Do You Believe in Magic? (a Wild Thing Book)

"Magic-spells and curses, hexes and potions, superstition, and rituals. We've all heard stories of alchemists attempting to turn abundant lead into precious, rare gold. Or of poor, unfortunate souls asking potion masters to brew up unappetizing concoctions that will help them find love. And of course, we're familiar with curses-muttering magical words for the purposes of exacting revenge on an enemy, or protecting a hidden treasure. Who wouldn't like the idea of special powers, or control over the natural world? It seems pretty fun, even if it's just the stuff of fantasy books and movies. But a lot of what we call "magic" has grounding in real practices. In fact, magic is at the root of many scientific fields-from chemistry to botany to astronomy-and has been an important part of human culture for thousands of years. Do You Believe in Magic? takes readers through a world where magic and science collide. What do they have in common? Where do they differ? What role has magic played in our history, and the history of science? Why is magic still significant, even when it doesn't seem to line up with reality? And is it possible to be scientifically minded and still believe in magic? Readers are encouraged to weigh the facts and go beyond their gut assumptions, to stretch their imaginations and think about why magic and science might be two sides of the same coin. Includes color illustrations, an at-home science/magic experiment, glossary, bibliography, and index"--