The Strangest Idea in the World

Here’s the biggest mystery in human history: Why did it take us 300,000 years to invent the toilet? In fact, why did discovering everything take so long? Why do some discoveries and inventions happen so much faster than others?

Adam Mastroianni, a brilliant populariser with contagious enthusiasm, draws on the little-known scientific histories - from the invention of the wheelie suitcase and the toilet to big medical advances - to show five stages of discovery that lead to a breakthrough, like building a tolerance for weirdness and realising that nobody actually knows what they’re doing.

In his debut book Mastroianni offers an answer: it’s hard for humans to discover things because every stage of discovery is, in the short term, a bad idea. We didn’t evolve to do it. But there's good news. We can build a better world—if we embrace the strange.

The Strangest Idea in the World is unlike any other book. With hidden pages, visual tricks, secret endings and interactivity throughout, it busts myths about science, celebrating curious people during an adventure of seeking the truth.