You are surrounded by stickiness. With every step you take, air
molecules cling to you and slow you down; the effect is harder to ignore
in water. When you hit the road, whether powered by pedal or engine, you
rely on grip to keep you safe. The Post-it note and glue in your desk
drawer. The non-stick pan on your stove. The fingerprints linked to your
identity. The rumbling of the Earth deep beneath your feet, and the ice
that transforms waterways each winter. All of these things are
controlled by tiny forces that operate on and between surfaces, with
friction playing the leading role.
In Sticky, Laurie Winkless explores some of the ways that friction
shapes both the manufactured and natural worlds, and describes how our
understanding of surface science has given us an ability to manipulate
stickiness, down to the level of a single atom. But this apparent
success doesn't tell the whole story. Each time humanity has pushed the
boundaries of science and engineering, we've discovered that friction
still has a few surprises up its sleeve.
So do we really understand this force? Can we say with certainty that
we know how a gecko climbs, what's behind our sense of touch, or why
golf balls, boats and aircraft move as they do? Join Laurie as she seeks
out the answers from experts scattered across the globe, uncovering a
stack of scientific mysteries along the way.
