Why Icebergs Float: Exploring Science in Everyday Life
Andrew Morris
Science & Math
Why Icebergs Float: Exploring Science in Everyday Life
Free
Description
Contents
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From paintings and food to illness and icebergs, science is happening everywhere. Rather than follow the path of a syllabus or textbook, Andrew Morris takes examples from the science we see every day and uses them as entry points to explain a number of fundamental scientific concepts – from understanding colour to the nature of hormones – in ways that anyone can grasp. While each chapter offers a separate story, they are linked together by their fascinating relevance to our daily lives.

Language
English
ISBN
Unknown
F-Cover
Half-title
Title page
Copyright information
Dedication
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
List of figures
Introduction
1 Foods We Love and Hate
Evolution
Bitterness
The chemistry of taste
The psychology of taste
Diabetes and hormones
Metabolism
Taste buds
Smell
Conclusion
2 Why Old Masters Fade
Pigments
Why things are coloured
3 Cuts are Red, Veins are Blue . . .
4 The Dual Nature of Light
What is light?
Where does light come from?
Reflection
Images
Light from afar
Models of light
The colour of light
Conclusion
5 Models
The way of science
Perfect and imperfect models
Limits of modelling
The development of models
Multiple models
Coping with ambiguity
What is reality?
6 How We See
Illusion
The eye
Nerves
The brain
7 The Brain
Pooling experience
Studying the brain
How does it all work?
Neurons
Synapses
Brain and hormones
The case of the pituitary gland
Conclusion
8 Hormones
What are hormones?
Some examples
Hitting the spot
The example of adrenaline
How does all this help?
Conclusion
9 Reflections on Molecules and the Body
10 Bacteria, Viruses and Antibiotics
Antibiotics
Bacteria
Viruses
Anti-viral drugs
Conclusion
11 Floating and Density
The meaning of density
The special case of water
12 Tides and Gravity
Introducing gravity
Ways that water moves
More on gravity
Moons, planets and Newton
Einstein’s theory
Conclusion
13 Energy
Connotations
Scientific concept
Conclusion
14 Energy on the Move
Heat flow
The nature of heat energy
Heat, temperature and thermal conductivity
Conclusion
15 Energy for Life
16 Electricity
Amps and volts
Static
Electronics
Resistance and heating
The mains
Conclusion
17 MRI and the Brain
MRI mechanism
The landscape of the brain
Life stages
Adolescence
Rewards and risks
Learning
Social issues
Mental illness
Conclusion
18 Animal Culture
Discussion in the group
Dialogue with an anthropologist
Conclusion
Epilogue
Appendix:
Atoms, Elements and Molecules
Substances and mixtures
Compounds
Elements
Atoms
Molecules
Ions
Further Resources
Books
Websites
Audio and video
Museums and other venues
Festivals and events
Index
B-Cover
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