The author does a great job of writing in an accessible (and fun!) manner while still coming off as scientifically authoritative. I typically read books with one cohesive plot throughout the whole thing, so I found my attention waning and it took a while to get through, but that’s just the nature of the book. I don’t know that I would have wanted any of the stories and explanations shortened. I would recommend this to anyone who likes fun facts and new discoveries!

Fun in a way that learning often isn't, York does a great job bringing these stories to life. I laughed more than I probably should at how outrageous some of these experiments where, in the best way.

Carly Anne York has temporarily set aside her research on squid biomechanics and sensory physiology to write an entertaining robust defense of basic scientific research. York takes her cue from an anecdote about the great physicist Michael Faraday. When asked what practical good would come from his experiments in electromagnetism, Faraday responded “what good is a newborn baby”?

The main message of this book is that, while some scientific research may appear to be useless, even “silly,” none should be considered worthless. As we see again and again in York’s stories, we cannot predict the future: research that initially appeared worthless proved to be valuable.

The book offers great stories of science that proves its worth not by being useful—though it sometimes turns out that way—but because it is driven by observation, curiosity, inspiration from nature, and benefits from collaboration and the luck that favors the prepared.

This is a book that should be read by anyone who questions the value of basic science. It’s also a book that I hope will motivate young people to pursue careers in science. I hope the book will be used in high school science classes and assigned to 1st-year students in college as part of their preparation for arriving on campus. Observation, curiosity, inspiration from nature and the openness to collaboration will be of value to any student in any endeavor, not just science. If you think about it, these qualities should be valued by all of us.

We especially need this book now because basic scientific research is under potentially fatal attack. The stories in this book—including detailed stories of how three scientists dealt successfully with attacks on their work—provide great ammunition for fighting the latest and ---more intense than ever—war against science in America.

Thank you Basic Books for providing an advance copy in galley form for review consideration via NetGalley. Please note: Quotes taken from a galley may change in the final version.
All opinions are my own.

Striking a conversational, informative and inquisitive style of writing, this author, Carly Anne York, had me reading to the very last page.

In the current political climate, this book is needed more than ever. Not just for us everyday citizens of the world but those that make and can ultimately hinder potential cures and advances in the scientific world. From how penicillin was discovered to the current use of robotics that draws its inspiration from a whale's anatomy, it's all found in the pages of this engaging book.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Basic Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


#TheSalmonCannonandtheLevitatingFrog #NetGalley

A fantastic look at the silly seeming research that sometimes yields unexpected results that change the world for the better.

An informative and engaging book that everyone can learn something from! It's written in a way that feels like a conversation and is incredibly easy to get lost in. I finished this book in two sittings, 5 stars!

I feel I must be a fish, since I fell directly into this book because of the name and the cover expecting it to be a random science facts book, I couldnt be more wrong, and I couldnt be more pleasantly surprised about this book.

York introduces us to the world of science, specifically silly science, firts she provides context about what silly science means and all the problems it might arise to study things such as the shrimp fightclub, and all the stigma that surrounds such investigations that could be interpreted as time and money waste such as how that weird reptile is still alive when it only eats like twice a year, or why does the cockroach doesnt die even when you squash it, you might be surprised, just as I was, of all the usefulness found in this seemingly silly investigations.
Only downside I found the first chapter a bit too long, I want more science please!

This book is totally what I believe science should be introduced at schools, fun, interesting, and it explains the utility of science. (comeon tell me you found the mithocondria is the powerhouse of the cell talk useful when you were 13)
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Basic Books for this arc.

What made the author want to write the book is an encounter she had years ago with John Q Public who (who merely wanted to see how his hard earned taxes were being used) asked her why she was doing the specific research that she was. After flustering around, she realized she didn’t have a good answer then and with this book, she now has one. I wanted to read it because it sounded neat.

York has a great way of writing with easy to understand explanations. In some of the given cases, scientists purely followed their “what the heck, why not” interests while in others, there was a goal but on the way to it, something else popped up. In almost all of them, collaborations were done or another scientist heard about This Thing and realized they could build on that for This Other Thing.

