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’.
Sarbani Basu and William J. Chaplin
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691162928
- eISBN:
- 9781400888207
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691162928.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Particle Physics / Astrophysics / Cosmology
Studies of stars and stellar populations, and the discovery and characterization of exoplanets, are being revolutionized by new satellite and telescope observations of unprecedented quality and ...
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Studies of stars and stellar populations, and the discovery and characterization of exoplanets, are being revolutionized by new satellite and telescope observations of unprecedented quality and scope. Some of the most significant advances have been in the field of asteroseismology, the study of stars by observation of their oscillations. This book gives a comprehensive technical introduction to this discipline. It not only helps students and researchers learn about asteroseismology; it also serves as an essential instruction manual for those entering the field. The book presents readers with the foundational techniques used in the analysis and interpretation of asteroseismic data on cool stars that show solar-like oscillations. The techniques have been refined, and in some cases developed, to analyze asteroseismic data collected by the NASA Kepler mission. Topics range from the analysis of time-series observations to extract seismic data for stars to the use of those data to determine global and internal properties of the stars. Reading lists and problem sets are provided, and data necessary for the problem sets are available online.Less
Studies of stars and stellar populations, and the discovery and characterization of exoplanets, are being revolutionized by new satellite and telescope observations of unprecedented quality and scope. Some of the most significant advances have been in the field of asteroseismology, the study of stars by observation of their oscillations. This book gives a comprehensive technical introduction to this discipline. It not only helps students and researchers learn about asteroseismology; it also serves as an essential instruction manual for those entering the field. The book presents readers with the foundational techniques used in the analysis and interpretation of asteroseismic data on cool stars that show solar-like oscillations. The techniques have been refined, and in some cases developed, to analyze asteroseismic data collected by the NASA Kepler mission. Topics range from the analysis of time-series observations to extract seismic data for stars to the use of those data to determine global and internal properties of the stars. Reading lists and problem sets are provided, and data necessary for the problem sets are available online.
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).
Howard Marchitello
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199608058
- eISBN:
- 9780191729492
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199608058.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, 16th-century and Renaissance Literature, Shakespeare Studies
This chapter discusses one of the great revolutions in early modern cosmology: the discovery of blemishes on the sun. In his Letters on Sunspots, Galileo understood these spots to constitute ...
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This chapter discusses one of the great revolutions in early modern cosmology: the discovery of blemishes on the sun. In his Letters on Sunspots, Galileo understood these spots to constitute definitive proof against the Aristotelian belief in a perfect universe. The detection of sunspots was enabled by Galileo's adaptation of the terrestrial telescope to celestial observation. But within this set of technical practices, sunspots are made “real” only by the very technology that enabled observation in the first place. Sunspots were “invented” by the telescope and the technologies of representation deployed in order to make them manifest both to the observer and—through print—to his readers. Galileo's sunspots trouble the conventional understanding of the relation between vision and belief. Rather than serving as an instance of sight conferring belief, these sunspots demonstrate the ways in which belief is first required in order that there can be a confirming vision.Less
This chapter discusses one of the great revolutions in early modern cosmology: the discovery of blemishes on the sun. In his Letters on Sunspots, Galileo understood these spots to constitute definitive proof against the Aristotelian belief in a perfect universe. The detection of sunspots was enabled by Galileo's adaptation of the terrestrial telescope to celestial observation. But within this set of technical practices, sunspots are made “real” only by the very technology that enabled observation in the first place. Sunspots were “invented” by the telescope and the technologies of representation deployed in order to make them manifest both to the observer and—through print—to his readers. Galileo's sunspots trouble the conventional understanding of the relation between vision and belief. Rather than serving as an instance of sight conferring belief, these sunspots demonstrate the ways in which belief is first required in order that there can be a confirming vision.
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.
