Book Description

Zoosh and others blast the cover off past events and hidden forces at work on this planet and reveal opportunities for immense growth and power.This is a pivotal time as the secrets and mysteries that have so long bewildered humanity are at last illuminated by the light of truth.
* Revelations about Area 51 by a rocket scientist
* A 75-year-long Zeta restructuring of the past
* Cloning: the new ethics forum
* Recent UFO activity in the skies
* The first humans and the original dark side, our shadow
* Angels: guides in training (30% of humans are angels)
* Using manifestation powers to avert man-made disasters
* The angel of Rowsell
* Symbiotic spacecraft engines and faster-than-light travel
* The true purpose of the Mayans
* The SSG downs military planes
* The SSG realizes they need customers, not slaves
* Grid lines rising above the planet
* Homework for changing your past ... Read more

Book Description

Electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, molecular spectroscopy, optics and radiation form the foundations of the field. On top of these rest the techniques applying the fundamentals (e.g. Emission Spectroscopy, Laser Induced Fluorescence, Raman Spectroscopy). This book contains the basic topics associated with optical spectroscopic techniques. About 40 major sources are distilled into one book, so researchers can read and fully comprehend specific optical spectroscopy techniques without visiting many sources.

Optical diagnostics are widely used in combustion research. Ideas first proposed here are now applied in other fields, including reacting flows for materials production (CVD reactors, oxidation reactors and some plasma work), atmospheric sensing, measuring constituents of exhaled human breath (to indicate stress in airway passages and the lungs and hence,e.g., provide a very early indicator of lung cancer).

Researchers not formally trained who apply spectroscopy in their research need the detail in this book to ensure accuracy of their technique or to develop more sophisticated measurements.
Time is valuable and future research will benefit. Learning "on the fly" can involve direct information on a specific diagnostic technique rather than gaining the background necessary to go into further depth. ... Read more

Book Description

A remarkable exploration of how shadows have forever fascinated us: their extraordinary hold on our fears and imagination; their importance to astronomers, scientists, philosophers, and artists; their influence on myth and religious beliefs.
What’s stranger than a shadow? Shadows are messengers from the world of darkness, images that we can’t shake off, black spots that have troubled our sleep through the ages. And yet shadows have been the key to unlocking some of our toughest scientific problems: the reason for eclipses, the distances between planets, the shape and size of the earth, the structure of the solar system, the nature of time itself. In this unique study—combining history, science, and anthropology—Roberto Casati discusses the famous and the obscure who, armed with imagination and creativity, struggled with the concept of shadow and provided us with explanations of and uses for our constant companion. Among those who were part of this “shadow club” were Eratosthenes and Galileo, ancient Arab astrono-mers and modern mathematicians, classical Greek painters and Leonardo da Vinci. And now, the name Casati—who has given us the first book devoted to the subject—can be added.


Roberto Casati was born in Milan in 1961. A research director at the Centre National de la Réchérche Scientifique, he lives in Paris and works at the Institut Nicod, a laboratory of the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and of the École Normales. He studies the cognition of strange things—images, colors, sounds, places, holes—and shadows. With Achille Varzi he is the author of Holes and Other Superficialities and Parts and Places. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Everything about shadows, but what is the target audience?
The target audience for this book is unclear to me. There is something of interest here for psychologists, artists, art historians, science historians, classical historians and perhaps others. As a professional scientist, I mainly enjoyed the few sections dealing with the history of astronomy. Although the writing is generally clear, the style could be more engaging. Is this because the original Italian text was like that, or did it lose its spark while being translated into English (?) I suspect that the latter is more likely. Anyway, because the book contains such a hodge-podge of information, all centering around shadows, at least parts of it should be of interest to almost anyone; I'm giving it as much as four stars mainly because of this.

