Lise Johnson, PhD, is a biomedical engineer, educator, and writer from Centennial, Colorado. She is currently the director of Basic Science Curriculum and Assistant Professor of Physician Assistant Studies at Rocky Vista University, and is co-author, with Eric Chudler, of Brain Bytes: Quick Answers to Quirky Questions about the Brain. Eric H. Chudler, PhD, is the executive director of the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering and a neuroscientist at the University of Washington. He hosts the popular Web site Neuroscience for Kids and lives in Seattle, Washington.
Few of us are able to make sense of the scientific literature for ourselves, but Chudler and Johnson have done the spade work for us, assembling the most reliable findings about the things that worry us all. They apply scientific reasoning to everyday situations in a fun and accessible way. The authors' wry tone and winsome humor brought a smile to my face even as I read about things that might kill me some day.--Adam Baker, PhD., Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of North Dakota With new technologies and fads arriving daily, Dr. Johnson and Dr. Chudler use the principles of scientific research to investigate common worries ranging from asbestos to microwaves to gluten. As a pediatrician, I not infrequently encounter parents with these fears. I appreciate the humor and scientific rigor with which they sort through the cacophony of available information to advise us which anxieties are worth our attention--and which are not.--Carrie Nedrud, MD, Pediatrician