Using the second law of thermodynamics to explain why dogs pant, how best to get tomato ketchup out of a glass bottle and why Hawaii is so great for surfing, is a pretty unusual approach to understanding physics. Helen Czerski, self-described “bubble physicist” at University College London, TV presenter and author of Storm in a Teacup: the Physics of Everyday Life, wants to make physics accessible to everyone. She takes the science of the everyday – tea sloshing around in a mug, swimming goggles fogging up, bees collecting pollen – to explain basic physics concepts.

Czerski shows how the same physical laws are applicable on astronomical and microscopic scales, as well as to current science topics, such as climate change and medical testing. Even when you know the physics, it can be a revelation to realize that, for example, popcorn pops due to the same gas laws that cause thunderstorms, and it’s fun to take a detour via the short-lived invention of rocket post (yes – that is mail sent by rocket and it really happened, though many letters were blown up during early tests).

The one drawback of this is the brevity of topics. Each one- or two-page example could easily fill a whole chapter, but that would be a very different kind of book. In a friendly, chatty style that includes anecdotes from her personal and professional life, Czerski manages to make spilled coffee fascinating; tree growth astonishing; telecommunications intuitive. She has a comedic flair, including lots of details that are odd or silly, but what really makes this book readable is her evident enthusiasm, and not just for bubbles.

• 2016 Bantam Press 290pp £18.99hb