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Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers

Stephanie Pain

In August 1931 New Zealand farmer Richard Buckley hit the local headlines - or rather his trousers did. One minute they were drying in front of the fire; the next there was a huge blast and a ball of flames. Farmer Buckley's trousers had exploded. The culprit? A popular pesticide of the day which when combined with clothing fibres unexpectedly formed a highly combustible compound. This incendiary story is a striking example of how scientific advances meant to improve people's lives can sometimes backfire.

Contrary to the widespread belief that science and technology move steadily on from one discovery to the next the fascinating stories in this entertaining collection present some of the unfamiliar characters and events that litter the path of scientific progress where setbacks and mishaps are the norm and breakthroughs are the exception.

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  • Classification : Sciences
  • Pub Date : MAY 26, 2011
  • Imprint : Profile Books
  • Page Extent : 224
  • Binding : PB
  • ISBN : 9781846685088
  • Price : INR 795
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Stephanie Pain

Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers is compiled and edited by Stephanie Pain a consultant for New Scientist with a PhD in deep-ocean biology. She created and for ten years edited New Scientist's popular 'Histories' column where the stories in this book started out.

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