Irresponsible Science

Why does a knuckleball flutter? Why do belly flops hurt so much? Why would a quarterback prefer a deflated football? Here are 54 all-star experiments that demonstrate the scientific principles powering a wide variety of sports and activities-and offer insights that can help you improve your own athletic skills. How does a black belt karate chop her way through a stack of bricks? Use Popsicle sticks to understand why it's possible and learn the role played by Newton's second law of motion. Does LeBron James really float through the air on the way to a dunk? Use a tennis ball, a paperback book, and the help of a friend to understand the science of momentum and the real meaning of hang time. Using common household objects, each project includes step-by-step instructions, tips, and a detailed explanation of how and why the experiment worked. It's a win-win. The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat-it's all in the science. 54 thrilling and informative hands-on experiments for young scientists and sports fans alike, illustrating the physics principles in favorite sports from baseball to frisbee.

Here comes the future! The world's coolest technology comes to life with fun, hands-on experiments for kids.   •             Test solar power with milk jugs and balloons •             Understand genome technology with food coloring •             Launch your own "microsatellites" into orbit   These 27 terrific experiments use basic stuff from around the house and will help you understand the fascinating and potentially scary world of driverless cars, artificial intelligence, robots and androids, 3-D printing, test-tube meat, smart clothing, and more. Through cool illustrations, photos, and Sean Connolly's clear and always-lively writing, you'll learn what each breakthrough means, how it can improve our lives, and what its downside might be. An elevator leading into outer space? A robot that learns to think for itself? What could possibly go wrong?   Attention, parents: It's time to put the "T" in STEM! You've probably heard that acronym, which stands for the core subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. And though technology can get pretty scary in our imaginations, these experiments give your kids a hands-on understanding of the principles behind the innovations-so no, they won't be performing laser surgery on their siblings or reprogramming the GPS in your car. (But they'll still have fun!)       Explore the exciting but potentially disastrous world of digital technology, robotics, computer science, and electronics with fun sci-fi flair and hands-on projects. Sean Connolly's award-winning science series now includes the T in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)! Sean Connolly is the author of the Totally Irresponsible Science series and dozens of other books for both children and adults. A father of three, he is in an ideal position to explain the nuts and bolts of these experiments. He lives in England.   Table of Contents   Chapter 1 Speed breeding Experiment: Gardener's Green Thumb-or Is It Yellow, or Violet?   Chapter 2 Solar Energy Beam Experiment: Solar Party Time?   Chapter 3 Robots and Androids Experiment: Can You Beat That!   Chapter 4 Microsatellites Experiment: We Have Liftoff!   Chapter 5 Reusable Rockets Experiment: Instant Replay!   Chapter 6 Audio Spotlights Experiment: Riding the Waves Bonus Experiment: Keys to Success   Chapter 7 Sound Disruptors Experiment: Birthday Blast   Chapter 8 Artificial Intelligence Experiment: Thanks for the Memory   Chapter 9 The World Wide Web Experiment: Just Browsing   Chapter 10 Driverless Cars Experiment: Going for a Spin   Chapter 11 Virtual Reality Experiment: Optical Illusion?   Chapter 12 The Cloud Experiment: Play Your Cards Right   Chapter 13 The "Internet of Things" Experiment: How Are "Things"?   Chapter 14 Genome Technology Experiment: Virus to the Rescue   Chapter 15 GPS Experiment: On the Right Track   Chapter 16 Clothing as Air Conditioner Experiment: Hey-Chill Out!   Chapter 17 3D Printing Experiment: Hey-Cut It Out!   Chapter 18 Smart Glasses Experiment: Clear as a Bell?   Chapter 19 Holograms Experiment: Homemade Holograms   Chapter 20 Laser Surgery Experiment: Preparing for Surgery   Chapter 21 Drones Experiment: Flight Testing   Chapter 22 Test Tube Meat Experiment: What's that Growing in My Kidney   Chapter 23 Harvesting Water from the Air Experiment: Water Catchers   Chapter 24 Electric Cars Experiment: Taking the Battery Out for a Spin   Chapter 25 Powered Exoskeletons Experiment: Thanks for the Lift   Chapter 26 Space Elevator Experiment: Going Up?   "Th

