Read more
Zusatztext The author's engaging narrative simplifies even the most complex of scientific phenomena to the point that anyone! from the person who hasn't been in a science class since high school to the PhD scientist! will be able to gain knowledge and enjoyment out of this book. Informationen zum Autor Chris Woodford has been a professional science and technology writer for 25 years. After graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in natural sciences, he has gone on to write, co-write and edit a number of science education books, including the best-selling Cool Stuff series .He runs www.explainthatstuff.com, dedicated to explaining the science behind familiar, everyday things. Klappentext Using the modern home as a springboard, Atoms Under the Floorboards presents the fascinating and surprising scientific explanations behind a variety of common (and often entertainingly mundane) household phenomena, from gurgling drains and squeaky floorboards to rubbery custard and shiny shoes. Packed with facts and fun, each chapter focuses on the objects and processes familiar in everyday life and slowly unpicks the science behind them. For example, the chapter on how buildings work introduces static and dynamic forces in explaining why buildings (and their foundations) don't sink into the ground and why skyscrapers don't blow over in strong winds. The chapter on bicycles explores how "circles (better known as wheels) with a few flimsy bits of metal (spokes) stretched between them" are able to support your weight--and this leads into a discussion of compression, tension, and how gears work. After reading Atoms Under the Floorboards , you'll never look at everyday objects the same way again. Everything you ever wanted to know about the surprising science in your home Zusammenfassung WINNER OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS BOOK AWARD Everything you ever wanted to know about the surprising science in your home. From the dust on your bookshelf to the rips in your jeans, Atoms Under the Floorboards takes you on a whistle-stop tour of the home, revealing the scientific answers to niggling questions like ...- Why can't you cook your dinner with a smartphone?- Why can falling from a ladder hurt like a crocodile bite?- Why does your laptop get hot when its only moving part is the cooling fan?- Why can you see through windows but not through walls?- What's the connection between a bike wheel, a suspension bridge and a wedding dress?It's rock-solid science that holds your house up in a hurricane, floods it with light at night and keeps it toasty on a crisp winter's morning. Surprisingly simple scientific ideas can also explain all those strange, baffling and sometimes downright irritating things you chance upon as you move around your home each day.Clearly explained throughout, and packed with facts, figures and fun, Atoms under the Floorboards answers all these questions and hundreds more - the perfect way to discover some seriously surprising science from the sofa. Inhaltsverzeichnis Introduction Chapter 1: Firm Foundations Chapter 2: Upstairs, Downstairs Chapter 3: Superheroics Chapter 4: The Beauty of Bikes Chapter 5: Car Crazy Chapter 6: Sticky Stuff Chapter 7: The Inside Story Chapter 8: Amazing Glazing Chapter 9: Saggy Sofas, Squeaky Floors Chapter 10: Light Delights Chapter 11: Radio Gaga Chapter 12: Living by Numbers Chapter 13: Blowing Hot and Cold Chapter 14: Food Miles Chapter 15: Stirring Stuff Chapter 16: Water, Water Chapter 17: Stain Games Chapter 18: Dressing to Impress Notes and References Further Reading Acknowledgements Index ...
List of contents
IntroductionChapter 1: Firm FoundationsChapter 2: Upstairs, DownstairsChapter 3: SuperheroicsChapter 4: The Beauty of BikesChapter 5: Car CrazyChapter 6: Sticky StuffChapter 7: The Inside StoryChapter 8: Amazing GlazingChapter 9: Saggy Sofas, Squeaky FloorsChapter 10: Light DelightsChapter 11: Radio GagaChapter 12: Living by NumbersChapter 13: Blowing Hot and ColdChapter 14: Food MilesChapter 15: Stirring StuffChapter 16: Water, WaterChapter 17: Stain GamesChapter 18: Dressing to Impress Notes and ReferencesFurther ReadingAcknowledgementsIndex
Report
Atoms under the Floorboards provides elegant answers to questions so obvious you've never thought of them ...there is plenty here to interest those curious about the scientific underpinnings of the modern world. Wall Street Journal 20150620
