Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces

As some of you know, for the past few years, I've been working on my second book. Called Sticky: The Secret Science of Surfaces, it is a book about surfaces and the forces that operate on and between them. It is jam-packed full of interesting science stories that cut across a wide variety of disciplines. It also features interviews with more than 40 remarkable people, all leading experts in their chosen fields. Writing it has been the most challenging - and rewarding - thing I've ever done. I'm so looking forward to sharing it with you all.

The good news is that Sticky will be published by Bloomsbury, which means that it will be available worldwide. And there isn't too long to wait, either - it'll hit shelves in Europe and the UK on 11 November 2021. The North America / New Zealand / Australia / India publication date is set for 1 Feb 2022, and dates in other regions are still to be confirmed.

In the meantime, I thought I might give you a little glance at what's inside Sticky. I think (hope?) that there’s something in there for everyone....but you can be the judge!

0. Introduction

A guide to what’s in the book, and what’s not. A glance ahead, a step back in time, plus a bit of self-indulgent musing on all things sticky.

1. To Stick Or Not To Stick

Topics covered: Paints and adhesives throughout history, and a look at how some famous 'sticky' products work. This chapter includes self-cleaning and non-stick surfaces too, both natural and artificial.

People featured in this chapter: A senior knowledge holder of the Gija people in Western Australia, a materials conservationist, an adhesives chemist, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and a mechanical engineer.

2. A Gecko’s Grip

Topics: Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about how geckos climb, including a lot of failed experiments that aimed to understand these awesome lizards. Plus, come face-to-face with some real-world technologies that have been inspired by them.

People: Two biology professors, a mechanical engineering professor, and a roboticist who’s carried out experiments on NASA’s ‘vomit comet’.

3. Gone Swimming

Topics: Hydrodynamics – the physics of moving through water, and our evolving ability to measure the processes involved. Swimsuit-science-debunking, sharks, and boats that don’t touch the water.

People: The designer of a record-breaking suit, two shark scientists, a Danish physicist, and a member of Emirates Team NZ.

4. Flying High

Topics: Aerodynamics – the physics of flight. We start with the slower speeds of ball sports, and accelerate to sound-barrier-smashing aircraft.

People: A real-life test pilot, and two aerospace engineers.

5. Hit The Road

Topics: Come with me on a visit to an F1 team factory, and learn about how race cars push tyres and brakes to their limits.

People: Head of Vehicle Science of an F1 team, a former trackside tyre engineer, and a lubrication researcher.

6. These Shaky Isles

Topics: A primer on earthquakes, in all their destructive, unpredictable glory. The role of friction in geological processes and a look into some recent quakes here in Aotearoa New Zealand. A visit to a very cool research facility.

People: A superstar line-up of the some of the world’s best earthquake geologists.

7. Break The Ice

Topics: Unpick the science of ice, and find complex answers to seemingly basic questions. A scientific look at the Winter Olympics. A controversy at the heart of a Scottish sport. Glaciers, anti-icing and freezing temperatures.

People: A physicist, a glaciologist, a mechanical engineer, and two feuding research groups – one in Sweden, the other in Canada.

8. Human Touch

Topics: My take on the human sense of touch, focused on what happens when our hands meet various surfaces. We’ll talk about fingerprinting, our skin’s touch receptors and the frictional forces that helps us grip. We’ll also meet some very cool tactile technologies.

People: Fingerprint officers, a biotribologist, a computer scientist, and a visually-impaired researcher who is changing the world of braille.

9. Close Contact

Topics: What is contact, really? Where does friction come from, and what happens to it at the nanoscale? Will we ever be able to defeat (or at least, defy) it? Despite decades of research, many of these questions have yet to be answered, so expect a chapter full of mysteries.

People: Two metrologists, a mechanical engineer, a tribologist and a physicist.