Atmospheric Flight in the Twentieth Century

Atmospheric Flight in the Twentieth Century PDF

Author: P. Galison

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-07

Total Pages: 389

ISBN-13: 940114379X

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All technologies differ from one another. They are as varied as humanity's interaction with the physical world. Even people attempting to do the same thing produce multiple technologies. For example, John H. White discovered more than l 1000 patents in the 19th century for locomotive smokestacks. Yet all technologies are processes by which humans seek to control their physical environment and bend nature to their purposes. All technologies are alike. The tension between likeness and difference runs through this collection of papers. All focus on atmospheric flight, a twentieth-century phenomenon. But they approach the topic from different disciplinary perspectives. They ask disparate questions. And they work from distinct agendas. Collectively they help to explain what is different about aviation - how it differs from other technologies and how flight itself has varied from one time and place to another. The importance of this topic is manifest. Flight is one of the defining technologies of the twentieth century. Jay David Bolter argues in Turing's Man that certain technologies in certain ages have had the power not only to transform society but also to shape the way in which people understand their relationship with the physical world. "A defining technology," says Bolter, "resembles a magnifying glass, which collects and focuses seemingly disparate ideas in a culture into one bright, sometimes piercing ray." 2 Flight has done that for the twentieth century.

Space and Astronomy

Space and Astronomy PDF

Author: Marianne J. Dyson

Publisher: Infobase Publishing

Published: 2014-05-14

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1438109814

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Contains a history of the subjects of space and astronomy, providing definitions and explanations of related topics, plus brief biographies of scientists of the twentieth century.

Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century

Russian Aviation and Air Power in the Twentieth Century PDF

Author: John Greenwood

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-06-11

Total Pages: 367

ISBN-13: 113525186X

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In the light of new archival material the editors take a fresh look at Russian aviation in the twentieth century. Presenting a comprehensive view of Russian aviation, from its genesis in the late czarist period to the present era, the approach is essentially chronological with a major emphasis on the evolution of military aviation. The contributions are diverse, with appropriate attention to civilian and institutional themes.

The History of Human Space Flight

The History of Human Space Flight PDF

Author: Ted Spitzmiller

Publisher: University Press of Florida

Published: 2017-02-21

Total Pages: 693

ISBN-13: 0813059704

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Military Writers Society of America Awards, Gold Medal for History Highlighting men and women across the globe who have dedicated themselves to pushing the limits of space exploration, this book surveys the programs, technological advancements, medical equipment, and automated systems that have made space travel possible. Beginning with the invention of balloons that lifted early explorers into the stratosphere, Ted Spitzmiller describes how humans first came to employ lifting gasses such as hydrogen and helium. He traces the influence of science fiction writers on the development of rocket science, looks at the role of rocket societies in the early twentieth century, and discusses the use of rockets in World War II warfare. Spitzmiller considers the engineering and space medicine advances that finally enabled humans to fly beyond the earth's atmosphere during the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He recreates the excitement felt around the world as Yuri Gagarin and John Glenn completed their first orbital flights. He recounts triumphs and tragedies, such as Neil Armstrong's "one small step" and the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The story continues with the development of the International Space Station, NASA's interest in asteroids and Mars, and the emergence of China as a major player in the space arena. Spitzmiller shows the impact of space flight on human history and speculates on the future of exploration beyond our current understandings of physics and the known boundaries of time and space.

Dictatorship of the Air

Dictatorship of the Air PDF

Author: Scott W. Palmer

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2006-07-31

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 9780521859578

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Focusing on one of the last untold chapters in the history of human flight, this book explains the true story behind twentieth-century Russia's quest for aviation prominence.

