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Wallace, Darwin, and the Origin of Species
by James T. CostaCharles Darwin is often credited with discovering evolution through natural selection, but the idea was not his alone. The naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, working independently, saw the same process at work in the natural world and elaborated much the same theory. Their important scientific contributions made both men famous in their lifetimes, but Wallace slipped into obscurity after his death, while Darwin's renown grew. Dispelling the misperceptions that continue to paint Wallace as a secondary figure, James Costa reveals the two naturalists as true equals in advancing one of the greatest scientific discoveries of all time. Analyzing Wallace's "Species Notebook," Costa shows how Wallace's methods and thought processes paralleled Darwin's, yet inspired insights uniquely his own. Kept during his Southeast Asian expeditions of the 1850s, the notebook is a window into Wallace's early evolutionary ideas. It records his evidence-gathering, critiques of anti-evolutionary arguments, and plans for a book on "transmutation. " Most important, it demonstrates conclusively that natural selection was not some idea Wallace stumbled upon, as is sometimes assumed, but was the culmination of a decade-long quest to solve the mystery of the origin of species. Wallace, Darwin, and the Origin of Species also reexamines the pivotal episode in 1858 when Wallace sent Darwin a manuscript announcing his discovery of natural selection, prompting a joint public reading of the two men's papers on the subject. Costa's analysis of the "Species Notebook" shines a new light on these readings, further illuminating the independent nature of Wallace's discoveries.
The Walls Have Eyes
by Clare B. DunkleMartin may have seen his sister, Cassie, to safety at the end of The Sky Inside, but his adventure is far from over. There's still a totalitarian regime in place, murderous game shows on the air, and a couple of government agents on Martin's tail. When Martin and his AllDog, Chip, go back to his old suburbs to check up on Mom, they get a lot more than they bargained for when they end up escaping with both parents. But the biggest surprise is yet to come--the heart of the government's central power is closer to Martin than he ever suspected.
The Walls of the Universe (John Rayburn Universe #1)
by Paul MelkoJohn Rayburn thought all of his problems were the mundane ones of an Ohio farm boy in his last year in high school. Then his doppelgänger appeared, tempted him with a device that let him travel across worlds, and stole his life from him. John soon finds himself caroming through universes, unable to return home—the device is broken. John settles in a new universe to unravel its secrets and fix it.Meanwhile, his doppelgänger tries to exploit the commercial technology he's stolen from other Earths: the Rubik's Cube! John's attempts to lie low in his new universe backfire when he inadvertently introduces pinball. It becomes a huge success. Both actions draw the notice of other, more dangerous travelers, who are exploiting worlds for ominous purposes. Fast-paced and exciting, this is SF adventure at its best from a rising star.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Wälzlagerdiagnose an Maschinensätzen: Diagnose und Überwachung von Wälzlagerfehlern und -schäden
by Dieter FrankeBei der Wälzlager-Zustandsbeurteilung gibt es einen breiten Anwenderkreis im sogenannten Level 1 (mittels der Kennwertüberwachung) in der Interpretation der einfachen Trendauswertung von breitbandigen und von schmalbandigen Kennwerten aus diversen Spektren. Nicht ausreichend ist häufig der fachliche Hintergrund der Ingenieure und Techniker, vor allem zur vorbeugenden Schwingungsdiagnose in der Fehlererkennung und der Schadensausmaßbewertung.Hier setzt die Buchreihe „Einführung in die Maschinendiagnose“ und dieser Band an. Vom physikalischen Hintergrund bis zur praktischen Anwendung werden Grundlagen und Erfahrungen leicht verständlich dargestellt und mit praktischen Beispielen anschaulich illustriert. Um eine Standard-Wälzlager-Diagnose zuverlässig ausführen, begleiten oder deren Befunde vermitteln zu können, werden der Hauptzielgruppe im Level 1 (Breitband- und Schmalband-Überwachung und Trendanalyse) und im Level 2 (Signalanalyse) auch praktische „Fehler- und Schadens-Muster“ und Abhilfen vermittelt. In der VDI 3832 wurden diese Inhalte bereits einführend für die Wälzlagerdiagnose beschrieben; der Autor trug als Obmann maßgeblich zur Entwicklung dieser Richtlinie bei. Die vertiefte, umfassende Diagnose von Wälzlagern von dem verursachenden Wälzlagerfehler, über den „Initialschaden bis zur Wurzelursache“ und die Behandlung von praktischen Fehlerquellen bis zu deren echten Vorbeugung werden in diesem Band behandelt.
