Sean Connolly’s bestselling “genius at work” series gets it’s “T!” STEM, standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, refers to the core non-humanities subjects that are so critical to contemporary education. And now, after covering everything but the technology, this master of fun, messy, possibly risky and compelling interactive science experiments explores twenty-seven key areas in current and near-future tech. Author of The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science, The Book of Massively Epic Engineering Disasters, and, most recently, The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry Sean Connolly delves into the fascinating and potentially scary world of driverless cars, artificial intelligence, robots and androids, smart clothing, the “internet of things,” test-tube meat, the space elevator, and more. Through cool illustrations, quick definitions, illustrated panels, and Connolly's clear and always-lively writing, readers learn what each breakthrough means; how it has or will improve our lives; what other technologies are related to it; and what the terrifyingly awesome potential risks are. (3D printing? What happens when someone bad “prints” a weapon?) And to make the learning hands-on, each chapter includes an experiment to help understand the underlying principles of these incredibly complicated developments: Use milk jugs and balloons to test solar power. Food dye and water to understand genome technology. A paper airplane to gain insight into drones. Two boards and two friends to replicate the force of a powered exoskeleton. It’s science, down to a T.

Stand back! Genius at work! Encase your little bother in a giant soap bubble. Drop mentos into a bottle of diet soda and stand back as a geyser erupts. Launch a rocket made from a film canister. Here are 64 amazing experiments that snap, crackle, pop, ooze, crash, boom, and stink. Giant air cannons. Home-made lightning. Marshmallows on steroids. Matchbox microphones. There’s even an introduction to alchemy. (Not sure what that is? Think “medieval wizard.”) None of the experiments requires special training, and all use stuff found in the kitchen or in the garden shed. You’d be irresponsible not to try them. ATTENTION, PARENTS: Yes, your kids may need your help with a few experiments. And yes, sometimes it may get a tad messy. But it’s not pure mayhem. The balloon rocket whizzing through the garden? It demonstrates Newton’s Third Law of Motion. That chunk of potato launched across the kitchen from a tube? Welcome to Boyle’s Law. Every experiment demonstrated real science, at its most memorable.

From Anchorage to Washington D.C., take a trip through America’s well-loved cities with this unique A-Z like no other, lavishly illustrated and annotated with key cultural icons, from famous people and inventions to events, food, and monuments. Explore skyscraper streets, museum miles, local food trucks, and city parks of the United States of America and discover more than 2,000 facts that celebrate the people, culture, and diversity that have helped make America what it is today. Cities include Anchorage • Atlanta • Austin • Baltimore • Birmingham • Boise • Boston • Burlington • Charleston • Charlotte • Cheyenne • Chicago • Cleveland • Columbus • Denver • Detroit • Hartford • Honolulu • Houston • Indianapolis • Jacksonville • Kansas City • Las Vegas • Little Rock • Los Angeles • Louisville • Memphis • Miami • Milwaukee • Minneapolis-St. Paul • Nashville • New Orleans • New York • Newark • Newport • Oklahoma City • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Pittsburgh • Portland, ME • Portland, OR • Rapid City • Salt Lake City • San Francisco • Santa Fe • Seattle • St. Louis • Tucson • Virginia Beach • Washington, D.C. The 50 States series of books for young explorers celebrates the USA and the wider world with key facts and fun activities about the people, history, and natural environments that make each location within them uniquely wonderful. Beautiful illustrations, maps, and infographics bring the places to colorful life. Also available from the series:The 50 States, The 50 States: Activity Book, The 50 States: Fun Facts, 50 Trailblazers of the 50 States, 50 Maps of the World, 50 Adventures in the 50 States, 50 Maps of the World Activity Book, Only in America!, and We Are the 50 States.

From Sean Connolly, the master of messy and dangerous (and therefore extra-fun) science, a collection of more than 20 hands-on experiments that are like an interactive journey through the periodic table of elements. In this introduction to chemistry for STEM-curious kids ages 9 and up, each chapter of The Book of Ingeniously Daring Chemistry focuses on a single element—its properties, how it was discovered, and even its potential danger level. Easy-to-follow experiments help readers put their newfound knowledge into action. All that’s needed is a sense of adventure and some items from around the house. Make your own fossil with silicon. Use a pinhead and measure 166 feet of string for a mind-boggling insight into how a hydrogen atom is built. Discover oxygen and oxygenation by slicing an apple and seeing what happens an hour later. Harness the power of zinc with a potato clock. And enjoy a special hands-off feature about the “Dirty Dozen”—those nasty elements, from arsenic to plutonium, that can wreak havoc wherever they appear (there are no experiments using these chemicals). Matter really matters, and now you’ll really understand why.

