Mick O'HareRezensionen

I like science and always read New Scientist front-to-back. This section was always fun to read, since it would be reader answers to reader questions (sometimes with unexpected analogies). These aren’t articles, but specific tidbits on a topic. I like having a collection of some of them in one book, although they are available online, especially since that makes it easier to share with others or read when the power or Internet are down.½

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This was an interesting read, but I only gave it 3 stars because i skipped a lot of pages which weren't of interest to me. However, other questions were interesting and i read the answers thoroughly.

Un libro que recopila preguntas de lectores que son respondidas por otros lectores (Seguro que les suena de algo ). Debo reconocer que desconocía la sección “La última palabra” (The last word) de la revista New Scientist , pero me he quedado impresionado. Hay un segundo libro, aún no traducido, que compré en Florencia y que ya estoy terminando.
Y qué les puedo decir, estimados lectores. He devorado el libro. Me lo compré en el aeropuerto de Barajas cuando salía para Italia y me lo acabé casi casi en el avión. Es adictivo. Es fantástico. Es una gozada ver la colaboración entre los lectores, salpicada con comentarios humorísticos que arrancan muchas sonrisas. Es el foro CPI, si me permiten la comparación CPIcéntrica, con la diferencia de que lleva en marcha desde 1994.
Entre las muchas preguntas que podremos resolver están la que da título al libro: “¿Hay algo que coma avispas?”. El propio preguntante da una hipótesis: “Pájaros estúpidos”, pero la respuesta documentada de los lectores tiene mucha más miga. Hay mil preguntas más, muchas de las cuales han visto ustedes respondidas en blogs como CPI, MedTempus, Ocularis y otros: ¿Por qué los moretones cambian de color con el tiempo? ¿Qué debo hacer si quiero convertirme en fósil? Si tiro una piedra al mar en Menorca, ¿llegaría la ola a EE.UU.? ¿Cuántas especies viven dentro del cuerpo humano? ¿Por qué, si la rueda es tan útil, no hay animales que hayan desarrollado evolutivamente ruedas para desplazarse? Un auténtico montón de preguntas muy interesantes. Una que me encantó: “Dicen que la cerveza contiene un montón de nutrientes y vitaminas. ¿Cuánto tiempo podría una persona resistir alimentándose únicamente de cerveza?” Una de las respuestas: “Lo único que puedo decir es que tengo 39 años y sigo vivo” . Son 100 preguntas en total.
Sólo puedo decirles que adoro este libro. Que me encanta, que me ha dado muchas ideas para escribir cosas interesantes y que estoy seguro, segurísimo de que a cualquiera con interés en la ciencia curiosa pero inútil (a veces) le fascinará.
Mi nota no puede ser otra: Imprescindible.

Segunda parte del grandísimo libro ¿Hay algo que coma avispas?, que recientemente comentamos en CPI. Son preguntas y respuestas que hacen y dan los lectores de la sección “La última palabra” (The last word) de la revista New Scientist .
Y, de nuevo, la lectura es absolutamente adictiva. ¿Por qué salen las canas? ¿Por qué lloramos al pelar cebollas? ¿Por qué la mayoría de los perros tienen la nariz negra? ¿El efecto placebo siempre es bueno o hay efecto placebo negativo? ¿Por qué hacen tanto ruido al agitarlas las bolsas de plástico del supermercado? ¿Cómo funcionan las gafas que se oscurecen con la luz? ¿Por qué la barandilla de las escaleras mecánicas casi siempre va a velocidad distinta de la escalera? Si me pierdo en un supermercado, ¿Cuál es la mejor estrategia para encontrarme de nuevo con mi acompañante: quedarme quieto o empezar a recorrer los pasillos?… Así hasta 115 preguntas interesantísimas.
Se lo aseguro, estimados lectores. Fue empezar a leer y no poder parar. Y este es un libro que hay que releer, pues está lleno de información CPI. Me encanta.
Mi nota, nada sorprendentemente, es Imprescindible

Having never read the column its based on, I found some of the topics interesting while others not so much.

