Can Cows Walk Down Stairs?: The Best Brains Answer the Biggest and Smallest Scientific Questions [Hardcover]

Paul Heiney (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 25, 2005

What is ear wax for? Do bacteria have sex? How do they put stripes in toothpaste? Does your nose run in space? What are stars made of? This book answers those tantalising or perplexing questions for which you thought you'd never find an answer. A book for the naturally curious, as well as those seekers after scientific truths, it unravels both those things we take for granted, such as, when you boil an egg, why does the yolk stay in the middle, or why is the sky blue, as well as questions which probe deeply, such as, what does an atom look like, or what was there before the beginning of time? If you were to write in the dust on the moon, how big would the letters have to be so you could see them from earth without a telescope? Drawing on the expertise of a team of enthusiastic scientists around the world, authoritative, entertaining, and often a touch humorous, it will appeal to anyone who's ever been curious about life on earth.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Heiney is a well-known writer, broadcaster and journalist. He writes features and reviews for 'The Times' and is also the author of several books Among them , 'Pulling Punches', 'Home Farm',two novels and 'The Nuts and Bolts of Life'.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: The History Press (December 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750937475
• ISBN-13: 978-0750937474
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,417,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A light, trivia-oriented reading guide to how science applies to daily life, October 18, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Can Cows Walk Down Stairs?: The Best Brains Answer the Biggest and Smallest Scientific Questions (Hardcover)

Scientific humor and real questions blend in Can Cows Walk Down Stairs?: The Best Brains Answer the Biggest and Smallest Scientific Questions. It's a light, trivia-oriented reading guide to how science applies to daily life and uses questions asked by the public to reveal the science behind everyday events and possibilities. A fine, fun guide evolves for any general lending library.

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, July 5, 2006

By 

Silje L. (Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Can Cows Walk Down Stairs?: The Best Brains Answer the Biggest and Smallest Scientific Questions (Hardcover)

Not all the facts are, well..facts. It claims that ducks have no echo, but any Mythbusters fan would know that's not true. It does have an echo, however it's so silent that human ears cannot hear it. And I would claim that the buyers of this book would probably also be interested in Mythbusters!