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Solar Power Satellites
By Don M. Flournoy. 2012
Communication satellites are a $144 billion industry. Is there any space-based industry that could possibly beat that market? 'Solar Power…
Satellites' shows why and how the space satellite industry will soon begin expanding its market from relaying signals to Earth to generating energy in space and delivering it to the ground as electricity. In all industrialized nations, energy demand is growing exponentially. In the developing world, the need for energy is as basic as food and water. The Sun's energy is available everywhere, and it is non-polluting. As business plans demonstrate its technical feasibility, commercial potential, and environmental acceptability, every country on Earth will look to space for the power it needs.When the fuzzy indeterminacy of quantum mechanics overthrew the orderly world of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Erwin Schrödinger were…
at the forefront of the revolution. Neither man was ever satisfied with the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics, however, and both rebelled against what they considered the most preposterous aspect of quantum mechanics: its randomness. Einstein famously quipped that God does not play dice with the universe, and Schrödinger constructed his famous fable of a cat that was neither alive nor dead not to explain quantum mechanics but to highlight the apparent absurdity of a theory gone wrong. But these two giants did more than just criticize: they fought back, seeking a Theory of Everything that would make the universe seem sensible again. In Einstein’s Dice and Schrödinger’s Cat, physicist Paul Halpern tells the little-known story of how Einstein and Schrödinger searched, first as collaborators and then as competitors, for a theory that transcended quantum weirdness. This story of their quest--which ultimately failed--provides readers with new insights into the history of physics and the lives and work of two scientists whose obsessions drove its progress. Today, much of modern physics remains focused on the search for a Theory of Everything. As Halpern explains, the recent discovery of the Higgs Boson makes the Standard Model--the closest thing we have to a unified theory-- nearly complete. And while Einstein and Schrödinger failed in their attempt to explain everything in the cosmos through pure geometry, the development of string theory has, in its own quantum way, brought this idea back into vogue. As in so many things, even when they were wrong, Einstein and Schrödinger couldn’t help but get a great deal right.Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum (The Theoretical Minimum)
By Leonard Susskind, Art Friedman. 2014
From the bestselling author of The Theoretical Minimum, an accessible introduction to the math and science of quantum mechanicsQuantum Mechanics…
is a (second) book for anyone who wants to learn how to think like a physicist. In this follow-up to the bestselling The Theoretical Minimum, physicist Leonard Susskind and data engineer Art Friedman offer a first course in the theory and associated mathematics of the strange world of quantum mechanics. Quantum Mechanics presents Susskind and Friedman's crystal-clear explanations of the principles of quantum states, uncertainty and time dependence, entanglement, and particle and wave states, among other topics. An accessible but rigorous introduction to a famously difficult topic, Quantum Mechanics provides a tool kit for amateur scientists to learn physics at their own pace.Modern Techniques of Surface Science
By D. Phil, Woodruff. 2016
This is a fully revised and expanded edition of a very successful and widely used book. It describes the physical…
basis of all the principal, and most of the more specialised, techniques currently employed in the study of well-characterised solid surfaces. The coverage of each technique, illustrated with selected examples, is underpinned by discussion of the relevant physical principles, and the complementary aspects of the various methods are also described. Throughout, the emphasis is on understanding the concepts involved, rather than on an exhaustive review of applications. The book will be of great use to final year undergraduate and postgraduate students in physics, chemistry and materials science. It will also be valuable to established researchers in any area of surface science concerned with the acquisition and analysis of experimental data.Magnitude: The Scale of the Universe
By Megan Watzke, Kimberly Arcand. 2017
In the tradition of illustrated science bestsellers, like Thing Explainer and harkening back to the classic film The Powers of…
Ten, this unique, fully-illustrated, four-color book explores and visualizes the concept of scale in our universe. In Magnitude, Kimberly Arcand and Megan Watzke take us on an expansive journey to the limits of size, mass, distance, time, temperature in our universe, from the tiniest particle within the structure of an atom to the most massive galaxy in the universe; from the speed at which grass grows (about 2 to 6 inches a month) to the speed of light. Fully-illustrated with four-color drawings and infographics throughout and organized into sections including Size and Amount (Distance, Area, Volume, Mass, Time, Temperature), Motion and Rate (Speed, Acceleration, Density, Rotation), and Phenomena and Processes (Energy, Pressure, Sound, Wind, Computation), Magnitude shows us the scale of our world in a clear, visual way that our relatively medium-sized human brains can easily understand.Six Not-So-Easy Pieces: Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time
