81 Things You Probably Didn't Know

grrlscientist — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:59:11 +0000

tags: trivia, factoids, 81 Things You Probably Didn't Know, offbeat, streaming video

This video is filled with a bunch of trivial facts .. things that are true and, when we know them, make us feel like we aren't uninformed morons. The factoids are interesting, but music that accompanies this video is really stupid [7:54]

grrlscientist Mon, 06/01/2009 - 01:59

Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?

grrlscientist — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:33:34 +0000

Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?

tags: Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?, New Scientist, book review, science, trivia

Anyone who has ever claimed that science is boring has never spent any time talking with a scientist. However, some people have done so, and in the process, they ask lots of interesting questions such as; Why don't birds fall off their perches when they are asleep? How do you make transparent ice cubes like those in Scotch advertisements? What time is it at the North Pole? Why are traffic signals arranged red over amber over green whereas railroad signals are arranged green over amber over red? If you have wondered about things like this, then you will enjoy Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? And 114 Other Questions, a collection of questions posed by readers of NewScientist Magazine that are answered by fellow readers in their "Last Word" column (NYC: Free Press; 2007). Incidentally, those of you who roam the blogosphere will discover that some of the answers were provided by people whose names are familiar to you.

NewScientist's popular "Last Word" column is similar to an online discussion forum where readers ask and answer each other's questions, and the best of those columns were gathered together and published in this book. I found it interesting to read the different writing styles when multiple answers to a particular question were published. Also interesting were those answers where readers disagreed each other, especially those who are experts in the field, because this gives the reader (you) a rare glimpse into some of the reasons that science is a dynamic and often rapidly changing discipline. I was amused by the witty responses provided by some clever but nonetheless clueless readers who still wanted to add their own two-cents' worth to the discussion. [But see Bob O'Hara's response below].

Unfortunately, it was sometimes difficult to identify which response is correct when more than one plausible explanation was provided, thereby implying that we still don't really know all the answers to even some everyday phenomena. One especially interesting example of this were the responses from two professors from the same university who contradicted each other as to whether hot or cold water take longer to freeze, and why.

In addition to being educational and interesting, this book also has one illustration: a cute little drawing of an emperor penguin in the top right-hand corner of each page. This penguin is holding a fishing pole that has hooked a fish, which is at the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Each subsequent drawing has been changed just a little so that if you flip through the pages rapidly, you can watch this penguin reel in the fish, toss it into the air while tilting his head back, open his mouth to catch the fish in mid air and swallow it -- just like watching a cartoon.

This book is trade paperback sized and consists of 212 pages that are divided into nine chapters with titles like Plants and Animals, Domestic Science, Weird Weather, and Troublesome Transport. It also has a user-friendly index of topics in the back. Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze? will appeal to almost anyone, and it certainly makes for a fun and entertaining read while commuting by public transit or while stuck in traffic jams. And who knows, perhaps you will enjoy learning why fish don't fart while you read this book in the bathroom, or why snot is often green while waiting for your doctor's appointment?

So, to answer the question posed by the book's title, Why don't penguins' feet freeze? The answer is counter-current exchange. If you want to know the full details, you'll just have to buy the book!

grrlscientist Sat, 01/12/2008 - 11:33