Sean Connolly - The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science: 50 Experiments for Daring Young Scientists

The Book of

potentially

catastrophic

science

by Sean Connolly

Workman Publishing New York

To Frederika, for showing me my potentialand helping to avert catastrophes

I am indebted to Raquel Jaramillo at Workman for her enthusiasm and vision at every stage of the writing and production of this book. In addition, I would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their help and inspiration:

Frank Ciccotti, James Dalton, Benjamin Joyce, Dr. Jeff Kenna, Dr. Peter Lydon, William Matthiesen, Dr. Sarah Morse,Professor Jay Pasachoff, Oliver Pugh, Peter Rielly, Elizabeth Stell, Bath Literature Festival, Berkshire Film and Video, Camco International, Hostelling International, Leabharlann Contae Chiarrai, University of Oxford, Williams College, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Contents

2 Million Years b.c.

The Stone Age Chopper

1 million1.6 Million Years b.c.

The Fahrenheit 451 Experiment

C. 8000 B.C.

The Mini Bow and Arrow

3500 B.C.

The Sumerian Wheel and Axle

The Sumer Super Bike

330 B.C.

The Aristotle Skyscraper

The Aristotle North Star

A.D. 132

The Jell-O Earthquake

C. A.D. 850

Slow-Motion Fireworks

1504

Regiomontanuss Orange Lunar Eclipse

1616

Galileos Homemade Telescope

Galileos Jupiter Moons

1665

Newtons Science Friction

Newtons Third Law of Motion

1752

Ben Franklins Lightning Mouth

Ben Franklins Charged Balloon

1771

Galvanis Hair-Raising Experiment

Voltas Nickel-Penny Battery

1783

The Montgolfier Hot-Air Trash Bag

The Montgolfier Ping-Pong Experiment

1796

Edward Jenners Water Microscope

Edward Jenners Germ

1797

Garnerins Parachute

1825

Stephensons Steam Can

1854

Otiss Bobbin Elevator

1859

Darwins Fossil

1895

Rntgens X-Ray Vision

Rntgens X-Ray Machine

1898

Madame Curies Popcorn Carbon Dating

1903

Orvilles Aerodynamics

Wilburs Flying Machine

1905

Einsteins Magical Atom

Einsteins Brownian Motion

1926

Robert Goddards Soda Bottle Rocket

1936

Sikorskys Helicopter

Sikorskys Airfoil

1942

Fermis Chain Reaction

1947

Chuck Yeagers Sonic Boom

1947

John Stapps Rocket Sled

John Stapps Deceleration

1953

Watson and Cricks DNA

1960

Theodore Maimans Laser Oven

Theodore Maimans Flashlight Beam

1961

Gagarins Orbit

Gargarins Balloon Thrust

1962

Rachel Carsons Clean Water

1967

Barnards Homemade Stethoscope

Barnards Heartbeat

1999

Dieter Isslers Kitchen Avalanche

2008

The Marshmallow Hadron Collider

introduction

Heyjust why is it that scientists so often get that pesky adjective mad tacked on to their job description? After all, they work hard studying the world and how it works and then develop new ideas, test them, and share their knowledge with the rest of us. And before you know it, we wind up with fire to cook with, the wheel to help transport us places, telescopes to let us view the far reaches of the galaxy, and even X-ray machines to see the invisible rays our eyes alone cant see. Whats so crazy about all that?

Maybe this mad idea has nothing to do with the scientists, but more to do with the rest of us. After all, its the public (rather than the scientists) who usually considers it mad to send a ship sailing over the edge of a cliff, or to jump out of a balloon with only a few yards of silk to slow down the fall, or to send a human into outer space in what is basically little more than a glorified tin can. In our eyes, those actions arent just foolish or rashtheyre potentially catastrophic.

And yet, luckily, a small minority of the worlds population has had the curiosity, patience, and nerve to try out new ideas anyway. Thanks to these brave souls through history, we humans have gone from using primitive stone tools a few million years ago to colliding subatomic particles in the present. While the rest of the world stood on the sidelines of progress fretting about the potentially catastrophic consequences, these men and women boldly went where no one had gone before.

Sadly, many of these scientists saw their breakthroughs used not to benefit mankind, as they had intended, but to weaponize us. That theme runs through history from the time of the bow and arrow to the splitting of the atom.

Fortunately, the scientific advances have always managed to outweigh the potential catastrophes. Gunpowder, for instance, might well be the active ingredient in countless weapons, but it also helped engineers blast tunnels through mountains and clear landscapes for dams. Helicopters have become airborne gunships in modern warfare, but they also airlift injured people from the wilderness and get relief to disaster areas. The power behind the devastating atomic bomb might one day provide the world with green energy when we run out of oilif we can make sure its safe. And who can say for sure what the world-saving benefitsor the catastrophic risksof the Large Hadron Collider will be?

Scientists have always been confident that the good they create will outweigh even the potential for catastrophe. The Book of Potentially Catastrophic Science lets you join them on a journey, step by step across two million years of human history. Youll get a behind-the-scenes look at just how and why those scientists could look catastrophe in the eye and not flinch. But you wont be a simple bystanderdozens of experiments will draw you into this world of probing, testing, and being amazed by the results.

Each of the 34 chapters leads off with an account of a major breakthrough or development in the world of science or technology (which is the practical application of science). Youll find them enlightening, educational, and maybe even entertaining. But by the end of each account, youll see exactly where the potential for catastrophe lay.

What follows in each case is SCIENCE BEHIND IT, a clear explanation of the scientific principles that set the scene for the breakthroughand opened the door for potentially catastrophic results.

And then its time to leave the descriptions behind, roll up your sleeves, and try your hand at some wild experiments that you can do yourself. Some might require adult supervision, though, so look at the Catastrophe Meter at the top of every experiment (see chart, opposite) and proceed with care. If you do every experiment in the book, youll have made your way through an extraordinary time line of human achievement spanning millions of years, taking you from the dawn of history, when mankind was taking its first steps on the path of science, to the measuring of tiny particles traveling at nearly the speed of light. Its an exciting trip, with lots to marvel atif you dont spend too much time weighing the potential for catastrophe.