Author(s): Jay Ingram

Science

Why doesn't honey flow out in all direction across your toast? What's the science behind the theory of 'six degrees of separation'? How do stones 'skip'? When visiting a new place, why does getting there always seem to take so much longer that returning home?

In The Velocity of Honey, bestselling author Jay Ingram muses upon these and many more daily mysteries that puzzle and perplex. As in his hugely popular The Science of Everyday Life, Ingram makes the science of our lives accessible and fascinating. With his trademark wit and wonderment, he explores the strange facts that make up our natural and physical worlds, uncovering the unexpected curiosities within. From mosquitoes to the Marvel universe, baseball to baby-holding, Ingram's topics are diverse. He also makes starling connections. In some pieces, he relates anecdotes from the history of science and demonstrates their relevance to contemporary scientific debates. In others, he explores the science behind many of our proverbial expressions, common sayings such as 'time flies when you're having fun' and 'it's a small world after all.' In still others, he highlights intriguing links between the worlds of art and the worlds of science. Delightful and surprising, Jay Ingram's essays in The Velocity of Honey not only help to humanize and promote our understanding of science, they also remind us of the mystery that is the essence of all scientific pursuit.