Getting to Grips with Science

What psychology and neuroscience have to say about acquiring skill or giving up

2.35 Self-discipline and laziness

To receive an email whenever a new blog appears, contact: andrewmorris110@gmail.com

This website is based on Andrew Morris’s experience of running informal science discussion groups for people with no background in science.

A growing series of blogs, inspired by these discussions, explains key scientific ideas in the context of everyday life. To receive alerts to these approximately monthly, email andrewmorris110@gmail.com

These three books draw on this experience in explaining fundamental scientific concepts:

Bugs, Drugs and Three-pin Plugs (2022) is a collection of 20 chapters on topics raised in discussions and conversations with people with no background in science.

Getting to Grips with Science  (2015) analyses the process and provides information to help the novice start to engage with scientific ideas.

Why Icebergs Float: exploring science in everyday life (2017) recreates actual discussions that have taken place, giving voice to the queries and observations of ordinary people as they interact with the scientific ideas they are exploring.

Read more about the books and reviews of them

The website also offers further information about useful resources: websites to browse and other resources, based on recommendations from readers. You are invited to send suggestions to add to these.