A Matter of Degrees by Gino Segre has the subtitle: “What temperature reveals about the past and future of our species, planet, and universe”, a daunting subject, to say the least. This book is popular science at its best. We’re all influenced by and often obsessed with temperature. In fact, we allude to temperature in referring to the latest fads or heroes as “cool” or “hot”. We want to know what the daily temperature is or what we can look forward to for the weekend. But how much do we really know about temperature.
Do you know what causes a fever? Or what good a fever does for our body? Did you know that Einstein registered patents for an improved refrigerator. Did you know that the earth has gone through several periods of runaway greenhouse gas? Did you know that we know the temperature of the center of the sun much more precisely than we know that of the earth?
Segre ties together so many branches of science in so many ways that it is difficult not to appreciate how much the study of temperature and heat affects all those branches. From deep sea biology to far flung astronomy, from medical cures to food preservation. A really great book.
Is this one you bought or checked out?
ReplyDeleteChecked out. I rarely buy a book before I read it if the library has it and can keep it safe and nicely catalogued for me. However, I will buy a really good book after I've read it or if I can't wait for other library patrons to get through with it.
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