Sticking Together. Steven Abbott

Чтение книги онлайн.

      Print ISBN: 978-1-78801-804-3

      EPUB ISBN: 978-1-83916-015-8

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

      © Steven Abbott 2020

       All rights reserved

       Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of research for non-commercial purposes or for private study, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003, this publication may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of The Royal Society of Chemistry or the copyright owner, or in the case of reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK, or in accordance with the terms of the licences issued by the appropriate Reproduction Rights Organization outside the UK. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the terms stated here should be sent to The Royal Society of Chemistry at the address printed on this page.

       Whilst this material has been produced with all due care, The Royal Society of Chemistry cannot be held responsible or liable for its accuracy and completeness, nor for any consequences arising from any errors or the use of the information contained in this publication. The publication of advertisements does not constitute any endorsement by The Royal Society of Chemistry or Authors of any products advertised. The views and opinions advanced by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of The Royal Society of Chemistry which shall not be liable for any resulting loss or damage arising as a result of reliance upon this material.

      The Royal Society of Chemistry is a charity, registered in England and Wales, Number 207890, and a company incorporated in England by Royal Charter (Registered No. RC000524), registered office: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BA, UK, Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7437 8656.

      Visit our website at www.rsc.org/books

      Printed in the United Kingdom by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY, UK

      Preface

      When I accidentally knocked over a nondescript jug and broke its handle, I assumed I could throw it in the bin. But no. It was my wife's orchid-watering jug and she made it clear that she would be most unimpressed if the book I was writing couldn't tell me the best way to fix it. That incident caused me to rethink my priorities. Of course, I was trying to make my writing interesting and of course I was trying to make the science clear and correct. However, was the book also going to be useful? It turned out in this case that what I'd already written about fixing handles was helpful and I could make a rational choice of a low viscosity (cheap) superglue, using a puff of breath to ensure enough catalyst (water) and a quick, decisive press and hold. I was also alert to the downsides of superglue – there was no going back. What I failed to do was practice the swift motions required for gluing the second piece of the handle. The result is a solid handle, fit for watering orchids, but with a crack that is more unsightly than it should have been.

      I also wanted the book to be more than just a book. A useful working assumption is “If it's not on YouTube then it doesn't exist”. To which we need to add, “If ‘it’ is more than 5 minutes then no one will watch it so it still doesn't exist”. So, the book comes with its own YouTube playlist (rsc.li/books-sticking-together) of informal, short videos which bring some of the science to life. You'll find a video about what's being discussed wherever you see the icon: