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Dr Karl's Surfing Safari Through Science
Australia's favourite science guru returns with a new haul of extraordinary stories from our incredible Universe -- includes pop-up Dr Karl holograms!
Dr Karl is surfing the Universe for all that's gnarly, awesome, weird and wonderful.
Why is sharpening a pencil in space a risky business?
What makes a sunset red and not blue?
How far would the Earth's viruses reach if you laid them end to end?
Which animal grows an anus every time it needs to poo?
Find out how spiders can fly and count, whether 5G networks are safe, why we're running out of sand, and the answer to the Question on Everyone's Lips - how to make the best coffee.
Plus loads more, including pop-up Karl holograms!
So take a surfing safari with Dr Karl and get ready to Hang Ten -- or wipe out.
Dr Karl is surfing the Universe for all that's gnarly, awesome, weird and wonderful.
Why is sharpening a pencil in space a risky business?
What makes a sunset red and not blue?
How far would the Earth's viruses reach if you laid them end to end?
Which animal grows an anus every time it needs to poo?
Find out how spiders can fly and count, whether 5G networks are safe, why we're running out of sand, and the answer to the Question on Everyone's Lips - how to make the best coffee.
Plus loads more, including pop-up Karl holograms!
So take a surfing safari with Dr Karl and get ready to Hang Ten -- or wipe out.
- GenresNonfictionScience
192 pages, ebook
Published November 1, 2020
About the author
Karl Kruszelnicki
54 books179 followersKnown popularly as Dr Karl.
Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, film-maker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at the Kids' Hospital in Sydney.
In 1995 he took up the position of the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University, spreading the good word about science and its benefits.
His enthusiasm for science is totally infectious and no one is better able to convey the excitement and wonder of it all than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki is.
Dr Karl's Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) site:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/
http://www.abc.net.au/profiles/conten...
Karl has degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine and Surgery and has worked as a physicist, tutor, film-maker, car mechanic, labourer, and as a medical doctor at the Kids' Hospital in Sydney.
In 1995 he took up the position of the Julius Sumner Miller Fellow at Sydney University, spreading the good word about science and its benefits.
His enthusiasm for science is totally infectious and no one is better able to convey the excitement and wonder of it all than Dr Karl Kruszelnicki is.
Dr Karl's Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) site:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/k2/
http://www.abc.net.au/profiles/conten...
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 4, 2020
Few Australians would be unfamiliar with the multi-talented and slightly eccentric, enthusiastic champion of science, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. With degrees in Physics and Maths, Biomedical Engineering, Medicine, and Surgery, he is a media host, an author of over 30 books, and a Fellow at UTS.
Dr Karl’s Surfing Through Science is an informative, and entertaining, exploration of specific subjects within varied branches of science. With topics ranging from Coffee-Grinding the Perfect Cup, to Past Plagues and Coronavirus, from Black Holes Have No Size, to The Amazing Disappearing Anus, there is truly something for everyone.
Dr Karl’s enthusiasm for the subjects comes across, as does his ‘dad’ sense of humour, but without compromising the information. The text is well presented, providing concise explanation and details, with the minimum use of jargon. Sub headings help with organisation, and inset columns offer additional but still relevant information. The accompanying images and illustrations are clear and relevant. I found the large format paperback easy to handle, and the pages are a pleasing thickness.
Not content to wow his readers with science fact, Dr Karl has introduced science fiction into his latest book. By downloading an app and hovering over the title pages of each topic with a smartphone or tablet, a ‘hologram’ of Dr Karl appears and talks about some of the chapter’s key ideas. It’s a fun and unique element of the book that will especially appeal to primary school aged children. Question marks also appear on the screen, and tapping them leads to additional relevant information online, which will benefit teens or adults interested in further detail (I’ve included a demonstration video below). This clever feature also allows Dr Karl to provides updates on the information in the book, if necessary. The only downside, as such, to the augmented reality feature is that it does require an internet connection and an up-to-date Apple or Android device (with minimum OS requirements) to access these interactive elements, though the book is perfectly useful and entertaining without it.
Dr Karl’s Surfing Through Science would be a stellar gift for a budding scientist, or really anyone with a curious mind who might wonder are Murder Hornets - Lethal But Tasty?
Dr Karl’s Surfing Through Science is an informative, and entertaining, exploration of specific subjects within varied branches of science. With topics ranging from Coffee-Grinding the Perfect Cup, to Past Plagues and Coronavirus, from Black Holes Have No Size, to The Amazing Disappearing Anus, there is truly something for everyone.
