What did the Flash know about the Special Theory of Relativity that you do not? Why did Ant-Man have so much difficulty with a half- filled bathtub? Kakalios (physics and astronomy, U. of Minnesota) combines his love for comic books and the startling accurate ways they present physics with his love of explaining physics to undergraduates and those of us destined to never get beyond the comic book stage. While filling us in on why spending your allowance on x- ray glasses is a poor investment, Kakalios covers mechanics (including Newton's Law of Gravity, the properties of matter and the cube-square law) energy (including conservation and Ampere's Law), and modern physics (including quantum mechanics, solid-state physics and tunneling phenomena). In a final section, Kakalios also contemplates a series of superhero bloopers, proving that sometimes having mutant powers and three bucks is only good for a small cappuccino. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Publishers WeeklyThis terrific book demonstrates a number of important points. First, a subject that everyone "knows" is difficult and boring can, in the hands of a master teacher, be both exciting and fun. Second, it's a myth that only people particularly adept at mathematics can understand and enjoy physics. Third, superhero comic books have socially redeeming qualities. By combining his love for physics with his love of comic books, University of Minnesota physicist Kakalios has written a book for the general reader covering all of the basic points in a first-level college physics course and is difficult to put down. Among many other things, Kakalios uses the basic laws of physics to "prove" that gravity must have been 15 times greater on Krypton than on Earth; that Spiderman's girlfriend, Gwen Stacy, died because his webbing stopped her too abruptly after she plunged from the George Washington Bridge; and that when the Flash runs, he's surrounded by a pocket of air that enables him to breathe. Kakalios draws on the Atom, Iron Man, X-Men, the Ant-Man and the Hulk, among many others, to cover topics as diverse as electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, string theory and thermodynamics. That all of this is accomplished with enough humor to make you laugh aloud is an added bonus. B&w illus. Agent, Jay Mandel. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Categories:
- Science & Math
- Essays & Commentary
Publisher : Avery
Author : Kakalios, James
Language : English
Edition : Reprint
Published :2006-09-21
Number Of Pages : 384
Binding : paperback
ISBN-10 : 1592402429
ISBN-13 : 9781592402427
Item weight : 0.65 lb
Dimensions : 1 in x 5.3 in x 7.8 in
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