You don’t have to be Einstein to understand quantum physics. With amusing examples from film, TV, and history, learn how physics affects everything in your surroundings––without the use of mind-bending math or the need for a particle accelerator. With E=MC², you’ll learn: 

• When forces balance: Simple answers to questions such as, "Why do balloons rise while apples fall?"

• The Good, the Bad, and the Impossible: Why The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is full of absurdities. (For someone whose characters often uphold the law, Clint Eastwood certainly defies the laws of physics in this film.)

• AC/DC: but only AC really rocks: Alternating current (AC) is much more complicated than direct current (DC). The voltage is constantly moving between positive and negative; the current therefore flows one way, and then the other (rocking back and forth). 

• Why do I feel this warm glow?: The theory behind how the first stars were born

• General Relativity and GPS: The strange result of gravity on time is well proven. Compared to the interminable time you experience while stuck in a traffic jam, time literally runs faster (because gravity is weaker) in the orbiting GPS satellites that help your GPS system get its fix. 

• At the speed of light: A refresher on the theory of relativity and an understanding of why––a hundred years later––Einstein’s physics still points the way in cutting-edge research.

• Yu again: In the martial arts movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the rebellious young heroine, Jen Yu, blocks an attacker with her hand without standing or bracing herself. All the while, she holds a cup of tea in her other hand and doesn’t spill a drop. Find out why kinetic energy and scalar quantity make her move impossible. 

It’s physics for the rest of us. So why not come along for the ride? Advance at the speed of light through the fundamental laws of physics as they were discovered, proven wrong, and revolutionized. 

Make this and all of the Blackboard Booksô a permanent fixture on your eReader, and you’ll have instant access to searchable knowledge. Whether you need homework help or want to win that trivia game, this series is the trusted source for fun facts.

"This is another fun and educational book from Reader’s Digest’s Blackboard Book Series. I’ve read several in the series and each one has that "Reader’s Digest style"–well organized with clear writing that’s informative and easy to understandÖThe author explains things in a funny way that entertains and make[s] it easy to remember the concepts. He writes as if he’s a friend explaining things in a conversation. The book would be a great gift for one of those hard to shop for people." –Sweeps for Bloggers (Blog)