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Date: | Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:59:37 -0500 |
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This one is for Martin Tangora: this weekend I read "The New Science of
Strong Materials, or Why You Don't Fall through the Floor" by J. E.
Gordon. It can be read in a weekend.
I really enjoyed this book a whole lot and I can see why Martin
recommended it to the BP audience. I particularly enjoyed reading about
resorcinal glue... it took me back to my past. Likewise for Casein. Some
neat stuff in this book. The sections about problems w/ aircraft made of
wood during the World Wars I also liked a whole lot. I learned stuff
about biplanes and gliders... like why plants grow inside of their
tails. I never knew that early steam engines had wood boilers, or that
the biggest technical step forward w/ the development of trains was in
the production of steel rails. There is a little bit of math, not too
much of it and it is not overwhelming once you get past the Angstroms. A
whole lot about looking at very very small things with electron
microscopes. I have always loved Brownian movement (or I mean, since I
first encountered it, no, I mean since I first heard of it I have had a
particular fondness for Brownian movement, not to be confused with Brown
Spots). Gordon had a nice sense of humor and I marked about two dozen
potential Gab & Eti type quotes.
Cheers,
][<en
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