Wälzlagergeräusche: Eigenschaften von Wälzlagergeräuschen, deren Messung und Analyse, Geometrie der Wälzlager und Eigenschaften des Wälzlagergeräuschs
by Thomas GrünerDas Buch beschreibt die Eigenschaften von Wälzlagergeräuschen. Die Zustände von Wälzlagern: fabrikneu, durch treue Dienste gealtert oder künstlich an einer Stelle eines Ringes geschädigt. Die Betriebsart: Innenring rotiert oder Außenring rotiert. Die messtechnischen Gesichtspunkte. Die gemessenen Eigenschaften der Erregung durch Wälzlager. Die gemessene Prägung durch das Schwingungssystem, in welches das Wälzlager eingebaut ist. Das analytische Modell zur Geräuscherregung im Wälzlager. Mit einer ganzen Reihe von Messungen werden die grundsätzlichen Eigenschaften von Wälzlagergeräuschen dargestellt. Dazu wird eine Anordnung benutzt, wie sie tausendfach in der Industrie eingesetzt wird: ein klassischer Elektromotor. Eine Besonderheit ist ein Kugellagerpaar, welches lange Jahre gelaufen aber noch intakt ist. Es weist eine sogenannte regellose Schädigung auf. Die messtechnischen Gesichtspunkte werden anhand vieler Messungen beschrieben. Das Buch ist eine zuverlässige Hilfe, wenn man sich in das Sachgebiet der Wälzlagergeräuschen einarbeiten will.
Wandering Spurs in MASH-Based Fractional-N Frequency Synthesizers: How They Arise and How to Get Rid of Them (Analog Circuits and Signal Processing)
by Dawei Mai Michael Peter KennedyFew people know what wandering spurs are; fewer still know how to get rid of them. This book, which is written by those who raised awareness of wandering spurs, explained how they arise, and invented ways to get rid of them, contains valuable insights, analytical techniques and examples that will enable the reader to become an expert in the area. The book is aimed at circuit design professionals who need to ensure that their designs are not compromised by wandering spurs. In addition to insights, theory, and analysis, it contains practical circuit solutions, the performance of which are characterized experimentally. This book explains—using simulation, analysis, and experimental measurements—what wandering spurs are, how they arise, how to characterize them and, most importantly, how to get rid of them. The authors present not only theoretical analysis and simulation strategies, but also provide an overview of spectral analysis techniques for studying the phenomenon and convincing experimental results from both commercially available and custom-designed monolithic synthesizers. Explains what wandering spurs are and how they differ qualitatively from the well-known fixed spurs that plague fractional-N frequency synthesizers;Provides analytical and simulation methods to study wandering spurs and original analysis of the cause of this recently reported spectral phenomenon;Presents and analyses theoretical designs based on a conventional MASH 1-1-1 to mitigate wandering spurs;Describes measured performance for the discussed designs, confirming their effectiveness in mitigating wandering spurs.
Wandler für Luftschallmessungen (Fachwissen Technische Akustik)
by Michael MöserLuftschall überstreicht nicht nur den Bereich menschlicher Sprachkommunikation, sondern belegt als Infraschall und Ultraschall Bereiche, die auch intensiv technisch oder medizinisch genutzt werden. Diese Nutzung setzt die Kenntnis seiner Eigenschaften voraus, die mit dem zeitlichen und räumlichenVerlauf der Druckänderungen im Schallfeld beschrieben werden können. Für die Wandlung der Schallparameter in registrierbare Werte stehen verschiedene Möglichkeiten zur Verfügung. Die Umsetzung in elektrische Spannungen mit Mikrofonen steht dabei weit an der Spitze. Je nach erforderlicher Genauigkeit werden hierbei Konstruktionen auf unterschiedlicher Basis verwendet. Dieser Band befasst sich mit den Eigenschaften und Möglichkeiten der verschiedenen Lösungen, den damit verbundenen Grenzen der Schallgrößenerfassung sowie einem Ausblick auf zukünftige Entwicklungen.
