Bøger af Mark Wolverton

"Splinters of Infinity is set in a paradigm-shattering era of physics and science, as a series of rapid-fire discoveries and new ideas completely upend humanity's conception of the universe. Among these revolutions, America's two foremost physicists, Robert Millikan and Arthur Compton, find themselves locked in an intense, often deeply personal, conflict about cosmic rays, one of the era's most fascinating and puzzling discoveries: cosmic rays seemed to promise a path into the deepest heart of science, a chance to answer questions that might just explain everything -- or reveal the mind of God"--

A primer on nuclear weapons, from the science of fission and fusion to the pursuit of mutually assured destruction, the SALT treaties, and the Bomb in pop culture.Although the world's attention has shifted to drone-controlled bombing and cyberwarfare, the threat of nuclear war still exists. There are now 14,000 nuclear weapons in the hands of the nine declared nuclear powers. Even though the world survived the Cold War, we need to understand what it means to live with nuclear weapons. In this volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Mark Wolverton offers a primer on nuclear weapons, from the science of fission and fusion to the pursuit of mutually assured destruction, the SALT and START agreements, and the Bomb in pop culture. Wolverton explains the basic scientific facts, offers historical perspective, and provides a nuanced view of the the unique political, social, and moral dilemmas posed by nuclear weapons. He describes the birth of the Bomb in 1945 and its use against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; explains how a nuclear bomb works; recounts episodes when the world came close to waging nuclear war, including the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962; discusses nuclear policy and nuclear treaties; and traces the influence of such films as On the Beach, Dr. Strangelove, and The Day After.