Let me tell you about the equilibrium of bodies...

January 13, 2016 7:56 AM

Published in 1913, a best-seller in the 1930s and long out of print, Physics for Entertainment was translated from Russian into many languages and influenced science students around the world ... In the foreword, the book’s author describes the contents as “conundrums, brain-teasers, entertaining anecdotes, and unexpected comparisons,” adding, “I have quoted extensively from Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Mark Twain and other writers, because, besides providing entertainment, the fantastic experiments these writers describe may well serve as instructive illustrations at physics classes.”
posted by Wolfdog (6 comments total)

I would love to have had this as a kid ,it reminds me a bit of the writing style of the Audels series of books for people wanting to learn a trade.
posted by boilermonster at 8:58 AM on January 13, 2016

This is really great.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:05 AM on January 13, 2016

Thanks for this! If anyone's interested in the original Russian text, just google [Перельман, Занимательная физика].
posted by languagehat at 11:57 AM on January 13, 2016

:) I had this as a Kid!!!

It was exciting as hell to read.

Thanks for sharing.
posted by TheLittlePrince at 1:09 PM on January 13, 2016

This is really neat. Thanks!

Also, the author sure does reference Jules Verne an awful lot.

Also also, can you really make a Crookes radiometer in room air using cigarette paper and the heat of your hands? Or is there something more subtle going on? The comments about the device spinning notably faster when feverish, rather than when the room is cold, might be cause for skepticism. Worth both a try and some calculations. (Not today, by me, unfortunately. But hopefully before the thread closes.)

Also also also, even in 1913 people were wanking about "what has wrongly come to be called the 'centrifugal force?'" Grrrr. Don't poke at my pet peeves, old timey physics educators.
posted by eotvos at 6:29 PM on January 13, 2016

I loved this as a kid!
(And it turns out I have that exact PDF file on my computer, dating back to October 2009. Nice.)
posted by RedOrGreen at 8:41 AM on January 14, 2016