Storm in a Teacup

The Physics of Everyday Life

By: Helen Czerski

Narrated by: Chloe Massey

A physicist explains daily phenomena from the mundane to the magisterial.

Take a look up at the stars on a clear night and you get a sense that the universe is vast and untouchable, full of mysteries beyond comprehension. But did you know that the key to unveiling the secrets of the cosmos is as close as the nearest toaster?

Our home here on earth is messy, mutable, and full of humdrum things that we touch and modify without much thought every day. But these familiar surroundings are just the place to look if you're interested in what makes the universe tick. In Storm in a Teacup, Helen Czerski provides the tools to alter the way we see everything around us by linking ordinary objects and occurrences, like popcorn popping, coffee stains, and fridge magnets, to big ideas like climate change, the energy crisis, and innovative medical testing. She guides us through the principles of gases ("explosions in the kitchen are generally considered a bad idea. But just occasionally a small one can produce something delicious"); gravity (drop some raisins in a bottle of carbonated lemonade and watch the whoosh of bubbles and the dancing raisins at the bottom bumping into each other); size (Czerski explains the action of the water molecules that cause the crime-scene stain left by a puddle of dried coffee); and time (why it takes so long for ketchup to come out of a bottle).

Along the way, she provides answers to vexing questions: How does water travel from the roots of a redwood tree to its crown? How do ducks keep their feet warm when walking on ice? Why does milk, when added to tea, look like billowing storm clouds? In an engaging voice at once warm and witty, Czerski shares her stunning breadth of knowledge to lift the veil of familiarity from the ordinary. You may never look at your toaster the same way.

©2017 Helen Czerski (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Excellent...an ideal gift for any scientifically inquisitive person, including children or adults who retain a child's sense of wonder. Robert Hooke would have loved it." (John Gribbin, The Wall Street Journal)

"Czerski entertainingly mixes reports of her anyone-can-do-this experiments with serious questions about the world in which we live." (Booklist)

"Storm in a Teacup is a course in physics, but it’s less like a classroom than a long walk with a patient, charming, and very, very learned friend. Czerski has a remarkable knack for finding scientific wonders under every rock, alongside every raindrop, and inside every grain of sand." (Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking)

Captivating

Very interesting presentation of complex topics made simple by relating them to everyday life.
Now I want to know more about everyday physics!

Learned some interesting factual articles to pack into my intellectual baggage for my journey through life

I enjoyed the overall performance and materials. Sometimes it was a bit too simplistic and I would have enjoyed more of her research results to have been presented and where it would have been possible to integrate or apply to everyday life. I’m always pleased to hear the home State mentioned in a positive manner (RI)

Fun and Informative Read/Listen

Overall, very enjoyable book. One nit regarding laptop PSUs: What is being described was rarely if ever •used• for that purpose. Laptops almost universally use a switch-mode PSU which is substantially more complex than the transformer + rectifier + inductor & capacitor design of a "classic" rectified DC supply covered in the book. Perhaps this could have been explained in the same manner as the CRT to Plasma/LCD/LED television evolution, in that switch-mode PSUs are lighter, more input-flexible/forgiving, etc… than their rectified-DC predecessors.

Educational and entertaining

This book is great. I learned so much about things I never expected to even hear about in this book. This book is way more than what the title says. It is just amazing. Unfortunately I listened to the author’s other book that she reads herself first. So the only missing thing in this audio book is the authors lovely voice, you can hear and feel the enthusiasm and passion when the author herself reads the book. This was the only part missing here.

Understanding the world for the non-scientist

For context, I have a degree in biology. I remember as I progressed through my degree, the knowledge I was learning changed my perspective on the world. When learning the sciences, you see everything differently, in a sense, you understand the world around you a lot better. This is what this book effectively accomplishes. However, it is specifically written for the non-scientist. Math is notably absent (which I'm sure most appreciate). It's the fun part of science given in an easy-to-understand format. It's interesting and captivating; you will learn a lot.

That being said, given my science background, I learned next to nothing from this book. This book is specifically written for the non-scientist. It reminds me of the watered down science courses that non-science majors, or nurses might take. For what it aims to do, it does so very effectively, and therefore I think this book does earn a 5-star review.

This book changed the way I see the world

If Anna Czerski wanted us to view the world through a different light, she certainly achieved it. Wonderful explanations of things we don't ever think about but which are so relevant to daily life and life on earth. So many examples, surprisingly connected. I can listen to whole chapters over and over again without getting bored. This book makes science beautiful.

fascinating

I love to know how things work and this book gives a little of that, enough to then take you to the basic physics.

Fantastically Entertaining

A delightful romp through the amazing (and beautiful) physics behind common daily experiences. If Richard Feynman were alive, he'd give it two thumbs up and a bongo salute!

Thank you

I appreciate the fascinating and useful information derived from everyday objects. Many of the stories were easy to visualize within the minds eye.

Perfect

Besides being informational, it is entertaining and beautifully, poetically written. The narration is perfect for the content.