What is the world's largest single-celled organism?

What type of grass can support more weight per square inch thanconcrete?

What male mammal makes breast milk?

Why are dancing cockroaches so fascinating to mathematicians?

Get ready to find out fascinating facts about everything from blueroses and deep earthquakes to singing sand dunes and tickinghourglasses. Blue Genes and Polyester Plants takes you on a livelytour of the universe's astonishing oddities and extremes. Based oncutting-edge scientific research, here are hundreds of juicytidbits culled from every corner of science--including biology,medicine, engineering, technology, zoology, chemistry, andastronomy. This exciting overview of modern science is sure toinform, entertain, and astound.

SHARON BERTSCH McGRAYNE is the author of 365 Surprising Scientific Facts, Breakthroughs, and Discoveries (also published by Wiley) and Nobel Prize Women in Science: Their Lives, Struggles, and Momentous Discoveries.