Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?: And 114 Other Questions

I'm not a scientist at all. The only reason I liked science at school was because it occasionally gave me the chance to spell long and unpronouncable words. Like its predecessor, Does Anything Eat Wasps, I found this to be really interesting and enjoyable. The format of the book works especially well for somebody like me who has minimal knowledge of most areas of science; it's in the form of questions and answers posted by members of the public, so the answers range from impenetrable professorial tomes to homework answers written by nine-year-olds. It's gross in places, genuinely baffling in others, but I think I may even have learnt something from reading this. Hooray!

Segunda parte del grandísimo libro ¿Hay algo que coma avispas?, que recientemente comentamos en CPI. Son preguntas y respuestas que hacen y dan los lectores de la sección “La última palabra” (The last word) de la revista New Scientist .
Y, de nuevo, la lectura es absolutamente adictiva. ¿Por qué salen las canas? ¿Por qué lloramos al pelar cebollas? ¿Por qué la mayoría de los perros tienen la nariz negra? ¿El efecto placebo siempre es bueno o hay efecto placebo negativo? ¿Por qué hacen tanto ruido al agitarlas las bolsas de plástico del supermercado? ¿Cómo funcionan las gafas que se oscurecen con la luz? ¿Por qué la barandilla de las escaleras mecánicas casi siempre va a velocidad distinta de la escalera? Si me show more pierdo en un supermercado, ¿Cuál es la mejor estrategia para encontrarme de nuevo con mi acompañante: quedarme quieto o empezar a recorrer los pasillos?… Así hasta 115 preguntas interesantísimas.
Se lo aseguro, estimados lectores. Fue empezar a leer y no poder parar. Y este es un libro que hay que releer, pues está lleno de información CPI. Me encanta.
Mi nota, nada sorprendentemente, es Imprescindible show less

A random bunch of questions sent to New Scientist's Last Word column. Most succesful, I think, when the answers are a combination of serious science and humour. Some of the answers were way too hard for me to follow, having never been very strong, though interested, in physics or chemistry. Guaranteed to deliver some fresh insights, be it about the effect of mercury on airplanes (apparently they have to decommission the whole plane if there's a spillage) or about common myths (the Great Wall of China is *not* visible from the Moon!). I might try the follow-up, which is all about experiments you can try at home: cloning sheep and that sort of thing, I assume ;-)

my 100th book since joining LT! ^_^

i like trivia a lot, and i certainly picked up a lot of trivia from this book. but somehow, i seem to have not enjoyed it as much as i should have. maybe this book form (as opposed to the questions appearing originally in NewScientist magazine's Last Word column) just didnt push the right buttons for me.

however, i applaud the idea behind the column. letting readers suggest answers to the questions have encouraged a lot of physical and thought experimentation among the contributors. i think that was a very cool achievement!

This book was really fun. Its a collection of 115 questions sent into New Scientist magazine, and the answers provided by other readers. Sometimes the answers and sarcastic or funny, and sometimes they are incredibly detailed. I found this book really interesting to read, and I certainly picked up some trivial to annoy my wife along the way. Excellent.

http://www.stillhq.com/book/New_Scientist/Why_Dont_Penguins_Feet_Freeze.html

This compendium of questions taken from the columns of the New Scientist magazine cover all sorts of scientific topics in an engaging manner. A quick and easy read, with minimum scientific jargon, this book will entertain and educate its readers.

Another eclectic mix of questions with their equally odd mix of answers.

My favourite and a good illustration of what the book does is a question in a letter to New Scientist some years ago about hot water freezing quicker than cold water. This is now understood (isn) and it the way the world actually works. We see the full range of responses to the issue being raised and a little bit of history about how it was investigated. Fascinating stuff.