It's hands-on science with a capital "E"-for engineering. Beginning with the toppling of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, to the destructive, laserlike sunbeams bouncing off London's infamous "Fryscraper" in 2013, here is an illustrated tour of the greatest engineering disasters in history, from the bestselling author of The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science. Each engineering disaster includes a simple, exciting experiment or two using everyday household items to explain the underlying science and put learning into action. Understand the Titanic's demise by sinking an ice-cube-tray ocean liner in the bathtub. Stomp on a tube of toothpaste to demonstrate what happens to non-Newtonian fluids under pressure-and how a ruptured tank sent a tsunami of molasses through the streets of Boston in 1919. From why the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans to the fatal design flaw in the Sherman tank, here's a book of science at its most riveting.   Sean Connolly has written more than 50 books aimed at children and adults, including The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science and The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science. As the father of three he's ideally suited to explain pitfalls and solutions to these tricky questions.

From Sean Connolly, the master of messy and dangerous (and therefore extra-fun) science, a collection of more than 20 hands-on experiments that are like an interactive journey through the periodic table of elements. In this  introduction to chemistry for STEM-curious kids ages 9 and up, each chapter of The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry focuses on a single element-its properties, how it was discovered, and even its potential danger level. Easy-to-follow experiments help readers put their newfound knowledge into action. All that's needed is a sense of adventure and some items from around the house.   Make your own fossil with silicon. Use a pinhead and measure 166 feet of string for a mind-boggling insight into how a hydrogen atom is built. Discover oxygen and oxygenation by slicing an apple and seeing what happens an hour later. Harness the power of zinc with a potato clock. And enjoy a special hands-off feature about the "Dirty Dozen"-those nasty elements, from arsenic to plutonium, that can wreak havoc wherever they appear (there are no experiments using these chemicals). Matter really matters, and now you'll really understand why. From Sean Connolly, the master of messy and dangerous (and therefore extra fun!) science, more than 20 hands-on experiments that introduce kids to chemistry, element by element. Sean Connolly is the author of the Totally Irresponsible Science series and dozens of other books for both children and adults. A father of three, he is in an ideal position to explain the nuts and bolts of these experiments. He lives in England.   "This is a compelling and substantive lesson in chemistry for young students."-Parents' Choice "This substantial chemistry primer explores complex concepts in an approachable, graphics-laden format… Connolly writes with light humor that serves to spark readers' natural curiosity. This is a lively, hands-on introduction to chemistry." -Publishers Weekly

Stand back! Genius at work! Encase your little bother in a giant soap bubble. Drop mentos into a bottle of diet soda and stand back as a geyser erupts. Launch a rocket made from a film canister. Here are 64 amazing experiments that snap, crackle, pop, ooze, crash, boom, and stink. Giant air cannons. Home-made lightning. Marshmallows on steroids. Matchbox microphones. There's even an introduction to alchemy. (Not sure what that is? Think "medieval wizard.") None of the experiments requires special training, and all use stuff found in the kitchen or in the garden shed. You'd be irresponsible not to try them. ATTENTION, PARENTS: Yes, your kids may need your help with a few experiments. And yes, sometimes it may get a tad messy. But it's not pure mayhem. The balloon rocket whizzing through the garden? It demonstrates Newton's Third Law of Motion. That chunk of potato launched across the kitchen from a tube? Welcome to Boyle's Law. Every experiment demonstrated real science, at its most memorable.   Sean Connolly is the author of the Totally Irresponsible Science series and dozens of other books for both children and adults. A father of three, he is in an ideal position to explain the nuts and bolts of these experiments. He lives in England.   Chapter 1: Core Concerns Chapter 2: Harnessing the Elements Chapter 3: Food for Thought Chapter 4: How Moving! Chapter 5: A Lot of Hot Air Chapter 6: 100% Natural Chapter 7: Mad Science

