Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Physics, General Physics
Cover of the book Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and People by Steven Vogel, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Steven Vogel ISBN: 9780393352955
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: January 17, 2000
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Steven Vogel
ISBN: 9780393352955
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: January 17, 2000
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

"Full of ideas and well-explained principles that will bring new understanding of everyday things to both scientists and non-scientists alike."—R. McNeill Alexander, Nature

Nature and humans build their devices with the same earthly materials and use them in the same air and water, pulled by the same gravity. Why, then, do their designs diverge so sharply? Humans, for instance, love right angles, while nature's angles are rarely right and usually rounded. Our technology goes around on wheels—and on rotating pulleys, gears, shafts, and cams—yet in nature only the tiny propellers of bacteria spin as true wheels. Our hinges turn because hard parts slide around each other, whereas nature's hinges (a rabbit's ear, for example) more often swing by bending flexible materials. In this marvelously surprising, witty book, Steven Vogel compares these two mechanical worlds, introduces the reader to his field of biomechanics, and explains how the nexus of physical law, size, and convenience of construction determine the designs of both people and nature. "This elegant comparison of human and biological technology will forever change the way you look at each."—Michael LaBarbera, American Scientist

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

"Full of ideas and well-explained principles that will bring new understanding of everyday things to both scientists and non-scientists alike."—R. McNeill Alexander, Nature

Nature and humans build their devices with the same earthly materials and use them in the same air and water, pulled by the same gravity. Why, then, do their designs diverge so sharply? Humans, for instance, love right angles, while nature's angles are rarely right and usually rounded. Our technology goes around on wheels—and on rotating pulleys, gears, shafts, and cams—yet in nature only the tiny propellers of bacteria spin as true wheels. Our hinges turn because hard parts slide around each other, whereas nature's hinges (a rabbit's ear, for example) more often swing by bending flexible materials. In this marvelously surprising, witty book, Steven Vogel compares these two mechanical worlds, introduces the reader to his field of biomechanics, and explains how the nexus of physical law, size, and convenience of construction determine the designs of both people and nature. "This elegant comparison of human and biological technology will forever change the way you look at each."—Michael LaBarbera, American Scientist

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book Fear's Empire: War, Terrorism, and Democracy by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Living Fossil: The Story of the Coelacanth by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book The Passion of Reverend Nash: A Novel by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book The Book of Splendor: A Novel by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Love, Death, and the Changing of the Seasons by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Weird Life: The Search for Life That Is Very, Very Different from Our Own by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Insight and Responsibility by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Sun Tzu at Gettysburg: Ancient Military Wisdom in the Modern World by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Mind Your Manors: Tried-and-True British Household Cleaning Tips by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book The Red Thread: A Novel by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Outside History: Selected Poems, 1980-1990 by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Reagan and Thatcher: The Difficult Relationship by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Play and Creativity in Psychotherapy (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Steven Vogel
Cover of the book Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China by Steven Vogel
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy