About the Author

Robert Matthews is Visiting Reader in Science at Aston University, Birmingham. He has published pioneering research in fields ranging from code-breaking to the probability of coincidences, and won an Ig Nobel Prize for his studies of Murphy's Law, including the reasons why toast so often lands butter-side down. He is also an award-winning journalist who writes about science for many publications, including The Sunday Telegraph, The Financial Times, Focus and New Scientist.

Review

'A thrill-ride for curious minds.' --John Rennie, Editor in Chief, Scientific American.

'Matthews has done a heroic job in revealing the science behind a broad and entertaining range of questions. Ideal fodder for the curious mind.' --Roger Highfield, author of Can Reindeer Fly? The Science of Christmas and The Science of Harry Potter: How Magic Really Works.

Product Description

What would happen if you fell into a black hole? Which properties give you the best chance of winning at Monopoly? And why is it always so difficult to get ketchup to come out of a full bottle? For the past three years science writer Robert Matthews has provided answers to the most baffling, intriguing and occasionally downright trivial questions of "Sunday Telegraph" readers, and come up with some surprising results. From the farthest reaches of the universe to the mysterious fate of odd socks, this collection of questions and answers unravels the science behind the world around us, disproving once and for all the theory that science is just something that balding men in lab coats do to pass the time. Entertaining, enlightening and often inspired, this book is a must-read for all inquisitive minds.