Wanted, More than Human Intellectual Property: Animal Authors and Human Machines
by Johanna GibsonThis book analyses animal creativity in order to unsettle the dominant assumptions that underpin current ideas of authorship and ownership in intellectual property.Drawing upon theories of animal behaviour and cognitive ethology, the book exposes and disrupts the anthropocentrism that informs prevailing assumptions about creativity, intentionality, and authorship within the field of intellectual property, towards a new theory of authorship and personhood through play and the playful. Moving on to challenge the invocation of a more general human-nonhuman distinction in this context, the book also engages the challenge to this distinction posed by artificial intelligence. Incorporating critical animal studies, behavioural science, ethology, critical legal studies, and legal philosophy, the book presents a new idea of creativity, which undermines the kind of rivalrous models now common in the field of intellectual property.This book will be of considerable interest to those studying and teaching in the area of intellectual property, as well as in animal law. It will also appeal to legal theorists and others working in the social sciences in the areas of posthumanism and animal studies.
@War
by Shane HarrisThe spies had come without warning. They plied their craft silently, stealing secrets from the world's most powerful military. They were at work months before anyone noticed their presence. And when American officials finally detected the thieves, they saw it was too late. The damage was done . . .It could have been the plot of a Tom Clancy thriller: Chinese hackers break into American defence contractors and steal the plans for a new multi-billion dollar fighter jet. In fact, it is just one dispatch from the frontline of a new form of warfare.Our wars are increasingly being fought online. GCHQ and the NSA gather vast amounts of information from the internet - and do so with the complicity of companies like Google and Facebook. The American military fields teams of hackers who can, and do, launch computer virus attacks against enemy targets. And with the majority of civil infrastructure - things like nuclear power stations, hospitals, airports and banking systems - now run across the internet, the next 9/11 could be a cyber-attack.Welcome to the modern world of warfare.
The War Against America: Study of Revenge
by Laurie MylroieThe destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon -- all within one hour on September 11, 2001 -- demonstrated America's shocking vulnerability to terrorism.Yet terror had already emerged on America's shores eight years earlier, when the mysterious terrorist mastermind, Ramzi Yousef (arrested after a botched attempt to down a dozen U.S. airlines) bombed the World Trade Center in an attempt to fell the buildings.His attacks were viewed as the harbinger of a new terrorism, carried out by an elusive enemy driven by religious fanaticism to unprecedented hatred of the United States.But is that perception accurate? A real-life detective story, The War Against America engages the reader in a gripping examination of the evidence regarding Yousef and his terrorism. It reveals the split between New York and Washington that emerged during the investigation and tells a terrifying tale of America left exposed and vulnerable following the mishandling of what was once the most ambitious terrorist attack ever attempted on U.S. soil.
War and Aesthetics: Art, Technology, and the Futures of Warfare (Prisms: Humanities and War #1)
by Jens Bjering, Anders Engberg-Pedersen, Solveig Gade, and Christine Strandmose ToftA provocative edited collection that takes an original approach toward the black box of military technology, surveillance, and AI—and reveals the aesthetic dimension of warfare.War and Aesthetics gathers leading artists, political scientists, and scholars to outline the aesthetic dimension of warfare and offer a novel perspective on its contemporary character and the construction of its potential futures. Edited by a team of four scholars, Jens Bjering, Anders Engberg-Pedersen, Solveig Gade, and Christine Strandmose Toft, this timely volume examines warfare through the lens of aesthetics, arguing that the aesthetic configurations of perception, technology, and time are central to the artistic engagement with warfare, just as they are key to military AI, weaponry, and satellite surveillance.People mostly think of war as the violent manifestation of a political rationality. But when war is viewed through the lens of aesthesis—meaning perception and sensibility—military technology becomes an applied science of sensory cognition. An outgrowth of three war seminars that took place in Copenhagen between 2018 and 2021, War and Aesthetics engages in three main areas of inquiry—the rethinking of aesthetics in the field of art and in the military sphere; the exploration of techno-aesthetics and the wider political and theoretical implications of war technology; and finally, the analysis of future temporalities that these technologies produce. The editors gather various traditions and perspectives ranging from literature to media studies to international relations, creating a unique historical and scientific approach that broadly traces the entanglement of war and aesthetics across the arts, social sciences, and humanities from ancient times to the present. As international conflict looms between superpowers, War and Aesthetics presents new and illuminating ways to think about future conflict in a world where violence is only ever a few steps away.ContributorsLouise Amoore, Ryan Bishop, Jens Bjering, James Der Derian, Anthony Downey, Anders Engberg-Pedersen, Solveig Gade, Mark B. Hansen, Caroline Holmqvist, Vivienne Jabri, Caren Kaplan, Phil Klay, Kate McLoughlin, Elaine Scarry, Christine Strandmose Toft, Joseph Vogl, Arkadi Zaides
War and Health: The Medical Consequences of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (Anthropologies of American Medicine: Culture, Power, and Practice #4)
by Catherine Lutz and Andrea MazzarinoProvides a detailed look at how war affects human life and health far beyond the battlefield Since 2010, a team of activists, social scientists, and physicians have monitored the lives lost as a result of the US wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan through an initiative called the Costs of War Project. Unlike most studies of war casualties, this research looks beyond lives lost in violence to consider those who have died as a result of illness, injuries, and malnutrition that would not have occurred had the war not taken place. Incredibly, the Cost of War Project has found that, of the more than 1,000,000 lives lost in the recent US wars, a minimum of 800,000 died not from violence, but from indirect causes. War and Health offers a critical examination of these indirect casualties, examining health outcomes on the battlefield and elsewhere—in hospitals, homes, and refugee camps—both during combat and in the years following, as communities struggle to live normal lives despite decimated social services, lack of access to medical care, ongoing illness and disability, malnutrition, loss of infrastructure, and increased substance abuse. The volume considers the effect of the war on both civilians and on US service members, in war zones—where healthcare systems have been destroyed by long-term conflict—and in the United States, where healthcare is highly developed. Ultimately, it draws much-needed attention to the far-reaching health consequences of the recent US wars, and argues that we cannot go to war—and remain at war—without understanding the catastrophic effect war has on the entire ecosystem of human health.
