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Flotsametrics and the Floating World Curtis Ebbesmeyer

Flotsametrics and the Floating World By Curtis Ebbesmeyer

Flotsametrics and the Floating World by Curtis Ebbesmeyer


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Summary

In May 1990 a Korean freighter spilled its cargo - over 60,00 Nike sneakers - into the North Pacific. Curtis Ebbesmeyer realized that he could use the exact time and location of the spill, along with the location that each sneaker was salvaged to track the ocean current which brought it there. This book tells his story.

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Flotsametrics and the Floating World Summary

Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man's Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science by Curtis Ebbesmeyer

Curtis Ebbesmeyer is no ordinary scientist. Though he has degrees in engineering and oceanography, he's never held a traditional academic post, choosing instead to consult, for everyone from the oil companies to Seattle sewage treatment facilities to the Navy, and then, along the way, he's followed his interests, researching many different aspects of ocean currents. In May 1990 a Korean freighter was wracked by a storm and spilled its cargo - over 60,00 Nike sneakers - into the North Pacific. Soon, these sneakers were carried away on the ocean's currents and found washing up on coasts around the world. Ebbesmeyer realized that he could use the exact time and location of the spill, along with the location that each sneaker (conveniently individually tagged) was salvaged to track the ocean current which brought it there!This new science technique quickly captured the imaginations of beachcombers and media around the world, particularly after the spill of 29,000 plastic bath toys in 1992. Ebbesmeyer gathered a worldwide team of volunteers, and continued to search out and document the location at which the objects, set afloat by cargo spills, finally hit the shore. It is a fascinating look at the creativity and energy of a most unusual man - as well as offering an amazing look at what currents have meant for the world and especially mankind through the centuries.

Flotsametrics and the Floating World Reviews

Part oceanography lesson, part memoir, this cheerful book examines Ebbesmeyer's life and work as a pioneering oceanographer (the first to work for Mobil/Standard Oil, in 1969) and connoisseur of beach-combed artifacts. -- Publishers Weekly With a whimsical mood overlaying serious science, Ebbesmeyer's work will appeal to the environmentally minded. -- Booklist As much genial personal memoir as pop-oceanography exposition...When science goes right, we discover how mid-ocean spills of hockey gloves or rubber ducks enhance oceanographic understanding; -- The Guardian Light and lively...Shoes, messages in bottles, and floating rubber ducks have kept Ebbesmeyer's eye on the big picture. Besides, as readers will readily agree, they've been a lot of fun to study. -- Natural History magazine Whether you want to learn more about how the oceans tick or how we are affecting our environment, or to reminisce about science not being what it used to be, this is a very enjoyable, if at times dark, book. -- Nature

About Curtis Ebbesmeyer

Curtis Ebbesmeyer holds a Ph.D. in oceanography from the University of Washington. Media worldwide have turned to his expertise on ocean currents and floating objects. He lives in Seattle, Washington. Eric Scigliano, winner of Livingston and AAAS prizes for reporting, has written for Harper's, New Scientist, the New York Times, and many other publications. His books include Puget Sound, Michelangelo's Mountain, and Love, War, and Circuses.

Additional information

CIN0061558419G
9780061558412
0061558419
Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man's Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science by Curtis Ebbesmeyer
Used - Good
Hardback
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
20090401
304
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

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