No Wonder You Wonder!

This book explores and explains scientific mysteries and principles, leavened with tongue-in-cheek humor and an abundance of illustrations. Chapters are short, but give an understanding of technology and science not available elsewhere. Questions include: * What holds a satellite up while it goes around the Earth? * Why is the sky (made out of clear air!) blue instead of green, or just black as night like the sky that high altitude jumper Felix Baumgartner saw? * How is laser light different from "normal" light? * Did Columbus really discover that the Earth is round? * Which one invention will assuredly survive our civilization? * Why can't you travel back in time? If you often feel embarrassed because you don't have a clue about lasers, the difference between volts, amps and watts, or how jet planes really work - but you would like to understand the physical principles of our modern world, whether you're a teen or a parent -this book is for you! To understand the basics of quantum mechanics, or of protons, neutrons and electrons, you don't need algebra, calculus, or a lot of equations or technical buzzwords. Too many people have been soured on science by science teachers who have made simple concepts seem complex. This book is the antidote: all it requires is your curiosity. Advance praise for No Wonder You Wonder!: "From beginning to end, and with laugh after laugh, I enjoyed every single word of this remarkable book. Phipps is a hell of a good writer, and the kind of physics teacher that I would have loved as a young student. No Wonder You Wonder can be engrossing for anyone with a bit of curiosity, not just the scientific minded." - Christophe Bonnal, Chief Engineer, CNES (French Space Agency) "No Wonder You Wonder is a fa ntastic book. Covering topics such as space, matter, and the energy within the universe, this book does an excellent job of clarifying these topics. It's a great read for young scientists and aspiring physicists." - August R., high school freshman