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    What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
    Unavailable
    What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
    Unavailable
    What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions
    Ebook308 pages4 hours

    What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions

    By Robert Wolke

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    What 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. -->
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateJul 29, 2009
    ISBN9780307568472
    Unavailable
    What Einstein Told His Barber: More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions

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    Reviews for What Einstein Told His Barber

    3.5/5

    67 ratings5 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A great collection of questions about everyday life. Space, elements, light, etc.
    • 4/5
      Robert provides a nice job of describing physics in common terminology. I found some of the discussions rather simple, since I have a Ph.D. in engineering and have taught physics. Some of the discussions were interesting and new to me. So it is a mixture of simple and complex information. I enjoyed the book, perhaps more since I am familiar with much of the science. I think those that are not as familiar might find it even more interesting and educational.
    • 4/5
      This book of course, has nothing to do with Einstein. It is a compendium of interesting explanations of everyday and not so everyday phenomena, such as, how an airplane flies (the wing airflow is not just subject to phenomena described by Bernoulli), electricity and lightning, defogging windshields, chemical fertilizer explosives, etc. I found some discourses a tad esoteric (I've little interest in demonstrating understanding of how a radiometer works) and, I couldn't stand some of the childish attempts at jokes and puns. But I love this science overview genre and overall, this was an extremely informative book.
    • 3/5
      scientific fun book, it does have some subject like idontgiveadamn but it's overall a good read about physics history and modern physics.
    • 3/5
      This book is best tackled the same way you might window-shop at your local mall. Don't expect to spend much -- if any time in every store/chapter. Pick your best shots, then enjoy.The author serves up some truly fascinating scientific nuggets. What's more, he does so in a folksy fashion -- at least for a professor emeritus of chemistry.Some of the stuff packed in this volume fall into the "news you can use category," including tips on how to clear a fogged-up windshield. Other entrees could be considered "interesting but totally useless tidbits," such as a tiny essay on why snow is white. Sadly, too many of the entries fall into the "who could possibly give a hoot?" category, probing questions like "can you operate a vacuum cleaner in a vacuum?" Still, I enjoyed browsing through the book. It even solved a couple nagging household mysteries, including what happens to socks when they go missing in the laundry. The answer? I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.