Download or read book Rockets and Ray Guns The Sci Fi Science of the Cold War written by Andrew May and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-05-26 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cold War saw scientists in East and West racing to create amazing new technologies, the like of which the world had never seen. Yet not everyone was taken by surprise. From super-powerful atomic weapons to rockets and space travel, readers of science fiction (SF) had seen it all before. Sometimes reality lived up to the SF vision, at other times it didn’t. The hydrogen bomb was as terrifyingly destructive as anything in fiction, while real-world lasers didn't come close to the promise of the classic SF ray gun. Nevertheless, when the scientific Cold War culminated in the Strategic Defence Initiative of the 1980s, it was so science-fictional in its aspirations that the media dubbed it “Star Wars”. This entertaining account, offering a plethora of little known facts and insights from previously classified military projects, shows how the real-world science of the Cold War followed in the footsteps of SF – and how the two together changed our perception of both science and scientists, and paved the way to the world we live in today.
Download or read book Fake Physics Spoofs Hoaxes and Fictitious Science written by Andrew May and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-04-12 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People are used to seeing “fake physics” in science fiction – concepts like faster-than-light travel, antigravity and time travel to name a few. The fiction label ought to be a giveaway, but some SF writers – especially those with a background in professional science – are so adept at “technobabble” that it can be difficult to work out what is fake and what is real. To confuse matters further, Isaac Asimov’s 1948 piece about the fictitious time-travelling substance thiotimoline was written, not as a short story, but in the form of a spoof research paper. The boundaries between fact and fiction can also be blurred by physicists themselves - sometimes unintentionally, sometimes with tongue-in-cheek, sometimes to satirize perceived weaknesses in research practices. Examples range from hoaxes aimed at exposing poor editorial standards in academic publications, through “thought experiments” that sound like the plot of a sci-fi movie to April Fools’ jokes. Even the latter may carry a serious message, whether about the sociology of science or poking fun at legitimate but far-out scientific hypotheses. This entertaining book is a joyous romp exploring the whole spectrum of fake physics – from science to fiction and back again.
Download or read book The Cold War 5 volumes written by Spencer C. Tucker and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2020-10-27 with total page 4179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This sweeping reference work covers every aspect of the Cold War, from its ignition in the ashes of World War II, through the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis, to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Cold War superpower face-off between the Soviet Union and the United States dominated international affairs in the second half of the 20th century and still reverberates around the world today. This comprehensive and insightful multivolume set provides authoritative entries on all aspects of this world-changing event, including wars, new military technologies, diplomatic initiatives, espionage activities, important individuals and organizations, economic developments, societal and cultural events, and more. This expansive coverage provides readers with the necessary context to understand the many facets of this complex conflict. The work begins with a preface and introduction and then offers illuminating introductory essays on the origins and course of the Cold War, which are followed by some 1,500 entries on key individuals, wars, battles, weapons systems, diplomacy, politics, economics, and art and culture. Each entry has cross-references and a list of books for further reading. The text includes more than 100 key primary source documents, a detailed chronology, a glossary, and a selective bibliography. Numerous illustrations and maps are inset throughout to provide additional context to the material.
Download or read book The Science of Sci Fi Music written by Andrew May and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-06-30 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 20th century saw radical changes in the way serious music is composed and produced, including the advent of electronic instruments and novel compositional methods such as serialism and stochastic music. Unlike previous artistic revolutions, this one took its cues from the world of science. Creating electronic sounds, in the early days, required a well-equipped laboratory and an understanding of acoustic theory. Composition became increasingly “algorithmic”, with many composers embracing the mathematics of set theory. The result was some of the most intellectually challenging music ever written – yet also some of the best known, thanks to its rapid assimilation into sci-fi movies and TV shows, from the electronic scores of Forbidden Planet and Dr Who to the other-worldly sounds of 2001: A Space Odyssey. This book takes a close look at the science behind "science fiction" music, as well as exploring the way sci-fi imagery found its way into the work of musicians like Sun Ra and David Bowie, and how music influenced the science fiction writings of Philip K. Dick and others.
Download or read book From Hyperspace to Hypertext written by Christopher Leslie and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-10-27 with total page 535 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book illuminates how science fiction studies can support diversity, equity, and inclusion in science and engineering. Shortly before science fiction got its name, a new paradigm connected whiteness and masculinity to the advancement of civilization. In order to show how science fiction authors supported the social construction of these gender and racial norms – and also challenged them – this study analyzes the impact of three major editors and the authors in their orbits: Hugo Gernsback; John W. Campbell, Jr.; and Judith Merril. Supported by a fresh look at archival sources and the author’s experience teaching Science and Technology Studies at universities on three continents, this study demonstrates the interconnections among discourses of imperialism, masculinity, and innovation. Readers gain insights into fighting prejudice, the importance of the community of authors and readers, and ideas about how to challenge racism, sexism, and xenophobia in new creative work. This stimulating book demonstrates how education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can be enhanced by adding the liberal arts, such as historical and literary studies, to create STEAM.
Download or read book How Space Physics Really Works written by Andrew May and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-06-28 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a huge gulf between the real physics of space travel and the way it is commonly portrayed in movies and TV shows. That’s not because space physics is difficult or obscure – most of the details were understood by the end of the 18th century – but because it can often be bafflingly counter-intuitive for a general audience. The purpose of this book isn’t to criticize or debunk popular sci-fi depictions, which can be very entertaining, but to focus on how space physics really works. This is done with the aid of numerous practical illustrations taken from the works of serious science fiction authors – from Jules Verne and Arthur C. Clarke to Larry Niven and Andy Weir – who have taken positive pleasure in getting their scientific facts right.