An intriguing blend of history, science and anthropology
Roberto Casati's Shadow Club about shadows goes far beyond their usual definitions to probe shadow's legends, influence on myth and religious beliefs, and changing scientific concepts of the shadow both on Earth and in space. Shadow Club is very highly recommended as an intriguing blend of history, science and anthropology which presents unusual insights into shadows and their lasting impact on mankind. ... Read more

Book Description

Understanding the polarization of light is becoming increasingly important in the study of laser physics, nonlinear optics, and optical waveguides. This book covers the basics of polarized light representation, the propagation of light through anisotropic media, the mathematical formalism used, and induced anisotropy, devices which use induced or natural anisotropy and polarization phenomena in guided optics. Discusses both fundamentals and applications in a range of practical devices. Gives a global view of the state of polarization representation. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

review from wiley
Polarization of Light Serge Huard École Nationale Supérieure de Physique de Marseille, France The study, and understanding, of the polarization of light is becoming increasingly important in a number of disciplines in the optical sciences. A sound knowledge of the subject is needed, for example, in the study of laser physics, nonlinear optics, and optical waveguides. Polarization of Light, aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as researchers active in the optical sciences, introduces the reader to the basics of polarized light representation. It discusses the propagation of light through anisotropic media, the mathematical formalism used and included anisotropy, and concludes with chapters discussing practical components and devices, and polarization phenomena in guided optics. Polarization of Light will be extremely useful both as a detailed introduction to the subject for students of optical physics, and also as a reference source for students and more advanced researchers in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Introduction to Geometrical Optics is an in-depth treatment of paraxial optics. Only a knowledge of plane geometry, trigonometry and algebra is required. The single surface serves as the basis for understanding refraction and reflection and leads to the object/image properties of thin and thick lenses. Considerable care is taken to master the sign convention needed for solving problems. The remaining 40% of the book covers stops, numerical aperture, resolution, optical instruments trigonometric calculations and aberrations. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A tour de force on optics.
This is a must read for professors of optics, and all students interested in the science of optometry. The diagrams are extremely helpful, as is the comprehensive glossary at the end of the text. It is a valuable book, for beginners and optics professionals alike. ... Read more

Book Description

This thorough and up-to-date treatment first introduces the general formalism of scattering, absorption, and emission of light and other electromagnetic radiation by arbitrarily shaped and arbitrarily oriented particles. It then discusses the relation of the radiative transfer theory to single-scattering solutions of Maxwell's equations and describes in detail exact theoretical methods and computer codes for calculating scattering, absorption, and emission properties of arbitrarily shaped particles. Further chapters demonstrate how scattering and absorption characteristics of small particles depend on particle size, refractive index, shape, and orientation. The work illustrates how the high efficiency and accuracy of existing theoretical and experimental techniques, and the availability of fast scientific workstations, result in advanced physically-based applications of electromagnetic scattering to non-invasive particle characterization and remote sensing.This book will be valuable for science professionals, engineers and graduate students in a wide range of disciplines including optics, electromagnetics, remote sensing, climate research, and biomedicine. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Cats *can* be the best teachers
This whimsical look at a usually dead-serious subject (solar energy, not cats) allows the information to sneak in under the "I can't learn that" radar. Cat lovers will especially enjoy the book, but non-cat lovers can also appreciate its charming approach to the subject. My four cats give it sixteen paws up. I give it two thumbs!

Are People as Energy Savy as Cats?
Jim Augustyne takes the Suessian approach to showing the reader our myopia when it comes to the nature of renewable energy, politics, and economics. Solar Energy is nature's way and cats are fundamentally in tune with nature. Even though Augustyne does not use rhyme to make his point, the reason is shown through the fun-house mirror of technologically advanced felines, and their 'natural' instincts and behaviour, optimized for solar utilization. Augustyne has developed an alternate universe of whimsy and pointy satire where kitties rule and our human foibles and blindness to the advantages of solar renewables are entertainingly exposed. The text and drawings unerringly capture feline personality and 'technical' accumen. A real entertainment bargain with a sideways squint at education. For real kids and kids at heart, like engineers, teachers, businessmen, homeowners, and politicians, of all ages.

