This book links the little things - the unexpected pinkness of blueberry jam or the way the air smells before it rains - with the big in a book that will alter the way you see the world. Helen Czerski shows how the familiar, from coffee stains to ketchup bottles, can shed light on Antarctic winds, medical tests and our future energy needs.

Did you know that it is the small amount of water contained in popcorn that, when heated, blows the kernel inside out? Or that this science also explains the lungs of a whale, a popping champagne cork and a supersonic jet?

Hidden in familiar, everyday objects is the science that explains the human body, planet Earth and the way our civilisations works. And once you know the principle involved in boiling an egg, or sticking a magnet to a fridge, or jumping into a pool of water, pieces of a much larger puzzle will slot into place.

Beautifully written and accessible for all, this leaves the reader empowered to make their own observations, and most importantly it is enormous fun.