By Matthew Sands, Robert B. Leighton, Richard P. Feynman. 2011
Six lectures, all regarding the most revolutionary discovery in twentieth-century physics: Einstein's Theory of Relativity. No one--not even Einstein himself--explained…
these difficult, anti-intuitive concepts more clearly, or with more verve and gusto, than Feynman.The Edge of the Sky: All You Need to Know About the All-There-Is
By Roberto Trotta. 2014
From the big bang to black holes, from dark matter to dark energy, from the origins of the universe to…
its ultimate destiny, The Edge of the Sky tells the story of the most important discoveries and mysteries in modern cosmology#151;with a twist. The book’s lexicon is limited to the thousand most common words in the English language, excluding physics, energy, galaxy, or even universe. Through the eyes of a fictional scientist (Student-People) hunting for dark matter with one of the biggest telescopes (Big-Seers) on Earth (Home-World), cosmologist Roberto Trotta explores the most important ideas about our universe (All-there-is) in language simple enough for anyone to understand. A unique blend of literary experimentation and science popularization, this delightful book is a perfect gift for any aspiring astronomer. The Edge of the Sky tells the story of the universe on a human scale, and the result is out of this world.This monograph identifies the essential characteristics of the objects described by current quantum theory and considers their relationship to space-time.…
In the process, it explicates the senses in which quantum objects may be consistently considered to have parts of which they may be composed or into which they may be decomposed. The book also demonstrates the degree to which reduction is possible in quantum mechanics, showing it to be related to the objective indefiniteness of quantum properties and the strong non-local correlations that can occur between the physical quantities of quantum subsystems. Careful attention is paid to the relationships among such property correlations, physical causation, probability, and symmetry in quantum theory. In this way, the text identifies and clarifies the conceptual grounds underlying the unique nature of many quantum phenomena.How to Destroy the Universe
By Paul Parsons. 2011
If you thought physics was all about measuring the temperature of ice in a bucket or trying to fathom what…
E=mc2 means, think again. How to Destroy the Universe and 34 other really interesting uses of physics demystifies the astonishing world of physics in a series of intriguing, entertaining and often extraordinary scenarios--that explain key physics concepts in plain and simple language.You'll find out how to save the planet from energy shortages by mining the vacuum of empty space, engineer the Earth's climate to reverse the effects of global warming, and fend off killer asteroids just like Bruce Willis and his vest. You'll learn essential survival skills such as how to live through a lightning strike, how to tough it out during an earthquake and how to fall into a black hole without being squashed into spaghetti. And you'll discover some plain old cool stuff like how to turn lead into gold, how to travel to the centre of the Earth, how to crack supposedly unbreakable codes and how to use physics to predict the stock market.So if you want to get to grips with science behind relativity, antigravity and parallel universes, or if you are really more interested in learning how to teleport, travel through time or achieve immortality, this is the perfect introduction to the amazing world of modern physics.The Shape of Inner Space: String Theory and the Geometry of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
By Shing-Tung Yau, Steve Nadis. 2010
String theory says we live in a ten-dimensional universe, but that only four are accessible to our everyday senses. According…
to theorists, the missing six are curled up in bizarre structures known as Calabi-Yau manifolds. In The Shape of Inner Space, Shing-Tung Yau, the man who mathematically proved that these manifolds exist, argues that not only is geometry fundamental to string theory, it is also fundamental to the very nature of our universe.Time and again, where Yau has gone, physics has followed. Now for the first time, readers will follow Yau's penetrating thinking on where we've been, and where mathematics will take us next. A fascinating exploration of a world we are only just beginning to grasp, The Shape of Inner Space will change the way we consider the universe on both its grandest and smallest scales.Cosmic Numbers: The Numbers That Define Our Universe
By James D. Stein. 2011
Stein (mathematics, California State U. ) recounts the stories of how famous mathematicians and physicists discovered numerical constants and equations…
that define the laws of physical science and astronomy. Appropriate for the general reader with a basic understanding of algebra, the 13 chapters explain the logic behind the speed of light, the ideal gas constant, absolute zero, Avogadro's number, the Planck constant, the Schwarzschild radius, and the Chandrasekhar limit. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)Turn Right At Orion