Fun in the Sun
One of the cleverest, funniest and most informative pieces of science writing to come along in years. Augustyn is equal parts Woody Allen and Stephen Hawking. But make no mistake: "The Return of the Solar Cat Book" is not only a rollicking good read and a visual delight, but an important contribution to the current debate over the nation's energy future. "It's the sun, stupid!" Augustyn is saying. "And here's why -- and how." Should be required reading for Presidents Bush and Putin, Energy Secy. Abraham and Ken Lay. Augustyn is way over the top. I wish I'd thought of "meowium" first.

Teacher Sets Solar Cats Loose in Classroom
I teach Middle School students all about the world in our tiny self-contained rural school. The topic of solar energy comes up in our physics curriculum; political aberrations are often discussed in our current events class; and, needless to say,we often share pet stories, especially reports on kitty capers.
I loved The Return of the Solar Cat Book immediately, and I realized my students were ready to appreciate it too. I took a chance and shared it with my students.It was a great decision. They adore the drawings, the author's wry wit, and the way the
book makes difficult science concepts very accessible.Now we learn and giggle together. I love it. Thank you, Jim Augustyn ... Read more

Book Description

An illustrated tour of the rainbow's place in science, mythology, and art.

"A learned and gracefully written book which surveys every important aspect of the rainbow, including its role in myth, religion, and art. This eye-opening volume reveals the considerable physical and cultural significance of a remarkable natural masterpiece."—Bruce Cole, Department of the History of Art, Indiana University

"The Rainbow Bridge is a celebration of rainbows as bridges that span between cultures—the liberal arts and the sciences, the past and the present, the living and the dead, the sacred and the profane, the academic and the commercial. It succeeds brilliantly in developing and sustaining this theme by drawing on a great number of original sources. It will be an indispensable resource for scientists interested in art, and for artists interested in science—a bridge indeed." —George Siscoe, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, UCLA, Retired

Venerated as god and goddess, feared as demon and pestilence, trusted as battle omen, and used as a proving ground for optical theories, the rainbow's image is woven into the fabric of our past and present. From antiquity to the nineteenth century, the rainbow has played a vital role in both inspiring and testing new ideas about the physical world. Although scientists today understand the rainbow's underlying optics fairly well, its subtle variability in nature has yet to be fully explained.

Throughout history the rainbow has been seen primarily as a symbol—of peace, covenant, or divine sanction—rather than as a natural phenomenon. Lee and Fraser discuss the role the rainbow has played in societies throughout the ages, contrasting its guises as a sign of optimism, bearer of Greek gods' messages of war and retribution, and a symbol of the Judeo-Christian bridge to the divine.

The authors traverse the bridges between the rainbow's various roles as they explore its scientific, artistic, and folkloric visions. This unique book, exploring the rainbow from the perspectives of atmospheric optics, art history, color theory, and mythology, will inspire readers to gaze at the rainbow anew. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Do you like rainbows?
This book offers a comprehensive survey of rainbows, through an intriguing combination of mythology, art, science and history of science. Rainbows are relatively common elements of paintings and of modern-day advertising, but even great artists can make elementary mistakes in depicting rainbows. The lavish illustrations include reproductions of works of art, colour photographs of rainbows (some of which are stunning) and many diagrams. The authors provide lucid explanations of the science of rainbows without demanding significant mathematical ability on the part of the reader. If you enjoyed reading Carl Boyer's historical perspectives in his book "The Rainbow - from myth to mathematics", you will certainly enjoy this book. If you have more than a passing interest in rainbows, this is a "must buy" book! ... Read more

Book Description

Photochromism is simply defined as the light induced reversible change of colour. The field has developed rapidly during the past decade as a result of attempts to improve the established materials and to discover new devices for applications.

As photochromism bridges molecular, supramolecular and solid state chemistry, as well as organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, such a treatment requires a multidisciplinary approach and a broad presentation.The first edition (1990) provided an enormous amount of new concepts and data, such as the presentation of main families based on the pericyclic reaction mechanism, the review of new families, some bimolecular photocycloadditions and some promising systems.

