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Life's Devices
The Physical World of Animals and Plants
Series: Princeton Science Library
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Brief Description
An entertaining and informative book that explores how living things contend with nonbiological reality. Life on Earth is subject to the pull of gravity, the properties of air and water, and the behaviour of diffusing molecules, yet such physical factors are constraints that drive evolution and...
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Life's Devices
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Description
An entertaining and informative book that explores how living things contend with nonbiological reality.
Life on Earth is subject to the pull of gravity, the properties of air and water, and the behaviour of diffusing molecules, yet such physical factors are constraints that drive evolution and offer untold opportunities to creatures of all sizes.
In this lively introduction to the science of biomechanics, Steven Vogel invites you to wonder about the design of the plants and animals around us. You will learn why a fish swims more rapidly than a duck can paddle, why healthy trees more commonly uproot than break, how sharks manage with such flimsy skeletons, and why a mouse can easily survive a fall onto any surface from any height.
With an illuminating foreword by Rob Dunn, this Princeton Science Library edition of Life's Devices includes examples from every major group of animals and plants along with illustrative problems and suggestions for experiments that require only common household materials.
Series: Princeton Science Library
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Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691270586
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 May 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Contributors:
- Foreword by Rob Dunn
Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 216.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 384
About the Author
Steven Vogel (1940-2015) was the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus of Biology at Duke University. His books include Comparative Biomechanics and Glimpses of Creatures in Their Physical Worlds (both Princeton).
Rob Dunn is the William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University. His books include Delicious (Princeton) and Never Home Alone.
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