Carly Anne York, an animal physiologist at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, has recently published a book titled “The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog.” Published by Basic Books, the book’s intent is to mix levity with serious scientific exploration, illuminating that creative and weird side of science. The hard copy of the book is available for purchase for $30.
Throughout her book, York considers the tension between unique scientific endeavors with real world consequences. The subtitle suggests the strange studies that have captured public imagination. These include the notorious salmon cannon, a contraption to assist fish in evading river barriers, and the levitating frog, which whimsically combines physics and biology.
York’s fascination with unconventional science began around a decade ago when a fellow volunteer at the Virginia Zoo posed a question about a project. This question was the catalyst for her exploration of how absurd-seeming science translates into groundbreaking discoveries and innovations that are worth billions.
David Hu, a fluid-dynamics researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, has been an early and major force in this area. In an op-ed for Scientific American, Hu mounted a spirited defense of his research. He had just been tagged “the most wasteful scientist of the year” in “Wastebook,” an annual report produced by then-Senator Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. This report singled out three of Hu’s grants as particularly wasteful, fueling public outrage and debate on whether such research projects are worth the money.
Criticism aside Hu’s work has yielded some remarkable discoveries. In the course of this research, his studies found that mammals are able to empty their bladders on average in 21 seconds. This discovery more broadly deepens our understanding of animal physiology. Hu stresses that even the projects we might consider frivolous can produce high value scientific learning.
York is especially thankful for her scientific predecessors who fought for the importance of basic research.
“I am also endlessly appreciative of the scientists who paved the path of advocacy for basic research.” – Carly Anne York
The discussion around Hu’s work fits perfectly into the canon of great scientific achievements throughout history that marry fascination and function. In 1956, Osamu Shimomura made a remarkable discovery when isolating a compound from sea fireflies. This research resulted in revolutionary understanding of luminescence in jellyfish. Shimomura and his team identified two proteins: aequorin and green fluorescent protein (GFP). Their discoveries not only made breakthrough biological science possible but brought Shimomura the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Both York and Hu, as case studies, show us that humor, creativity and irreverence can accompany deep scientific inquiry. Their output challenges readers and researchers to redefine what should be considered valuable research. Though they can seem impractical or whimsical, the projects often provide the foundation that leads to major breakthroughs in science.
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