By Mitchell Begelman. 2000
Muslim Schools, Communities and Critical Race Theory
By Damian Breen. 2018
This book explores the position of Muslim schools in contemporary Britain. A Critical Race Theory approach is used to consider…
some of the specific issues faced by Muslim schools, in particular those looking to become state-funded. The book provides a critically considered and meaningful application of a theory of 'race' to Muslims as a religious community, without restricting the analysis to minority ethnic Muslim groups; it also provides a counter-narrative which contests assumptions about Muslim schools presented in the media and in public debates more generally. These insights are positioned against current political climates within which Muslims have been consistently subjected to surveillance and suspicion. The book draws on first-hand research carried out inside Muslim schools to offer insights into the ways that these schools cater to diverse and locally-specific needs. It concludes by arguing that independent Islamic schools represent ideal models of community need. Therefore, bringing such schools into the state sector, in a way that allows them to retain autonomy, represents an ideal strategy for the educational and political enfranchisement of British Muslims. Muslim schooling represents an opportunity for increased state investment in Muslim interests as a strategy for offsetting the ways in which Muslim communities have been marginalised more generally in contemporary political climates. The book will make compelling reading for students and researchers in the fields of Education, Sociology, and Religious Studies, particularly those with an interest in faith schools, Islam, and Critical Race Theory.Advanced Composite Materials
By Ashutosh Tiwari, Mohammad Rabia Alenezi, Seong Chan Jun. 2016
Composites materials is basically the combining of unique properties of materials to have synergistic effects. A combination of materials is…
needed to adapt to certain properties for any application area. There is an everlasting desire to make composite materials stronger, lighter or more durable than traditional materials. Carbon materials are known to be attractive in composites because of their combination of chemical and physical properties. In the recent years, development of new composites has been influenced by precision green approaches that restrict hazardous substances and waste created during production. This book ranges from the fundamental principles underpinning the fabrication of different composite materials to their devices, for example, applications in energy harvesting, memory devices, electrochemical biosensing and other advanced composite-based biomedical applications. This book provides a compilation of innovative fabrication strategies and utilization methodologies which are frequently adopted in the advanced composite materials community with respect to developing appropriate composites to efficiently utilize macro and nanoscale features. The key topics are: Pioneer composite materials for printed electronics Current-limiting defects in superconductors High-tech ceramics materials Carbon nanomaterials for electrochemical biosensing Nanostructured ceramics and bioceramics for bone cancer Importance of biomaterials for bone regeneration Tuning hydroxyapatite particles Carbon nanotubes reinforced bioceramic composite Biomimetic prototype interfaceThe Big Questions: Physics
By Michael Brooks. 2010
The Big Questions series is designed to let renowned experts address the 20 most fundamental and frequently asked questions of…
a major branch of science or philosophy. Each 3000-word essay simply and concisely examines a question that has eternally perplexed enquiring minds, and provides answers from history's great thinkers. This ambitious project is a unique distillation of humanity's best ideas. In Big Questions: Physics, Michael Brooks answers the 20 key questions: What is the point of physics? Is everything ultimately random? What is time? Why is there no such thing as a free lunch? What happened to Schrödinger's cat? Can I change the universe with a single glance? Are solids really solid? Which is nature's strongest force? Why does an apple fall? Do we live in a computer simulation? What is light? Is Earth's magnetic shield failing? Am I unique in the universe? Does chaos theory spell disaster? Can we travel through time? Is string theory really about strings? Why does E=mc2? What is the God Particle? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the ultimate nature of reality?The End of Pink
By Kathryn Nuernberger. 2016
Winner of the 2015 James Laughlin Award, Kathryn Nuernberger's The End of Pink is populated by strange characters--Bat Boy, automatons,…
taxidermied mermaids, snake oil salesmen, and Benjamin Franklin--all from the annals of science and pseudoscience. Equal parts fact and folklore, these poems look to the marvelous and the weird for a way to understand childbirth, parenthood, sickness, death, and-of course--joy.Interpreting Physics
By Edward Mackinnon. 2011
This book is the first to offer a systematic account of the role of language in the development and interpretation…
