The whole story of laser weapons with a focus on its many interesting characters and sometimes bizarre schemes The laser--a milestone invention of the mid-twentieth century--quickly captured the imagination of the Pentagon as the key to the ultimate weapon. Veteran science writer Jeff Hecht tells the inside story of the adventures and misadventures of scientists and military strategists as they exerted Herculean though often futile efforts to adapt the laser for military uses. From the 195...

Do rising tides always lift all boats?Third Flatiron's all-original science fiction/fantasy/horror/humor short story anthology has the theme, "After the Gold Rush." Twenty-two authors explore themes related to complications of booms and bubbles, including effects of accelerated culture; ecological consequences caused by human over-expansion, such as climate disasters; and economics (for example, monopolies on resources and commodities). Includes a flash humor section, "Grins & Gurg...

Beam is the story of the race to make the laser, the three intense years from the birth of the laser idea to its breakthrough demonstration in a California laboratory. The quest was a struggle against physics, established wisdom, and the establishment itself. In 1954, Charles Townes invented the laser's microwave cousin, the maser. The next logical step was to extend the same physical principles to the shorter wavelengths of light, but the idea did not catch fire until October 1957, when T...

Beam Weapons describes the roots of Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars' quest for a strategic defense system to intercept and destroy nuclear ballistic missiles before they could reach their targets. The goal was to develop radically new beam weapons that destroyed nuclear missiles with directed energy — laser beams or charged particles.The daring program was born at a time of intense technological optimism, when NASA talked of weekly space shuttle flights. Pentagon planners envisioned a f...

City of Light tells the story of fiber optics, tracing its transformation from 19th-century parlor trick into the foundation of our global communications network. Written for a broad audience by a journalist who has covered the field for twenty years, the book is a lively account of both the people and the ideas behind this revolutionary technology. The basic concept underlying fiber optics was first explored in the 1840s when researchers used jets of water to guide light in labor...

This instructor's guide is written to accompany to the fifth edition of Understanding Fiber Optics by Jeff Hecht, originally published by Pearson/Prentice-Hall in 2006 and later republished by Laser Light Press. It is being published now to help readers using the book in self-study of fiber optics, because nothing like it has been published since then. It includes answers to quiz questions and "questions to think about" in the book, and worked-out calculations for many of the problems in t...

The expanded fourth edition of the book that offers an essential introduction to laser technology and the newest developments in the fieldThe revised and updated fourth edition of Understanding Lasers offers an essential guide and introduction that explores how lasers work, what they do, and how they are applied in the real world. The author—a Fellow of The Optical Society—reviews the key concepts of physics and optics that are essential for understanding ...

The only introductory text on the market today that explains the underlying physics and engineering applicable to all lasersAlthough lasers are becoming increasingly important in our high-tech environment, many of the technicians and engineers who install, operate, and maintain them have had little, if any, formal training in the field of electro-optics. This can result in less efficient usage of these important tools.Introduction to Laser Technology

Chronicles the development of a framework for collective impact in education through the perspectives of its founders and lessons learned from pioneering sites.In 2006, Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky had been suffering from many of the same challenges facing metro regions across the country. Despite significant investments in education from the public and private sectors, outcomes were alarming: Kindergarten readiness was below fifty percent, and nearly half of t...

**The definitive history of America’s greatest incubator of innovation and the birthplace of some of the 20th century’s most influential technologies“Filled with colorful characters and inspiring lessons . . . The Idea Factory explores one of the most critical issues of our time: What causes innovation?” —Walter Isaacson, The New York Times Book Review“Compelling . . . Gertner's book offers fascinating evidence for those seeking to understand how a society...

A plain-English guide to advanced physicsDoes just thinking about the laws of motion make your head spin? Does studying electricity short your circuits? Physics II For Dummies walks you through the essentials and gives you easy-to-understand and digestible guidance on this often intimidating course.Thanks to this book, you don?t have to be Einstein to understand physics. As you learn about mechanical waves and sound, forces and fields, electric potential and electr...

The bestselling investigation into NASA, hidden space history, and the evidence for extraterrestrial structures on the Moon and Mars. Dark Mission by Richard C. Hoagland and Mike Bara is a bestselling exploration of alternative space history, NASA controversies, and the enduring debate over anomalous structures photographed on the Moon and Mars. Blending archival research, mission analysis, and speculative interpretation, the authors examine decades of space-program imagery and data to arg...