Friction
A Biography
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- $27.99
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- $27.99
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mechanical engineer Vail, who specializes in the study of friction, argues in this convincing debut survey that the force is important to virtually every aspect of life. She traces the history of tribology—the study of friction—from its roots in ancient history, when humans mastered fire, through the Industrial Revolution, when new lubricants were developed to create more efficient machines, to today, when the laws of friction play a role in everything from developing effective contact lenses and improving the texture of yogurt to addressing climate change. Vail gives significant attention to the latter, explaining that carbon-emitting machines like cars and planes use a substantial amount of energy to overcome friction. Tribologists have dramatically improved the efficiency of automobiles by reducing friction but significant changes can still be made, she says, as only about 21.5% of the fuel put in cars is used to move them, while about a third is used to overcome friction in components like the engine, transmission, and tires. Vail also discusses how studying friction has led to insights into the nature of black matter and the evolution of the universe. She imbues the eye-opening account with a playful tone, lamenting at one point that "the problem with being a tribologist is that you're inundated with puns" (indeed, one chapter is titled "When You Rub the Wrong Way"). Readers will be inspired to start noticing how this hidden force shapes the world around them.