War and Moral Dissonance
by Peter A. FrenchThis collection of essays, inspired by the author's experience teaching ethics to Marine and Navy chaplains during the Iraq War, examines the moral and psychological dilemmas posed by war. The first section deals directly with Dr Peter A. French's teaching experience and the specific challenges posed by teaching applied and theoretical ethics to men and women wrestling with the immediate and personal moral conflicts occasioned by the dissonance of their duties as military officers with their religious convictions. The following chapters grew out of philosophical discussions with these chaplains regarding specific ethical issues surrounding the Iraq War, including the nature of moral evil, forgiveness, mercy, retributive punishment, honour, torture, responsibility and just war theory. This book represents a unique viewpoint on the philosophical problems of war, illuminating the devastating toll combat experiences take on both an individual's sense of identity and a society's professed moral code.
War and Remembrance: Recollecting and Representing War (Human Dimensions in Foreign Policy, Military Studies, and Security Studies)
by Renée Dickason, Delphine Letort, Michel Prum, and Stéphanie A.H. BélangerMemory, while seemingly a thing of the past, has much to reveal in the present. With its focus on memory, War and Remembrance provides new viewpoints in the field of war representation.Bringing an interdisciplinary approach to discussions of the cultural memory of war, the collection focuses on narratives, either fictional or testimonial, that challenge ideological discourses of war. The acts of remembrance and of waging war are constantly evolving. A range of case studies – analyzing representations of war in art, film, museums, and literature from Nigeria, Australia, Sri Lanka, Canada, and beyond – questions our current approaches to memory studies while offering reinterpretations of established narratives. Throughout, a commitment to Indigenous perspectives, to examining the ongoing legacy of colonialism, and to a continued reckoning with the Second World War foregrounds what is often forgotten in the writing of a single, official history.War and Remembrance invites readers to cast a reflexive look at wars and conflicts past – some of them forgotten, others still vividly commemorated – the better to understand the cultural, political, and social stake of memory as a source of conflict and exchange, of resistance and opposition, and of negotiation and reconciliation.
