Imatge de l'autor

Chris Woodford

Autor/a de Cool Stuff and How It Works

67 obres 1,282 Membres 15 Ressenyes

Sobre l'autor

Sèrie

Obres de Chris Woodford

Cool Stuff and How It Works (2005) 312 exemplars
Cool Stuff 2.0: And How it Works (2007) 196 exemplars
Science: A Visual Encyclopedia (2014) 120 exemplars
Cool Stuff Exploded (2008) 74 exemplars
Energy (See for Yourself) (2007) 74 exemplars
Air and Space Travel (2004) 16 exemplars
Titanium (Elements) (2003) 14 exemplars
Communications and Computers (2004) 13 exemplars
Criminal investigation (2001) 11 exemplars
Space Dramas (Space Busters) (2002) 11 exemplars
Electricity (Routes of Science) (2004) 10 exemplars
Light (Routes of Science) (2004) 10 exemplars
Look Inside a Powerboat (2004) 7 exemplars
Potassium (The Elements) (2003) 7 exemplars
Time (Measure Up Math) (2012) 6 exemplars
Area (Measure Up Math) (2012) 6 exemplars
Breathless (2021) 6 exemplars
Gravity (Routes of Science) (2004) 6 exemplars
Weight (Measure Up Math) (2012) 5 exemplars
Height (Measure Up Math) (2012) 5 exemplars
Temperature (Measure Up Math) (2012) 5 exemplars
Volume (Measure Up Math) (2012) 5 exemplars
Speed (Measure Up Math) (2012) 3 exemplars
Distance (Measure Up Math) (2012) 3 exemplars
Energie 1 exemplars
Ενέργεια (2008) 1 exemplars

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Gènere
male

Membres

Ressenyes

This is one of my Kindle books. I read this book pretty fast, Not a great deal there that I was totally unfamiliar with but a lot more detail about things than I previously knew.Though I did notice a tendency to mix measurements like In the UK, most people drive less than 16 kilometres (10 miles) to work, while in the United States, the average travel-to-work time is 25.4 minutes. Driving, in short, is a much smaller part of our lives than we’re led to believe." And I also noticed a tendency to be a bit fast and loose with some facts. For example on p 99 he says "it's impossible to say how many people die from volcanic ash and smoke each year but it seems several hundred are killed in explosions alone so let's take that as a (not very reliable) proxy figure instead". Well it seems to me that this is patently ridiculous .....but at this point he is trying to down play the significance of natural pollution (such as volcanoes) so he picks deaths by volcanic explosions.....and ignores the premature deaths or even the rapid deaths from people who've breathed in large quantities of ash etc.
But I'm being a bit harsh, because, on the whole, I think he brings a reasonable sense of balance to the topic. He doesn't downplay the pollution actually caused by trees for example and he does discuss a really wide range of pollutants (such as Radon and Ozone) which tend to get overlooked. Also I was rather unaware of the pollution caused by brake linings, and tyres on roads ....I knew it was an issue but not as much of an issue as Woodford describes.He says, for example: a recent book by Spanish researcher Fulvio and his colleagues makes clear. What they discovered was that vehicles generate at least as much coarse particulate dust (PM10s) and a third as much fine particulate dust (PM2.5) from brake and tyre wear, road surface disintegration and the disturbance of dust already lying on the road as they do from their exhausts.
Nor was I aware that indoor pollution was of such importance. "Roughly half the world’s total air pollution deaths are caused by dirty indoor air. "Worldwide, for all ages and sexes, household air pollution is the eighth leading cause of death, after things like high blood pressure, smoking and outdoor particulate pollution (which comes in at number six). It ends 3.8 million lives too soon, each year." According to Woodford roughly half the world’s total air pollution deaths are caused by dirty indoor air.....the major culprit being smoky indoor fires where people are cooking or trying to keep warm. (I was reminded of a traditional farmhouse that I visited in the mountains of Japan and I was able to climb up into the loft sort of area and it was all glossy black from countless years of smoky fires....I guess the lungs of the inhabitants looked similar).
The other scary thing about indoor pollution is from household chemicals. " When Professor Anne Steinemann of the University of Washington studied a range of household detergents, cleaners and other personal care products–including some described as ‘green’ or ‘natural....she found they emitted an average of seventeen VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), including up to eight toxic or hazardous chemicals with no safe levels of exposure." Woodford's rule of thumb is that if you can smell it, then it's giving off VOC's. And," perhaps surprisingly, breathing-related health issues don’t cause the majority of outdoor air pollution deaths. According to the World Health Organization, most (some 80 per cent) are actually caused by ischaemic (blood-flow-related) heart disease and strokes. Given that a million people a year also die early from ischaemic heart disease caused by indoor air pollution, it’s easy to see that the heart is incredibly significant when it comes to understanding why dirty air is such a prolific global killer".
Especially worrying is that "several recent studies have found links between exposure to air pollution and the most serious psychotic mental illnesses, including depression and schizophrenia. It’s unclear, however, whether the connection is biological (something toxic in pollution produces, perhaps, inflammation of the brain or interferes with neurotransmitters), psychological (polluted urban environments leading to more stress and anxiety, which then leads to mental health problems), or both".
And pollution becomes a neighbour's problem too. "One recent study by scientists from the English universities of Leeds and York estimated that ozone produced in North America is responsible for the loss of 1.2 million tonnes of wheat each year in Europe, thousands of kilometres away". In a similar vein: "You can’t crow that New York is cleaner than at any time since the Industrial Revolution if New Yorkers are driving round in Chinese-made cars and the clean-up has been achieved, in part, by making cities in China dirtier or more dangerous–at least, not if you’re being honest". And, in Australia, we are difgging up and exporting coal at an every increasing rate...whilst giving lip service to reducing our carbon footprint. The Australian coal that it burnt in China and India become their problem and their contribution to pollution ....not Australia's. In practice, it's not quite as simple as banning exports because India and China actually need the coal right now to sustain growth and lift people out of poverty.
Clearly transportation is a major contributor to pollution: "When the British Parliament’s Environment Select Committee last studied the issue, it concluded that road transport is ‘the biggest single contributor to two of the most harmful and widespread sources of air pollution.....nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) … [and causes] 42 per cent of carbon monoxide, 46 per cent of nitrogen oxides and 26 per cent particulate matter in England". Though when it comes to urban air pollution, diesel engines tend to dominate the headlines, but in Sydney, wood burners make 75 per cent of the city’s particulate pollution. In the UK, they blow out 2.4 times more PM2.5 emissions than traffic. In Sydney, we are having increasingly severe and extensive bushfires which really loads the atmosphere with small particle pollution. And the cure (which is low temperature back-burns in the winter) is about as bad....with a smoky atmosphere hanging around for weeks at a time.
On the whole a really good book. Not too "breathless" in his approach....in fact rather measured and factual but the points made are very powerful. Happy to give it five stars.
… (més)
 
