Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?: And Answers to 100 Other Weird and Wacky Questions About How the World Works [Paperback]

New Scientist (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0805089888 | ISBN-13: 978-0805089882 | Publication Date: April 28, 2009

Amazing and intriguing questions and answers from the team behind the international phenomenon Why Don’t Penguins’ Feet Freeze?

The popular-science magazine behind the runaway international bestsellers Why Don’t Penguins’ Feet Freeze? and Does Anything Eat Wasps? takes on another irresistible batch of the strange, silly, and mind-boggling questions that plague curious minds the world over:

• Can pigeons sweat, can fish get thirsty, and can insects get fat?
• Could a person commit the perfect murder by killing someone the day after receiving a full blood transfusion?
• Is there a way to beat the odds of the lottery by using math?
• How much mucus does a nose produce during the average cold?
• If forced to eat parts of yourself to survive, which non-vital organs would be the most nutritious?

Culled from New Scientist’s popular “The Last Word” column and edited by Mick O’Hare, the author of How to Fossilize Your Hamster, Do Polar Bears Get Lonely? is guaranteed to amuse and amaze as much as it informs.

(And if a polar bear appears to be lonely, it probably means there wasn’t enough walrus for dinner.)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School—This compilation of questions and answers taken from the "Last Word" column of New Scientist magazine includes many that may seem lightweight, ridiculous, or downright gross, but the answers are always dealt with in well-reasoned scientific terms, sometimes with a twist of humor. Answers often come from subscribers, the majority of whom are associated with respected institutions such as the American Institute of Physics, University of Glasgow, University of Sussex, University of Sydney, and Trinity College (Cambridge). A United Kingdom perspective is evident, particularly in the abundance of pub-related questions. Some of the questions seem to spring from a childlike curiosity: Do elephants sneeze? What causes "pins and needles" in arms and legs? Other questions are just gross and disgusting: What is the volume of snot produced during an average cold? Why is poop from breast-fed babies less odorous than that of bottle-fed infants? And then there are the downright silly questions that come from people with too much time on their hands: How long would it take an average cow to fill the Grand Canyon with milk? The random nature of the questions makes the book more of an amusing entertainment than a source for research assignments. However, it will have great appeal to adolescent boys, science geeks, trivia buffs, and reluctant readers. And finally, we have an answer as to whether it is more fuel efficient to drive with the windows down or with the air-conditioning on.—Paula Dacker, Charter Oak High School, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for the New Scientist series

Praise for How to Fossilize Your Hamster

"Mad science is back. Only here, it’s less evil and not just for kids. Eighty simple and charming experiments meant to be conducted in the comfort of one’s own home illustrate scientific principles in action."—Science News

"Forget graduate school. New Scientist… outlines how you can eat and drink your way to scientific discovery…. It’s a funny and very adult twist on the classic baking-soda volcano projects of our childhood."—Wired Magazine

Praise for Why Don’t Penguin’s Feet Freeze?

"If you have ever wondered why hair turns grey, fingers get crinkled in the bath or if the Great Wall of China really is visible from space, Mick O’Hare has the answers."—CNN

"Extraordinary book…. Responsible for putting popular science back on its feet." —BBC Radio 5 Live

"Hold the answers to all the world’s little mysteries."—Evening Standard (London)

"At last, the mysteries of the world are explained… The book everyone is taking about."—Independent on Sunday (London)

Praise for Does Anything Eat Wasps?

"Witty, unexpected and imaginative."—Daily Express (London)

"Fascinating things you never knew you wanted to know."—Daily Mirror (London)

Praise for the New Scientist series

Praise for How to Fossilize Your Hamster

"Mad science is back. Only here, it’s less evil and not just for kids. Eighty simple and charming experiments meant to be conducted in the comfort of one’s own home illustrate scientific principles in action."—Science News

"Forget graduate school. New Scientist… outlines how you can eat and drink your way to scientific discovery…. It’s a funny and very adult twist on the classic baking-soda volcano projects of our childhood."—Wired Magazine

Praise for Why Don’t Penguin’s Feet Freeze?

"If you have ever wondered why hair turns grey, fingers get crinkled in the bath or if the Great Wall of China really is visible from space, Mick O’Hare has the answers."—CNN

"Extraordinary book…. Responsible for putting popular science back on its feet." —BBC Radio 5 Live

"Hold the answers to all the world’s little mysteries."—Evening Standard (London)

"At last, the mysteries of the world are explained… The book everyone is taking about."—Independent on Sunday (London)

Praise for Does Anything Eat Wasps?

"Witty, unexpected and imaginative."—Daily Express (London)

"Fascinating things you never knew you wanted to know."—Daily Mirror (London)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (April 28, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805089888
• ISBN-13: 978-0805089882
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,287,467 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Now That's an Interesting Question!, May 23, 2009

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?: And Answers to 100 Other Weird and Wacky Questions About How the World Works (Paperback)

DO POLAR BEARS GET LONELY? is the latest offering of oddball questions and their equally fascinating answers from the English weekly NEW SCIENTIST. Drawn from actual questions sent into the magazine's 'Last Word' columnist, DO POLAR BEARS GET LONELY? will be welcomed by trivia buffs and Renaissance men/women alike.

Editor Mick O'Hare divided the 100-odd questions into chapters covering 'Food and Drink,' 'Domestic Science,' 'Our Bodies,' 'Plants and Animals' and so on. Each question is posed as received and then followed by one or more replies from other readers, some of whom are educators.

Paging through the book is a delight. Did you ever wonder why cooked food tastes different after it cools? Have you ever pondered why it's easy to put on the pounds as you age and even harder to take off that weight? Are you wondering if your mom was right in warning you about cracking your knuckles? How come it's so easy to balance on a moving bike but almost impossible to stay upright when you stop? As Mr. Spock would say: "Fascinating!"

Like previous NEW SCIENTIST Q&A books, DO POLAR BEARS GET LONELY? is both informative and FUN. Recommended for all lovers of information.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book to Remember, September 28, 2011

By 

HollyPennington - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?: And Answers to 100 Other Weird and Wacky Questions About How the World Works (Paperback)

I found this book to be a thoroughly enjoyable read filled with answers to questions you always wondered about. One part of a lovely set of books that i highly recommend to anyone who searches for answers to some rather unusual questions :). Enjoy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Educational, fun & easy to read, December 2, 2009

By 

Wulfstan "wulfstan" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?: And Answers to 100 Other Weird and Wacky Questions About How the World Works (Paperback)

A series of short Q&A from the well-known NEW SCIENTIST Magazine column. These are fascinating, well researched and a good book to read in little bits & pieces. Enjoyable and fun science trivia. Some of the questions are wierd and strange, but then the answers are fun. Good book for the "reading room", the bus, train, etc.