No Wonder You Wonder!: Great Inventions and Scientific Mysteries

This book explores and explains scientific mysteries and principles, leavened with tongue-in-cheek humor and an abundance of illustrations. Chapters are short, but give an understanding of technology and science not available elsewhere. Questions include:• What holds a satellite up while it goes around the Earth?• Why is the sky (made out of clear air!) blue instead of green, or just black as night like the sky that high altitude jumper Felix Baumgartner saw?• How is laser light different from “normal” light?• Did Columbus really discover that the Earth is round?• Which one invention will assuredly survive our civilization?• Why can’t you travel back in time? If you often feel embarrassed because you don’t have a clue about lasers, the difference between volts, amps and watts, or how jet planes really work – but you would like to understand the physical principles of our modern world, whether you’re a teen or a parent –this book is for you!To understand the basics of quantum mechanics, or of protons, neutrons and electrons, you don’t need algebra, calculus,or a lot of equations or technical buzzwords. Too many people have been soured on science by science teachers who have made simple concepts seem complex. This book is the antidote: all it requires is your curiosity. Advance praise for No Wonder You Wonder!: “From beginning to end, and with laugh after laugh, I enjoyed every single word of this remarkable book. Phipps is a hell of a good writer, and the kind of physics teacher that I would have loved as a young student. No Wonder You Wonder can be engrossing for anyone with a bit of curiosity, not just the scientific minded.” – Christophe Bonnal, Chief Engineer, CNES (French Space Agency) “No Wonder You Wonder is a fantastic book. Covering topics such as space, matter, and the energy within the universe, this book does an excellent job of clarifying these topics. It's a great read for young scientists and aspiring physicists.” – August R., high school freshman Read more