The engineers and scientists who participated in the invention of television never dreamed of the staggering impact that it would have on society and culture. They were simply trying to bring moving pictures into America's living rooms.

The world stood on its toes as Steve Jobs announced the iPad in January 2010 as “our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price.”

The past few decades have seen the merging of many computer and communication applications. Enabled by the advancement of optical fiber, wireless communication, and very-large-scale integration (VLSI) technologies, modern telecommunication networks can be regarded as one of the most important inventions of the past century.

This book explores and explains scientific mysteries and principles, leavened with tongue-in-cheek humor and an abundance of illustrations. Chapters are short, but give an understanding of technology and science not available elsewhere. Questions include:

• What holds a satellite up while it goes around the Earth?