Download or read book Rockets and People Volume III Hot Days of the Cold War written by and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on with total page 838 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: V. 1. [no special title] -- v. 2. Creating a rocket industry -- v. 3 Hot days of the Cold War -- v. 4. The moon race.
Download or read book The History of Science Fiction and Its Toy Figurines written by Luigi Toiati and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2023-12-21 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science fiction, as the name suggests, is the combination of science and fantasy. In addition to a literary form, it also encompasses film, TV, comics, toys and our beloved toy astronauts, or other figures such as aliens, monsters and other playable genres. The term science fiction was coined by publisher Hugo Gernsbach around the first decades of the last century to refer to the predominantly 'space' adventures covered in his magazines. Space invaded radio, cinema, TV, and consequently for a long time toy figurines were predominantly space-related, later evolving into other themes. This lavishly illustrated book covers both the history of literary science fiction, following in the footsteps of contemporary official criticism, and toy figurines inspired by science fiction. You will also find several other themes, such as the link between science fiction figures and cinema, radio, TV, comics, and more. Luigi Toiati offers to both guide the reader on an often-nostalgic walk through science fiction in all its various forms, and to describe the figurines and brands associated with it.
Download or read book American Science Fiction Film and Television written by Lincoln Geraghty and published by Berg. This book was released on 2009-10-01 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: American Science Fiction Film and Television presents a critical history of late 20th Century SF together with an analysis of the cultural and thematic concerns of this popular genre. Science fiction film and television were initially inspired by the classic literature of HG Wells and Jules Verne. The potential and fears born with the Atomic age fuelled the popularity of the genre, upping the stakes for both technology and apocalypse. From the Cold War through to America's current War on Terror, science fiction has proved a subtle vehicle for the hopes, fears and preoccupations of a nation at war. The definitive introduction to American science fiction, this is also the first study to analyse SF across both film and TV. Throughout, the discussion is illustrated with critical case studies of key films and television series, including The Day the Earth Stood Still, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The X-Files, and Battlestar Galactica.
Download or read book Redefining Science written by Paul Rubinson and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The clash of science and politics in the atomic age
Download or read book 1950s Rocketman TV Series and Their Fans written by C. Miller and published by Springer. This book was released on 2012-08-30 with total page 479 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fourteen essays featured here focus on series such as Space Patrol, Tom Corbett, and Captain Z-Ro, exploring their roles in the day-to-day lives of their fans through topics such as mentoring, promotion of the real-world space program, merchandising, gender issues, and ranger clubs - all the while promoting the fledgling medium of television.
Download or read book The Bomb and America s Missile Age written by Christopher Gainor and published by Johns Hopkins University Press. This book was released on 2018-10-15 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aimed at readers interested in the history of the Cold War and of space exploration, the book makes a major contribution to the history of rocket development and the nuclear age.
Download or read book Continental Defense in the Eisenhower Era written by C. Bright and published by Springer. This book was released on 2010-09-27 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thousands of nuclear antiaircraft arms were designed, tested and deployed in the United States during Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency. These Army "Nike-Hercules" missiles, Air Force "Genie" rockets, and "BOMARC" and "Falcon" missiles were meant to counter a raid by attacking Soviet bombers. U.S. policy makers believed that the American weapons could safely compensate for technological limitations which otherwise made it difficult to destroy high flying, fast moving airplanes. Continental Defense in the Eisenhower Era traces this armament from conception through deployment. Bright recounts official actions, doctrinal decisions, and public policies. It also discusses the widespread acceptance of these weapons by the American public, a result of being touted in news releases, featured in films and television episodes, and disseminated throughout society as a whole.
Download or read book The Martian Chronicles written by Ray Bradbury and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-04-17 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tranquility of Mars is disrupted by humans who want to conquer space, colonize the planet, and escape a doomed Earth.
Download or read book Ray Bradbury Sci Fi Boxed Set written by Ray Bradbury and published by DigiCat. This book was released on 2023-11-22 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the golden age of science fiction with some of the best stories of intergalactic wars, space adventures and alien contact in this Ray Bradbury collection of selected planet stories: Jonah of the Jove-Run Zero Hour Rocket Summer Lorelei of the Red Mist The Creatures That Time Forgot Asleep in Armageddon Defense Mech Lazarus Come Forth Morgue Ship The Monster Maker A Little Journey
Download or read book Rockets and Missiles written by A. Bowdoin Van Riper and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2007-11-26 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning with World War II, missiles transformed the art of war. For the first time, cities of warring nations were vulnerable to sudden, unannounced, long-distance attacks. At the same time, rockets made possible one of the great triumphs of the modern age—the exploration of space. Beginning with the origins of rocketry in medieval and early modern Asia, Rockets and Missiles traces the history of the technology that led to both the great fear of global warfare and the great excitement of the Space Age. This volume focuses on rocketry in late-twentieth-century Western Europe, Russia, and the United States, as well as the spread of rocket technology to East Asia and the Middle East. It covers the full history of rocket technology—including how rockets improved in performance, reliability, and versatility and how they affected everyday life.
Download or read book Nuclear Shadowboxing Contemporary Threats from Cold War Weaponry Volume 1 Cold War Redux written by Alexander DeVolpi and published by DeVolpi, Inc.. This book was released on 2004 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
