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New Scientist: Last Word #5
How To Fossilize Your Hamster: And Other Amazing Experiments For The Armchair Scientist
How can you measure the speed of light with chocolate and a microwave? Why do yo-yos yo-yo? Why does urine smell so peculiar after eating asparagus (includes helpful recipe)? How long does it take to digest different types of food? What is going on when you drop mentos in to cola? 100 wonderful, intriguing and entertaining scientific experiments which show scientific principles first hand - this is science at its most popular.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
23 people are currently reading
408 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 13, 2012
Another New Scientist book, this one focused on experiments you can carry out at home. I'm sure I've read similar things in the other New Scientist book, but it's a fun collection anyway. My favourite thing was learning that you can separate out the iron from iron-fortified cereals using a magnet. Veeeery tempted to try that, though I'm not sure I have any strong enough magnets.
August 3, 2018
"New scientist" jurnalından toplanmış maraqlı sullar və onların praktiki cavablarından ibarət gözəl bir kitabdır. Bütün edilən təcrübələri ev şəraitində təkrarlamaq olar ( ilk bölüm başdan ayağa alkoqollu təcrübələrdir ;) ). Bond kokteylini niyə qarışdırmır? sambukaya su əlavə edəndə niyə rəngi dəyişir? niyə spagetti kənarlarından əyəndə iki deyil üç yerə bölünür? (sonuncu barədə araşdırma İqnobel mükafatı alıb, lakin insan sümüklərinin öyrənilməsində alimlərə köməklik də edib) və daha nələr, nələr. Həm əyləndirən, həm də məlumatlandıran bir seriya alınıb #birnəfəsə
February 7, 2016
To be honest, tagging this one as a 'self-help book' in my reading challenge proved more accurate than initially expected. So far, I've learned useful life skills, such as how to make a martini (and why shaken and stirred ones do taste differently), how to fossilize a dead pet (200,000 years and an empty sea-bed are essential for this) and how to make green eggs and ham.
It's a adorable read for anybody who's ever wondered what's the explanation behind daily phenomena.
It's a adorable read for anybody who's ever wondered what's the explanation behind daily phenomena.
February 13, 2025
I got this book around Easter 2008, not long after my hamster died, from the garden centre I was visiting with my dad and nan. I'd read the other two books in the set by then (at least enough to enjoy them) so I asked for this and eventually they figured I wouldn't actually try to fossilise my hamster.
I'd actually given her to my other grandfather to taxidermy.
The book itself never held my interest like the others since it's in far better condition than I expected for its age. On reading it, it's easy to see why. A lot of the experiments are designed for an older audience willing to make a bit of mess or deal with faff when the experiments are explained anyway.
Having read the last two books in the same sitting, there was a number of experiments designed around the same topics discussed in Wasps and Penguins which helped to explain a lot of the science behind the lengthy answers for questions I didn't particularly care for.
It's fine, but you're not missing anything by skipping this one - even though the format was far more enjoyable to read than the other, typical "forum" format.
I eventually buried my hamster in 2020, twelve years after she died, in the garden of the first house I lived at independently. I found the display case had come unsealed after years of storage and the decorative ball used to hide the belly scar was loose. I didn't particularly want her on the shelf anymore, so I figured the best thing to do would be to return her to nature. Since her guts were cleared out and replaced with a foam shape, she won't fossilise.
That's not relevant to the book but I figured someone would wonder if I didn't mention it.
I'd actually given her to my other grandfather to taxidermy.
The book itself never held my interest like the others since it's in far better condition than I expected for its age. On reading it, it's easy to see why. A lot of the experiments are designed for an older audience willing to make a bit of mess or deal with faff when the experiments are explained anyway.
Having read the last two books in the same sitting, there was a number of experiments designed around the same topics discussed in Wasps and Penguins which helped to explain a lot of the science behind the lengthy answers for questions I didn't particularly care for.
It's fine, but you're not missing anything by skipping this one - even though the format was far more enjoyable to read than the other, typical "forum" format.
I eventually buried my hamster in 2020, twelve years after she died, in the garden of the first house I lived at independently. I found the display case had come unsealed after years of storage and the decorative ball used to hide the belly scar was loose. I didn't particularly want her on the shelf anymore, so I figured the best thing to do would be to return her to nature. Since her guts were cleared out and replaced with a foam shape, she won't fossilise.
