Sean Connolly is the author of the Totally Irresponsible Science series and dozens of other books for both children and adults. A father of three, he is in an ideal position to explain the nuts and bolts of these experiments. He lives in England.
"A lot of mankind's greatest advances have been just a smidge away
from disaster. The Wright Brothers' flying machine, Ben Franklin's
fiddling with lightning, Enrico Fermi's chain reaction. In the
book, Connolly explains these discoveries and applies the concepts
to scaled-back (and kid-safe) experiments that use common household
items. Each experiment gets rated on a "catastrophe meter," so
adults can judge the danger quotient and how much help they need to
offer." "Budding scientists can learn about principles such as air
resistance, condensation and the electromagnetic spectrum. But they
learn because Connolly has them making a parachute that safely
delivers eggs, crushing a can through sudden condensation or
projecting an image of the bones in their hand on a wall. It's all
done in an engaging, fun manner."
Winner of the 2011 AAAS Subaru Award for Excellence in Science
Books in the Hands-On Category "This book stands out from the crowd
of guides to science experiments that can be performed at home.
Whereas many such works present a hodgepodge of standard
experiments, Connolly builds this one around the theme of major
scientific and technological breakthroughs that have occurred over
the past 2-plus million years of human history--arranged from the
first stone tools crafted by Homo erectus to the Large Hadron
Collider now being used to accelerate particles to speeds
approaching that of light. Each of the 34 chapters comprises
descriptions of an advance and its context, the science behind it,
and one or more experiments that demonstrate underlying principles.
These are presented in a breezy and engaging style. Although
calling the discoveries potentially catastrophic is sure to
intrigue a certain kind of young experimenter, the author's
explanations note both the benefits and the drawbacks of the
advances. Parents will appreciate the "catastrophic meter" reading
for each experiment, which indicates the hazards involved and the
appropriate level of adult supervision. The experiments and their
ties to the science are consistently creative: One can spool DNA
onto a skewer after isolating it from a half-eaten banana. A
handmade oven works because of some of the principles behind a
laser beam. The speed of light can be estimated using a microwave
oven, marshmallows, and a ruler. Even adults who have survived many
science fairs will find themselves temped to try some of Connolly's
experiments."
Ask a Question About this Product More... |