Описание книги
About product Science and mysticism. What and why we are afraid and how brownies started in our houses. New book from the bestselling author of The Sum of Biotechnology, winner of the Enlightener Award. An exciting study filled with examples from a wide variety of fields of knowledge for those who want to understand where the border lies between science and mysticism, proven fact and quackery. When we are faced with things and events that are beyond our understanding, we call it mysticism and attribute it to the action of otherworldly forces: from ghosts and brownies to demons and monsters. We are used to believing forecasts and performing a certain set of ritual actions in order to pass exams or attract good luck in a new business. Alexander Panchin proves that most of our fears and mystical beliefs are caused by ignorance of the basic laws of physics, psychology and biology. There is often a scientific fact behind every mysterious riddle. So, the feeling of the presence of someone outside the house, tightness in the chest and the ominous premonition of your own death, most likely means not that you have a poltergeist, but that the concentration of carbon monoxide is exceeded in the house and you should urgently call the gas service … After all, restless thoughts, chest pain and hallucinations are clear signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Abstract What is the scientific solution to demonic possession, how does hypnosis work, is it possible to believe the predictions of fate and astrological predictions, why psychics are often right, who can read minds and why mathematicians simulate the invasion of zombies. Alexander Panchin shows that the laws of physics, biology and psychology are behind most of the oldest fears and prejudices. And if you woke up at night with the feeling that you could not move, and someone was sitting on your chest, then the whole point is not at all in the Scandinavian demon strangler Mara, not in the Slavic brownie and not in the eastern gin, although historically they were considered the culprits of this misfortune. We are talking about the so-called sleep paralysis, which occurs as a result of a sudden awakening during the phase of REM sleep, which at least once in a lifetime experienced one in ten people. …
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