That's not relevant to the book but I figured someone would wonder if I didn't mention it.
September 26, 2022
This book is fun and ideal for small little science activities that you can do around your house. One experiment that really stuck with me was about fruit, specifically bananas. Many fruits belong in the refrigerator while others do not. Bananas brown faster when they are exposed to colder climates, like the inside of your fridge. I accidently put this to the test when I noticed a banana beginning to look sad on my counter, so I decided to place it into my fridge and it turned brown. The actual formatting of the book was interesting, it was set up as an actual science project. When I first checked out this book, I expected an actual storybook but was surprised when I had found out it was not. All the experiments consist of mini myth-busting phenomena that can be found through everyday things. The book was informative, interesting, and well written so I did not have to perform any of the experiments myself to understand.
June 28, 2018
Fun enough, very little I'd not seen elsewhere before. (And outside of new scientist, not just in the articles.) Some of their experiments are doable, some seem like they'd get costly with the alcohol bill. Nothing that translates well to group use. Very sad they show pictures of an improved paper plan but not how to make it :p
June 10, 2024
Interesting mini pieces on scientific experiments you can do at home to learn more about science and finding out about things. I haven't done many of the experiments, but I have learned a lot from figuring out how they work. Great read! Recommended.
September 15, 2017
Fun little scientific tidbits originally published as magazine columns.
May 26, 2019
Very interesting. Covered a few everyday phenomenon that have intrigued me before. And given me some great ideas for experiments to do with the kids :)
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May 19, 2020Na verdade eu li a tradução em português que saiu pela Editora Record: "Quanto preciso pesar para ser à prova de uma bala perdida?" (tradução de carolina duarte). Muio divertido.
August 18, 2012
This, the third in the collection of New Scientist books, focuses not so much on responding to letters sent into the magazine of those odd scientific queries and compiling them into a volume with comprehensive answers, but on the more practical aspects of what you can learn for yourself. It is a book of experiments based on queries they magazine has received.
The experiments are of course straightforward and encourage you to recreate every day phenomena. Because of this, it is not so much a book to read cover to cover but one to dip into from time to time in case they are able to answer a particular query. One for the shelf then.
Each premise follows a standard format:
* Question
* List of objects required to recreate the experiment
* What you do with them
* What you will see
* What it all means
As well as practical demonstrations of provable phenomena, the book also has several “mythbusting” example experiments to try out. The format doesn’t work quite as well as Why don’t penguins feet freeze? (the other volume I have read) because it is difficult to read without wanting to try the experiments amd if you do that it will take you a long time and could in theory cost you a bit of money, especially those that involve alcohol! Either way, this is an interesting book that tries to make science fun and that can only be a good thing. It didn’t quite work for me but for those with the time and the inclination to see experiments in action, it could be a fun Christmas stocking filler.
I’m still hoping that the next volume is a blow-by-blow critique of The Daily Mail‘s non-existent science reporting.
See more book reviews at my blog
The experiments are of course straightforward and encourage you to recreate every day phenomena. Because of this, it is not so much a book to read cover to cover but one to dip into from time to time in case they are able to answer a particular query. One for the shelf then.
Each premise follows a standard format:
* Question
* List of objects required to recreate the experiment
* What you do with them
* What you will see
* What it all means
As well as practical demonstrations of provable phenomena, the book also has several “mythbusting” example experiments to try out. The format doesn’t work quite as well as Why don’t penguins feet freeze? (the other volume I have read) because it is difficult to read without wanting to try the experiments amd if you do that it will take you a long time and could in theory cost you a bit of money, especially those that involve alcohol! Either way, this is an interesting book that tries to make science fun and that can only be a good thing. It didn’t quite work for me but for those with the time and the inclination to see experiments in action, it could be a fun Christmas stocking filler.
I’m still hoping that the next volume is a blow-by-blow critique of The Daily Mail‘s non-existent science reporting.
See more book reviews at my blog
April 22, 2013
This book is brilliant!
Or at least it appears to be from reading the experiments.
