IF YOU ever lie awake pondering the complexities of the universe, you may have a soul buddy in Brian Hayes. This set of essays is largely drawn from his column in American Scientist. The book takes its title from one essay in which a sleep-deprived Hayes wrestles with the problem of mattress flipping before eventually finding solace in the mathematics of group theory. Other musings take him from the struggle to crack the genetic code to building a 10,000-year clock. Often idiosyncratic, but always fascinating, it is a pleasure to dip into.
Group Theory in the Bedroom