War and Technology: Society, Technology, And War From Ancient Times To The Present (Encounters: Explorations in Folklore and Ethnomusicology)
by Jeremy Black&“[A] scholarly overview of military technology throughout history—starting roughly in the 15th century and extending into the future . . . insightful.&”—Publishers Weekly In this engaging book, Jeremy Black argues that technology neither acts as an independent variable nor operates without major limitations. This includes its capacity to obtain end results, as technology&’s impact is far from simple and its pathways are by no means clear. After considering such key conceptual points, Black discusses important technological advances in weaponry and power projection from sailing warships to aircraft carriers, muskets to tanks, balloons to unmanned drones—in each case, taking into account what difference these advances made. He addresses not only firepower but also power projection and technologies of logistics, command, and control. Examining military technologies in their historical context and the present centered on the Revolution in Military Affairs and Military Transformation, Black then forecasts possible future trends. &“Clear, concise, and thoughtful. An eminently readable synthesis of historical literature on technology and war.&”—John France, author of Perilous Glory: The Rise of Western Military Power &“An interesting, thought provoking work by a major military historian . . . whose depth and wide range of knowledge across the entire sweep of world military history is without parallel.... Those who read this book closely will be richly rewarded for it is a mine of useful information and grist for discussion.&”—Spencer C. Tucker, author of The European Powers in the First World War &“A most useful introduction to a very complex subject, and particularly valuable for its notes and references to other works. Provocative and vigorously argued . . . Highly recommended.&”—Choice
War at the Speed of Light: Directed-Energy Weapons and the Future of Twenty-First-Century Warfare
by Louis A. Del MonteWar at the Speed of Light describes the revolutionary and ever-increasing role of directed-energy weapons (such as laser, microwave, electromagnetic pulse, and cyberspace weapons) in warfare. Louis A. Del Monte delineates the threat that such weapons pose to disrupting the doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction, which has kept the major powers of the world from engaging in nuclear warfare. Potential U.S. adversaries, such as China and Russia, are developing hypersonic missiles and using swarming tactics as a means to defeat the U.S. military. In response, the U.S. Department of Defense established the 2018 National Security Strategy, emphasizing directed-energy weapons, which project devastation at the speed of light and are capable of destroying hypersonic missiles and enemy drones and missile swarms. Del Monte analyzes how modern warfare is changing in three fundamental ways: the pace of war is quickening, the rate at which weapons project devastation is reaching the speed of light, and cyberspace is now officially a battlefield. In this acceleration of combat called &“hyperwar,&” Del Monte shows how disturbingly close the world is to losing any deterrence to nuclear warfare.
The War Business: The International Trade in Armaments
by George ThayerAfter the two world wars with security of individual Nations very high, a new business in armaments trade has become a routine. The U.S. government sells armaments to various countries and has become a super power. U.S.S.R. did not lag behind.
War, Clausewitz and the Trinity
by Thomas WaldmanToday, the ideas of Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) are employed almost ubiquitously in strategic studies, military history and defence literatures, but often in a manner which distorts their true meaning. In this book, Waldman explores Clausewitz’s central theoretical device for understanding war - the ’remarkable trinity’ of politics, chance and passion. By situating the great Prussian in historical context, he presents a conception truer to Clausewitz’s intention. Seeking to achieve this through an in-depth reinterpretation of On War and Clausewitz’s other writings, conducted through the prism of the trinity, this book draws on existing studies but argues that there is room for clarification. It presents fresh perspectives into aspects of Clausewitz's thought and emphasises elements of his theory that have often been neglected. Furthermore, it provides a solid basis from which debate on the nature of modern war can move forward.
War Dog: The no-man's-land puppy who took to the skies
by Damien LewisIn the winter of 1939 in the cold snow of no-man's-land, two loners met and began an extraordinary journey together, one that would bind them for the rest of their lives. One was an orphaned puppy, abandoned by his owners as they fled the approaching Nazi forces. The other, a lost soul of a different sort - a Czech airman, flying for the French Air Force but soon to be bound for the RAF and the country that he would call home. Airman Robert Bozdech stumbled across the tiny German Shepherd after being shot down during a daring mission over enemy lines. Unable to desert his charge, he hid the dog inside his flying jacket as he made his escape. In the months that followed the pair would save each other's lives countless times as they fled France and flew together with Bomber Command; the puppy - which Robert named Ant - becoming the Squadron mascot along the way. Wounded repeatedly in action, shot, facing crash-landings and parachute bailouts, Ant was eventually grounded due to injury. Even then he refused to abandon his duty, waiting patiently beside the runway for his master's return from every sortie.By the end of the war Robert and Ant had become very British war heroes, and Ant was justly awarded the Dickin Medal, the 'Animal VC'. Thrilling and deeply moving, their story will touch the heart of anyone who understands the bond that exists between one man and his dog.
War Dog: The no-man's-land puppy who took to the skies
by Damien LewisIn the winter of 1939 in the cold snow of no-man's-land, two loners met and began an extraordinary journey together, one that would bind them for the rest of their lives. One was an orphaned puppy, abandoned by his owners as they fled the approaching Nazi forces. The other, a lost soul of a different sort - a Czech airman, flying for the French Air Force but soon to be bound for the RAF and the country that he would call home. Airman Robert Bozdech stumbled across the tiny German Shepherd after being shot down during a daring mission over enemy lines. Unable to desert his charge, he hid the dog inside his flying jacket as he made his escape. In the months that followed the pair would save each other's lives countless times as they fled France and flew together with Bomber Command; the puppy - which Robert named Ant - becoming the Squadron mascot along the way. Wounded repeatedly in action, shot, facing crash-landings and parachute bailouts, Ant was eventually grounded due to injury. Even then he refused to abandon his duty, waiting patiently beside the runway for his master's return from every sortie.By the end of the war Robert and Ant had become very British war heroes, and Ant was justly awarded the Dickin Medal, the 'Animal VC'. Thrilling and deeply moving, their story will touch the heart of anyone who understands the bond that exists between one man and his dog.