of physics. An historical-conceptual analysis of the co-evolution of mathematical and physical concepts leads to the classical/quatum interface. Bohrian orthodoxy stresses the indispensability of classical concepts and the functional role of mathematics. This book analyses ways of extending, and then going beyond this orthodoxy orthodoxy. Finally, the book analyzes how a revised interpretation of physics impacts on basic philosophical issues: conceptual revolutions, realism, and reductionism.The Craft of Scientific Writing
By Michael Alley. 2018
The Craft of Scientific Writing is designed to help scientists and engineers - both professionals already active in the disciplines…
as well as students preparing to enter the professions - write about their work clearly and effectively Written for use as a text in courses on scientific writing the book includes many useful suggestions about approaching a wide variety of writing tasks from journal papers to grant proposals and from emails to formal reports as well as a concise guide to style and usage appropriate for scientific writing Also useful for self-study the book will be an important reference for all scientists and engineers who need to write about their work With this new and updated fourth edition while most technical writing texts have gotten larger over the years this one has streamlined to provide busy readers with the essence of what distinguishes the style of the best scientific documents With this new edition readers will learn not just how to organize information but how to emphasize the key details of that information Also readers will not just learn how to cast their ideas into precise and clear sentences but how to connect these sentences in an energetic fashion In the section on language the new edition goes into much depth about how to make connections between ideas an important issue that few technical writing texts address Moreover the new edition integrates the discussion of illustrations with language because those two aspects of style are so intertwined Finally the new edition does a better job of explaining how to make the process of writing more efficient From a review of the first edition A refreshing addition to a genre dominated by English teacher-style textbooks Instead of listing rules that constrain writers the book uses examples to lay out the path to successful communication Especially helpful and entertaining is the chapter on the writing process Anyone who has spent more time avoiding a writing task than actually doing it will appreciate Alley s tips Dr Ellen Ochoa Deputy Director of Flight Crew Operations Johnson Space CenterReconciling Islam, Christianity and Judaism
By Terence Lovat, Robert Crotty. 2015
At the present time, when so-called Islamic radicalism, terrorism and Jihadism occupy major media space, with Islam often depicted as…
the main culprit, the book attempts a tour de force. It proposes that Islam is as much victim as culprit in the history that has led to the current hostility. This is because the common claims of both mainstream and radical Islam that Islam represents the high point of the Abrahamic tradition, and therefore a purification of Judaism and Christianity, have been largely ignored, misunderstood or blatantly rejected by these faiths and therefore by 'the West' in general. This rejection has effectively rendered Islam as the poor cousin, if not the illegitimate sibling, of the tradition. In turn, this has created long-term resentment and hostility within Islam as well as robbed the 'Judaeo-Christian West' of a rich, inter-faith understanding of the wider Abrahamic tradition. The book explores these claims through textual, historical and theological analyses, proposing that many of them stand up better to critical scrutiny than has been commonly acknowledged. It further proposes that seeing Islam in this way has potential to re-awaken its self-understanding as a leader of accord among the Abrahamic faiths, of the kind that characterized the era of Convivencia when, in medieval Spain, Islam constructed and contributed to advanced civilizations characterized by relatively harmonious co-existence between Muslims, Christians and Jews. The book focuses on the role that a more respected and self-confident Islam could play in forging enhanced inter-faith relations in a world that desperately needs them as it struggles to understand and deal with modern and particularly vicious forms of radical Islamism.The Big Questions: The Universe
By Stuart Clark. 2010
The Big Questions series enables renowned experts to tackle the 20 most fundamental and frequently asked questions of a major…
branch of science or philosophy. Each 3000-word essay simply and concisely examines a question that has eternally perplexed enquiring minds, providing answers from history's great thinkers. This ambitious project is a unique distillation of humanity's best ideas. In Big Questions: The Universe, Dr. Stuart Clark tackles the 20 key questions of astronomy and cosmology: What is the universe? How big is the universe? How old is the universe? What are stars made from? How did the universe form? Why do planets stay in orbit? Was Einstein right? What are black holes? How did the Earth form? What were the first celestial objects? What is dark matter? What is dark energy? Are we really made from stardust? Is there life on Mars? Are there other intelligent beings? Can we travel through time and space? Can the laws of physics change? Are there alternative universes? What will be the fate of the universe? Is there cosmological evidence for God?