Math rocks! At least it does in the gifted hands of Sean Connolly, who blends middle school math with fantasy to create an exciting adventure in problem-solving. These word problems are perilous, do-or-die scenarios of blood-sucking vampires (How many months would it take a single vampire to completely take over a town of 500,000 people?), or a rowboat of 5 shipwrecked sailors with a single barrel of freshwater (How much can they drink, and for how long, before they go mad from thirst???). Each problem requires readers to dig deep into the tools they're learning in school to figure out how to survive. Kids will love solving these problems. Sean Connolly knows how to make tough subjects exciting and he brings that same intuitive understanding of what inspires and challenges kids' curiosity to the 24 problems in The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math. These problems are as fun to read as they are challenging to solve. They test readers on fractions, algebra, geometry, probability, expressions and equations, and more. Use geometry to fill in for the ship's navigator and make it safely to the New World. Escape an evil Duke's executioner by picking the right door-probability will save your neck. Sean Connolly is the author of the Totally Irresponsible Science series and dozens of other books for both children and adults. A father of three, he is in an ideal position to explain the nuts and bolts of these experiments. He lives in England.

It's never been more important to engage a child's scientific curiosity, and Sean Connolly knows just how to do it-with lively, hands-on, seemingly "dangerous" experiments that pop, ooze, crash, and teach! Now, the author of The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science, takes it one step further: He leads kids through the history of science, and then creates amazing yet simple experiments that demonstrate key scientific principles. Tame fire just like a Neanderthal with the Fahrenheit 451 experiment. Round up all your friends and track the spread of "disease" using body glitter with an experiment inspired by Edward Jenner, the vaccination pioneer who's credited with saving more lives than any other person in history. Rediscover the wheel and axle with the ancient Sumerians, and perform an astounding experiment demonstrating the theory of angular momentum. Build a simple telescope-just like Galileo's-and find the four moons he discovered orbiting Jupiter (an act that helped land him in prison). Take a less potentially catastrophic approach to electricity than Ben Franklin did with the Lightning Mouth experiment. Re-create the Hadron Collider in a microwave with marshmallows, calculator, and a ruler-it won't jeopardize Earth with a simulated Big Bang, but will demonstrate the speed of light. And it's tasty! By letting kids stand on the shoulders of Aristotle, Newton, Einstein, the Wright brothers, Marie Curie, Darwin, Watson and Crick, and more, The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science is an uncommonly engaging guide to science, and the great stories of the men and women behind the science. Sean Connolly is the author of the Totally Irresponsible Science series and dozens of other books for both children and adults. A father of three, he is in an ideal position to explain the nuts and bolts of these experiments. He lives in England.   Here are 50 awesome experiments that demonstrate the principles behind the 34 greatest scientific breakthroughs in human history. The wheel-astound friends with an experiment that seems to defy the laws of gravity. The rocket-launch a soda bottle into the air. The microscope-peer through a lens made out of water. Atomic theory-prove it with food coloring. The Large Hadron Collider-re-create it with marshmallows. (Tasty!) Using stuff from around the house, the curious can now boldly go where the bravest scientists in history have gone before. "A lot of mankind's greatest advances have been just a smidge away from disaster. The Wright Brothers' flying machine, Ben Franklin's fiddling with lightning, Enrico Fermi's chain reaction. In the book, Connolly explains these discoveries and applies the concepts to scaled-back (and kid-safe) experiments that use common household items. Each experiment gets rated on a "catastrophe meter," so adults can judge the danger quotient and how much help they need to offer." "Budding scientists can learn about principles such as air resistance, condensation and the electromagnetic spectrum. But they learn because Connolly has them making a parachute that safely delivers eggs, crushing a can through sudden condensation or projecting an image of the bones in their hand on a wall. It's all done in an engaging, fun manner."