Book description
There are few times that science is so immediate as when you're in
a plane. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg shows how you stay up
there - but that's only the beginning. Inflight Science explains the
ever-changing view, whether it's crop circles or clouds, mountains or
river deltas, and describes easy-to-do experiments, from showing how a
wing provides lift to calculating the population of the towns you fly
over. You'll learn why the coastline is infi nite in length, the cause
ofthunderstorms and the true impact of volcanic ash on aircraft
engines. Fascinating facts to discover include: The jet stream winds
are so fast that a plane travelling west to east within them can fly
beyond the speed of sound. The wingspan of a 747 is around twice the
distance flown by the Wright Flyer on its maiden flight. With good
visibility and total darkness, the human eye is so sensitive that you
could see a single candle from the cruising height of a plane. Packed
full of amazing insights from physics, chemistry, engineering,
geography and more, Inflight Science is a voyage of scientific
discovery perfect for any journey - even if it's just in your armchair.
Brian Clegg is a popular science writer, and runs the website
www. popularscience. co.
uk. He has written many books, and his most recent is The Universe
Inside You (2012).