This new edition provides an efficient entry into this flourishing field, with the core content retained from the original work to provide a basic introduction into the different subjects.

*Second edition of a work first published in 1990, now revised due to constant development of research.

*Including updated lists of references (1989-2001), offering immediate access to recent developments.

*Providing great basic interest and high application potential bringing scientists together from chemistry, physics and engineering. ... Read more

Book Description

The term non-classical states refers to the quantum states which cannot be produced in the 'usual' sources of light, such as lasers or lamps, rather than those requiring more sophisticated apparatus for their production. This book describes the current status of the theory of non-classical states of light including many new and important results as well as introductory material and the history of the subject. This volume contains all of the necessary formulas and references required to gain a good understanding of the principles and current status of the field. It will provide a valuable information resource for advanced students and researchers in quantum physics. ... Read more

Book Description

"How large are the differences between the two samples to be matched?" "Can I use the measurement technique to help reproduce the color of a sample?" These two questions can be critical to the successful completion of a sale or the budgeting of a product, run, but they are not always easily answered. Some color measurement software systems give the appearance of greater accuracy than they can actually deliver. Practical Color Measurement tells you everything you need to know about the principles and limitations of computerized color measuring systems. Mathematics and optical theory are kept to a minimum, replaced by numerous real-life examples based on normal production samples, detailed tables, and the practical knowledge gained by Anni Berger-Schunn through many years of professional experience and research. You will learn how to:

• Apply critical analysis to the numbers supplied by color measurement systems
• Determine just how large the difference between two samples is Use the measuring technique to help reproduce the color of a sample And more

Book Description

There is hardly a field of science or engineering that does not have some interest in light scattering by small particles. For example, this subject is important to climatology because the energy budget for the Earth's atmosphere is strongly affected by scattering of solar radiation by cloud and aerosol particles, and the whole discipline of remote sensing relies largely on analyzing the parameters of radiation scattered by aerosols, clouds, and precipitation. The scattering of light by spherical particles can be easily computed using the conventional Mie theory. However, most small solid particles encountered in natural and laboratory conditions have nonspherical shapes. Examples are soot and mineral aerosols, cirrus cloud particles, snow and frost crystals, ocean hydrosols, interplanetary and cometary dust grains, and microorganisms. It is now well known that scattering properties of nonspherical particles can differ dramatically from those of "equivalent" (e.g., equal-volume or equal-surface-area) spheres. Therefore, the ability to accurately compute or measure light scattering by nonspherical particles in order to clearly understand the effects of particle nonsphericity on light scattering is very important.
The rapid improvement of computers and experimental techniques over the past 20 years and the development of efficient numerical approaches have resulted in major advances in this field which have not been systematically summarized. Because of the universal importance of electromagnetic scattering by nonspherical particles, papers on different aspects of this subject are scattered over dozens of diverse research and engineering journals. Often experts in one discipline (e.g., biology) are unaware of potentially useful results obtained in another discipline (e.g., antennas and propagation). This leads to an inefficient use of the accumulated knowledge and unnecessary redundancy in research activities.
This book offers the first systematic and unified discussion of light scattering by nonspherical particles and its practical applications and represents the state-of-the-art of this important
research field. Individual chapters are written by leading experts in respective areas and cover three major disciplines: theoretical and numerical techniques, laboratory measurements, and practical applications. An overview chapter provides a concise general introduction to the subject of nonspherical scattering and should be especially useful to beginners and those interested in fast practical applications. The audience for this book will include graduate students, scientists, and engineers working on specific aspects of electromagnetic scattering by small particles and its applications in remote sensing, geophysics, astrophysics, biomedical optics, and optical engineering.

