
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
An entertaining and informative book that explores how living things contend with nonbiological reality
Life on Earth is subject to the pull of gravity, the properties of air and water, and the behavior of diffusing molecules, yet such physical factors are constraints that drive evolution and offer untold opportunities to creatures of all sizes. In this lively introduction to the science of biomechanics, Steven Vogel invites you to wonder about the design of the plants and animals around us. You will learn why a fish swims more rapidly than a duck can paddle, why healthy trees more commonly uproot than break, how sharks manage with such flimsy skeletons, and why a mouse can easily survive a fall onto any surface from any height. With an illuminating foreword by Rob Dunn, this Princeton Science Library edition of Life’s Devices includes examples from every major group of animals and plants along with illustrative problems and suggestions for experiments that require only common household materials.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Foreword to the Princeton Science Library edition by Rob Dunn
- Preface
- 1: Constraints and opportunities
- 2: A variety of variables
- 3: Size and shape
- 4: Dimensions, gradients, and summations
- 5: Gases and liquids
- 6: Viscosity and flow
- 7: Pressure and flow
- 8: Diffusion versus convection
- 9: A matter of materials
- 10: Arranging structures
- 11: Insinuations about curves
- 12: Systems of support
- 13: The mechanics of motility
- 14: Staying put and getting away
- 15: Energy and afterthoughts
- Appendix 1: Notes on numbers
- Appendix 2: Problems and demonstrations
- List of symbols
- References and index of citations
- Subject index