It’s hands-on science with a capital “E”—for engineering. Beginning with the toppling of the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, to the destructive, laserlike sunbeams bouncing off London’s infamous “Fryscraper” in 2013, here is an illustrated tour of the greatest engineering disasters in history, from the bestselling author of The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science. Each engineering disaster includes a simple, exciting experiment or two using everyday household items to explain the underlying science and put learning into action. Understand the Titanic’s demise by sinking an ice-cube-tray ocean liner in the bathtub. Stomp on a tube of toothpaste to demonstrate what happens to non-Newtonian fluids under pressure—and how a ruptured tank sent a tsunami of molasses through the streets of Boston in 1919. From why the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans to the fatal design flaw in the Sherman tank, here’s a book of science at its most riveting.

Why does a knuckleball flutter? Why do belly flops hurt so much? Why would a quarterback prefer a deflated football? Here are 54 all-star experiments that demonstrate the scientific principles powering a wide variety of sports and activities—and offer insights that can help you improve your own athletic skills. How does a black belt karate chop her way through a stack of bricks? Use Popsicle sticks to understand why it’s possible and learn the role played by Newton’s second law of motion. Does LeBron James really float through the air on the way to a dunk? Use a tennis ball, a paperback book, and the help of a friend to understand the science of momentum and the real meaning of hang time. Using common household objects, each project includes step-by-step instructions, tips, and a detailed explanation of how and why the experiment worked. It’s a win-win. The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat—it’s all in the science.

Just when you thought you’d accepted your own mortality . . . Everything Is Going to Kill Everybody is bringing panic back. Twenty illustrated, hilariously fear-inducing essays reveal the chilling and very real experiments, dangerous emerging technologies, and terrifying natural disasters that soon could—or very nearly already did—bring about the end of humanity. In short, everything in here will kill you and everyone you love. At any moment. And nobody’s told you about it—until now: • Experiments in green energy like the HiPER, which uses massive lasers to create a tiny “contained” sun; it’s an idea that could save the world if it doesn’t consume us all in a fiery fusion reaction first. • Global disasters like the hypercane—a hurricane so large it could cover all of North America and shoot trailer parks into space! • Terrifying new developments in robotics like the EATR, which powers itself on meat—an invention in the running for “Worst Decision Made by Anybody.”

“A science activity book “offering readers a chance to become real-life MacGyvers... [with] sections on gimmicks, gadgets and survival techniques. . . .” (Publishers Weekly) Do you know how to make something that can tell whether the $20 bill in your wallet is a fake? Or how to generate battery power with simple household items? Or how to create your own home security system? Science-savvy author Cy Tymony does. And now you can learn how to create these things and more than forty other handy gadgets and gizmos in Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things. More than a simple do-it-yourself guide, this quirky collection is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 80 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation. Included are survival, security, self-defense, and silly applications that are just plain fun. You'll be seen as a superhero as you amaze your friends by: * Transforming a simple FM radio into a device that enables you to eavesdrop on tower-to-air conversations. * Creating your own personalized electronic greeting cards. * Making a compact fire extinguisher from items typically found in a kitchen pantry. * Thwarting intruders with a single rubber band. By using run-of-the-mill household items and the easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams within, you'll be able to complete most projects in just a few minutes. Whether you use Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things as a practical tool to build useful devices, a fun little fantasy escape, or as a trivia guide to impress friends and family, this book is sure to be a reference favorite for years to come.

Looks at the important issues that are often overlooked in the race to find the best, fastest, and most cutting-edge technological wonders.

The instant New York Times bestseller! A Wall Street Journal Best Science Book of the Year! A Popular Science Best Science Book of the Year! From a top scientist and the creator of the hugely popular web comic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, a hilariously illustrated investigation into future technologies -- from how to fling a ship into deep space on the cheap to 3D organ printing What will the world of tomorrow be like? How does progress happen? And why do we not have a lunar colony already? What is the hold-up? In this smart and funny book, celebrated cartoonist Zach Weinersmith and noted researcher Dr. Kelly Weinersmith give us a snapshot of what's coming next -- from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters. By weaving their own research, interviews with the scientists who are making these advances happen, and Zach's trademark comics, the Weinersmiths investigate why these technologies are needed, how they would work, and what is standing in their way. New technologies are almost never the work of isolated geniuses with a neat idea. A given future technology may need any number of intermediate technologies to develop first, and many of these critical advances may appear to be irrelevant when they are first discovered. The journey to progress is full of strange detours and blind alleys that tell us so much about the human mind and the march of civilization. To this end, Soonish investigates ten different emerging fields, from programmable matter to augmented reality, from space elevators to robotic construction, to show us the amazing world we will have, you know, soonish. Soonish is the perfect gift for science lovers for the holidays!