New Scientist magazine published the book, and it contains 78 experiments the armchair scientist can try at home with mostly easily available materials, to demonstrate scientific principles in action, the laws of physics, and in some cases, phenomena that are still not fully understood.
Here are videos of five of the experiments: http://www.youtube.com/course?list=EC...
I've picked out my first eleven experiments to try, out of the seventy-eight.
Though many of the experiments can be done by children and/or with children, there is some serious science here.
Pasta Puzzle (why spaghetti breaks in to 3 or more pieces) is something Richard Feynman struggled with... and it took 11 years after publishing a challenge for scientists to come up with a good theory to explain the behavior.
Cream On involves putting cream on Tia Maria to create undulating patterns that scientists could not explain... and only recently did published papers come out from physicists researching the issue, which explained the patterns.
Whoever titles the experiments must be a fan of rock and roll, not only do we have Cream On (Dream On?), and we also have Hot Stuff and Iron Man in the mix.
Alright, that's enough idle discussion... I'm off to measure the speed of light using a chocolate bar and a microwave...
Or at least it appears to be from reading the experiments.
New Scientist magazine published the book, and it contains 78 experiments the armchair scientist can try at home with mostly easily available materials, to demonstrate scientific principles in action, the laws of physics, and in some cases, phenomena that are still not fully understood.
Here are videos of five of the experiments: http://www.youtube.com/course?list=EC...
I've picked out my first eleven experiments to try, out of the seventy-eight.
Though many of the experiments can be done by children and/or with children, there is some serious science here.
Pasta Puzzle (why spaghetti breaks in to 3 or more pieces) is something Richard Feynman struggled with... and it took 11 years after publishing a challenge for scientists to come up with a good theory to explain the behavior.
Cream On involves putting cream on Tia Maria to create undulating patterns that scientists could not explain... and only recently did published papers come out from physicists researching the issue, which explained the patterns.
Whoever titles the experiments must be a fan of rock and roll, not only do we have Cream On (Dream On?), and we also have Hot Stuff and Iron Man in the mix.
Alright, that's enough idle discussion... I'm off to measure the speed of light using a chocolate bar and a microwave...
February 17, 2008
This is a fun little book full of easy experiments to try to prove different science related questions. Some of the questions include things like "How do you suck an egg into a bottle" or "Why does that mentos/diet coke thing work?" or "How to make science volcanoes" and more. The book if very easy to read and light-hearted with humor thrown in.
I found it informative and easy to read end to end without doing any of the experiments. I do plan to keep the book and do some of the experiments with my kids though.. Most are safe to do with your kids and seem like they would be quite fun. Also all the experiments seem real easy to perform and 95% of the ingredients needed you already have in your home.
I recommend this book for anyone who has kids and likes to learn fun interesting science trivia.
I found it informative and easy to read end to end without doing any of the experiments. I do plan to keep the book and do some of the experiments with my kids though.. Most are safe to do with your kids and seem like they would be quite fun. Also all the experiments seem real easy to perform and 95% of the ingredients needed you already have in your home.
I recommend this book for anyone who has kids and likes to learn fun interesting science trivia.
June 25, 2014
A wonderful book written in the same vein as the other titles in the New scientist series.
But this is done with a difference, this volume is aimed at encouraging readers to actually try out the theories and experiments at home so in a lot of cases some of the things put forward HAS been covered in some of the other books but have been slightly adapted for people to try in their own homes.
Broken down into handy sections of the kitchen, the study, things to do in the garden etc this book has something for everyone and is just as enjoyable as the other titles available and through these with a minimal knowledge of science and its associated branches I really do feel that I have learned a little more than I knew before reading them.
Well worth a read and there is something for everyone and as stated this book has a lot of practical things for kids and adults to try out.
But this is done with a difference, this volume is aimed at encouraging readers to actually try out the theories and experiments at home so in a lot of cases some of the things put forward HAS been covered in some of the other books but have been slightly adapted for people to try in their own homes.
Broken down into handy sections of the kitchen, the study, things to do in the garden etc this book has something for everyone and is just as enjoyable as the other titles available and through these with a minimal knowledge of science and its associated branches I really do feel that I have learned a little more than I knew before reading them.
Well worth a read and there is something for everyone and as stated this book has a lot of practical things for kids and adults to try out.