Marcat
booktsunami | Oct 20, 2021 |
This book would be a perfect addition to any science classroom as it discusses machines, technology and other gadgets; which is very popular with young adolescents at this point in time. This book is something that can be read rather quickly so it could be used as a good pass time book but either way would have the students gaining further knowledge about some of the technology and gadgets we are using in our daily lives.
 
Marcat
Brooke115 | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Apr 30, 2021 |
The first two chapters started off slowly, but the book gained momentum and became a joy to read. This is a well-written and interesting book that discusses the physics behind everyday objects and occurrences, such as why wool keeps you warm; how detergents work; how toilets work; fluid dynamics; the science of cooking; cooling and heating; how digital camera's and music work; how light; radio and cell phones work; squeaky floors and elastics; glass and why we can see through windows; metal alloys and stainless steel; how glue works; fuel and transport; and why buildings don't fall down.

Too bad there weren't any equations and a bit of maths. On the other hand, the author did provide many black and white diagrams to illustrate certain key concepts. As an additional "bonus", the author discusses the science and keeps any personal waffling to a minute minimum (for which this reader is entirely grateful).

This would make a good book for the interested general reader, teenager or even scientist who may not be familiar with everything covered in this book. The material in this book is not over-overwhelmingly complicated, but not simplified into uselessness. The author also includes addition reading matter suitable for the general public.

Addendum: My 90 year old grandmother thought this book was brilliant.
… (més)
 
Marcat
ElentarriLT | Hi ha 2 ressenyes més | Mar 24, 2020 |

Llistes

Premis

Potser també t'agrada

Autors associats

Estadístiques

Obres
67
Membres
1,282
Popularitat
#20,006
Valoració
4.0
Ressenyes
15
ISBN
169
Llengües
9

Gràfics i taules