George Basalla
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195171815
- eISBN:
- 9780199786862
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171815.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
This book records the long scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Although philosophical speculation about alien civilizations dates to antiquity, the invention of the telescope ...
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This book records the long scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Although philosophical speculation about alien civilizations dates to antiquity, the invention of the telescope in the 17th century inspired scientists like Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, René Descartes, and Christiaan Huygens to consider the possibility of intelligent creatures living on the Moon or on the planets of our solar system. By the late 19th century, Mars became the focus of attention for astronomers searching for civilized life near the earth. The belief that Mars contained a superior civilization capable of building a global system of irrigation canals on the planet was supported by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli and the American Percival Lowell. In the 1960s and 1970s, data gathered by Soviet and American spacecraft challenged the assumption that Mars was the habitat for life of any sort. As the hunt for alien civilizations in the solar system waned, a new search began for signs of intelligent life in remote parts of the universe. This search used radio telescopes to scan the skies for any messages transmitted to earth by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. Distinguished modern astronomers and physicists — Frank Drake, Philip Morrison, Carl Sagan — were convinced that electronic technology would allow contact with civilizations located many light years from earth. Unfortunately, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was compromised by anthropomorphism (attributing human qualities to alien life and culture) and by an unconscious religious outlook that the superior beings living in outer space would help solve pressing social, economic, and technological problems.Less
This book records the long scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Although philosophical speculation about alien civilizations dates to antiquity, the invention of the telescope in the 17th century inspired scientists like Johannes Kepler, Galileo Galilei, René Descartes, and Christiaan Huygens to consider the possibility of intelligent creatures living on the Moon or on the planets of our solar system. By the late 19th century, Mars became the focus of attention for astronomers searching for civilized life near the earth. The belief that Mars contained a superior civilization capable of building a global system of irrigation canals on the planet was supported by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli and the American Percival Lowell. In the 1960s and 1970s, data gathered by Soviet and American spacecraft challenged the assumption that Mars was the habitat for life of any sort. As the hunt for alien civilizations in the solar system waned, a new search began for signs of intelligent life in remote parts of the universe. This search used radio telescopes to scan the skies for any messages transmitted to earth by advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. Distinguished modern astronomers and physicists — Frank Drake, Philip Morrison, Carl Sagan — were convinced that electronic technology would allow contact with civilizations located many light years from earth. Unfortunately, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence was compromised by anthropomorphism (attributing human qualities to alien life and culture) and by an unconscious religious outlook that the superior beings living in outer space would help solve pressing social, economic, and technological problems.
Željko Ivezic, Andrew J. Connolly, Jacob T VanderPlas, and Alexander Gray
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691151687
- eISBN:
- 9781400848911
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691151687.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
As telescopes, detectors, and computers grow ever more powerful, the volume of data at the disposal of astronomers and astrophysicists will enter the petabyte domain, providing accurate measurements ...
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As telescopes, detectors, and computers grow ever more powerful, the volume of data at the disposal of astronomers and astrophysicists will enter the petabyte domain, providing accurate measurements for billions of celestial objects. This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the cutting-edge statistical methods needed to efficiently analyze complex data sets from astronomical surveys such as the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, the Dark Energy Survey, and the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. It serves as a practical handbook for graduate students and advanced undergraduates in physics and astronomy, and as an indispensable reference for researchers. The book presents a wealth of practical analysis problems, evaluates techniques for solving them, and explains how to use various approaches for different types and sizes of data sets. For all applications described in the book, Python code and example data sets are provided. The supporting data sets have been carefully selected from contemporary astronomical surveys (for example, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and are easy to download and use. The accompanying Python code is publicly available, well documented, and follows uniform coding standards. Together, the data sets and code enable readers to reproduce all the figures and examples, evaluate the methods, and adapt them to their own fields of interest.Less
As telescopes, detectors, and computers grow ever more powerful, the volume of data at the disposal of astronomers and astrophysicists will enter the petabyte domain, providing accurate measurements for billions of celestial objects. This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the cutting-edge statistical methods needed to efficiently analyze complex data sets from astronomical surveys such as the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, the Dark Energy Survey, and the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. It serves as a practical handbook for graduate students and advanced undergraduates in physics and astronomy, and as an indispensable reference for researchers. The book presents a wealth of practical analysis problems, evaluates techniques for solving them, and explains how to use various approaches for different types and sizes of data sets. For all applications described in the book, Python code and example data sets are provided. The supporting data sets have been carefully selected from contemporary astronomical surveys (for example, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey) and are easy to download and use. The accompanying Python code is publicly available, well documented, and follows uniform coding standards. Together, the data sets and code enable readers to reproduce all the figures and examples, evaluate the methods, and adapt them to their own fields of interest.
