks to actually read the entire thing when I more usually read books in a matter of days.
I did like the breezy style and references to pop culture. There was a footnote that referenced Discworld that I absolutely adored.
The book was generally well researched, but I do have issues with a couple of sections. There’s a section about genderbending, such as Tiresias from Greek mythology, where Kaplan starts talking about transgendered people. However, he never actually speaks to someone who’s transgender. He does the same thing for a section on savants when he’s talking about autistic people and never speaks to someone autistic. He talks to psychologists who study these people, but he never talks to the people themselves!
I’m not certain if I’d recommend Science of Magic or not. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t read it, but I finished it a week ago and feel like I’ve already forgotten most of it. In whole, it failed to make an impression, probably due to the disparate nature of the stories it investigates.
Review originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
January 11, 2016
“The Science of the Magical” is exactly what the title sounds like: explanations for things people have called ‘magic’, both in the past and present. The book ranges widely; he covers transforming into animals, healing pools, oracles, animals with uncanny behaviors, berserker warriors, near death experiences, Captain America, things from ancient history to modern days.
Kaplan is a science writer, and as such has a lot of contacts in all areas of science, which helped a lot in his investigations. Some things are fairly easy; hot springs made people feel better simply by being warm in areas and times that were really hard to stay warm enough in. Hot water helps many cases of sore, aching joints. No real mystery there. Predicting the future by watching the movements of birds was a little harder, but he makes a good case for birds being able to sense which way the winds are prevailing. It turns out that shifting currents can mean a winter either colder or warmer than usual, depending on which way it’s moving, much as El Nino/La Nina means for us in the Pacific Northwest. The birds are just following the winds. The Oracle at Delphi has been pretty well explained before; the cave she did her prognosticating in had a crack in the floor that exhaled toxic fumes that caused oxygen starvation in the brain. Super soldiers close to existing, between amphetamines to keep soldiers awake and provide focus, steroids to enhance strength, and drugs that increase red blood cell count and thus the amount of oxygen present in the blood- shades of Lance Armstrong there!
The author writes in a clear, accessible style. He always stays respectful of the culture from which the magical belief comes from. He’s very witty as well as well educated. The book reads like what you’d get if Terry Pratchett actually wrote a science book (instead of teaming up with science writers)- especially in the footnotes. Fast and fun to read.
Kaplan is a science writer, and as such has a lot of contacts in all areas of science, which helped a lot in his investigations. Some things are fairly easy; hot springs made people feel better simply by being warm in areas and times that were really hard to stay warm enough in. Hot water helps many cases of sore, aching joints. No real mystery there. Predicting the future by watching the movements of birds was a little harder, but he makes a good case for birds being able to sense which way the winds are prevailing. It turns out that shifting currents can mean a winter either colder or warmer than usual, depending on which way it’s moving, much as El Nino/La Nina means for us in the Pacific Northwest. The birds are just following the winds. The Oracle at Delphi has been pretty well explained before; the cave she did her prognosticating in had a crack in the floor that exhaled toxic fumes that caused oxygen starvation in the brain. Super soldiers close to existing, between amphetamines to keep soldiers awake and provide focus, steroids to enhance strength, and drugs that increase red blood cell count and thus the amount of oxygen present in the blood- shades of Lance Armstrong there!
The author writes in a clear, accessible style. He always stays respectful of the culture from which the magical belief comes from. He’s very witty as well as well educated. The book reads like what you’d get if Terry Pratchett actually wrote a science book (instead of teaming up with science writers)- especially in the footnotes. Fast and fun to read.
December 18, 2016
This was an entertaining examination of the science behind what our ancestors (and present-day believers) perceived to be magic or the work of the gods. The book naturally had to be selective in its choice of which mystical stories to analyze, as human history is overflowing with "magic" and "spiritual experiences," and no book could reasonably be expected to cover it all. The examples this book uses are interesting. However, as a descendant of western Europe, I would have liked to see more analysis of common Judeo-Christian myths. That said, the book does (briefly) discuss near-death experiences, and a couple bible/torah-based stories.
Overall this was entertaining and enlightening. Mr. Kaplan provides theoretical scientific explanations for what humans have in the past perceived to be physically impossible without the assistance of magic or deity. For example, in 150 BCE, humans thought that, say, seizures were largely the result of demonic possession. In 2016, humans understand epilepsy.
Sapping some of the mysticism from both our historical and present human experience benefits humanity by diminishing gullibility and encouraging iconoclasm.
Overall this was entertaining and enlightening. Mr. Kaplan provides theoretical scientific explanations for what humans have in the past perceived to be physically impossible without the assistance of magic or deity. For example, in 150 BCE, humans thought that, say, seizures were largely the result of demonic possession. In 2016, humans understand epilepsy.
Sapping some of the mysticism from both our historical and present human experience benefits humanity by diminishing gullibility and encouraging iconoclasm.
October 29, 2015
**An eARC was received from the publisher via Netgalley**
One of the recurring themes in my life has been the dichotomy of science vs spirituality, and it's no surprise that I was immediately drawn to this book, which proposed to examine a selection of magical beliefs in a scientific manner.
What I was not prepared for or expecting was the humour in this book. Kaplan writes with a snarky, sardonic wit, and the footnotes especially demonstrate this. There's a keen mind behind that wit, too, so don't mistake this for some fluffy text - but the humour and voice make this a book which is very easy to read.
There are so many things explored in this book - the philosopher's stone, the effect of moon cycles, Berserkers, the Sybils - and each of them is examined in depth, with Kaplan bringing in experts aplenty and taking journeys to investigate the "magical" phenomena (including trying to get past a locked gate into a cave containing poison gas, and realising that the locks and gates were there for a very good reason).
Very readable and fascinating. Recommended.
One of the recurring themes in my life has been the dichotomy of science vs spirituality, and it's no surprise that I was immediately drawn to this book, which proposed to examine a selection of magical beliefs in a scientific manner.
What I was not prepared for or expecting was the humour in this book. Kaplan writes with a snarky, sardonic wit, and the footnotes especially demonstrate this. There's a keen mind behind that wit, too, so don't mistake this for some fluffy text - but the humour and voice make this a book which is very easy to read.
There are so many things explored in this book - the philosopher's stone, the effect of moon cycles, Berserkers, the Sybils - and each of them is examined in depth, with Kaplan bringing in experts aplenty and taking journeys to investigate the "magical" phenomena (including trying to get past a locked gate into a cave containing poison gas, and realising that the locks and gates were there for a very good reason).
Very readable and fascinating. Recommended.
January 26, 2017
What a fantastic work of nonfiction! This book's cover initially caught my attention, and once I read the title, I knew I had to read the book. Full of fact and folklore, Science of the Magical debunks many myths and magical practices by breaking them down using science, but it also considers the heretofore unknown as a kind of magic in itself. Exploring the use of wands and love potions to healing springs and oracles, this fascinating book offers the reader equal measures of science and fiction. Kaplan writes so very beautifully and adds bits of humor throughout that make this such a captivating read. I was caught from the beginning and enjoyed every bit of this book to the very end. I am really looking forward to reading his other book, The Science of Monsters.
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