Quirkology: The Curious Science of Everyday Lives

by Richard Wiseman

Famous for liking the phrase, ‘If it cannot be measured, then it does not exist’, Eysenck spent much of his career trying to quantify aspects of the human psyche (including poetry, sexual behaviour, humour, and genius) that many believed to be beyond the grasp of science.

Astrology and graphology do not actually need to be accurate in order to be seen as accurate. Instead, all you have to do is give people a very general statement about their personality, and their brains will trick them into believing that it is insightful.

Throughout her life, Allen claimed that her birth certificate was destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, despite the earthquake occurring a few months before her alleged birthday. When asked about the discrepancy, Allen allegedly remarked, ‘Well, it was an awfully big earthquake.’

Niels Bohr is rumoured to have placed a horseshoe over his door. (Although here the evidence is debatable. When asked whether he thought it really brought him good luck, Bohr replied, ‘No, but I am told it works whether you believe in it or not.’

The most important thing in this world is the destruction of superstition. Superstition interferes with the happiness of mankind. Superstition is a terrible serpent, reaching in frightful coils from heaven to earth and thrusting its poisoned fangs into the hearts of men. While I live, I am going to do what little I can for the destruction of this monster.

Although Freud claimed to be a scientist, many of his ideas are completely untesticle.