Vladilen Letokhov and Sveneric Johansson
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199548279
- eISBN:
- 9780191720512
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199548279.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Atomic, Laser, and Optical Physics
Progress in modern radio astronomy led to the discovery of space masers in the microwave range, and it became a powerful tool for studies of interstellar star-forming molecular clouds. Progress in ...
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Progress in modern radio astronomy led to the discovery of space masers in the microwave range, and it became a powerful tool for studies of interstellar star-forming molecular clouds. Progress in observational astronomy, particularly with ground-based huge telescopes and the space-based Hubble Space Telescope, has led to recent discoveries of space lasers in the optical range. These operate in gas condensations in the vicinity of the mysterious star Eta Carinae (one of the most luminous and massive stars of our Galaxy). Both maser and laser effects, first demonstrated under laboratory conditions, have now been discovered to occur under natural conditions in space too. This book describes consistently the elements of laser science, astrophysical plasmas, modern astronomical observation techniques, and the fundamentals and properties of astrophysical lasers.Less
Progress in modern radio astronomy led to the discovery of space masers in the microwave range, and it became a powerful tool for studies of interstellar star-forming molecular clouds. Progress in observational astronomy, particularly with ground-based huge telescopes and the space-based Hubble Space Telescope, has led to recent discoveries of space lasers in the optical range. These operate in gas condensations in the vicinity of the mysterious star Eta Carinae (one of the most luminous and massive stars of our Galaxy). Both maser and laser effects, first demonstrated under laboratory conditions, have now been discovered to occur under natural conditions in space too. This book describes consistently the elements of laser science, astrophysical plasmas, modern astronomical observation techniques, and the fundamentals and properties of astrophysical lasers.
Martin van Creveld
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199599486
- eISBN:
- 9780191595806
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199599486.003.0002
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics, Political Theory
This chapter demonstrates that the emergence of campaigns, made possible by a certain size of military formations, in essence opened the way for the operational level of war, operational warfare, and ...
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This chapter demonstrates that the emergence of campaigns, made possible by a certain size of military formations, in essence opened the way for the operational level of war, operational warfare, and operational art. The complexity of campaigns, especially those that took place along broad fronts and covered large distances, accentuated the role of effective control, which, in turn, brought into play a new dimension of warfare. The historical factors that ushered the operational dimension into the world were the French Revolution and the levee en masse, and the man who presided over its birth was Napoleon Bonaparte. The revolution in military affairs owed very little to technology per se; it was a result of ‘the God of War’ combining the corps d'armée system and imperial headquarters with the principle of the ‘directed telescope’.Less
This chapter demonstrates that the emergence of campaigns, made possible by a certain size of military formations, in essence opened the way for the operational level of war, operational warfare, and operational art. The complexity of campaigns, especially those that took place along broad fronts and covered large distances, accentuated the role of effective control, which, in turn, brought into play a new dimension of warfare. The historical factors that ushered the operational dimension into the world were the French Revolution and the levee en masse, and the man who presided over its birth was Napoleon Bonaparte. The revolution in military affairs owed very little to technology per se; it was a result of ‘the God of War’ combining the corps d'armée system and imperial headquarters with the principle of the ‘directed telescope’.
James Davidson
- Published in print:
- 1994
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198774037
- eISBN:
- 9780191596117
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198774036.003.0016
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Econometrics
Mixingales are an asymptotic generalization of the martingale concept. This chapter defines them and reviews their properties, discussing the telescoping sum representation, and the important ...
