Scientific American's Ask the Experts: Answers to the Most Puzzling and Mind-Blowing Science Questions

Here is a trove of easily digested nuggets of the most up-to-date scientific information, from physics to biology to human behavior, all provided by scientists well-versed in their fields. Ever wonder what a planet is and why Pluto might not actually be one? Daniel Green of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics offers the surprising theory that Pluto""may in fact be a giant comet,"" and that comets are""small, icy planets."" On a more down-to-earth level, if you want to know why your stomach growls when you're hungry, Mark A.W. Andrews, a physiologist at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine explains the working of peristalsis, the muscle activity of the digestive system, whose sounds are muffled when food is present in the stomach and intestines. How long can one survive without water? What is the effect of volcanoes on climate? With these and scores of other questions and answers, this is an engaging and readable repository of information.