Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astophysics and the Military Contributor(s): Tyson, Neil Degrasse (Author) |
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ISBN: 1432863819 ISBN-13: 9781432863814 Publisher: Thorndike Press Large Print OUR PRICE: $30.39 Product Type: Library Binding - Other Formats Published: May 2019 |
Additional Information |
BISAC Categories: - Science | Physics - Astrophysics - Political Science | Security (national & International) - Political Science | Public Policy - Science & Technology Policy |
Dewey: 355.001 |
LCCN: 2018059622 |
Physical Information: 1.9" H x 5.6" W x 8.6" (2.60 lbs) 869 pages |
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
Publisher Description: In this fascinating foray into the centuries-old relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and writer-researcher Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. "The overlap is strong, and the knowledge flows in both directions," say the authors, because astrophysicists and military planners care about many of the same things: multi-spectral detection, ranging, tracking, imaging, high ground, nuclear fusion, and access to space. Tyson and Lang call it a "curiously complicit" alliance. "The universe is both the ultimate frontier and the highest of high grounds," they write. "Shared by both space scientists and space warriors, it's a laboratory for one and a battlefield for the other. The explorer wants to understand it; the soldier wants to dominate it. But without the right technology--which is more or less the same technology for both parties--nobody can get to it, operate in it, scrutinize it, dominate it, or use it to their advantage and someone else's disadvantage." Spanning early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination of the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power that will introduce Tyson's millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe has shaped our lives and our world. |
Contributor Bio(s): Lang, Avis: - Avis Lang is a research associate at the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium. For half a decade, she edited Tyson's Natural History magazine column, Universe, parts of which became the basis for his Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and later edited his anthology Space Chronicles. She lives in New York City. |