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Mixingales are an asymptotic generalization of the martingale concept. This chapter defines them and reviews their properties, discussing the telescoping sum representation, and the important mixingale inequalities. The most important result for subsequent applications is the uniform square integrability of mixingale sums.Less
Mixingales are an asymptotic generalization of the martingale concept. This chapter defines them and reviews their properties, discussing the telescoping sum representation, and the important mixingale inequalities. The most important result for subsequent applications is the uniform square integrability of mixingale sums.
George Basalla
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195171815
- eISBN:
- 9780199786862
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171815.003.0002
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
Life on the Moon — an old notion — was revived by the astronomical work of Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century and the invention of the optical telescope in the early 17th century. Galileo ...
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Life on the Moon — an old notion — was revived by the astronomical work of Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century and the invention of the optical telescope in the early 17th century. Galileo Galilei reluctantly, and Johannes Kepler enthusiastically and in great detail, described lunar life and society using data collected by telescopic observation. Renewed interest in the Moon led to the making of the first detailed lunar maps.Less
Life on the Moon — an old notion — was revived by the astronomical work of Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century and the invention of the optical telescope in the early 17th century. Galileo Galilei reluctantly, and Johannes Kepler enthusiastically and in great detail, described lunar life and society using data collected by telescopic observation. Renewed interest in the Moon led to the making of the first detailed lunar maps.
George Basalla
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195171815
- eISBN:
- 9780199786862
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171815.003.0008
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
In the 1930s, astronomer Edwin P. Hubble and others claimed that we lived in an expanding universe filled with galaxies containing billion of stars. At about the same time, Karl G. Jansky invented ...
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In the 1930s, astronomer Edwin P. Hubble and others claimed that we lived in an expanding universe filled with galaxies containing billion of stars. At about the same time, Karl G. Jansky invented the radio telescope that detected radio waves naturally emitted by astronomical bodies. Pioneer radio astronomer Frank Drake realized that radio telescopes could also be used to search for radio messages transmitted by distant, advanced civilizations. He then proposed Drake’s equation for calculating the number of civilizations in our galaxy able to transmit and receive radio signals. These developments raised questions about the proper radio frequencies to use in searching for extraterrestrial messages (Giuseppe Cocconi, Philip Morrison), the identification of astroengineering projects of alien civilizations (Freeman Dyson), and the ranking of extraterrestrial civilizations according to the amount of energy they controlled (Nicolai S. Kardashev).Less
In the 1930s, astronomer Edwin P. Hubble and others claimed that we lived in an expanding universe filled with galaxies containing billion of stars. At about the same time, Karl G. Jansky invented the radio telescope that detected radio waves naturally emitted by astronomical bodies. Pioneer radio astronomer Frank Drake realized that radio telescopes could also be used to search for radio messages transmitted by distant, advanced civilizations. He then proposed Drake’s equation for calculating the number of civilizations in our galaxy able to transmit and receive radio signals. These developments raised questions about the proper radio frequencies to use in searching for extraterrestrial messages (Giuseppe Cocconi, Philip Morrison), the identification of astroengineering projects of alien civilizations (Freeman Dyson), and the ranking of extraterrestrial civilizations according to the amount of energy they controlled (Nicolai S. Kardashev).
I.S. GLASS
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199550258
- eISBN:
- 9780191718700
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199550258.003.0002
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
This chapter discusses Galileo Galilei's biography and private life. It notes that Galileo first became interested in the connection between mathematics and the measurement of quantities such as mass ...
