In the news on various media it often happens to hear of characters assimilated to "sorcerer's apprentices", as they are responsible for consequences that are almost always detrimental and of which they unintentionally lose control.
Characters like these have always existed: the essay tries to identify some in the most varied areas, to tell the circumstances in which these apprentices handle their "magic formula", whether it really is a chemical formula, or a theory, of a book, a weapon, a drug, a material, the crowd or even sexuality, sometimes making unexpected discoveries.
In the end, the author tries to outline the recurrent features of sorcerer's apprentices, perhaps to be able to recognize them, if they wander among us, learn to stay away from them or try to prevent them from harming themselves and especially others.