LEADER 05245nam 2200769 450 001 9910812565903321 005 20211018122849.0 010 $a0-691-19637-0 010 $a1-4008-4836-9 024 7 $a10.1515/9781400848362 035 $a(CKB)2550000001179370 035 $a(EBL)1535180 035 $a(OCoLC)867049768 035 $a(SSID)ssj0001081541 035 $a(PQKBManifestationID)12491597 035 $a(PQKBTitleCode)TC0001081541 035 $a(PQKBWorkID)11079117 035 $a(PQKB)11498722 035 $a(MiAaPQ)EBC1535180 035 $a(DE-B1597)459794 035 $a(OCoLC)984686903 035 $a(DE-B1597)9781400848362 035 $a(Au-PeEL)EBL1535180 035 $a(CaPaEBR)ebr10823638 035 $a(CaONFJC)MIL559509 035 $z(PPN)199244642 035 $a(PPN)187962022 035 $a(EXLCZ)992550000001179370 100 $a20140118d2014 uy 0 101 0 $aeng 135 $aurunu---|u||u 181 $ctxt 182 $cc 183 $acr 200 10$aWizards, aliens, and starships $ephysics and math in fantasy and science fiction /$fCharles L. Adler 205 $aCourse Book 210 1$aPrinceton, New Jersey :$cPrinceton University Press,$d2014. 210 4$dİ2014 215 $a1 online resource (393 p.) 300 $aDescription based upon print version of record. 311 0 $a0-691-14715-9 311 0 $a1-306-28258-6 320 $aIncludes bibliographical references and index. 327 $tFront matter --$tCONTENTS --$tCHAPTER ONE. PLAYING THE GAME --$tI. POTTER PHYSICS --$tCHAPTER TWO. HARRY POTTER AND THE GREAT CONSERVATION LAWS --$tCHAPTER THREE. WHY HOGWARTS IS SO DARK --$tCHAPTER FOUR. FANTASTIC BEASTS AND HOW TO DISPROVE THEM --$tII. SPACE TRAVEL --$tCHAPTER FIVE. WHY COMPUTERS GET BETTER AND CARS CAN'T (MUCH) --$tCHAPTER SIX. VACATIONS IN SPACE --$tCHAPTER SEVEN. SPACE COLONIES --$tCHAPTER EIGHT. THE SPACE ELEVATOR --$tCHAPTER NINE. MANNED INTERPLANETARY TRAVEL --$tCHAPTER TEN. ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS --$tCHAPTER ELEVEN. SPECULATIVE PROPULSION SYSTEMS --$tCHAPTER TWELVE. INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL AND RELATIVITY --$tCHAPTER THIRTEEN FASTER-THAN-LIGHT TRAVEL AND TIME TRAVEL. --$tIII. WORLDS AND ALIENS --$tCHAPTER FOURTEEN. DESIGNING A HABITABLE PLANET --$tCHAPTER FIFTEEN. THE SCIENTIFIC SEARCH FOR SPOCK --$tCHAPTER SIXTEEN. THE MATHEMATICS OF TALKING WITH ALIENS --$tIV. YEAR GOOGOL --$tCHAPTER SEVENTEEN. THE SHORT-TERM SURVIVAL OF HUMANITY --$tCHAPTER EIGHTEEN. WORLD-BUILDING --$tCHAPTER NINETEEN. DYSON SPHERES AND RINGWORLDS --$tCHAPTER TWENTY. ADVANCED CIVILIZATIONS AND THE KARDASHEV SCALE --$tCHAPTER TWENTY-ONE. A GOOGOL YEARS --$tACKNOWLEDGMENTS --$tAPPENDIX: NEWTON'S THREE LAWS OF MOTION --$tBIBLIOGRAPHY --$tINDEX 330 $aFrom teleportation and space elevators to alien contact and interstellar travel, science fiction and fantasy writers have come up with some brilliant and innovative ideas. Yet how plausible are these ideas--for instance, could Mr. Weasley's flying car in the Harry Potter books really exist? Which concepts might actually happen, and which ones wouldn't work at all? Wizards, Aliens, and Starships delves into the most extraordinary details in science fiction and fantasy--such as time warps, shape changing, rocket launches, and illumination by floating candle--and shows readers the physics and math behind the phenomena. With simple mathematical models, and in most cases using no more than high school algebra, Charles Adler ranges across a plethora of remarkable imaginings, from the works of Ursula K. Le Guin to Star Trek and Avatar, to explore what might become reality. Adler explains why fantasy in the Harry Potter and Dresden Files novels cannot adhere strictly to scientific laws, and when magic might make scientific sense in the muggle world. He examines space travel and wonders why it isn't cheaper and more common today. Adler also discusses exoplanets and how the search for alien life has shifted from radio communications to space-based telescopes. He concludes by investigating the future survival of humanity and other intelligent races. Throughout, he cites an abundance of science fiction and fantasy authors, and includes concise descriptions of stories as well as an appendix on Newton's laws of motion. Wizards, Aliens, and Starships will speak to anyone wanting to know about the correct--and incorrect--science of science fiction and fantasy. 606 $aFantasy literature$xHistory and criticism 606 $aScience fiction$xHistory and criticism 606 $aPhysics in literature 606 $aMathematics in literature 606 $aPhysics$vMiscellanea 606 $aMathematics$vMiscellanea 615 0$aFantasy literature$xHistory and criticism. 615 0$aScience fiction$xHistory and criticism. 615 0$aPhysics in literature. 615 0$aMathematics in literature. 615 0$aPhysics 615 0$aMathematics 676 $a809.3/8762 686 $aHG 672$2rvk 700 $aAdler$b Charles L$01645220 801 0$bMiAaPQ 801 1$bMiAaPQ 801 2$bMiAaPQ 906 $aBOOK 912 $a9910812565903321 996 $aWizards, aliens, and starships$93991551 997 $aUNINA