Creepy, Kooky Science

The history of medicine is chock full of weird and wild remedies as well as brilliant breakthroughs. Through entertaining text, full-color images, and intriguing sidebars, readers will explore the most bizarre medical treatments of the past.

Through a high-interest narrative and eye-catching images, readers journey to some of Earth's most peculiar places. They will uncover the secrets behind Stonehenge in England and the Nazca Lines in Peru. They will explore what is known about Area 51 and Roswell, New Mexico. They will learn what scientists have to say about who or what is responsible for disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. They'll view some of the most bizarrely colored mountains, lakes, and beaches on the planet. Intriguing sidebars and a further reading section with recent books and educational websites encourage students to dive deeper into these and other mysteries.

What happened to the dinosaurs that once roamed Earth? Could they have been extinguished by an explosion or perhaps by a meteor? Through colorful images and accessible language, readers will explore the drastic events that forever changed life on Earth nearly seventy million years ago, learn more about the debris that's been falling to Earth for billions of years, and be introduced to the way Earth interacts with other objects in the solar system. Informative sidebars and fascinating facts encourage learners to ponder what lurks in space, and what it means for the future.

Zombies have invaded mainstream society in weekly television shows, blockbuster movies, comic books, and novels. While there is no scientific proof that the dead can indeed come back to life, there are many terrifying and fascinating examples of real-life zombies in the world around us. Through enthralling text and vivid photographs, students will learn how rabies, which causes the infected to hobble, spasm, drool, and become aggressive and violent, influenced the modern depictions of the zombie. They will also read about a wasp that turns large cockroaches into mindless slaves, even walking them around like dogs, and other parasites, diseases, and substances that cause zombie-like characteristics in the afflicted.

Deadly and highly infectious diseases have afflicted the human race for thousands of years, decimating populations. Will it be a petrifying plague that one day destroys mankind for good? Descriptive text enhanced by informative sidebars and amazing photographs will show readers just how fragile and resilient life can be at the same time. Students will learn about recent discoveries blaming humans and not rats for spreading the Black Death throughout Europe, as well as how simple things such as dirty drinking water or disease-carrying mosquitoes have spread other plagues, including cholera and malaria, which have killed millions.

Students will journey into the deep and have a glimpse of what life is like in the most unexplored place on Earth: the ocean. Through amazing photographs and lively text, readers will learn about fish with transparent heads and worms that resemble tubes o

Parasites are some of the nastiest creatures on earth. They will do anything to survive, including pirating nutrients and using mind control. Follicle mites feast on human skin cells. The corpse flower steals its host's DNA and the stickleback tapeworm tricks its host into becoming dinner. Parasites have adapted to every environment on earth and in the sea, but are these tiny creatures nature's monsters or do they play an important role in our ecosystem? Through intriguing photographs and accessible text, readers will dig into the science of parasites and explore how these creatures shape history.

What will some scientists do in the name of science? Some are willing to go to extremes even if it means experimenting on their own bodies! They will drink vomit, undergo surgical procedures while awake, or even face a ferocious charging bull if doing so