Independent | Eco-friendly | Up to 75% off

KA-BOOM !

The Science of Extremes

David Darling
David Darling’s ‘unabashed celebration of the exceptional’ ranges across physics, space, technology and the natural world to uncover their extremes. In doing so he explores topics such as how humans are affected by sounds too low to hear; explains how our view of the most distant star, Earendel, is 13 billion years old; and traces the succession of buildings that have claimed the title of ‘world’s tallest’.
Postscript description
Read full publisher description

RRP £10.99

£4.99

✓ In stock

Free UK delivery on orders over £25

Product information:
  • Publisher: Oneworld
  • Year: 2024
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 304pp
  • Illustrated: Yes
  • Dimensions: 198x129mm
  • ISBN: 9780861548033
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 0.3kg
Product code:
545988
Product information
Full publisher description
What's the brightest light on Earth? The coldest corner of the universe? The blackest material ever made? The most poisonous substance in nature?



'You will learn something new in every chapter, on every page and probably in every paragraph. Hugely entertaining.' Kit Yates, author of The Maths of Life and Death



Ka-boom! probes extremes of size and speed, depth and density, and reveals the stickiest, sweetest, smelliest and nastiest substances known to science.



In an unabashed celebration of the exceptional, David Darling takes an enlightening journey through the universe's weirdest and most wonderful extremes.





Travel to far-flung galaxies in pursuit of habitable planets and extra-terrestrial life.
Journey to the rainforests of South America and discover the top-speed of the notoriously sluggish sloth.
Find out how Earth's hardiest creatures - tardigrades or 'water bears' - ended up living on the moon.
And meet the scientists and engineers using these quirks of nature to design faster computers, produce greener energy and revolutionise space travel.
Read full publisher description
Reasons to shop at Postscript

Independent bookseller
Established in 1987, we’ve been sharing reading recommendations for decades.

Books you won’t find elsewhere
Discover new authors among our frequently changing bookshelves, along with almost-forgotten gems and a wealth of unusual titles you won’t find elsewhere.

Eco-friendly packaging
Orders are carefully packed in recyclable cardboard boxes, eco-friendly bubble wrap and solvent-free labels, paper and tape.

Condition and price
All our books are new, unused and unread, and they’re all up to 75% off RRP.

FREE monthly catalogue
Featuring over 400 handpicked titles, our unique catalogue is carefully curated and includes new and unusual titles, special features and exclusive collections.

Email newsletters
Our tailored newsletters are written by our booksellers, and we always highlight the books that we have talked about most in the Postscript office.

Footnotes blog
Some books spark ideas and conversations that our catalogue can’t contain – our Footnotes blog offers a deeper dive into a wealth of topics to inspire further reading.

Aftercare
We are all serious book people and we understand the value of reading. This is why we package our books so carefully and employ a helpful in-house customer services team to promptly resolve any queries you may have.

Delivery information - FREE UK delivery on orders over £25

UK

Free UK standard delivery on all online orders over £25

Flat rate for all standard delivery orders: ‬£3.00 (3-5 working days)

Flat rate for Next Day orders (orders must be placed before 1pm, Monday–Friday): ‬£4.50

Flat rate for all Royal Mail Tracked48 orders: ‬£5.50 (2-4 working days)

Standard delivery‭: ‬3-5‭ ‬working days‭ (‬Highlands and Islands 5-7‭ ‬working days‭)‬

Next day delivery‭: ‬Available all UK excluding Highlands and Islands

Collect your order from a local shop – prices and delivery times as above

Overseas

All orders‭: ‬delivery costs for orders outside the UK are based on country of destination and product weight.

You can view your overseas delivery cost using the Summary section within the Basket‭.‬

For more information on delivery/overseas orders please refer to our Delivery Information.