The Physics of Christmas Quotes

“When it comes to the number of forms, or phases, of ice, water has more solid phases —nine total —than any other known pure substance because it can form phases which differ only in the orientations of the hydrogen bonds. No wonder every crystal is different.”
― Roger Highfield, The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey

“(The selfsame hydrogen bonds also make water blue, because they absorb a little red from sunlight, which contains all the colors of the rainbow.)”
― Roger Highfield, The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey

“some researchers have found that eating resin or oil from Commiphora or guggulu, lowers blood cholesterol levels. Chinese scientists have discovered that C. myrrha can reduce the development of arteriosclerosis —hardening of the arteries —in animals.”
― Roger Highfield, The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey

“life span is determined by a fixed amount of metabolic activity: eat less, slow your metabolism, and you may live longer.”
― Roger Highfield, The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey

“Smells can even help us carry out tasks, according to an experiment by Martin's colleague Alison Gould. In one experiment, subjects completed a tedious “visual vigilance task” in the presence of either no odor, an alerting (peppermint) smell, or a relaxing (bergamot) one. They did better with the peppermint. Another study showed that subjects performed an unchallenging task better when stimulated by an unpleasant smell —in this case, sour milk. A pleasant smell, that of an air freshener, helped them perform complex tasks better.”
― Roger Highfield, The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey

“The sprout's slightly bitter, sulfurous taste is meant to discourage would-be insect diners. This is the vegetable equivalent of a chemical weapon and evolved to deal with pests.”
― Roger Highfield, The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey

“Retailers use various strategies, policies, and procedures in timing their markdowns of Christmas merchandise, adds Dale Lewison of the University of Akron. “Some retailers start taking small and early markdowns before Thanksgiving, while others wait until after the weekend following Thanksgiving —the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Still other retailers wait longer to mark down merchandise.”
― Roger Highfield, The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey