Rockets and Ray Guns: The Sci-Fi Science of the Cold War

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Physics, General Physics, Technology
Cover of the book Rockets and Ray Guns: The Sci-Fi Science of the Cold War by Andrew May, Springer International Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew May ISBN: 9783319898308
Publisher: Springer International Publishing Publication: May 26, 2018
Imprint: Springer Language: English
Author: Andrew May
ISBN: 9783319898308
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Publication: May 26, 2018
Imprint: Springer
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from Springer International Publishing

Cover of the book Excel 2016 for Advertising Statistics by Andrew May
Cover of the book Advances in Practical Applications of Scalable Multi-agent Systems. The PAAMS Collection by Andrew May
Cover of the book Top Down Innovation by Andrew May
Cover of the book Competing Values in Archaeological Heritage by Andrew May
Cover of the book Metals, Energy and Sustainability by Andrew May
Cover of the book India as an Organization: Volume One by Andrew May
Cover of the book Social Audit Regulation by Andrew May
Cover of the book Siberian Traps and Pt-Cu-Ni Deposits in the Noril’sk Area by Andrew May
Cover of the book Virginia Woolf's Rooms and the Spaces of Modernity by Andrew May
Cover of the book Computational Plasticity for Finite Elements by Andrew May
Cover of the book Water, Energy, Food and People Across the Global South by Andrew May
Cover of the book Contemporary Computational Mathematics - A Celebration of the 80th Birthday of Ian Sloan by Andrew May
Cover of the book Artificial General Intelligence by Andrew May
Cover of the book Knowledge Discovery, Knowledge Engineering and Knowledge Management by Andrew May
Cover of the book Detection and Control of Ganoderma boninense in Oil Palm Crop by Andrew May
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy