Is it Science? (Set 1) [Softcover]

Magic or science? Toys or physics? Have you ever looked at an object or trick and wondered what the science behind it is?

In Magic or Science?, Magicians pull off fantastic feats: Levitating a meter above the ground, charming a snake with a flute, finding lost objects with the help of a pendulum, swallowing a sword or walking on embers ... But how do they do it? Is it magic or is it science? Learn to question and discover how science can explain most of the secrets surrounding these amazing wonders.

Get ready to move to the other side of the mirror!

Toys or Physics? will amaze young readers and spark their interest in physics. With full-colour illustrations and simple-to-read explanations, Toys or Physics? examines well-loved toys and games, and breaks down essential physics concepts through fun and play.

This book is for three groups of people:

• Curious young minds interested in learning about science through engaging images and experiential activities.
• Families who want to spend more time together.
• Everyone interested in the physics of everyday phenomena. Some of the toys examined in this book might even challenge your understanding of how the universe operates!

This book was created with the help of the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems.

What's inside:

• Discover physics through toys!
• Fun activities for engaging learning!
• Links to videos for more discovery!

Contents:

• Magic or Science?:
  • One, Two, Three, Levitate!
  • Pendulum, Astrology, and Other Prophecies...
  • Reading Minds? Easy!
  • Can You Sit on Nails or Charm a Snake?
  • Breaking Metal
  • Spirit, Are You There, Probably Not...
  • Witchcraft?
  • How Do You Walk On Coals Without Getting Burned?
  • Beating the Odds
  • How Do You Stick a Knife in Your Arm with Your Fingers in Your Nose?
  • Phantoms, Ghosts and Other Spooks
  • Images That Are a Little too Incredible...
  • Bermuda: A Triangle that Doesn't Go Around in Circles
  • Circles in Wheat Fields
  • When the Oldest Man in the World was a Fake
  • Go to Sleep!
  • When the Automation's Too Good to Be True...
  • Archaeological Mysteries
  • Gold Makers
  • Strange Constructions
• Toys or Physics?: Explaining Physics Through Toys:
  • Foreword
  • Super Ball
  • Yo-Yo
  • Daruma Doll
  • Heavy Lifter
  • Astrojax
  • Spinning Top
  • Euler's Disk
  • Tippe-Top
  • Dynabee
  • Rattleback
  • Kite
  • Frisbee
  • Walk-Along Glider
  • Bullroarer
  • Tumblewing
  • Boomerang
  • Mirascope
  • Afterword
  • Acknowledgements
  • What is Next?