What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday QuestionsWhat makes ice cubes cloudy? How do shark attacks make airplanes safer? Can a person traveling in a car at the speed of sound still hear the radio? Moreover, would they want to...? Do you often find yourself pondering life's little conundrums? Have you ever wondered why the ocean is blue? Or why birds don't get electrocuted when perching on high-voltage power lines? Robert L. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and acclaimed author of What Einstein Didn't Know, understands the need to...well, understand. Now he provides more amusing explanations of such everyday phenomena as gravity (If you're in a falling elevator, will jumping at the last instant save your life?) and acoustics (Why does a whip make such a loud cracking noise?), along with amazing facts, belly-up-to-the-bar bets, and mind-blowing reality bites all with his trademark wit and wisdom. If you shoot a bullet into the air, can it kill somebody when it comes down? You can find out about all this and more in an astonishing compendium of the proverbial mind-boggling mysteries of the physical world we inhabit. Arranged in a question-and-answer format and grouped by subject for browsing ease, WHAT EINSTEIN TOLD HIS BARBER is for anyone who ever pondered such things as why colors fade in sunlight, what happens to the rubber from worn-out tires, what makes red-hot objects glow red, and other scientific curiosities. Perfect for fans of Newton's Apple, Jeopardy!, and The Discovery Channel, WHAT EINSTEIN TOLD HIS BARBER also includes a glossary of important scientific buzz words and a comprehensive index. --> |
Contents
Looky Here | 33 |
Hot Stuff | 77 |
degrees twice as hot as 50 degrees? What | 93 |
Why does Earth pull everything toward its exact center? | 129 |
Heavens Above | 142 |
All wet | 178 |
Stuff and Things | 215 |
Some Techspeak Buzzwords | 253 |
Other editions - View all
What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions Robert Wolke Limited preview - 2009 |
What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions Robert Wolke No preview available - 2000 |
What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions Robert L. Wolke No preview available - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
absorb air molecules airplane amount atoms billion blue bulb bullet called carbon charged chemical Coanda Effect cold colder colors contact patch contains cool Coriolis effect degrees Fahrenheit direction dust Earth effect electric electrons energy entropy eyes Fahrenheit fall faster fibers filament flow fluorescent force freezing gases glass gravity happen heat higher hits hot air humidity kilometers per hour less liquid water look mass mean metal miles per hour mirror moon motion moving NITPICKER'S CORNER nitrogen object oceans orbit particles percent photons plane pressure pull push radiation radioactive rotating rubber salt scientists skateboard slightly soap sodium solid space speed of light speed of sound spinning straight stuff substance surface surfactant Techspeak temperature there's things tiny tires travels tube tungsten turn ultraviolet upward vanes velocity warm warmer water molecules water vapor wavelengths waves wind