معماهای علمی توضیح داده‌شده: کاوش‌های عمیق در حقایق جذاب علم طبیعی

Ideal for the armchair science enthusiast, Idiots Guides: Science Mysteries Explained takes a question/answer-based approach to teach readers a wide variety of topics in Earth Science, Life Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Cosmology. Using helpful full-color illustrations and expert information, this book features 130 fascinating questions and answers to satisfy any scientist wannabe. Contents iii 5 earth science 2 13 How do we know the Earth is 454 billion years old? 4 14 Why did we end up with a 24-hour day? 6 16 Why doesn’t the Earth have more craters? 8 18 How did Earth get an oxygen-rich atmosphere? 10 20 Why is Earth the only planet with a liquid ocean? 12 22 Is carbon dioxide the most dangerous greenhouse gas? 14 24 Why are scientists so worried about frozen methane in the Earth’s crust? 16 26 Are gold and diamonds good for anything besides jewelry? 26 36 Why is the chemistry of the ocean so important? 18 28 Could an earthquake ever sink a whole country? 20 30 Should I be scared of supervolcanoes? 22 32 Why are there so many different types of minerals? 24 34 What would happen if we desalinated the entire ocean? 28 38 Has anyone ever drilled all the way through Earth’s crust? 38 48 What would happen if the ice caps completely melted? 30 40 Why does a hurricane have an eye, and why is it so calm? 32 42 Could we ever use up all the oxygen in the atmosphere? 34 44 Could we ever control the weather? 36 46 Could we one day travel to the center of the Earth? 40 50 Why does a compass work? 42 52 Could the north and south poles really switch? 44 54 If the poles switch, what would happen to our compasses? 46 56 Does a single large volcanic eruption pollute the atmosphere much more than all human industry ever has? 48 58 If we reverse climate change, could the sea level drop dramatically? 50 60 Could the ocean ever freeze completely solid? 52 62 How can we be sure there wasn’t a technological civilization living on Earth millions of years ago? 54 64 life science 56 67 What is the earliest evidence we have of life on Earth? 58 68 Why does every living thing need water to survive? 60 70 Why isn’t DNA perfect? Why are there mutations? 62 72 If we could control DNA, could we bring back any extinct animal we wanted? 64 74 Why do viruses make us sick ... but only some viruses? 66 76 Why do living things age and die? 68 78 Do all living things die? Are there any immortal species? 70 80 Why can’t birds taste chili peppers? 80 90 Is there any evidence humans are still evolving? 72 82 Why are there so few kinds of large mammals? 74 84 Why aren’t there any half-evolved animals? 76 86 Why are some animals poisoned by foods that are harmless to humans? 78 88 What makes spider silk so amazingly strong and light? 82 92 How can plants grow and regrow from one tiny patch of dirt for years? 90 100 Why can’t animals make energy from sunlight like plants? 84 94 Doesn’t higher CO2 in the atmosphere make plants healthier? 86 96 Cheetahs are the fastest, elephants are the biggest ... what’s a human’s “animal superpower”? 88 98 Is it true that most of the cells in my body aren’t human? 92 102 Are some birds as smart as primates? 94 104 Why do some animals lay eggs? 96 106 Why do all large animals have four limbs? 98 108 How do we heat our blood, and why is it a particular temperature? 104 114 Why can’t I breathe water even though a fish can (sort of ) breathe air? 108 118 How do insects and spiders breathe, and why can’t I see them breathing? 100 110 Did dinosaurs have warm or cold blood, and how would we tell anyway? 102 112 Why can I heal a deep gash in my arm, but can’t regrow a lost tooth or fingertip? 106 116 chemistry 110 121 How many elements are there really? 112 122 Why is frozen carbon dioxide called “dry ice”? 154 164 Why are some elements radioactive? 114 124 Why does lead protect me from radiation? 116 126 What keeps molecules stuck together? 118 128 What exactly is a flame? 120 130 Why do gasoline engines pollute, while hydrogen fuel cells don’t? 122 132 What’s the advantage of cooking our food? 124 134 How does our sense of taste work? 134 144 Why do some chemicals explode when you mix them together? 126 136 What makes gasoline such a good fuel? 128 138 Why is smell our weakest sense? 