Furry Logic : The Physics of Animal Life

A captivating introduction to the physics of animal behavior.

The principles of physics lie behind many of the ways animals go about their daily lives. Scientists have discovered that the way cats and dogs lap up liquids can be explained by the laws of surface tension, how ants navigate is due to polarized light, and why pistol shrimps can generate enough force to destroy aquarium glass using their "elbows!"

Each of Furry Logic’s six chapters tackles a separate branch of physics and, through more than 30 animal case studies, examines each creature’s key features before describing the ways physics is at play in its life, how the connection between physics and animal behavior was discovered, and what remains to be found out. Science journalists Matin Durrani and Liz Kalaugher make the incredible interdisciplinary world of animals accessible to all, in an enthralling and entertaining read.

Matin Durrani is the editor of the international magazine Physics World. After receiving his Ph.D. on polymer physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, Durrani did a postdoc at the University of Cambridge before moving into publishing.

Liz Kalaugher is a science and environment writer based in Bristol, UK. Fascinated by animals since a childhood encounter with a squashed frog, she is a particular fan of bats, bees, and badgers. After winning journalism fellowships from the World Federation of Science Journalists and the European Geosciences Union, Liz has also reported on beluga whales in the Canadian Arctic and Finnish reindeer. She has a materials science degree from the University of Oxford and a PhD in thin-film diamond from the University of Bristol. Liz tweets from @LizKalaugher and you can find out more about Furry Logic at furrylogicbook.com.