And 114 other questions

Indeholder "Introduction", "1. Our bodies", " Contusion confusion", " Congener congeniality", " Poison pen", " High brow", " Life in a glass", " Blubber bullets", " Fossil record", " Delayed reaction", " The sandman cometh", " Growth areas", " Waxing lyrical", " Dead end", " Head trauma", " Raising an army", " Does my bum...?", " Mr Blobby", " Skin creep", " What goes in...", " Natal knots", " Thunk!", " Bodily breeding", " Google-eyed", "2. Plants and animals", " Chorus line", " Fly, fly away", " Living bath", " Siren screams", " Shell shock", " Living on stone", " Toxic tatties", " Mole holes", " Walking tall", " Who needs nine lives?", " Don't bee home late", " Vicious fruit", " Flying V", " Dem bones", " In the dock", " A sting in the mouth", "3. Domestic science", " Bluto strikes back", " Beer orders", " Spectral images", " Whisking disaster", " Concerned consumer", " Pickled poser", " Dunking dumplings", " Spice attack", " Rubber horror", " Citric secret", " The black stuff?", " Light bite", " Cream on", " Honey monster", " Gurgle time", " Changing tastes", " Curious cuppa", " Indestructible wine", " A long drink", " Shock value", " Honey, I'm bendy", " Grey matter", " Heated hop", "4. Our universe", " Planet pinball", " Which way to turn?", " Turn left at Mars", " No more moon", " Low-gravity lager", " Gnab gib", "5. Our planet", " Dump it in the mantle", " Water, water...", " Hidden depths", " Concrete jungle", " Seasonal shift", " Lava wave", " Coast to coast", " Pingu's pleasure", " Shrinking world", " Balance of power", " Wave goodbye", "6. Weird weather", " No-ball snow", " Which way, Captain?", " Ice art", " Heavy weather", " Heavy or light", " Forest of fear", " Knowing your dews", "7. Troublesome transport", " Wrap up well", " Lighting up", " Pre-inventing the wheel", " Sea legs", " Titanic explosions", " Hail the ale", " Tread mills", " Ship shifting", " Pane barrier", " Fasten seatbelts", "8. Best of the rest", " Family line", " Cold surface", " Killer chemical", " Pipe dreams", " Received pronunciation", " War nuts", "Index".

En masse spørgsmål om ting, man kan undre sig over. Fx hvad første verdenskrig havde at gøre med hestekastanjer og hvor mange grønne kartofler man kan spise før man dør af det.

No fluff or unnecessary fanfare here. How to Fossilize Your Hamster by Mick O'Hare takes you straight to the experiments—here's what you need, here's what to do and here's what to expect. The whole book is themed around a household so each experiment (e.g. Green Eggs and Cabbage) is meant for a specific location (e.g. The Kitchen).

It might be a while before I get around to trying ALL of them, but I'm already enjoying the few experiments I have done.

This volume is a collection of the highest-rated questions and answers from the New Scientist magazine's Last Word column. The column, which is almost like a moderated forum for New Scientist's highly knowledgeable readership, is available freely online at:
http://www.newscientist.com/topic/lastword/

The goal is to provide answers to daily science questions which are not easily 'google-able.'

This does beg the question: if all of this material (and more) is already online to be read, why the book?
I think it's a valid question, however, if not for the existence of this book, I more-than-likely would still be unaware of the magazine's existence, and I undoubtedly would not yet have read all the fascinating tidbits of information here, which are nicely arranged (roughly) by topic.
As it is, I did read the whole book, and I'm considering becoming a subscriber to the magazine, which looks a lot more reliable and informative than say, 'Popular Science.'

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book and also for thus introducing me to New Scientist! As always, my opinions are my own.

What ages would I recommend it too? – Eight and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – No.

Setting? – Real World.

Written approximately? – 2006.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? No.

Short storyline: A mixture of odd science questions and answers.

Notes for the reader: There is sometimes a question about the reliability of some of the answers. Sometimes, they are conflicting. Then again, all science is theories, and what is today consider "true" in science may be proved "false" next year, or next decade. Read with caution.

This compendium of questions taken from the columns of the New Scientist magazine cover all sorts of scientific topics in an engaging manner. A quick and easy read, with minimum scientific jargon, this book will entertain and educate its readers.

This is a book of very simple, accessible activities that answer questions or demonstrate basic scientific principles using mostly items that the reader would have around the house. This would be a great book for a family that home schools. The experiments are described and explained so clearly that it is not really necessary even to do the activities. I didn't do any of them, just read the book, and I still think I learned some things.½

my 100th book since joining LT! ^_^

i like trivia a lot, and i certainly picked up a lot of trivia from this book. but somehow, i seem to have not enjoyed it as much as i should have. maybe this book form (as opposed to the questions appearing originally in NewScientist magazine's Last Word column) just didnt push the right buttons for me.

however, i applaud the idea behind the column. letting readers suggest answers to the questions have encouraged a lot of physical and thought experimentation among the contributors. i think that was a very cool achievement!

