Why Moths Hate Thomas Edison And Other Urgent Inquiries into the Odd Nature of Nature

by Sides, Hampton; Schneider, Jason

• ISBN13: 9780393321500
• ISBN10: 0393321509
• Edition: 00
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-06-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

Do beavers ever get squashed by the trees they're gnawing down? Why are there so many worms writhing on the sidewalk after a storm? What good are goosebumps? Why do llamas spit? What is the oldest living creature on earth? Focusing on natural history and outdoor lore, this collection ranges from the gothic to the comic to the cosmic. It includes the sorts of questions that most of us stopped asking (at least out loud) when we were eight years old. "The Wild File" is what question-and-answer columns should be but seldom are: an often surprising, sometimes zany, always insightful and informative back-and-forth between a devoted readership and its publication. The result is an enchanting and enriching collection of answers that open windows to more questions.

Author Biography

Hampton Sides, contributing editor of Outside and editor of "The Wild File" column

Table of Contents

the feral circus Introduction and acknowledgments	7	(10)
life forms
faunal knowledge Farces of nature from the animal kingdom	17	(12)
that's fowl! Researches on the wing	29	(10)
biodivertissement Kinks and links in the great chain of life	39	(14)
humans in nature, nature in humans
homo imperfectus Deficits and design flaws of human physiology	53	(14)
outlore Dubious figures and indubitable facts of natural history	67	(7)
high camp Sage counsel for backroad and backcountry	74	(9)
time to chill Cold realities from the dead of winter	83	(12)
worldlywise
terra informa Cartographic crannies and continental quirks	95	(8)
earthistentialism A few world-class enigmas	103	(11)
h2-oh! Fluid thoughts on the nature of water	114	(11)
up on the roof High concepts about mountains	125	(8)
up there
nature's ticked! Shocking truths from the meteorological vault	133	(10)
did i just see that? Freaky phenomena in the skies	143	(7)
moonstruck Lunar reflections	150	(6)
billions and billions Probing deep space	156	(13)
further life forms
scales and tails Dispatches from reptilia, amphibia	169	(9)
insectascience All creatures creep and crawl	178	(12)
piscine pondering Submerged facts about fish	190	(6)
green genes Good dirt from the plant world	196	(13)
index	209