Robert Ehrlich

In 1905, Albert Einstein declared speeds greater than light to be impossible. This book describes the author’s decades-long search for the hypothetical subatomic particles known as tachyons that violate this principle. This book is a scientific detective story. The crime is speeding—that is, the possible breaking of the cosmic speed limit, namely the speed of light, as stipulated by Einstein. This detective story is also a memoir written by a member of a band of "tachyon hunters." The author’s pursuit of tachyons has been met with skepticism from most physicists, who note correctly that no such superluminal particles have ever been surely observed and that there have been many false sightings. Nevertheless, considerable circumstantial evidence for tachyons has already been published and an ongoing experiment could decide the issue in the next few years. This book is written for the general reader, containing humor and eliminating jargon whenever possible, and will also be of interest to scientists. The hunt for the tachyon will fascinate all readers who approach the study of physics with curious and open minds.

Hunting the Faster than Light Tachyon, and Finding Three Unicorns and a Herd of Elephants

Physics has the reputation of being difficult to understand and remote from everyday life. Robert Ehrlich, however, has spent much of his career disproving these stereotypes. In the long-awaited sequel to Turning the World Inside Out and 175 Other Simple Physics Demonstrations, he provides a new collection of physics demonstrations and experiments that prove that physics can, in fact, be "made simple." Intentionally using "low tech" and inexpensive materials from everyday life, Why Toast Lands Jelly-Side Down makes key principles of physics surprisingly easy to understand. After laying out the basic principles of what constitutes a successful demonstration, Ehrlich provides more than 100 examples. Some of the more intriguing include: Terminal Velocity of Falling Coffee Filters; Spinning a Penny; Dropping Two Rolls of Toilet Paper; Avalanches in a Sand Pile; When to Add the Cream to Your Coffee; Deep Knee Bends on a Bathroom Scale; Recoil Force on a Bent Straw; Swinging Your Arms While Walking; Estimating the Net Force on a Moving Book; and, of course, Why Toast Lands Jelly-Side Down. The book begins with a practical introduction on how to design physics demonstrations. The benefits of designing one's own "demos" are numerous, but primary among them is an increased understanding of basic physics. For many people who teach the principles of physics, demonstrations seem dauntingly complex, filled with hard-to-find equipment and too many possibilities for failure. The demonstrations described in this book are exactly the opposite. Ehrlich describes them with characteristic candor: "You can fit many of them in your pocket, bring them to your class without any set-up required, and best of all, you need not fear that your demo will more likely illustrate Murphy's laws rather than Newton's." For anyone with even the slightest interest in physics, Why Toast Lands Jelly-Side Down is filled with learning opportunities. For everyone who is studying physics or teaching the subject at any level, from amateur scientists to professional teachers, it is an essential resource.

Zen and the Art of Physics Demonstrations

Why Toast Lands Jelly-Side Down

Renewable energy has great significance for the world’s future, given the environmental issues related to energy generation and energy’s importance in our society. Making wise energy choices is not easy, however. It involves balanced consideration of economic, environmental, technical, political, and other perspectives to weigh the relative costs and benefits for a host of possible technologies. Renewable Energy: A First Course is an accessible textbook for science and engineering students who want a well-balanced introduction to the science, technologies, economics, and policies related to energy choices. How Does Renewable Energy Work? Science, Technologies, Economics, and Key Policy Issues The book delves into all forms of renewable energy, from biofuels and geothermal energy to wind, hydro, and solar power. It also discusses nuclear power and fossil fuels, allowing readers to compare and evaluate the advantages and shortcomings of renewable energy. In addition, the book explores four overarching topics that go beyond a specific type of energy, namely, energy conservation, energy storage, energy transmission, and energy policy, and examines the important issue of climate change. A Broad Introduction for Science and Engineering Students Requiring only a basic background in physics and calculus, the book avoids technical jargon and advanced mathematical approaches to focus on the basic principles of renewable energy. Throughout, a wealth of illustrations and real-world examples make the concepts more concrete. Designed for a one- or two-semester course, this book takes a broad approach that addresses the need for diversity in any nation’s energy portfolio.

A First Course

Renewable Energy

Harold A. Geller

John R. Cressman

This revised edition of Renewable Energy: A First Course is fully updated and continues to provide the best in-depth introduction to renewable energy science. The book focuses mainly on renewable energy, but also addresses nonrenewable energy (fossil fuels and nuclear technology). The coverage extends from the basic physics to conservation, economic, and public policy issues, with strong emphasis on explaining how things work in practice. The authors avoid technical jargon and advanced math but address fundamental analytical skills with wide application. Updated statistics, figures, policies, trends, and technological advancements will bring the reader up to speed with the current state of renewable energy.

What if the earth were square? Discover the amazing answers to some cooland weird questions about our world * What if the earth stopped spinning? * What if we could see sounds? * What if the moon fell down? * What if aliens landed and only wanted to talk to dogs? Bizarre brainteasers and ingenious inquiries set the stage for a fantastic foray into the wacky world of real science. The intriguing topics range from plants and animals to light and sound, from the wind and the weather to the planets and the stars. Captivating cartoons and quick, fun-filled experiments will stretch your mind and your imagination.

Mind-Boggling Science Questions for Kids

What If

Nicholas Lander

David Lasocki

Nikolaj Tarasov

The Recorder

A whimsical construction of an imaginary dialogue between two people intent on understanding esoteric topics that range from human sexuality to physics. Ehrlich (physics, George Mason U.) is dedicated to making the sciences fun and interesting, and though the conceit is "cute," the information it contains is dynamic and scientifically sound, posing interesting questions and speculations on life in the universe, human behavior, perception, gravity, material properties, physics, time, space, and a sample list of "What ifs?" to pursue on one's own. The answer to the title's question (we were dying to know) is that, in part, it's all a matter of probabilities. The promotional material says the cartoons are humorous. Not. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

What If You Could Unscramble an Egg?

AIDS is not caused by HIV. Coal and oil are not fossil fuels. Radiation exposure is good for you. Distributing more guns reduces crime. These ideas make headlines, but most educated people scoff at them. Yet some of science's most important concepts-from gravity to evolution-have surfaced from the pool of crazy ideas. In fact, a good part of science is distinguishing between useful crazy ideas and those that are just plain nutty. In this book, a well-known physicist with an affinity for odd ideas applies his open mind to nine controversial propositions on topical subjects. Some, it turns out, are considerably lower on the cuckoo scale than others. Robert Ehrlich evaluates, for the general reader or student, nine seemingly far-out propositions culled from physics, biology, and social science. In the process, he demonstrates in easy-to-understand terms how to weigh an argument, judge someone's use of statistics, identify underlying assumptions, and ferret out secret agendas. His conclusions are sometimes surprising. For instance, he finds that while HIV does cause AIDS and the universe almost certainly started with a big bang, our solar system could have two suns, faster-than-light particles might exist, and time travel can't be ruled out as mere science fiction. Anyone interested in unorthodox ideas will get a kick out of this book. And, as a fun way of learning how to think like a scientist, it has enormous educational value. Of course, only time will tell whether any of these nine ideas will be the next continental drift--the now orthodox account of the Earth's geology that was for years just a crazy idea.

Robert Ehrlich

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