Inflight Science

There are few times that science is so immediate as when you're in a plane. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg shows how you stay up there - but that's only the beginning. Inflight Science explains the ever-changing view, whether it's crop circles or clouds, mountains or river deltas, and describes easy-to-do experiments, from showing how a wing provides lift to calculating the population of the towns you fly over. You'll learn why the coastline is infi nite in length, the cause ofthunderstorms and the true impact of volcanic ash on aircraft engines. Fascinating facts to discover include: The jet stream winds are so fast that a plane travelling west to east within them can fly beyond the speed of sound. The wingspan of a 747 is around twice the distance flown by the Wright Flyer on its maiden flight. With good visibility and total darkness, the human eye is so sensitive that you could see a single candle from the cruising height of a plane. Packed full of amazing insights from physics, chemistry, engineering, geography and more, Inflight Science is a voyage of scientific discovery perfect for any journey - even if it's just in your armchair.