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Sto caricando le informazioni... The Thermodynamics of Pizza: Essays on Science and Everyday Life (1991)di Harold J. Morowitz
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Why do pizzas stay hot? Why are olives edible? How does ice carry electricity? Why is blood redder in the tropics? How much is a fingertip worth? Why do camps require health forms? What do drooping eyelids, electric eels, and curare have in common? What was the secret of the Sphinx? In fifty-plus essays, Harold J. Morowitz, a distinguished biophysicist with a very active sense of curiosity, muses over these and other questions that arise in the course of his daily life, his scientific research, and his miscellaneous reading. Morowitz's wit, warmth, and ability to make the most surprising connections will delight every reader. Praise for Morowitz's earlier collections of essays: "Morowitz is a pleasing cracker-barrel philosopher of biochemistry and biophysics. . . . [His] scientific musings both illuminate and safeguard what we are accustomed to call the mystery of life. You can't ask for more than that."ÐÐAnatole Broyard, The New York Times "Morowitz can handle the profoundest bits of information with the lightest and best-humored of touches."ÐÐLewis Thomas "Bite-sized essays in the biological sciences . . . a delight to read."ÐÐCarl Sagan "Morowitz is . . . one of those scientists with a passion for explaining his field to laymen. Happily, he has the wit to elucidate the Big Questions underlying the most trivial-seeming of facts. . . . With admirable brevity (few of his . . . essays are more than four pages), Morowitz ranges wide."ÐÐNewsweek Non sono state trovate descrizioni di biblioteche |
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 Google Books — Sto caricando le informazioni...GeneriSistema Decimale Melvil (DDC)500Natural sciences and mathematics General Science General ScienceClassificazione LCVotoMedia: (3.69)
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In fact, the best essays I discovered were the ones about the common everyday things: the whole food chapter is great, as too are the medicine and people chapters. There are gems of essays scattered throughout the book but there are also a few musings that you really do scan over very quickly. I tried to read everything thoroughly but I did get bored during the data classification segments and the metaphysical musings. Still, this is not a book you read all at once. I actually started it last year and only picked it up occasionally at first as the essays are lovely and brief and you can fit a couple of them in while you're waiting for whatever.
Recently, I've been reading it a lot more and it is surprising how long this 250 page book will take. But I do consider the thermodynamics of pizza every time I now order pizza and I have other new knowledge such as sailors who still navigate today by the pre-Copernicus geocentric view of the earth, or the fact that the Physicians Desk Reference is a popular library book for wannabe pharmaceutical practitioners with no jobs if you get my meaning.
I will leave you with his thoughts on the religion Kabbala:
"Thus, what began as the search for the inner nature of divinity on occasion deteriorated into a mumbo jumbo of not-understood symbols inscribed on amulets. Cabala moved from religious awe to numerical prestidigitation."
I enjoyed being coached into thinking deeper about things I wouldn't normally give a second thought to. I enjoyed the brevity of the essays; it allows you to fit the book easily around your other reading and into your life. And I enjoyed learning some new things. (