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This chapter discusses Galileo Galilei's biography and private life. It notes that Galileo first became interested in the connection between mathematics and the measurement of quantities such as mass and dimensions of bodies. It states some of Galileo's greatest achievements. It explains that one of his most important innovations was to clearly distinguish between constant speed and acceleration, or rate of change of speed. It adds that Galileo was also known to have been interested in Copernican astronomy. This chapter also examines the invention of the telescope, as well as his study of the moon and sunspots. It then tells of the clerical oppositions experienced by Galileo particularly the trial that he faced regarding a vehement suspicion of heresy. It examines Galileo's last work: strength of materials and mechanics. Lastly, it talks about Galileo's last years and the hardships that he faced during these last fulfilling years.Less
This chapter discusses Galileo Galilei's biography and private life. It notes that Galileo first became interested in the connection between mathematics and the measurement of quantities such as mass and dimensions of bodies. It states some of Galileo's greatest achievements. It explains that one of his most important innovations was to clearly distinguish between constant speed and acceleration, or rate of change of speed. It adds that Galileo was also known to have been interested in Copernican astronomy. This chapter also examines the invention of the telescope, as well as his study of the moon and sunspots. It then tells of the clerical oppositions experienced by Galileo particularly the trial that he faced regarding a vehement suspicion of heresy. It examines Galileo's last work: strength of materials and mechanics. Lastly, it talks about Galileo's last years and the hardships that he faced during these last fulfilling years.
I.S. GLASS
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199550258
- eISBN:
- 9780191718700
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199550258.003.0003
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
This chapter begins by discussing Isaac Newton's biography and private life. It notes some of Newton's traits, which allowed him to face all the hurdles that came his way. It investigates how he ...
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This chapter begins by discussing Isaac Newton's biography and private life. It notes some of Newton's traits, which allowed him to face all the hurdles that came his way. It investigates how he developed his interest in the logical consistency in nature like the daily variations of the tides and the extent of the Moon's influence. It states that it was during the Bubonic plague years that he developed most of his basic mathematical ideas but remained secretive and failed to publicise them. It investigates how derived ideas such as the laws of motion and gravity. It also talks about his construction of the first reflecting telescope. This chapter also discusses how Newton gained recognition from his fellow researchers and how he tried to make more achievements, the Principia and the Opticks. It tells of some of the social acquaintances that Newton has made throughout his life as a scientist.Less
This chapter begins by discussing Isaac Newton's biography and private life. It notes some of Newton's traits, which allowed him to face all the hurdles that came his way. It investigates how he developed his interest in the logical consistency in nature like the daily variations of the tides and the extent of the Moon's influence. It states that it was during the Bubonic plague years that he developed most of his basic mathematical ideas but remained secretive and failed to publicise them. It investigates how derived ideas such as the laws of motion and gravity. It also talks about his construction of the first reflecting telescope. This chapter also discusses how Newton gained recognition from his fellow researchers and how he tried to make more achievements, the Principia and the Opticks. It tells of some of the social acquaintances that Newton has made throughout his life as a scientist.
I.S. GLASS
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199550258
- eISBN:
- 9780191718700
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199550258.003.0004
- Subject:
- Physics, History of Physics
This chapter begins by giving a brief description about William Herschel's family and his private life. It explains that despite their poverty, the Herschels were very conscious of the value of good ...
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This chapter begins by giving a brief description about William Herschel's family and his private life. It explains that despite their poverty, the Herschels were very conscious of the value of good education. It describes Herschel as a determined boy who was willing to do any kind of work just to earn money. It narrates William's love for building telescopes; this made him a famous astronomer and was his fuel for building his own telescope-making business. It adds that his approach to astronomy was something quite new and how his approach led to his discovery of the planet Uranus. It also tells of how was able to receive a state income from King George III so that he would no longer have to spend most of his time earning money as a musician. It discusses William's other discoveries and investigates the life of William's son, John Frederick.Less
This chapter begins by giving a brief description about William Herschel's family and his private life. It explains that despite their poverty, the Herschels were very conscious of the value of good education. It describes Herschel as a determined boy who was willing to do any kind of work just to earn money. It narrates William's love for building telescopes; this made him a famous astronomer and was his fuel for building his own telescope-making business. It adds that his approach to astronomy was something quite new and how his approach led to his discovery of the planet Uranus. It also tells of how was able to receive a state income from King George III so that he would no longer have to spend most of his time earning money as a musician. It discusses William's other discoveries and investigates the life of William's son, John Frederick.
