An edition of Air and water (1993)

Air and water

the biology and physics of life's media

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Last edited by MARC Bot
July 25, 2024 | History
An edition of Air and water (1993)

Air and water

the biology and physics of life's media

"Fish, shrimp, whales, and kelps live in the sea," writes Mark Denny, "and no one would mistake them for something that lives on land. By the same token, redwoods, hummingbirds, giraffes, and dragonflies are easily identified as being terrestrial." Denny's lively and informative book expands on this observation.

Addressing general readers as well as biologists, he shows how the physics of fluids (in this case, air and water) influences the often fantastic ways in which life forms adapt themselves to their terrestrial or aquatic "media.".

The book begins with a brief, accessible review of the basic concepts of physics and then applies these tools to describe the properties of air and water, among them being density, viscosity, electrical resistivity, and diffusivity. In each case the property under discussion is examined in a biological context: Why can sperm whales act like hot air balloons when terrestrial animals cannot? Why are trees taller than kelps?

How do whirligig beetles use ripples as a form of sonar, and why can't mosquitoes detect the electrical activity of their prey as sharks can? Readers of Air and Water will be well rewarded by thinking about these and other questions in the context of physics.

Publish Date
Language
English
Pages
341

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: Air and Water
Air and Water
November 1, 1993, Princeton University Press
Hardcover in English - Reissue edition
Cover of: Air and water
Air and water: the biology and physics of life's media
1993, Princeton University Press
in English
Cover of: Air and water
Air and water: the biology and physics of life's media
1993, Princeton University Press
in English

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Book Details


Edition Notes

Published in
New Jersey, Chichester

The Physical Object

Pagination
341p. :
Number of pages
341

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL22489430M
Internet Archive
airwaterbiologyp0000denn
ISBN 10
0691087342
Library Thing
2049081
Goodreads
3527609

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History

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July 25, 2024 Edited by MARC Bot import existing book
December 13, 2018 Edited by ImportBot import existing book
December 4, 2010 Edited by Open Library Bot Added subjects from MARC records.
December 10, 2009 Created by WorkBot add works page