Sensitive Matter
Foams, Gels, Liquid Crystals, and Other Miracles
Published on 10. April 2012
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-0-674-06456-0 (ISBN)
Description
Life would not exist without sensitive, or soft, matter. All biological structures depend on it, including red blood globules, lung fluid, and membranes. So do industrial emulsions, gels, plastics, liquid crystals, and granular materials. What makes sensitive matter so fascinating is its inherent versatility. Shape-shifting at the slightest provocation, whether a change in composition or environment, it leads a fugitive existence.
Physicist Michel Mitov brings drama to molecular gastronomy (as when two irreconcilable materials are mixed to achieve the miracle of mayonnaise) and offers answers to everyday questions, such as how does paint dry on canvas, why does shampoo foam better when you "repeat," and what allows for the controlled release of drugs? Along the way we meet a futurist cook, a scientist with a runaway imagination, and a penniless inventor named Goodyear who added sulfur to latex, quite possibly by accident, and created durable rubber.
As Mitov demonstrates, even religious ritual is a lesson in the surprising science of sensitive matter. Thrice yearly, the reliquary of St. Januarius is carried down cobblestone streets from the Cathedral to the Church of St. Clare in Naples. If all goes as hoped-and since 1389 it often has-the dried blood contained in the reliquary's largest vial liquefies on reaching its destination, and Neapolitans are given a reaffirming symbol of renewal.
Physicist Michel Mitov brings drama to molecular gastronomy (as when two irreconcilable materials are mixed to achieve the miracle of mayonnaise) and offers answers to everyday questions, such as how does paint dry on canvas, why does shampoo foam better when you "repeat," and what allows for the controlled release of drugs? Along the way we meet a futurist cook, a scientist with a runaway imagination, and a penniless inventor named Goodyear who added sulfur to latex, quite possibly by accident, and created durable rubber.
As Mitov demonstrates, even religious ritual is a lesson in the surprising science of sensitive matter. Thrice yearly, the reliquary of St. Januarius is carried down cobblestone streets from the Cathedral to the Church of St. Clare in Naples. If all goes as hoped-and since 1389 it often has-the dried blood contained in the reliquary's largest vial liquefies on reaching its destination, and Neapolitans are given a reaffirming symbol of renewal.
Reviews / Votes
This book is a delight. With grace, poise and precision, Michel Mitov makes the case that there is as much wonder and challenging science in the behavior of everyday substances-egg white, toothpaste, sand, soap foam-as there is in the most esoteric experiments in particle physics. Sensitive matter could wish for no more sensitive, no more responsive and intelligent, a champion. -- Philip Ball, author of <i>Made to Measure</i> and <i>Molecules: A Very Short Introduction</i> An excellent guide to the labyrinthine world of soft matter. -- David Quere This book shows how Soft Matter matters, in our daily lives and in more esoteric situations. Mitov gives many fascinating examples of the remarkable behaviour exhibited by polymers, colloids, foams and gels and their applications in fields as diverse as molecular gastronomy and liquid crystal displays. A selection of intriguing historical vignettes completes the mixture. This will be eagerly read by those looking for a brief account, without too much technical detail, of everyday soft materials. -- Ian Hamley, author of <i>Introduction to Soft Matter</i> A slim, engaging volume that mixes mini lessons on such subjects as thixotropic fluids--think house paint and ballpoint pen ink, both of which flow when someone applies pressure to them but gel when left alone--with anecdotes from the author's adventurous life...Readers come away from the book with a renewed appreciation for the complexity of such everyday substances as champagne, rubber and toothpaste. -- Sandra Upson and Anna Kuchment * Scientific American * Mitov has a light touch, writing like the hip, pop-culture-loving, corduroy-jacket-wearing chemistry teacher that you always wanted but never had. -- Aaron Leitko * Washington Post * Champagne bubbles, mayonnaise, rubber, blood and sand are part of the eclectic mix of materials explored in Sensitive Matter...Mitov applies his vivid imagination to explaining how soft materials respond to disturbances...It is a quirky and fun introduction to this practical, complex field. -- Rosamund Daw * Nature *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge, Mass
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Illustrations
15 halftones, 15 line illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 210 mm
Width: 140 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-674-06456-0 (9780674064560)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Michel Mitov
Sensitive Matter
E-Book
04/2012
1st Edition
Harvard University Press
€20.79
Available for download