Expanding the Envelope

Expanding the Envelope PDF

Author: Michael H. Gorn

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky

Published: 2001-12-01

Total Pages: 492

ISBN-13: 9780813170947

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Expanding the Envelope is the first book to explore the full panorama of flight research history, from the earliest attempts by such nineteenth century practitioners as England’s Sir George Cayley, who tested his kites and gliders by subjecting them to experimental flight, to the cutting-edge aeronautical research conducted by the NACA and NASA. Michael H. Gorn explores the vital human aspect of the history of flight research, including such well-known figures as James H. Doolittle, Chuck Yeager, and A. Scott Crossfield, as well as the less heralded engineers, pilots, and scientists who also had the “Right Stuff.” While the individuals in the cockpit often receive the lion’s share of the public’s attention, Expanding the Envelope shows flight research to be a collaborative engineering activity, one in which the pilot participates as just one of many team members. Here is more than a century of flight research, from well before the creation of NACA to its rapid transformation under NASA. Gorn gives a behind the scenes look at the development of groundbreaking vehicles such as the X-1, the D-558, and the X-15, which demonstrated manned flight at speeds up to Mach 6.7 and as high as the edge of space.

Make It Rain

Make It Rain PDF

Author: Kristine C. Harper

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2018-06-04

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 022659792X

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Weather control. Juxtaposing those two words is enough to raise eyebrows in a world where even the best weather models still fail to nail every forecast, and when the effects of climate change on sea level height, seasonal averages of weather phenomena, and biological behavior are being watched with interest by all, regardless of political or scientific persuasion. But between the late nineteenth century—when the United States first funded an attempt to “shock” rain out of clouds—and the late 1940s, rainmaking (as it had been known) became weather control. And then things got out of control. In Make It Rain, Kristine C. Harper tells the long and somewhat ludicrous history of state-funded attempts to manage, manipulate, and deploy the weather in America. Harper shows that governments from the federal to the local became helplessly captivated by the idea that weather control could promote agriculture, health, industrial output, and economic growth at home, or even be used as a military weapon and diplomatic tool abroad. Clear fog for landing aircraft? There’s a project for that. Gentle rain for strawberries? Let’s do it! Enhanced snowpacks for hydroelectric utilities? Check. The heyday of these weather control programs came during the Cold War, as the atmosphere came to be seen as something to be defended, weaponized, and manipulated. Yet Harper demonstrates that today there are clear implications for our attempts to solve the problems of climate change.

A History of Aerodynamics

A History of Aerodynamics PDF

Author: John David Anderson

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 498

ISBN-13: 9780521669559

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From the Foreword: 'John Anderson's book represents a milestone in aviation literature. For the first time aviation enthusiasts - both specialists and popular readers alike - possess an authoritative history of aerodynamic theory. Not only is this study authoritative, it is also highly readable and linked to the actual (and more familiar) story of how the airplane evolved. The book touches on all the major theorists and their contributions and, most important, the historical context in which they worked to move the science of aerodynamics forward.' Von Hardesty, Smithsonian Institution From the reviews: 'Something of the unexpected quality of this book can be inferred from its full title A History of Aerodynamics and Its Impact on Flying Machines. Pilots tend to suppose that the science of aerodynamics began empirically, somewhere around the time of Lilienthal and the Wrights, and that aerodynamics and manned flight are roughly coeval. It is therefore surprising to come upon a photograph of the Wright Flyer as late as page 242 of the 478-page volume.' Peter Garrison, Flying 'This book successfully straddles the boundary that separates a text book from a history book. It is of equal interest to both the aerodynamicist and the layman. The textual balance achieved by the author has resulted in a book that is enjoyable and educational.' Earl See, American Aviation Historical Society Newsletter

Science in the Twentieth Century

Science in the Twentieth Century PDF

Author: John Krige

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-11-19

Total Pages: 978

ISBN-13: 113440686X

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With over forty chapters, written by leading scholars, this comprehensive volume represents the best work in America, Europe, and Asia. Geographical diversity of the authors is reflected in the different perspectives devoted to the subject, and all major disciplinary developments are covered. There are also sections concerning the countries that have made the most significant contributions, the relationship between science and industry, the importance of instrumentation, and the cultural influence of scientific modes of thought. Students and professionals will come to appreciate how, and why, science has developed - as with any other human activity, it is subject to the dynamics of society and politics.