* The first systematic and comprehensive treatment of electromagnetic scattering by nonspherical particles and its applications
* Individual chapters are written by leading experts in respective areas
* Includes a survey of all the relevant literature scattered over dozens of basic and applied research journals
* Consistent use of unified definitions and notation makes the book a coherent volume
* An overview chapter provides a concise general introduction to the subject of light scattering by nonspherical particles
* Theoretical chapters describe specific easy-to-use computer codes publicly available on the World Wide Web
* Extensively illustrated with over 200 figures, 4 in color ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and Unified volume
This is THE first systematic volume on light scattering by nonspherical particles and their practical applications. The historical foreword by van de Hulst, a legend in this area, was appreciated.

Its is up-to-date and very practical -- especially like the applications to geophysics, remote sensing, and planetary and space physics. ... Read more

Book Description

Although first witnessed in the 1930s, sonoluminescence has recently created a stir in the physics community. The mystery of how a low-energy-density sound wave can concentrate enough energy in a small enough volume to cause the emission of light is still unsolved. The first sourcebook on single bubble luminescence, Sonoluminescene is a comprehensive account of the subject from its discovery in 1934 to the present day. The author discusses the multiple theories that have been put forward to explain sonoluminescence, the uses of sonoluminescence, suggestions for future work, and experimental aspects of the topic. Applications include fluid physics, acoustics, pipelines, ultrasonics, and sonochemistry. ... Read more

Book Description

Hardbound. The aim of this book is to assemble a series of chapters, written by experts in their fields, covering the basics of color - and then some more. In this way, readers are supplied with almost anything they want to know about color outside their own area of expertise. Thus, the color measurement expert, as well as the general reader, can find here information on the perception, causes, and uses of color. For the artist there are details on the causes, measurement, perception, and reproduction of color. Within each chapter, authors were requested to indicate directions of future efforts, where applicable.

One might reasonably expect that all would have been learned about color in the more than three hundred years since Newton established the fundamentals of color science. This is not true because:

• the measurement of color still has unresolved complexities (Chapter 2)

• many of the fine details of color vision remain unknown (Cha ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Definitive Book on Color
I conduct research using color as a variable and have had a very difficult time finding accurate sources of information. This book is not only the most accurate book I've seen on color, it is the ONLY accurate book I've seen. It takes you through the basics of defining color as well as the science behind color. ... Read more

Book Description

From the concepts of classical optics, the author summaries the properties of modern laser sources in detail. Several examples from the scope of current research are provided to emphazise the relevance of optics in current developments within science and technology. The text has been written for newcomers to the topic and benefits from the author's ability to explain difficult sequences and effects in a straightforward and readily comprehensible way. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Interesting if somewhat lightweight
I picked this one up at the science writing seminar a couple of months ago. It is an attempt to cover an elusive but scientific topic, light, in all its concepts and permutations. He goes from classical notions of light (the Greeks thought invisible rays from our eyes made things visible) to the modern, quantum theory of light. He covers the creation of light, from torches and candles to gas lights to electric to lasers. He touches briefly on why things have colors (too brief for my taste, actually - I would have liked to learn more). He shows how light has been depicted in art, with examples from sources as diverse as Edward Hopper, Vincent van Gogh, and M. C. Escher. It makes for an interesting if somewhat lightweight overview - well worth reading and well-written.

Combining Physics,Light, Art and Advanced Technology
Dr. Sidney Perkowitz covers, in a very personal way, his own experiences about light, art and almost every bit of knowledge about the universe, in "The Empire of Light". The art collection samples chosen by Perkowitz, enlighten our lives and give us a more powerful perspective on viewing art henceforth. This physics volume compares favorably with a thrilling science fiction story, except that this is all for real, as far as scientists can tell at this point in time. This reading was a fum romp through today's world of physics.

Great Book!
Empire of Light : A History of Discovery in Science and Art, is very understandable but at the same time deeply informative and interesting. Extremely well researched and packed with loads of info. I learned something new on every page.

THIS BOOK IS A WONDERFUL LITTLE RAY OF LIGHT
Sidney Perkowitz has blended the arts and the sciences in a wonderful little book. His explanations on the current state of knowledge about the nature of light are extremely simple .. for a very difficult and still not understood subject. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the wonderful world of the photon (or is it wave ?) , and how we perceive it ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Unweave a Rainbow, So That We May Know the Strands
Hazel Rossotti has learnt, in the course of her research for writing this book, that "almost everyone has some interest in some aspect of color". Her personal background in science was forged in the halls of Saint Anne's College, of Oxford University and she derives a great deal of inspiration from students at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art.

"Colour" begins in Part One, Light and Dark, with a brief description of the phenomena of light and it's manifestation as both particle and wave. In Part Two, she introduces the idea of steady colours, shimmering colours, 'special effects' and light sources.

Part Three details how colours occur in, and are shaped by attributes of the natural world. It discusses the visual qualities of such commonly known objects as earth, air, fire, water, vegetable colours and the colours of animals. Part Four describes how light and colour become sensible by the eye and are interpreted by the brain.

Part Five gives us some sense of the practical application of colour science in the area of colour reproduction. It also describes the generation of colour through paints, dyes, tinted glasses and glazes. Part Six discusses a few of the common uses of colour throughout industry. It also touches on the use of colour in the arts and discusses aspects of the popular language of colour among laymen.

At 229 pages, "Colour" serves as a brief introduction to why common objects have the colour qualities that they have, both in nature and also in the practical life of the average person. Since accessible, yet thorough, books on this subject are rare, Ms. Rossotti's "Colour" deserves a very high recommendation. A High School level background in Chemistry and Physics is suggested as a prerequisite.

The world of color phenomena in a little book
I discovered the first edition of this book as an undergraduate, and 10 years later I still possess the eight pages I photocopied. The writing is simple, and detailed enough to please a scientist. The line drawings are illustrate without clutter. The book is not light-weight reading, but skimps on the math so artists can read it w/o distraction. ... Read more

Book Description

Like all classical Greek texts on science, Euclid's works on optics initially came to the West mainly through medieval Arabic texts and commentaries. While several Greek versions of the Optika were discovered and translated as early as the sixteenth century, sorting out what may have been Euclid's original has not been easy. This book presents a critical translation of an Arabic texts and of Arabic commentaries on the text, and places the whole in a historical context. The Optics is particularly interesting in that Euclid's text was considerably transformed in the process of translation into Arabic "equivalents"; in addition, several of the Arabic editions of Euclid's text (c. 300 BC) contained liberal admixtures of a much later book by Ptolemy (c. 200 AD) of the same title. What was referred to as "Euclid's Optics," the "Kitab Uqlidis fi Ikhtilaf al-manazir," thus became as much an exposition of an Arabic version of a visual theory as a translation of Euclid's ideas on the subject. In preparing this edition, Dr. Kheirandish has thus not only sorted out the various manuscript versions of Al-Manazir, but also related and unrelated texts that were often confused with it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An early work of mathematical physics
This arabic translation (translated into English, of course) lacks the easily accesible style of "The Elements", and the book is much smaller. The method is much the same as in "The Elements"-logical steps to solve optical problems, in a basically geometrical manner.
All propositions (as in "Elements") are still true (the laws of optics have not changed), and therefore this is a worthwhile science text even now. There are of course other branches of optical study not even touched on here (such as how the eye works), and even the "line of vision" based problems presented here can be extended. Nevertheless, this is a masterpiece, because (A) it's good science, and (B) it involves the reader in such a way as to make him truly understand. This, like all Euclidean books I am aware of, is a puzzle book. Take the time and solve the problems on your own: You'll learn more than optics, you'll learn organized logical thinking.
One other note: This book is supposedly older than "Elements", but some knowledge of geometry is really needed before tackling "Optics". A working knowledge of the "Elements", particularly Book One, should do the trick. ... Read more

Book Description

Color Analyzers draws students into a better understanding of why different objects appear to be different colors. Activities include involving students in using color filters to decipher secret messages, then creating their own messages. The front cover contains a secret message that can be used as part of class activities. ... Read more