Pioneers of Radar


Book Description

In 1935 a simple demonstration in the Midlands of the reflection of radio waves from an overflying aircraft led to the development of a war-winning device - radar. This volume tells the story of a team of mainly young scientists and engineers who played a vital part in enabling Britain to outwit the onslaught of the Nazi bombers during World War II. It reveals how they fought the radar war-within-a-war, providing solutions to each new threat posed by the enemy.




Technical and Military Imperatives


Book Description

Technical and Military Imperatives: A Radar History of World War II is a coherent account of the history of radar in the second World War. Although many books have been written on the early days of radar and its role in the war, this book is by far the most comprehensive, covering ground, air, and sea operations in all theatres of World War II. The author manages to synthesize a vast amount of material in a highly readable, informative, and enjoyable way. Of special interest is extensive new material about the development and use of radar by Germany, Japan, Russia, and Great British. The story is told without undue technical complexity, so that the book is accessible to specialists and nonspecialists alike.




The Invention that Changed the World


Book Description

In 1940 a team of British Scientists arrived in Washington, bearing Britain s most closely guarded technological secrets, including the cavity magnetron, a revolutionary new source of microwave energy. Its arrival triggered the most dramatic mobilisation of science in history, as America s to scientists enlisted to convert the invention into a potent military weapon. Microwave radars eventually helped destroy Japanese warships, Nazi buzz bombs and enabled Allied bombers to see e through cloud cover After the war the work of radar veterans continues to affect our lives by controlling air traffic, helping to forecast the weather and providing physicians with powerful diagnostic tools. Brimming with telling anecdotes and surprising revelations, this book brings to life the exciting, largely untold story of the scientist who not only created a winning weapon but also changed our world for ever.




Radar Origins Worldwide


Book Description




Under the Radar


Book Description

It is rare for a complete biography of an Australian scientist, particularly of an Australian woman scientist, to be published. It is rarer for such a book to be co-authored by an American. Although scientists have written discourses on the history of their discipline, it is most unusual for a scientist to write a full length biography of a colleague in his ?eld. It is also uncommon for a man to write about an Australian woman scientist; most of the work on Australian women scientists has been done by other women. However, these authors, both distinguished researchers in the ?eld of radio astr- omy, became so interested in the history of their discipline and in the career of the pioneer radio astronomer Ruby Payne-Scott that they spent some years bringing this book to fruition. Until relatively recently, Ruby Payne-Scott had been the only woman scientist mentioned brie?y in histories of Australian science or of Australian radio astronomy. This book will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in these disciplines. Being scientists themselves, the authors explain Payne-Scott’s scienti?c work in detail; therefore, the value and importance of her contributions can, for the ?rst time, be recognised, not only by historians but also by scientists.




To See the Unseen


Book Description

A comprehensive & illuminating history of this little-understood, but surprisingly significant scientific activity. Quite rigorous & systematic in its methodology, the book explores the development of the radar astronomy specialty in the larger community of scientists. More than just discussing the development of this field, however, the author uses planetary radar astronomy as a vehicle for understanding larger issues relative to the planning & execution of "big science" by the Fed. government. Sources, interviews, technical essay, abbreviations, & index.




Instruments of Darkness


Book Description

Previous ed.: London: Macdonald & Jane's, 1977.




Pioneers, Hidden Champions, Changemakers, and Underdogs


Book Description

An insider's view of China's under-the-radar, globally competitive innovators. Chinese innovators are making their mark globally. Not only do such giants as Alibaba and Huawei continue to thrive and grow through innovation, thousands of younger Chinese entrepreneurs are poised to enter the global marketplace. In this book, Mark Greeven, George Yip, and Wei Wei offer an insider's view of China's under-the-radar, globally competitive innovators. The authors, all experts on Chinese innovation, distinguish four types of innovators in China: pioneers, large companies that are globally known; hidden champions, midsize enterprises that are market leaders in their niches; underdogs, technology-driven ventures with significant intellectual property; and changemakers, newer firms characterized by digital disruption, exponential growth, and cross-industry innovations. They investigate what kinds of innovations these companies develop (product, process, or business model), their competitive strategies, and key drivers of innovation. They identify six typical ways Chinese entrepreneurs innovate, including swarm innovation (collectively pursuing opportunities) and rapid centralized decision making. Finally, they look at how Chinese innovators are going global, whether building R&D networks internationally or exporting disruptive business models. The book includes many examples of Chinese innovators and innovations, drawn from a range of companies—from pioneers to changemakers—including Alibaba, Haier, Hikvision, Malong Technology, Weihua Solar, Mobike, and Cheetah Mobile. Greeven, Yip, and Wei offer an essential guide to what makes China a heavyweight competitor in the global marketplace.




Systems, Experts, and Computers


Book Description

This groundbreaking book charts the origins and spread of the systems movement. After World War II, a systems approach to solving complex problems and managing complex systems came into vogue among engineers, scientists, and managers, fostered in part by the diffusion of digital computing power. Enthusiasm for the approach peaked during the Johnson administration, when it was applied to everything from military command and control systems to poverty in American cities. Although its failure in the social sphere, coupled with increasing skepticism about the role of technology and "experts" in American society, led to a retrenchment, systems methods are still part of modern managerial practice. This groundbreaking book charts the origins and spread of the systems movement. It describes the major players including RAND, MITRE, Ramo-Wooldrige (later TRW), and the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis—and examines applications in a wide variety of military, government, civil, and engineering settings. The book is international in scope, describing the spread of systems thinking in France and Sweden. The story it tells helps to explain engineering thought and managerial practice during the last sixty years.




History of Wireless


Book Description

Important new insights into how various components and systems evolved Premised on the idea that one cannot know a science without knowing its history, History of Wireless offers a lively new treatment that introduces previously unacknowledged pioneers and developments, setting a new standard for understanding the evolution of this important technology. Starting with the background-magnetism, electricity, light, and Maxwell's Electromagnetic Theory-this book offers new insights into the initial theory and experimental exploration of wireless. In addition to the well-known contributions of Maxwell, Hertz, and Marconi, it examines work done by Heaviside, Tesla, and passionate amateurs such as the Kentucky melon farmer Nathan Stubblefield and the unsung hero Antonio Meucci. Looking at the story from mathematical, physics, technical, and other perspectives, the clearly written text describes the development of wireless within a vivid scientific milieu. History of Wireless also goes into other key areas, including: The work of J. C. Bose and J. A. Fleming German, Japanese, and Soviet contributions to physics and applications of electromagnetic oscillations and waves Wireless telegraphic and telephonic development and attempts to achieve transatlantic wireless communications Wireless telegraphy in South Africa in the early twentieth century Antenna development in Japan: past and present Soviet quasi-optics at near-mm and sub-mm wavelengths The evolution of electromagnetic waveguides The history of phased array antennas Augmenting the typical, Marconi-centered approach, History of Wireless fills in the conventionally accepted story with attention to more specific, less-known discoveries and individuals, and challenges traditional assumptions about the origins and growth of wireless. This allows for a more comprehensive understanding of how various components and systems evolved. Written in a clear tone with a broad scientific audience in mind, this exciting and thorough treatment is sure to become a classic in the field.