Cell Phone Science: What Happens When You Call and Why

by Michele Sequeira, Michael Westphal

Overview

Their buzzes, beeps, bells, and tunes have disrupted countless classes, movies, and meals; public auditoriums now have signs posted prominently asking people to turn their cell phones off; cities such as Santa Fe have banned their use in automobiles. But these little connection gadgets have become ubiquitous because they are so useful-many would blanch at the thought of losing their cell phone. Cell phones are useful because of the science, technology, and design that are blended to make them function.

In this work, authors Michele Sequeira and Michael Westphal help young people explore this now-commonplace, socially important gadget that connects today's youth with their friends. The underlying science and technologies, and some of the history that has influenced the development of cell phones, are discussed. Emphasis is given to building science and technology concepts through simple analogies with commonplace items and ideas.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826349699
Publisher:	University of New Mexico Press
Publication date:	01/16/2011
Series:	World's of Wonder Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

<b>Michele Sequeira</b> and <b>Michael Westphal</b> have worked as engineers at Intel and hold materials science degrees from MIT. Currently they apply their analytical skills to fields as diverse as real estate investment and the motor sports industry. This is their first book.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6–9—The book sets out to help readers understand the complex science behind these devices. The first chapter provides an introduction to the device and its history, ranging from flag waving and smoke signals to the current smart phones (not listed in the index or glossary). The following chapters discuss all aspects of the phone from the outside in (plastic shell, semiconductor chips, software, call transmission, batteries, and more).The final chapter, "Thank you for turning OFF your cell phone," addresses some of the safety issues concerning this technology and why users are asked to turn their phones off on planes and in hospitals and the possible medical risks associated with their use. Lastly, privacy issues are mentioned. The book features clear explanations, easy-to-read text, and colorful photographs and illustrations on almost every page. Boxed areas and information in the margins supplement the text. Students interested in learning the story of the science behind their cell phone will be well rewarded with this title.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA

School Library Journal

Part of the "Worlds of Wonder" series, this book focuses on cell phones. They have become ubiquitous and powerful. They are not simply a portable version of an old landline phone, but a whole personal computer and communication device. And, as any middle schooler can tell you, they are cool. This was the reason Sequeira and Westphal decided to write about cell phones. While the idea is sound, their execution has some weak links, if not weak science. The first problem is that the authors don't adequately explain the difference between a landline and a cell phone. The authors go into the explanation very briefly, but their diagrams look like engineering projects and aren't easily understood. The other topics are also not easily understood, though I got the most out of the chapter on computer logic. The topics include: the chemistry of plastics (the outside of the cell phone), computer thought processing, semiconductor chips, software and programming, call transmission, batteries, cell phone design and cell phone etiquette. For an enthusiast, the book will give you something if you push through, but it isn't easy. Backmatter includes: resources, glossary and index. Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen

Children's Literature - Amy S. Hansen