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Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life – Helen Czerski

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Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life

Helen Czerski

Genre: Physics

Price: $15.99

Publish Date: January 10, 2017

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Seller: W. W. Norton


A physicist explains daily phenomena from the mundane to the magisterial. Take a look up at the stars on a clear night and you get a sense that the universe is vast and untouchable, full of mysteries beyond comprehension. But did you know that the key to unveiling the secrets of the cosmos is as close as the nearest toaster? Our home here on Earth is messy, mutable, and full of humdrum things that we touch and modify without much thought every day. But these familiar surroundings are just the place to look if you’re interested in what makes the universe tick. In Storm in a Teacup, Helen Czerski provides the tools to alter the way we see everything around us by linking ordinary objects and occurrences, like popcorn popping, coffee stains, and fridge magnets, to big ideas like climate change, the energy crisis, or innovative medical testing. She guides us through the principles of gases (“Explosions in the kitchen are generally considered a bad idea. But just occasionally a small one can produce something delicious”); gravity (drop some raisins in a bottle of carbonated lemonade and watch the whoosh of bubbles and the dancing raisins at the bottom bumping into each other); size (Czerski explains the action of the water molecules that cause the crime-scene stain left by a puddle of dried coffee); and time (why it takes so long for ketchup to come out of a bottle). Along the way, she provides answers to vexing questions: How does water travel from the roots of a redwood tree to its crown? How do ducks keep their feet warm when walking on ice? Why does milk, when added to tea, look like billowing storm clouds? In an engaging voice at once warm and witty, Czerski shares her stunning breadth of knowledge to lift the veil of familiarity from the ordinary. You may never look at your toaster the same way.

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Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life – Helen Czerski

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Virginia Oil Tanker Derailment: “The River Was On Fire”

This is just the latest in a string of oil-by-rail accidents—and yet the feds are dragging their heels on safety rules. On Wednesday afternoon, a CSX train carrying crude oil jumped its tracks in downtown Lynchburg, Virginia, sending three tankers careening into the James River with a fiery load; it was the second derailment for the company this year. While no one was injured, the fire burned for hours, and more than 300 people were evacuated from the nearby area. ”The river was on fire,” deputy city manager Bonnie Svrek told The Washington Post. It’s still unclear how much of the missing 50,000 gallons of crude was burned and how much spilled into the river. The video footage above—shot from a drone—shows just how close the derailment was to both the town and the river. Meanwhile, this next Instagram video shows the intensity of the fire: This derailment is the latest in a series of fiery accidents involving oil tankers. According to the Association of American Railroads, the amount of crude oil traveling by rail skyrocketed from 9,500 carloads in 2008 to an estimated 400,000 in 2013. Our analysis published in February showed that in the United States, seven of the 10 worst railroad oil spills of the past decade happened in the last three years, totaling nearly $2 million in damages. (This number doesn’t include the catastrophic accident in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, last July, which decimated the town and killed 47 people.) US regulators have promised safer, more robust tanker cars in new regulations due out soon. Spurred by Lac-Megantic disaster, the Canadian Government last week issued tough new laws for the transportation of oil by rail, promising to retire older cars and replace them within three years, and making sure railways have emergency plans for responding to explosions. Yet—despite evidence that shows the older tank cars are more susceptible to rupture after a derailment—the United States lags behind Canada: Its proposed new rules have yet to be passed. As recently as mid-April, policy makers met in Washington to discuss the problem, showing videos of older cars rupturing during a puncture tests and spraying their contents, according to reports. Robert Fronczak of the Association of American Railroads told the meeting of the National Transportation Safety Board that eliminating them by attrition alone could take 40 to 50 years. Read this article: Virginia Oil Tanker Derailment: “The River Was On Fire” ; ;Related ArticlesSupreme Court’s Pollution Ruling “a Victory for Obama Administration’From Bundy To The Keystone XLIs Oil Money Turning the NRA Against Hunters? ;

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Virginia Oil Tanker Derailment: “The River Was On Fire”

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From the Fire Hose: Warming Slowdown, Deep-Ocean Waves, Canadian Crude Inferno

An in-depth analysis of the recent slowdown in global warming finds lots of theories and few firm facts. Read the article:   From the Fire Hose: Warming Slowdown, Deep-Ocean Waves, Canadian Crude Inferno ; ;Related ArticlesFrom the Fire Hose: Warming Slowdown, Deep-Ocean Waves, Canadian CrudeFirst Hurricane Brews After Silent First Half to the Atlantic Storm SeasonA Hurricane Brews After Silent First Half to the Atlantic Storm Season ;

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From the Fire Hose: Warming Slowdown, Deep-Ocean Waves, Canadian Crude Inferno

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