Furry Logic looks in detail at the animals that use cool physics in weird and intriguing ways as part of their daily battle to survive. It details the role of physics in the lives of a number of animals, as uncovered by scientists researching the field of biomechanics.
The book is divided into seven chapters, each representing a separate arm of physics. Each chapter examines the animals' key features before describing the ways they use physics, how this was discovered, and what remains to be found out.
We learn:
- How pistol shrimps can generate a force strong enough to destroy aquarium glass using their claws
- How whales hear using fat
- How cats and dogs lap up milk thanks to the laws of surface tension
- Why reindeer use ultraviolet light for foraging
- How a male peacock's train generates infrasound' to attract a mate
- How ants navigate thanks to magnetic fields
- How mosquitoes survive collisions with raindrops.
Furry Logic makes the incredible interdisciplinary world of animal biomechanics accessible to all, in an enthralling and entertaining read.
About the Author
Liz Kalaugher is a science and environment writer based in Bristol, UK. Fascinated by animals since a childhood encounter with a squashed frog, she is a particular fan of bats, bees and badgers. After winning journalism fellowships from the World Federation of Science Journalists and the European Geosciences Union, Liz has also reported on beluga whales in the Canadian Arctic and Finnish reindeer. She has a materials science degree from Oxford University and a PhD in thin-film diamond.
Matin Durrani is editor of the international magazine
Physics World, where he enjoys telling the stories that underpin physics and showing how it impacts so much of everyday life. Based in Bristol, UK, he first became intrigued by how animals use physics after publishing a special issue of Physics World on the subject in 2012. Matin has a degree in chemical physics and did a PhD and postdoc squashing food gels at Cambridge University before moving into publishing.
Industry Reviews
Furry Logic is an important book that is equally inspiring and humbling. * Science *
An appealing mix of familiar animals ... and the life stories and weird research techniques of physicists and biologists, past and current, famous and unknown. * The Daily Telegraph *
An enlightening and entertaining slant on two very different scientific disciplines, rendering a tricky subject accessible. * BBC Wildlife *
A fun, informative chronicle of how myriad animals take advantage of the laws of physics. * Science News *
Packed with insight and information. -- Jim Al-Khalili, physicist and broadcaster
An intriguing, funny and clever insight into the physics of the animal world. You'll never look at a wet dog or a bloody-thirsty mosquito in the same way. -- Fran Scott, science presenter
Wonderful, wild and witty. -- Ian Sample, science editor, Guardian
Illuminating and intriguing. An entertaining book that provides fresh insight into how animals survive - providing food for thought whatever your level of scientific knowledge. -- Dame Athene Donald, Professor of Experimental Physics and Master of Churchill College, University of Cambridge
There is nothing fuzzy about this book. With crisp prose and intuitive descriptions of physical processes, this book reveals how natural selection tunes the laws of physics to solve the myriad problems posed by nature ... a must read. -- Daniel Rubenstein, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University
Readers don't need a background in physics to enjoy this engaging, educational title. Recommended for fans of popular science, including YA audiences. * School Library Journay *
