Sticky
The Secret Science of Surfaces
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Sticky
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Narrated by:
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Laurie Winkless
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By:
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Laurie Winkless
About this listen
You are surrounded by stickiness.
With every step you take, air molecules cling to you and slow you down; the effect is harder to ignore in water. When you hit the road, whether powered by pedal or engine, you rely on grip to keep you safe. The Post-it note and glue in your desk drawer. The non-stick pan on your stove. The fingerprints linked to your identity. The rumbling of the Earth deep beneath your feet, and the ice that transforms waterways each winter. All of these things are controlled by tiny forces that operate on and between surfaces, with friction playing the leading role.
In Sticky, Laurie Winkless explores how friction shapes both the manufactured and natural worlds, and describes how our understanding of surface science has given us an ability to manipulate stickiness, down to the level of a single atom. But this apparent success doesn’t tell the whole story. Each time humanity has pushed the boundaries of science and engineering, we’ve discovered that friction still has a few surprises up its sleeve.
So do we really understand this force? Can we say with certainty that we know how a gecko climbs, what’s behind our sense of touch, or why golf balls, boats and aircraft move as they do? Join Laurie as she seeks out the answers from experts scattered across the globe, uncovering a stack of scientific mysteries along the way.
Finalist for the 2023 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books©2021 Laurie Winkless (P)2021 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
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What listeners say about Sticky
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- C. Bell
- 06-03-22
Jam packed full of fascinating science
This is such a great book and the author’s (very easy to listen to) voice really brings all the fascinating science to life. She explains, in a very clear way, the importance of stickiness in areas that I’d never even thought about.
I had so many “wow, I’d never thought of that” moments while listening to this book
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Janine A.
- 16-01-22
At last, Laurie Winkless in audiobook form!
Laurie Winkless is the perfect companion on this journey of curiosity. Her infectious enthusiasm for her subject matter shines through in her carefully chosen words and her amiable narration. Never afraid to tackle topics that must be daunting to explain, Winkless has a gift for communicating science and engineering engagingly, without dumbing it down. I have gained a new appreciation for geckos, cricket balls, paints and Olympic swimsuits among many other unexpected subjects. I am left wondering how the science of surfaces will develop in the years to come and hoping for a follow up. Take note, John Lloyd, Winkless could fill your "Museum of Curiosity" with the contents of this book alone.
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