Mario Salvadori was a professor of architecture and the founder of the Salvadori Center, a nonprofit educational center to teach inner-city youth about math and science through hands-on study of structure and architecture. He is the author of The Art of Construction and Why Buildings Stand Up, and the coauthor of Why Buildings Fall Down and Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Tsunamis. A longtime resident of New York City, Dr. Salvadori died in June, 1997.
With fascinating experiments, models, and demonstrations, this scientific survey provides a vivid exploration of natural phenomena. Ideal for budding earth scientists, this in-depth resource demonstrates how to build a seismograph to record a simulated earthquake, compare pressure waves and shear waves—the two types of ground shocks—with a Slinky, and replicate a tsunami’s destructive effect on a “coastline” built in a bathtub. The chapters answer questions such as Can animals “predict” earthquakes?How have various cultures explained the movement of the earth throughout history? and Why do some volcanoes ooze rivers of lava while others blow their tops? Additional topics include how to earthquake-proof homes, protect oneself during a tremor, and construct simple models to test seismographs.
From addition and subtraction to plane and space geometry, simultaneous linear equations, and probability, this book explains middle school math with problems that kids want to solve: “Seventy-five employees of a company buy a lotto ticket together and win $22.5 million. How much does each employee get?” Intriguing facts about the history of math show what a human creation it is, and human errors are revealed through explorations of both Maya and Hindu concepts of zero as well as Mr. William Shanks’ 1858 attempt at hand-calculating pi.