What gets covered? Well how about how the study of the honeybee waggle dance improved web hosting services. Then there was the study of screwworm sex lives that has led to its eradication along with other plant pests and livestock pests, all without the use of pesticides. Premature infant massage techniques which were developed from those being given to rat babies can reduce the cost of caring for these human babies by about $10,000 per child adding up to roughly $4.7 billion per year. Worm blob studies might help increase recycling of medical face masks. Tweaking a glowing jellyfish has allowed the spread of cancer cells to be tracked and neural circuits in the brain to be visualized. It also earned these scientists the Nobel prize in chemistry.

Did research on Gila monster venom eventually lead to Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro? Why yes it did. A scientist’s unplanned trip to Yellowstone National Park and what he found eventually led to all those home Covid tests, among other very important things. Learn how a ferret saved a $250 million dollar project. Then read about Prozac for clams.

“Silly science” and scientists’ enthusiasm to follow where it might lead have done amazing things for us. Who knows what the next major thing will be and from what study it will come from. B+

The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog
Carly Anne York
Narrator: Eileen Stevens
Hachette Audio / Basic Books


Like the web content producer of the same name, I f**kin love science, and Carly Anne York’s book injected it right into my veins. The title is captivating, and so is the rest of the book – informative yet accessible and engaging at the same time. Full of little science trivia, including how quirky experiments lead to applications that affect our daily lives. Somehow, I ended up with both the digital and audio galleys, and I loved them both!

At first I wasn’t sure if this would be for me, since I can’t bear to read books that include animal experimentation. Then I read how the author is an animal lover and I decided to trust her. If Mary Roach liked this, I’m in. And I’m so glad I did. Written in an approachable style, there are plenty of anecdotes for people who like “silly" science. But there is so much more, exploring the huge implications that these experiments have had in the world. Do I want to know how long an elephant pees? Absolutely! Do I care about its technological applications? Not really, but the people holding the pursestrings do and, as a taxpayer I also understand that. So I was thrilled when I learned how animal venom may have saved countless lives (and not just through anti-venoms), or how the one animal I can’t stand to even look at, cockroaches, may save me a delay at the airport in the future. The cases feature a lot of people from different times. Some of them are long dead and we cannot ask them about what moved them. Most, though, are still alive and working and don’t mind sharing their experiences with the author. It’s surprising to learn that not all of them are scientists (or at least not biologists or zoologists). With regards to the welfare of the critters, most of the contemporary scientists make a big effort to treat them right. The people in the past were not so inclined, but the author is not explicit about it so, even if it’s sad, it’s not graphic. A lot of the experiments are not for the faint of heart (cutting a dead whale’s flipper comes to mind); but this book is so worth reading. If you, like me, have never lost the curiosity to learn about the world, this is for you. If you, also like me, scream at government waste and question why we need to spend so much money, this will also provide answers. A truly great read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Basic Books.

This is about all one could want of popsci: silly, compelling, well-written, and with solid science behind it. The pacing is just about perfect for the subject matter. An excellent nightstand read.

This book was a delightful example of what good sci. comm. should be. It took various studies that had been ridiculed at one point or another and showed how they were useful. Any Ph. D. candidate in research sciences should be required to read this book as an example of how to explain things to laypeople, a skill many are lacking in.

Rarely has a book on science felt so vital and timely to me. This has fantastic examples of research that felt silly or ridiculous at the time but was later used for incredible scientific breakthroughs that have become essential to daily human existence. This should be required reading before any cuts to federal grants/funding by both government employees, elected officials, and the people supporting these budget cuts. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book. Dr. York tells great stories about what she describes as research driven by curiosity, which I think is a great description of basic or pure research. She also explains the tangible contributions this research has made to society, making a great case for the importance of this type of research. The writing is clever and certainly made me chuckle a few times. All the science is excellently explained and Dr York does a great job of sharing her enthusiasm for the research. This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Thank you to Netgalley and Basic Books for the advance reader copy.