Friction: A Biography - Hardcover

Vail, Jennifer R

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674290666 ISBN 13: 9780674290662

Verlag: Harvard University Press, 2026

Inhaltsangabe

From the first spark of fire to the frontiers of energy, medicine, and space, a pioneering account of the invisible force that connects it all.

Friction, the force that resists motion, is synonymous with difficulty and complication. If you've ever replaced tires worn smooth by the road or reached for a can of WD-40 to fix a creaking door hinge, then you know the headache this force can cause.

In this book, Jennifer Vail reveals beneath the difficulty and complication a force as enigmatic and intriguing as it is central to the human story. She traces how, from the moment we first harnessed the power of fire to the Industrial Revolution and beyond, the quest to manipulate friction has driven innovation, culture, and even our own evolution. Today, as scientists study friction in the most unexpected of places, they're learning why some viruses lie dormant for years while others devastate our cells immediately; where elusive dark matter might be found; and how the climate crisis ought finally be addressed. And yet, for all they've learned, scientists still haven't cracked the greatest mystery of all: how to bridge the distinct laws that govern friction at its largest and smallest scales.

Connecting the discoveries of historical luminaries like Newton, da Vinci, and the Wright brothers to the latest breakthroughs in engineering, Friction is a captivating biography of this unsung hero of the physical world.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Jennifer R. Vail

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Harvard University Press
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2026
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0674290666
• ISBN 13: 9780674290662
• Einband: Gebundene Ausgabe
• Anzahl der Seiten: 248
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: preigu GmbH & Co. KG; mail@preigu.de; ; Lengericher Landstr. 19; Osnabrück; Niedersachsen; 49078; Deutschland