Did you know that when you have a pap smear you're benefiting from the research of a doctor who performed the procedure on his wife daily for 30 years? Did you ever wonder why psychics aren't banned from casinos? Did you know that adding salt to water won't make it boil any quicker? Did you know that the gold in the jewellery you're wearing was made by the explosion of a star? Did you know that the name "spud' for a potato comes from the spade used to dig them up? Did you know that you shouldn't brush your teeth straight after drinking cola?
Please Explain isn't a biography of Pauline Hanson. It's Dr Karl Kruszelnicki's 26th popular science book. You might have heard Dr Karl on Triple J or seen him on ABC TV's Sleek Geeks. Please Explain expands on his "Mythconceptions' in the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend.
In common with Christians, Dr Karl strives for the facts. He is on a quest to correct misconceptions. He examines the evidence, even providing a list of references for each story that you can follow up yourself.
Dr Karl's passion is infectious and persuasive. If only Christians were as passionate about correcting others' misconceptions! And if only we were as ready to examine our own assumptions. Christians have nothing to fear from the truth. We rejoice in the truth!
On the other hand, our witness is undermined when we aren't truthful. Dr Karl tells the story of the claim that a NASA computer proved the "missing day' from Joshua 10. It was an attempt to defend God's word with a lie that was inevitably exposed. As Dr Karl advises, "There is no point in telling lies for Jesus' (page 31).
American Christian author James Dobson also comes under criticism from Dr Karl for starting the myth that women speak more than men (page 177). Research has proven that there is no difference between the genders in this respect. As Christians concerned about the truth, our claims must be based on evidence. We must also be careful about relying upon the assertions of experts rather than going back to the evidence ourselves.
God has placed us in an amazing world and he's given us the ability to investigate it, and Dr Karl is a helpful companion.