Another eclectic mix of questions with their equally odd mix of answers.

My favourite and a good illustration of what the book does is a question in a letter to New Scientist some years ago about hot water freezing quicker than cold water. This is now understood (isn) and it the way the world actually works. We see the full range of responses to the issue being raised and a little bit of history about how it was investigated. Fascinating stuff.

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1882711.html

Another great collection of New Scientist columns with readers asking questions and other readers answering them. Lots of interesting trivia; two different answers given for why we westerners tend to eat a sweet course at the end of the meal (not totally sure I believe either of them); the title question is answered somewhere in the middle; at the very end, a question about how Big Ben is kept on time is answered by someone who had actually had the job of keeping it on time. Entertaining stuff.½

I've had a couple of these New Scientist compilations but I have to say, this first one is still my favourite. Like the others in the 'series' it is a collection of letters from the magazine's brilliant 'Last Words' page, where questions can be submitted for other readers to answer. These questions - and their answers - can be brilliant, serious, hilarious or pithy by turn.

Have you, for example, ever wondered how frost makes those pretty patterns on your window? Or why you feel more pain two days after exercising than you do the first day? Perhaps you've pondered why dark drinks give you a worse hangover than clear ones, or idly considered how long a head can still be said to be 'alive' after it is chopped off? The answers are all here! A brilliant little book for idling away an hour or two...½

Why Can't Elephants Jump? and 113 more science questions answered is one of Mick O'Hare's compilations of questions and answers from the New Scientist 'Last Word' column. It falls naturally into sections of about two pages, each a question and its answers, so it is a convenient book to have available to read in odd free moments. Indeed, the best way to read it is a bit at a time, as too much at once would be rather overwhelming.

I found most of the questions interesting and the answers are mostly well founded. In many cases, people active in relevant research fields or otherwise well qualified contribute: for example, one response to the jumping elephant question is from R. McNeill Alexander, a leading expert in biomechanics.

I'm not a scientist at all. The only reason I liked science at school was because it occasionally gave me the chance to spell long and unpronouncable words. Like its predecessor, Does Anything Eat Wasps, I found this to be really interesting and enjoyable. The format of the book works especially well for somebody like me who has minimal knowledge of most areas of science; it's in the form of questions and answers posted by members of the public, so the answers range from impenetrable professorial tomes to homework answers written by nine-year-olds. It's gross in places, genuinely baffling in others, but I think I may even have learnt something from reading this. Hooray!½

This is another fun book from New Scientist's Last Word column and I enjoyed it. A good read, and I actually learnt some stuff (some of it possibly true) along the way.

http://www.stillhq.com/book/New_Scientist/Why_Cant_Elephants_Jump.html

A nice bit of fun with real science sneaked in.

Plenty of material to entertain the kids, of any age.

Will be trying the others in the series.½

Five out of ten. Interesting scientific questions answered.½

This book was really fun. Its a collection of 115 questions sent into New Scientist magazine, and the answers provided by other readers. Sometimes the answers and sarcastic or funny, and sometimes they are incredibly detailed. I found this book really interesting to read, and I certainly picked up some trivial to annoy my wife along the way. Excellent.

http://www.stillhq.com/book/New_Scientist/Why_Dont_Penguins_Feet_Freeze.html

Science strives ever onwards in search of the answers to the big questions. Is there a grand unifying theory (GUT) of everything, is the Higgs Boson the key to this theory etc.But day to day the questions that people want to know the answers to are things like 'why is the sky blue?' and 'does hot water freeze more quickly than cold water?'.And this is the book to find answers to lots of questions that you really want to know. The questions and answers all come from a column called 'The last word' in the New Scientist magazine, and this book is a follow up to an earlier book in a very similar vein.Interesting and funny.

Taking its cue from the popular New Scientist column 'The last word', this book is a collection of the weird and wonderful questions that people have asked of other readers of the magazine. Like the other book 'Why don't penguin's feet freeze', this book takes its title from one of the odder enquiries in the text.Apparently is transpires that actually an awful lot of different things eat wasps, ranging from various creepy crawlies to birds and larger animals.Full of questions that will make you go 'I always wondered that...' and answers that will make you say 'oh, right, now I see!', this book is a little treasure trove of invention and interest!