How Can You Tell if a Spider Is Dead? And More Moments of Science [Paperback]

Don Glass (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 1996

Have a minute? That's long enough to learn about rust, quicksand, tiny bubbles, or creaking snow. Or the shape of lightening bolts, how dogs eat, why it's hard to burn one log, or what our pupils tell us. This is a book to reawaken your childhood sense of curiosity. It's a feast of unusual facts and intriguing information for people with lots of curiosity but only a moment to spare. There is something to discover on every page—from what Jello is made of to why you can't heat an ice cube—presented in a concise and entertaining way. These easy-to-understand science stories are sure to delight the curious child in all of us.

A sequel to the popular Why You Can Never Get to the End of the Rainbow and Other Moments of Science, also available from Indiana University Press.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Entertaining nuggets of scientific fact, as featured on the National Public Radio show A Moment of Science. Glass, special projects director of Indiana University's public radio station and producer of the NPR program, has brought together nearly 200 scripts for this second book of excerpts from the show. The organization seems rather haphazard, although occasionally two or three articles in a row will be related, as in ``A Rising Fast Ball'' and ``Pine Tar Home Runs,'' both on the physics of baseball. The subjects cover a very wide terrain, probing the science behind such matters as steering a bicycle, the color of clouds, why opera singers can be heard over a full orchestra, the origin of algebra, why spiders don't get stuck in their own webs--even what happens to socks that disappear in the laundry. The articles average about one page in length, making this book a natural for browsing. (Conversely, it is of little use as a serious reference--not that many readers are likely to mistake it for that.) While the brevity of the articles does not permit very deep examination of any subject, each one is accompanied by a short list (usually one or two items, often encyclopedias or other popular materials) of additional references for readers curious to learn more. The informal tone and breezy approach are likely to make this a popular book with younger readers as well. Fun, easily digestible, this collection is a browser's delight. -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

DON GLASS is Special Projects Director at Indiana University's public radio station WFIU-FM and the radio producer of A Moment of Science.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (October 22, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253210208
• ISBN-13: 978-0253210203
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,449,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)