Centrifugal Pumps (eBook)

Front Cover 1
The Odd Book of Data 4
Copyright Page 5
Table of Contents 10
Introduction 6
Acknowledgements 8
Chapter 1. The Universe 12
Chaos and Creation 12
A Yardstick for the Universe 12
The Expanding Universe 13
The Milky Way - the Escapist's Dream 13
Orbital Speeds 14
En Route 15
The Tick of the Cosmic Clock 15
Planetary Years 16
Sun-baked Cereal 16
Looking Backwards in Time 16
Chapter 2. The Earth 17
The Earth – Old, yet Fertile 17
The Terrestrial Tennisphere 18
The Evolutionary Calender 18
The Earth's Solar Orbit 19
The World's Transport 19
Stardust 20
World Awash 20
Our Rain Supply 21
European Decline 21
Brine Mine 21
Coastlines 21
Chapter 3. Physics 22
What Einstein's Relativity Theory Tells Us 22
Non-Euclidean Space 23
Deflection of Light 23
The One-Second Sprint 24
A Fly on Board 26
One Second of Arc 27
Free Fall 27
Advancing the Clock 27
Chapter 4. Atoms and Molecules 28
Nature's Building Blocks 28
Forces of Attraction in Matter 29
How Small Molecules Are 29
The Motion of Electrons 31
The Size of the Electron 32
The Empty Atoms 32
Hitting the Uranium Nucleus 32
Giant Molecules 33
Chapter 5. Botany 34
Every Man's Own Field 34
Grain Enough 34
Agriculture Here and There 35
Areas Involved in Cereals Production 35
The Farmer's Trailer 35
Milky Weigh 36
Annual Trek 36
Clockwise 36
History Enshrined in Wood 37
Chapter 6. Biology 38
Small Beginnings 38
Birth Control Needed 38
The Library of Heredity 39
Suspended Animation 40
Bacteria by the Hundredweight 40
High Performance 41
Vivace ma non Troppo 41
Thin Red Line 41
Harmless Bleeding 42
Fish's-Eye View 42
Earning her Keep 43
Vital Cycles 43
Comparing Heads 43
Slow Death 43
Honey Free of Charge 44
Murder by Radiation 45
Protection against Radiation 46
Chapter 7. Mankind 47
Eden and After 47
Host to the World 47
Storing-up Mankind 48
The Gambling British 48
Life Expectancy 49
The Beggar's Opera 49
Hungry 49
Can We Avoid a Second French Revolution ? 50
Spencer's Thirteen Spades 51
A Look at Monte Carlo 52
The Americans in the One-Town World 52
More Letters 52
The 'undercrowded' U.S.A. 53
Urbanization 54
Manufactured Man 54
Filling the Cavities 54
Inspired Genius 55
High-Pressure Heels 55
Metropolis Before Christ 55
Quick on the Draw 55
The Flowing Bowl 56
Nasal Storms 56
Divorcing 56
Something about New York 57
Excelsior 57
Chapter 8. Sense Organs 58
The World of Sound 58
Sight and Sound 63
The Threshold of Vision 64
Delicate Taste 64
The Rhythm of Consciousness 65
Chapter 9. Energy 66
Energy Resources—Present and Prospective 66
Fuel and Power 72
Equivalence of Energy and Mass 74
Hard and Light Work 74
Chapter 10. Some Technical Facts 76
The Welding Family 76
Optical Illusion ? 77
Deterrent 77
Smooth Talk 78
The Atomic Tennisball 79
Pure Materials 79
A Cracking Pace 79
Wasting Away 80
Buildings on the Move 81
Vacuum 81
Inland Sea 82
Light Conversation 82
More Regular than Clockwork! 83
Fast Photographic Films 83
High-Speed Cinematography 83
Chapter 11. Science and Education 84
Brains and Machines 84
Registering Progress 87
Faithful Figures 88
Lunacy in Research 89
The Happy Innocents ? 89
Lingua Franca 89
Illiteracy 90
Polyglot Extraordinary 90
Public Image 90
Book Review 91
Chapter 12. Economy 93
Investing One Dollar 93
More Precious than Gold 93
Standards of Living 94
The Private Economist 94
Paid Aid 95
Swords and Ploughshares 96
Productivity 96
Unequal Shares 96
Uncommon Market 96
The Richness of the Dead Sea 97
Calorie Basket 97
Transplantation 97
Two Cars per Baby 97
Prosit! 98
With Cola Compliments 98
Chapter 13. Transport and Communication 99
Around the World 99
Cheap Space Travel 101
Driving on Alcohol 102
Driving on Alcohol 102
France on and off the Eiffel 103
Absent-Minded 103
Rough Transport 105
The Killer Road 105
Inhospitable Outlook 106
Commuters 106
Busiest Port 106
Airborne 107
Busy Lines 108
Expensive Transportation at Home 108
Chapter 14. Oddly Enough 109
Many(!) Happy Returns 109
A Welcome Guest 110
Which Watch? 110
Long Odds 110
Expensive Writing 110
Smoking and High Living 111
Hairsplitting 111
Martial Music 111
Modern Migration 111
This Odd Book – An Odd Time Scale 112
Basic Numerical Data 113