Science of the Magical: From the Holy Grail to Love Potions to Superpowers

Written by Matt Kaplan

Narrated by Eric Michael Summerer

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781494584610

Matt Kaplan

Matt Kaplan is a science correspondent with The Economist. He has also contributed to National Geographic, New Scientist, Nature, and The New York Times. He is the author of the book The Science of Monsters. In 2014, Kaplan was awarded a Knight Science Journalism Fellowship which he used to study the sciences at MIT and folklore at Harvard.

Reviews for Science of the Magical

[catherinemilos · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found Kaplan's book a bit dull and repetitive in places, but overall it was an insightful look at how science and magic are symbiotic. He covered a wide range of topics and ideas. I was hoping for a more in-depth look, though. Great read. Science, Journalists, and fantasy lovers would be interested in this book.

[daumari · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Probably could've finished this faster if I wasn't also trying to finish grad school... anyway, neat short book about the reality behind the myths and mythologies of our culture, from what Circe was really feeding Odysseus' crew to how Wolverine's healing factor could perhaps one day be fact.

I have a feeling I've read other works by Kaplan online in various articles, but can't remember off the top of my head.

[aliceap-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Science of the Magical: From the Holy Grail to Love Potions to Superpowers by Matt Kaplan is a compendium of magical anecdotes. (It would have to be with a mouthful of a title like that.) Kaplan organizes everything under different subsections which allows him to cover a lot of ground but as someone who has delved into a lot of this genre much of it was already known to me (or self-explanatory). My favorite thing about this book were the often hilarious footnotes which I think saved the book from becoming too overblown. For instance, while a lot of the book was informative and genuinely interesting it was marred by the author's writing 'voice' which came across as forced. It seemed like he was trying too hard to be 'cool' and 'relevant' and instead it was just grating. By the time the reader reaches the conclusion, you expect there to be some sort of overarching theme or lesson learned but Kaplan seems to almost have tacked it on at the very end in an almost halfhearted fashion. It doesn't so much as conclude as leave the reader feeling somewhat disappointed that it wasn't well-rounded. I don't want this to come out as overwhelmingly negative because if you're someone who hasn't read much on these topics then this would be a great jumping off point but for the more seasoned reader it's less of a revelation and more of a rehashing. If you want a book which is full of facts and historical anecdotes then you could do worse by picking up this book. 6/10

[murderbydeath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this wasn't quite it, I guess. I don't think it's the book's fault though; the writing was engaging and it's just what it says on the label: a look at all the ways our superstitions, myths, heroes and superheroes are so often rooted in science.

Kaplan did his research (all of which is excellently documented in a Notes section at back) and when he speculates, he says he's speculating. Some of the information is downright fascinating too (I had no idea ravens and wolves are so linked in nature). If I was disappointed by anything in the book it's the casual assumption that you have to separate faith from science, but this is such a common misconception anymore I've come to expect it.

So, the book is good; I just didn't get sucked in the way I thought I would when I saw a book about two of my favourite subjects. Was worth reading though.

[pwaites_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[lauriebrown54 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“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.