Kids' science book with aluminum cover

October 21, 2008 5:56 PM

When I was a kid I had a wonderful science book that had an aluminum cover and lots of "experiments" inside. Does anyone know this book? Many thanks in advance.

As I recall, it covered most of basic physical science -- everything from metallurgy (hence the aluminum cover) to the nature of light. Some specific subjects that I remember are the nature of waves, the quantum wave/particle duality, refraction, the electromagnetic spectrum, rainbows, and where aluminum comes from/how it's made. The book also had a section that talked about population growth, did a thought experiment with rabbits breeding on an island, and discussed the problem of world hunger via an "experiment" with packets of rice that were included in the book. Physically, it was spiral-bound and had an aluminum cover on the front (and maybe the back as well, but I don't remember for sure). That's about all I remember.

posted by markcholden to society & culture (10 answers total)

Earthsearch, yet another great book by Klutz. Explorabook is another book by Klutz that is similiar.
posted by Diskeater at 6:18 PM on October 21, 2008 [1 favorite]

Shot in the dark--is it the Explorabook? Or its companion Earthsearch?

I had them both when I was a kid but I don't remember the stuff you talked about being in ONE book. The rice was in Earthsearch, the physics in Explorabook.
posted by melvinwang at 6:18 PM on October 21, 2008

(also great minds think alike :) )
posted by melvinwang at 6:18 PM on October 21, 2008

I fondly recalled the book you mentioned, and was about to go searching through the basement, only to find that Diskeater and melvinwang both named the same two books.

I think I may still go searching through the basement for these books, though. Thanks for reminding me of a long-forgotten favorite book!
posted by fogster at 6:28 PM on October 21, 2008

Oh wow, I had totally forgotten that I had Earthsearch as a kid. Now that was an awesome book!
posted by peacheater at 7:13 PM on October 21, 2008

That's it!! Or rather, that's them. As you point out, I had mixed the two together in my mind. Thank you! :D
posted by markcholden at 7:15 PM on October 21, 2008

I'd bet on the Explorabook (which is the one of the two which - I swear - had the little bag of rice.)
posted by ubersturm at 7:50 PM on October 21, 2008

I think it was 'Sex', by Madonna.

On second thought, maybe I'm thinking of something else.
posted by 8dot3 at 6:41 AM on October 22, 2008

I had the Explorabook and I don't think it had any rice in it. Mine had two sachets of agar powder and instructions to make sterile agar dishes, then take samples from around the house to compare the moulds and bacteria from different environments.

I'm in the UK though, so possibly I had a different edition? It was definately written in US English, which confused me no end as a child. It was a truly awesome book, and I'm so happy to see that they still sell it.
posted by metaBugs at 7:07 AM on October 22, 2008

Earthsearch had rice in it -- I think the OP had mixed up the two books.
posted by peacheater at 2:35 PM on October 23, 2008