Storm in a teacup : the physics of everyday life / Helen Czerski.

Item request has been placed! ×
Item request cannot be made. ×
loading   Processing Request
Share on Goodreads
  • Author(s): Czerski, Helen, 1978-
  • Language:
    English
  • Publication Information:
    New York ; London : W.W. Norton & Company, 2017.
  • Publication Date:
    2017
  • Physical Description:
    275 pages ; 24 cm
  • Publication Type:
    Book
  • Document Type:
    Bibliographies; Non-fiction
  • Subject Terms:
  • Availability: 3 Holdings
  • Additional Information
    • Publication Information:
      First American edition 2017.
    • Abstract:
      Summary: "A physicist explains daily phenomena from the mundane to the magisterial. Take a look up at the stars on a clear night and you get a sense that the universe is vast and untouchable, full of mysteries beyond comprehension. But did you know that the key to unveiling the secrets of the cosmos is as close as the nearest toaster? In Storm in a Teacup, Helen Czerski provides the tools to alter the way we see everything around us by linking ordinary objects and occurrences, like popcorn popping, coffee stains, and fridge magnets, to big ideas like climate change, the energy crisis, or innovative medical testing. She guides us through the principles of gases ("Explosions in the kitchen are generally considered a bad idea. But occasionally a small one can produce something delicious"); gravity (drop some raisins in a bottle of carbonated lemonade and watch the whoosh of bubbles and the dancing raisins at the bottom bumping into each other); size (Czerski explains the action of the water molecules that cause the crime-scene stain left by a puddle of dried coffee); and time (why it takes so long for ketchup to come out of a bottle). Along the way, she provides answers to vexing questions: How does water travel from the roots of a redwood tree to its crown? How do ducks keep their feet warm when walking on ice? Why does milk, when added to tea, look like billowing storm clouds? In an engaging voice at once warm and witty, Czerski shares her stunning breadth of knowledge to lift the veil of familiarity from the ordinary. You may never look at your toaster the same way"-- Provided by publisher.
    • Content Notes:
      Popcorn and rockets -- What goes up must come down -- Small is beautiful -- A moment in time -- Making waves -- Why don't ducks get cold feet? -- Spoons, spirals and Sputnik -- When opposites attract -- A sense of perspective.
    • Notes:
      Includes bibliographical references and index.
      1 2 22
    • Other Titles:
      Physics of everyday life.
    • ISBN:
      9780393248968
      0393248968
    • Accession Number:
      2016046555
    • Accession Number:
      951070862
    • Accession Number:
      ccp.997648