David Darling travels through space and time to find the largest, smallest, stickiest, loudest, quietest, fastest, slowest, heaviest and brightest…\n\nWhat’s the brightest light on Earth? The coldest corner of the universe? The blackest material ever made? The most poisonous substance in nature?\n\nKa-boom! probes extremes of size and speed, depth and density, and reveals the stickiest, sweetest, smelliest and nastiest substances known to science.\n\nIn an unabashed celebration of the exceptional, David Darling takes an enlightening journey through the universe’s weirdest and most wonderful extremes.\n\nTravel to far-flung galaxies in pursuit of habitable planets and extra-terrestrial life.\n\nJourney to the rainforests of South America and discover the top-speed of the notoriously sluggish sloth.\n\nFind out how Earth’s hardiest creatures – tardigrades or ‘water bears’ – ended up living on the moon.\n\nAnd meet the scientists and engineers using these quirks of nature to design faster computers, produce greener energy and revolutionise space travel.