Sticky

I am in awe of Laurie Winkless: of her ability to take something as seemingly plain as a tire, as overlooked as the dimples on a golf ball, and produce from it a surprising, fascinating narrative, one that effortlessly reveals the astonishing science of the world around us. * Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Fuzz *An absolutely wild ride … bright and interesting. [Sticky] is a book for the 2020s … truly great popular science for anyone who wants to know more about how we interact with our world – young or old, beginner or experienced scientist. * Nature *Through a wide range of topics, including some that are likely to be less well known, Sticky offers readers an insider’s guide to the secret science of surfaces. * Science *A beautifully-written, utterly fascinating book that had me glued throughout. Like the very best science writing, Sticky helps you see the world from a different perspective. I couldn’t recommend it more. * Angela Saini, science journalist and author *If you’ve ever wondered why some glues work better than others, or been puzzled why there are so many different types of car tire, or been amazed at the ease in which a gecko can run up the wall, then this wonderful book is for you. * Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters *The excellence of [Sticky] shines through. Stickiness may not be something that we often think of as a science issue, but Winkless both shows how interesting it can be, and also how much there is still to learn in this topic that affects all our everyday lives. * Brian Clegg, PopScienceBooks *An enthusiastic exploration of how surfaces interact. * Nature *

Laurie Winkless is a physicist and science writer. She has a BA in Physics with Astrophysics from Trinity College Dublin, which she followed up with an MSc in Space Science from University College London. She is an experienced science communicator, who loves to talk about science in all forms of media – print, online, radio or in front of the camera. She’s given a TEDx talk, worked as a physics news reporter for the Naked Scientists, appeared in the Saturday Times Magazine, provided nanotechnology training for teachers, and exhibited at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.

Laurie’s first book, Science and the City, was published by Sigma in August 2016. It was well received, with excellent reviews in the Sunday Times, BBC Focus and Nature, amongst others. She has subsequently appeared on national and international media channels, including Channel 4, BBC World Series and RTE. She regularly contributes to Forbes, How It Works and Materials Today and has recently had her work featured in Wired, Esquire, the Evening Standard, Natural History Magazine and the Guardian. After 13 years living in London, she recently moved to Wellington, NZ.