130 140 How does light “charge up” glow-in-the-dark stickers and toys? 132 142 Would it be possible to freeze the air solid? 136 146 What makes some things brittle, instead of just hard or soft? 146 156 How does oxygen actually give me energy to survive? 138 148 Why is carbon monoxide in car exhaust so dangerous? 140 150 How is it possible for food companies to make artificial flavors? 142 152 Why does unhealthy food make me fat? 144 154 Why do soap and hot water make it easier to clean things? 148 158 Why doesn’t stainless steel get rusty? 150 160 What gives gemstones their amazing colors? 152 162 What exactly is an “organic compound”? 162 172 Why is life on Earth carbon-based? 160 170 How does a nonstick frying pan surface stick to the pan? 158 168 What’s so special about carbon, anyway? 156 166 cosmology 164 175 Why is the night sky dark? 166 176 If there really were aliens on other planets, wouldn’t we have met them by now? 208 218 Is there anything in the universe bigger than a galaxy? 168 178 How do we know how old the universe is? 170 180 Why can’t we see the bright center of our galaxy? 172 182 Is Saturn the only planet with rings? 174 184 Why do the gas giant planets have so many moons? 176 186 Why is the Moon so large? 178 188 Why does the Milky Way glow? 188 198 How do astronomers discover new planets? 180 190 How much of the universe can I see with the naked eye? 182 192 Why do we use “light year” as a measure of distance? 184 194 What makes the stars twinkle? 186 196 How do astronomers figure out how far away a star is? 190 200 Is there any actual evidence the Big Bang really happened? 200 210 Why doesn’t the North Star move in the night sky? 192 202 Why does the Moon always show the same face to the Earth? 194 204 Are the amazing colors in astronomical photos real? 196 206 Is the universe really infinite? 198 208 When and how will the Sun die? 202 212 What will happen to the Solar System (and Earth) after the Sun dies? 204 214 Will the universe ever end? 206 216 Why are pulsars so important to astronomers? 216 226 How many Earth-like planets could there be? 214 224 Is the Andromeda galaxy really going to crash into the Milky Way? 212 222 Why isn’t Pluto considered a planet anymore? 210 220 physics 218 229 Why can’t a spaceship travel faster than light? 220 230 Why do tsunamis only become so destructive close to land? 262 272 Is the speed of light the same everywhere? 222 232 Why did we invent quantum physics? 224 234 Is time travel possible? 226 236 What’s the big deal with the “Uncertainty Principle”? 228 238 How can a 10,000-ton boat float, while a 10-ton truck sinks? 230 240 Every time we launch a rocket into space, does it affect the spin of the Earth? 232 242 Why are tornadoes only common in some areas? 242 252 Why do atomic clocks that go up to the International Space Station appear to run slower in space? 234 244 Could the Egyptians really have built the pyramids all by themselves? 236 246 When did people stop believing the Earth was flat? 238 248 How can I be sure the Earth orbits the Sun? 240 250 Why don’t the filaments in cheap light bulbs last forever? 244 254 Why do so many people survive being struck by lightning? 254 264 How do we see colors? 246 256 Why do magnets stick together? 248 258 What would happen if the Sun collapsed into a black hole? 250 260 Why is a powerful electrical current so lethal? 252 262 Is wireless electrical power really possible? 256 266 Why can’t I survive a 200-foot fall into water? 258 268 Why is a metal spoon colder than a plastic spoon? 260 270 How does gravity work? 270 280 Everyone knows hot air rises ... but why does it? 268 278 Why do I float more easily in the ocean? 266 276 Why do I see the lightning flash long before I hear the thunderclap? 264 274 BRAND NEW TOPIC AND TITLE IN FULL-COLORMany people find science fascinating and there never seems to be an end to facts and figures that can be learned. Idiot's Guides: Science Mysteries Explained takes a question/answer-based approach to teach readers a variety of topics in Earth Science, Life Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Cosmology. Using helpful four-color illustrations and expert information, this book features 130 fascinating questions and answers to satisfy any armchair scientist.