The element in the room
Science made fun for adults (there’s drinking and everything)
Author: Helen Arney & Steve Mould Publisher: Cassell Illustrated Price: £16.99 / $18.99 Release date: Out now (US release March 2018)
Science can sometimes be dry, dull and even a bit boring — but we all know that it isn’t always like that. In fact, there are tons of fun experiments that you can try to test out science in the world around you and plenty of ways that science can amaze and inspire. The Element in the Room proves this like few other books can.
Thanks to the witty and clever writing, every topic is engaging, fun and in some cases laugh-out-loud funny. The conversational tone is a real winner, with hilarious footnotes, smart references and amusing comments on every page that make this more than your average science book. Did you know that some scientists estimate that one in ten humans alive today were conceived in an Ikea bed? Amazing, right? The authors here joke about how many people have to sneak into Ikea at night in order to test the theory, and it’s comments like this that make this as much comedy as it is science.
Then there are the experiments. The selection is exceptional — the book starts with simple experiments to find valves in the veins on your arms by pressing them with your fingers. By the halfway point you’ll be creating spinning fire tornadoes in wastepaper bins, and by the end you’ll be making alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) cocktails all in the name of science. This is certainly a book that aims its experiments at adults; the language is mostly suitable for younger ages, but the intended audience is definitely older.
There are too many highlights to mention. The Trip Advisor reviews of Earth-like planets around the Solar System are good fun, while the coffee Venn diagram will raise a smile (before going on to explain why instant coffee tastes so bad). The experiment to test the Leidenfrost Effect is cool (heating a frying pan to around 190 degrees Celsius and then watching water droplets dance), and comparing the amount of radiation you experience through eating bananas is a highlight.
In case you can’t tell, we loved this one. It’s perfect for grown-ups who want to know more about science but also love having a laugh — and creating the odd fire tornado.
“By the halfway point you will be creating, fire tornadoes in waste paper bins”