April 12, 2012
This book is brilliant! It had me amazed, laughing and educated my little brain. Pretty winning combination if you ask me! Next step is to try out some of the experiments! Oh and buy another copy of this book for my uncle (it was supposed to be his birthday present), because I need to keep this copy for future reference.
Note to Readers of Does Anything Eat Wasps & Why Don't Penguin's Feet Freeze - there is some repetition of subject matter (I just skimmed over those bits), so it may get boring to read them all consecutively.
Note to Readers of Does Anything Eat Wasps & Why Don't Penguin's Feet Freeze - there is some repetition of subject matter (I just skimmed over those bits), so it may get boring to read them all consecutively.
April 13, 2013
This book is from the same team that produced 'Does Anything Eat Wasps' and others, collections of readers questions featured in New Scientist magazine together with answers. It describes various experiments that can be done at home that answer some of these questions, or just illustrate them in an amusing or ingenious way. An awful lot of them seem to feature alcohol and/or fizzy drinks.
It was an entertaining read - informative and humorous - and has left me with a real desire to see just what happens when you add Mentos to a bottle of coke.
It was an entertaining read - informative and humorous - and has left me with a real desire to see just what happens when you add Mentos to a bottle of coke.
December 19, 2014
Although some of the experiments were interesting I didn’t really feel myself wanting to rush out and try them. The back ground information associated with each of the different experiments and how they turn out and why is the part I found more interesting. It definitely didn’t hold my interest in the same way other New Scientist books like ‘Why Don’t Penguins Feet Freeze’ and ‘Do Polar Bears Ever Get Lonely’. The main redeeming feature was the shortness of each of the sections meaning it could be picked up and put down quickly and easily without losing the flow of reading.
September 11, 2010
I bought this book mostly for the title experiment, but it's not so much an experiment as just finding the right conditions to prevent the dead hamster from being disturbed/eaten/destroyed and letting it sit for a long time. I thought there might be more to it than that. However, this book does tell you how to culture your own DNA using items commonly found in the household and how to measure the speed of light using chocolate.
April 1, 2011
Un libro interesante y con experimentos divertidos. Lástima que la traducción al castellano tiene algunas palabras de uso común en España pero extrañas en Argentina y uno tiene que deducir qué corno necesita para hacer la experiencia, pero, bue, es lo de menos.
Ideal para enchastrar la cocina y desordenar el garage un sábado lluvioso con el hijo (o la hija o los plurales de ambos) de uno.
Ideal para enchastrar la cocina y desordenar el garage un sábado lluvioso con el hijo (o la hija o los plurales de ambos) de uno.
December 24, 2007
Excellent. Loved every second of this book and it gives you experiements to do (as well as explains what happens and why) so I cant wait to try some of thses out.
Fossilising a hamster will take some organising tho!
Fossilising a hamster will take some organising tho!
January 22, 2015
A book of experiments you can do at home. I haven't tried many of them yet, but some look like fun to do with the kids. They explain the science, but in some cases the phenomena have not been fully understood by science yet. Enjoyable to just read too
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February 28, 2015Somewhat witty, somewhat interesting experiments, some of which could be done at home. Except for fossilizing your hamster, which would take more time than most of us have. Experiments followed by explanations for why things are the way they are.
December 18, 2011
A book full of interesting science experiments you can perform with everyday household items, written in an amusing and easy to understand manner.
February 13, 2008
Who doesn't want to know how to do the stuff in this book, from making your own wine(which is disgusting) to fossilizing your hamster, a must read for inquiring minds.
August 2, 2008
Great read! Many hands-on science experiments about every day things. My favorite experiment: measuring the speed of light using a chocolate bar and your microwave. Awesome!
September 9, 2009
It's about how much fun science can be. It doesn't take sophisticated devices to see the most spectacular phenomena.
Read
October 11, 2009How to Fossilise Your Hamster and Other Amazing Experiments for the Armchair Scientist by Mick O'Hare (2007)
Read
May 8, 2010Funny experiments you can perform at home.
dnf
October 26, 2010I just ran out of time before the book had to go back to the library. A danger of reading too many books at once, I guess. It was fun, what I read.
November 10, 2010
this book have some great experiments but others not so good
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews