Does Anything Eat Wasps?: And 101 Other Questions New Scientist: Amazon.co.uk: "New Scientist", Mick O'Hare: Books

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Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?: And 101 Other Intriguing Science Questions by New Scientist
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Why Don't Penguins' Feet Freeze?: And 114 Other Questions by New Scientist
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Product Description

The Independent, November 2, 2005

'a world stranger than fiction...'

Daily Mirror, November 3, 2005

'it's amazing how fascinating things you never knew you wanted to know really are...'

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Customer Reviews

38 Reviews

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4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
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4.1 out of 5 stars (38 customer reviews)

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418 of 430 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value, great fun, 14 Nov 2005

By	Budge Burgess (Kilmarnock, Scotland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

Every year, around Christmas, some book gets a reputation as a popular stocking filler, and I'm rather hoping it will be this one. Readers of 'New Scientist' will be familiar with the last page, 'Last Word' column which offers answers to readers' questions. "Does Anything Eat Wasps?" offers a collection of some of the best of these questions of science and technology.

It's a fascinating and amusing little read. It might equip you with convincing answers to obscure pub quiz questions. It will capture your imagination and stimulate your need to enquire, explore, and understand. What is offered here is a series of intelligent, articulate explanations of a range of phenomena. You look at each question and wonder, "why is that?" Then you read the explanation. It's rational, in retrospect maybe even obvious, but it is a page turner of a read.

This is a wonderful little volume for anyone interested in general knowledge, anyone who watches quiz programmes on the television, or anyone who has a broad interest in science and enquiry. Entertaining, amusing, instructive, and excellent value. And does anything eat wasps? Well, apart from advising you to always check the fruit you're eating … I'll leave that answer to the book.

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197 of 205 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Questions you never knew you wanted an answer to., 1 Mar 2006

By	C. M. Perkins (Stirling, Scotland.) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

I’ve never read New Scientist and I’m not particularly scientific, but I do have a natural curiosity about things and I loved this book.

Apart from the fascinating quirkyness of the questions, what charmed and amused me were the responses. They’re submitted from around the world by all manner of subject matter experts. I was amazed at how people know stuff like the chemical composition of spinach and how willing many of them were to test and experiment on behalf of helping someone else out.

It conjured up visions of eccentric ‘boffins’ doing all sorts of mad things. For example, in response to a question about why frozen gnocchi (Italian dumplings) sink when they should float, one response included, “…as I had some frozen ones at home, I decided to do some rudimentary measurements in my kitchen. Firstly, my frozen gnocchi had a density of 1.1grams/millimetre….” And when considering why Guinness, a black drink, produces a white froth, someone got to work: “I poured myself a Guinness and put a little of the froth in a dish and examined it through a low-powered microscope.”

Given very few of the responses are from professional writers, they are usually very well written, and very amusing. I loved the description of how the best place to fossilize yourself would be in volcanic rock: “You need a rapid burial. I don’t mean a speedy funeral service….but something natural and dramatic – the sort of thing that is preceded by a distant volcanic rumble and an unfinished query along the lines of ‘What was…?’”

In addition to the one about the wasps (great answers), favourite questions included how long you could survive on beer alone, how fat you’d need to be to be bullet proof, how to get bubbles evenly distributed in Aero bars and this musing: “What would be the effect on the Earth if an alien spaceship came along and dragged the moon away?”

All in all fascinating, even for a non-scientist like me. An easy book to dip into, and great know there are people out there who understand really complicated stuff!

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47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for all enquiring minds, 31 Dec 2005

By A Customer

A definite must for all students!
I have to admit that when I got two of this book for christmas I figured that my friends really thought I should read it. As a science teacher this is probably one of the best scientific/factual books I have read in a long time. It isn't just for science nuts out there, it's not a heavy read that switches your brain off and can at times be very amusing. I would recommend this to every parent (or teacher) with children that ask the question "why" alot. There is bound to be a question in there that you have pondered yourself and there are loads of little facts that if nothing else will be useful when doing pub quizzes.
Enjoy!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and informative
A great book with lots of interesting snippets of information. I took it with me while travelling and it was an ideal book to fill in odd moments at airports. Highly recommended.

Published 4 months ago by J. Watson

4.0 out of 5 stars Great
My only fault with it is, for people (like myself) whose memory of science at school is quickly slipping away, some of the answers can be quite complex and hard to get your head... Read more

Published 5 months ago by Philo Eastwood

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun look at science, volume one
In 1994, the New Scientist started a column, The last word, devoted to everyday science questions asked by readers, with answers also provided by readers. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Peter Durward Harris

4.0 out of 5 stars Bizarre...
I love books like this. Crammed full of questions and answers about all manner of things, from the logical to the bizarre. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Kirsty B

3.0 out of 5 stars Slightly disappointing
This is by no means a bad book but it just didn't quite do it for me. That's because even though there are lots of interesting questions and answers there are many that aren't... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Charles

2.0 out of 5 stars If you like more detailled scientific explanations you will enjoy
I bought this after buying Schotts Original Miscellany, a great little book of random, possibly in the large part useless but interesting facts. Read more

Published 23 months ago by P. Sharpe

3.0 out of 5 stars Okay in a laze on the beach kind of way.
This type of book is the perfect book to take on holiday and read on the beach. Rather like the sea itself, you can dip in and out of it as you wish without worrying about losing... Read more

Published on 2 Jul 2007 by Nostromo

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Hungry Birds (and More !)
The 'New Scientist' is a weekly magazine, first published in 1956, that covers the recent happenings in the scientific world. Read more

Published on 26 May 2007 by Craobh Rua

3.0 out of 5 stars Something for the toilet!
This book hasn't lived up to my expectations. Saying that, it does contain some interesting questions, as well as interesting answers. But it looks flair and entertainment. Read more

Published on 2 Feb 2007 by Matthew Millington

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the coffee table
I hate science and would never had bought this book, which is why I am glad I got it for Christmas. Flipping through the book is fun and before you know it you are into the book... Read more

Published on 7 Jan 2007 by GCLOVER

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	75% buy the item featured on this page: Does Anything Eat Wasps?: And 101 Other Questions (New Scientist) 4.1 out of 5 stars (38) �4.76
	11% buy Do Polar Bears Get Lonely?: And 101 Other Intriguing Science Questions 4.3 out of 5 stars (14) �3.86
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