Dr Karl’s enthusiasm for the subjects comes across, as does his ‘dad’ sense of humour, but without compromising the information. The text is well presented, providing concise explanation and details, with the minimum use of jargon. Sub headings help with organisation, and inset columns offer additional but still relevant information. The accompanying images and illustrations are clear and relevant. I found the large format paperback easy to handle, and the pages are a pleasing thickness.
Not content to wow his readers with science fact, Dr Karl has introduced science fiction into his latest book. By downloading an app and hovering over the title pages of each topic with a smartphone or tablet, a ‘hologram’ of Dr Karl appears and talks about some of the chapter’s key ideas. It’s a fun and unique element of the book that will especially appeal to primary school aged children. Question marks also appear on the screen, and tapping them leads to additional relevant information online, which will benefit teens or adults interested in further detail (I’ve included a demonstration video below). This clever feature also allows Dr Karl to provides updates on the information in the book, if necessary. The only downside, as such, to the augmented reality feature is that it does require an internet connection and an up-to-date Apple or Android device (with minimum OS requirements) to access these interactive elements, though the book is perfectly useful and entertaining without it.
Dr Karl’s Surfing Through Science would be a stellar gift for a budding scientist, or really anyone with a curious mind who might wonder are Murder Hornets - Lethal But Tasty?
June 30, 2024
This is a book I've had sitting on my "to-read" pile for a long time, and I have been picking it up at intervals to read a chapter over breakfast. A very dippable collection of chapters about some aspect of science, ranging from topical (5G networks, Vegan diets) to classical (the science behind "red sky at night"). Entertaining, and educational, if not quite so compelling as to induce me to read it all in one go.
February 12, 2021
This book was nowhere near as good as the last. The chapters were so random and half of them were very uninteresting topics. It almost seems like it's written to be a kids book, yet the content is definitely geared towards adults.
November 21, 2024
Really good explanation on why 5G is not dangerous to human health and another couple of good topics. A few that missed the mark and were overly "sciencey".
The book was supposed to link with an app to make 3D holograms, but the app is no longer available.
The book was supposed to link with an app to make 3D holograms, but the app is no longer available.
January 11, 2021
love your work Dr Karl!
January 16, 2021
I listened to the audio book while making some cabinets, such a delight to have it read by Dr Karl and to be carried along by his enthusiasm and curiosity — a real delight.
March 27, 2021
In typical Dr Karl style, scientific facts are presented in an entertaining way.
There are unusual chapters that hook our interest - "Dead fish can swim", "The disappearing anus", "spiders can count".
There are chapters that are relevant to us at present - 5G conspiracies, Pandemics.
And many more so random that would appeal to a wide range of readers.
I "read" this as an audio book, so it was a bonus to hear Dr Karl read his own material with such enthusiasm. Even topics I did not think would be interesting, turned out to be so.
Australia's favourite science guru returns with a new haul of extraordinary stories from our incredible Universe -- includes pop-up Dr Karl holograms!
Dr Karl is surfing the Universe for all that's gnarly, awesome, weird and wonderful.
Why is sharpening a pencil in space a risky business?
What makes a sunset red and not blue?
How far would the Earth's viruses reach if you laid them end to end?
Which animal grows an anus every time it needs to poo?
Find out how spiders can fly and count, whether 5G networks are safe, why we're running out of sand, and the answer to the Question on Everyone's Lips - how to make the best coffee.
Plus loads more, including pop-up Karl holograms!
So take a surfing safari with Dr Karl and get ready to Hang Ten -- or wipe out.
There are unusual chapters that hook our interest - "Dead fish can swim", "The disappearing anus", "spiders can count".
There are chapters that are relevant to us at present - 5G conspiracies, Pandemics.
And many more so random that would appeal to a wide range of readers.
I "read" this as an audio book, so it was a bonus to hear Dr Karl read his own material with such enthusiasm. Even topics I did not think would be interesting, turned out to be so.
Australia's favourite science guru returns with a new haul of extraordinary stories from our incredible Universe -- includes pop-up Dr Karl holograms!
Dr Karl is surfing the Universe for all that's gnarly, awesome, weird and wonderful.
Why is sharpening a pencil in space a risky business?
What makes a sunset red and not blue?
How far would the Earth's viruses reach if you laid them end to end?
Which animal grows an anus every time it needs to poo?
Find out how spiders can fly and count, whether 5G networks are safe, why we're running out of sand, and the answer to the Question on Everyone's Lips - how to make the best coffee.
Plus loads more, including pop-up Karl holograms!
So take a surfing safari with Dr Karl and get ready to Hang Ten -- or wipe out.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews