Series in Astrophysics
Books in Astrophysics
A New American Space Plan(With: Stephanie Osborn)
Meet the Rocket City Rednecks. They're five ''backwoods'' guys from the rocket city: Huntsville, Alabama, home to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the birthplace of the U.S. space program. Sure, they love to shoot stuff and drink beer, and one of 'em lives in a trailer, but with a family tree full of NASA rocket scientists (not to mention their own PhDs and advanced degrees), they aim a little higher—like using homemade moonshine to fuel a rocket! Now, in typical laidback style, Dr. Travis S. Taylor, leader of the crew, delivers the goods on how America can return to space exploration and manned space flight. What's needed is a good old ''try anything'' attitude, a bit of gumption, and the spectacularly entertaining backyard science that's the Rocket City Redneck specialty. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (DRM Rights Management).
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the physics of the stars, and more widely the physics of the Universe. It enables us to understand the structure and evolution of planetary systems, stars, galaxies, interstellar gas, and the cosmos as a whole. In this Very Short Introduction, the leading astrophysicist James Binney shows how the field of astrophysics has expanded rapidly in the past century, with vast quantities of data gathered by telescopes exploiting all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, combined with the rapid advance of computing power, which has allowed increasingly effective mathematical modelling. He illustrates how the application of fundamental principles of physics - the consideration of energy and mass, and momentum - and the two pillars of relativity and quantum mechanics, has provided insights into phenomena ranging from rapidly spinning millisecond pulsars to the collision of giant spiral galaxies. This is a clear, rigorous introduction to astrophysics for those keen to cut their teeth on a conceptual treatment involving some mathematics. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable
Black Holes
Black holes are a constant source of fascination to many due to their mysterious nature. In this Very Short Introduction, Katherine Blundell addresses a variety of questions, including what a black hole actually is, how they are characterized and discovered, and what would happen if you came too close to one. She explains how black holes form and grow - by stealing material that belongs to stars, as well as how many there may be in the Universe. She also explores the large black holes found in the centres of galaxies, and how black holes give rise to quasars and other spectacular phenomena in the cosmos. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Kicking the Sacred Cow
The best-selling author of The Proteus Operation and Endgame Enigma offers an inside look at some of the key controversies in modern science, providing a fact-filled, meticulously researched study of Darwinism, global warming, the Big Bang, relativity, AIDS, and many other important topics.
Podkayne of Mars
A classic tale from the Grandmaster of Science Fiction. Podkayne Fries, born and raised on Mars, has just one ambition: to earn her wings as a starship pilot and rise through the ranks to command deep-space explorations. The opportunity to travel aboard the Tricorn- on an interstellar journey to Venus and Earth in the company of her diplomat uncle-is a dream come true. Poddy's idea of diplomacy is keeping the peace with her troublesome brother, Clark, but she's about to learn some things about war and peace. Because her uncle is the Ambassador from Mars to the Three Planets Conference, which makes him-and his niece and nephew-potential targets for any radicals looking to sabotage the negotiations between three worlds.
The Bluffer's Guide to Rocket Science
Introduction Popular comment has it that ?it doesnt take a rocket scientist to ..., as in ?it doesnt take a rocket scientist to program a mobile phone. This is true?it takes a teenager. A rocket scientist would intellectualize the whole process, press two buttons at once, and crash the software. The last person you would want to ask is a rocket scientist. Blown opportunities Many more millionaires have gone bankrupt trying to develop rockets than satellites. They have overlooked the fact that the operative word in ?controlled explosion is controlled. Gravity depravity Nobody knows what gravity really is, so dont blow your bluffing cover by trying to explain it. The only thing known for certain is that any two physical bodies will attract each other in proportion to their sizes (which fact is best not taken literally by oddly sorted couples). Lunartrick One Sunday afternoon, the 12-year-old von Braun strapped rockets to a cart, lit the fuse, and sent the fire-spitting vehicle careening down a street . . . . His life-long aim was to send a rocket to the moon. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that flying a lunar mission is tricky.
What Shape is Space?
What Shape is Space? is a question with surprisingly far-reaching implications for our understanding of the very nature of reality and our place within it. The concepts involved may be sophisticated, but Giles Sparrows effortless prose style easily renders them understandable, allowing readers to get to grips with the overarching debates at the cutting edge of cosmology today. Infographics, diagrams and astronomical visualizations illustrate and clarify the various astonishing implications of a universe of infinite space.
What Shape is Space?
What Shape is Space? is a question with surprisingly far-reaching implications for our understanding of the very nature of reality and our place within it. The concepts involved may be sophisticated, but Giles Sparrows effortless prose style easily renders them understandable, allowing readers to get to grips with the overarching debates at the cutting edge of cosmology today. Infographics, diagrams and astronomical visualizations illustrate and clarify the various astonishing implications of a universe of infinite space.