If there’s one thing ubiquitous about children, it’s an insatiable interest in how the world works. They’re inquisitive, but without a firm grounding in science, they can happily accept that magic could be the answer to their questions.
Laura Krantz, host of the critically acclaimed Wild Thing podcast and author of Is There Anybody Out There? and The Search for Sasquatch, shows young readers that science and magic are not mutually exclusive in her latest book, Do You Believe in Magic?: The Search for Wonder, from Sorcery to Science (2024 Abrams Books for Young Readers). Fully cited with a glossary and index, kids will feel like their interests in the connections between science and magic have validity and should be taken seriously.
Do You Believe in Magic? draws us into a world of wizardry, through the vivid telling of an encounter with a woman who identifies herself as a witch. She and the narrator perform a spell together, and Krantz takes a very pragmatic approach to their discussions on the nuances of magic. With no judgment or presumptions about the effectiveness of magic spells or scientific experiments, we’re led through a cogent explanation of how magic and science have not only coexisted throughout human history, but also how one would not be the same without the other.
Do You Believe in Magic? does an excellent job of connecting magical concepts like alchemy, potions, and curses to chemistry, medicine, and psychology in a way that young readers will not only understand, but will find very interesting. There’s even a science experiment that can be done with basic household items that can seemingly change steel to copper! It’s a shame there aren’t additional small experiments like this; might be a missed opportunity to make more of those connections.
Krantz discusses topics like astrology, superstitions, and magic words, while also explaining the difference between causation, correlation, and coincidence. Using modern day mentalism, she explains the concepts of telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis, making a point to say, “… there isn’t any acceptable scientific evidence that these kinds of abilities really exist,” and they’re simply forms of misdirection. Do You Believe in Magic? explains how magicians use misdirection and principles of psychology to manipulate our brains and fool our fallible memories.
Magic and science are both ways of feeling like we have some kind of control over the world around us. Do You Believe in Magic?: The Search for Wonder, from Sorcery to Science is an excellent resource for young readers interested in understanding how science and magic have intersected so often that one could not exist without the other.
Every February, to help celebrate Darwin Day, the Science section of AIPT cranks up the critical thinking for SKEPTICISM MONTH! Skepticism is an approach to evaluating claims that emphasizes evidence and applies the tools of science. All month we’ll be highlighting skepticism in pop culture, and skepticism *OF* pop culture.
AIPT Science is co-presented by AIPT and the New York City Skeptics.
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