Overview
A lighted-hearted scientific look at the rituals and icons of Christmas. What are the thermodynamics involved in cooking a turkey? What are the likely celestial candidates for the Star of Bethlehem? Is the concept of a virgin birth scientifically feasible? What happens to us physically when we overindulge in alcohol? How does snow form? Why are we always depressed after Christmas? How does Santa manage to deliver all those presents in one night? (He has, in fact, little over two ten-thousandths of a second to get between each of the 842 million households he must visit.) This edition has been extensively updated and contains a new chapter on the latest seasonal science - how religion can help your mental life!
Full Product Details
Author: Roger Highfield
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Dimensions:
Width: 13.30cm
, Height: 2.30cm
, Length: 19.60cm
Weight: 0.246kg
ISBN: 9780753813669
ISBN 10: 0753813661
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 07 November 2002
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
An extensively revised edition of a light-hearted scientific look at the rituals and icons of Christmas from such questions as the thermodynamics involved in cooking a turkey to the likely celestial candidates for the Star of Bethlehem and what happens to us physically when we over-indulge in alcohol. And there's a new chapter on how religion can help your entire life.
Great fun to read at any time of the year. The science editor of the Daily Telegraph interviewed 70 of the world's leading academics to uncover various fascinating explanations for absolutely everything that happens during the festive period, from why needles fall off Christmas trees to the laws of shopping. Astronomical theories about the identity of the Bethlehem star are discussed, suggesting comets, star births, star deaths, a slight hesitation in the orbit of a planet, even the sighting of the then unknown planet Uranus. Theories are proposed as to how a virgin birth could actually occur. The claims of psychologists in their proposition that this seasonal ritual reveals a great deal about our nature and relationship with others are explored. Under that tree lies a great deal of tantalizing evidence of how we relate to friends and family. A plethora of facts, plus many more entertaining but scientifically rigorous material. Review by psychiatrist DR RAJ PERSUAD, author of Staying Sane. (Kirkus UK)
Author Information
Roger Highfield is a UK science writer who broadcasts regularly on radio and television.