War Dogs: British Mercenaries in Bosnia Tell Their Own Story
by Keith Cory-JonesEqually courageous, equally deadly, the British mercenaries in Bosnia have a story to tell as amazing as 'The One That Got Away', but a story without official blessing. 'War Dogs' follows the fortunes of a gang of eight British mercenaries, a mixed bunch, old and cynical, young and naive, mean and psychotic, two idealists, and the rest just in it for the money. Each of these rogue warriors has his own special skills, strengths and weaknesses, and are all tested in an increasingly terrifying and desperate series of engagements with the enemy. Both sides fight dirty; this is an insider's account of the war in Bosnia that goes far beyond what we read in the newspapers. Not all of them make it back to Britain; one boy with no military experience has told his mother he is working in Eurodisney, and she only finds out the truth when he comes back in a box.
War Games: A History of War on Paper
by Philipp Von Hilgers Ross BenjaminFor centuries, both mathematical and military thinkers have used game-like scenarios to test their visions of mastering a complex world through symbolic operations. By the end of World War I, mathematical and military discourse in Germany simultaneously discovered the game as a productive concept. Mathematics and military strategy converged in World War II when mathematicians designed fields of operation. In this book, Philipp von Hilgers examines the theory and practice of war games through history, from the medieval game boards, captured on parchment, to the paper map exercises of the Third Reich. Von Hilgers considers how and why war games came to exist: why mathematical and military thinkers created simulations of one of the most unpredictable human activities on earth. Von Hilgers begins with the medieval rythmomachia, or Battle of Numbers, then reconstructs the ideas about war and games in the baroque period. He investigates the role of George Leopold von Reiswitz's tactical war game in nineteenth-century Prussia and describes the artifact itself: a game board--topped table with drawers for game implements. He explains Clausewitz's emphasis on the "fog of war" and the accompanying element of incalculability, examines the contributions of such thinkers as Clausewitz, Leibniz, Wittgenstein, and von Neumann, and investigates the war games of the German military between the two World Wars. Baudrillard declared this to be the age of simulacra; war games stand contrariwise as simulations that have not been subsumed in absolute virtuality.
War Games: A History of War on Paper (The\mit Press Ser.)
by Philipp Von HilgersThe convergence of military strategy and mathematics in war games, from medieval to modern times.For centuries, both mathematical and military thinkers have used game-like scenarios to test their visions of mastering a complex world through symbolic operations. By the end of World War I, mathematical and military discourse in Germany simultaneously discovered the game as a productive concept. Mathematics and military strategy converged in World War II when mathematicians designed fields of operation. In this book, Philipp von Hilgers examines the theory and practice of war games through history, from the medieval game boards, captured on parchment, to the paper map exercises of the Third Reich. Von Hilgers considers how and why war games came to exist: why mathematical and military thinkers created simulations of one of the most unpredictable human activities on earth.Von Hilgers begins with the medieval rythmomachia, or Battle of Numbers, then reconstructs the ideas about war and games in the baroque period. He investigates the role of George Leopold von Reiswitz's tactical war game in nineteenth-century Prussia and describes the artifact itself: a game board–topped table with drawers for game implements. He explains Clausewitz's emphasis on the “fog of war” and the accompanying element of incalculability, examines the contributions of such thinkers as Clausewitz, Leibniz, Wittgenstein, and von Neumann, and investigates the war games of the German military between the two World Wars. Baudrillard declared this to be the age of simulacra; war games stand contrariwise as simulations that have not been subsumed in absolute virtuality.
The War in Outer Space (Tom Swift III, Book #4)
by Victor AppletonWhen Tom builds the marvelous new hyper-drive spacecraft, Exedra, he zooms off to a distant part of the galaxy and a dangerous, challenging adventure. With his friends, Ben and Anita, and his trusty robot, Aristotle, Tom meets a peace-loving but frightened race of insectoids known as the Skree. When Tom Learns that the intelligent Skree are being attacked by a vicious and relentless race of humanoids, the Chutans, he is determined to help them. Tom and his friends face almost certain death as they fight the Chutans to save Earth from destruction!