Giant Leap: Mankind Heads for the Stars

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Some time within the next two centuries, humankind will embark on a momentous voyage that will take us out of our solar system and to the stars.

The Giant Leap explains why it will happen, how it might happen, and why it is a good idea.

Adrian Berry, dubbed "the Dean of English science writers," extrapolates from his wide knowledge to inquire into the possibilities of far-space exploration.

Berry writes with ...

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More About This Book

Overview

Some time within the next two centuries, humankind will embark on a momentous voyage that will take us out of our solar system and to the stars.

The Giant Leap explains why it will happen, how it might happen, and why it is a good idea.

Adrian Berry, dubbed "the Dean of English science writers," extrapolates from his wide knowledge to inquire into the possibilities of far-space exploration.

Berry writes with lucidity and humor, demonstrating not only a broad spectrum of scientific knowledge but also an intimacy with the works of science fiction writers. His predictions are always rooted in scientific fact.

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Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews
Travel to the stars, long a staple of SF, is the subject of this optimistic look at our race's future. For Berry, longtime science correspondent for London's Daily Telegraph, the exploration of worlds beyond our own solar system is a given. As a means to this end, he directs our attention to antimatter drives, Bussard ramjets, and light sails, all of which are theoretically capable of getting a ship to the nearest stars in some acceptable fraction of a human lifetime. Nor does he ignore the question of how to shield passengers from the tremendous energies some of these devices can be expected to emit. There is due consideration of provisioning a years-long voyage through regions with no place to renew supplies-and the more one carries along, of course, the greater the demands for fuel and power, already stretched to the breaking point. One likely solution is recycling on a hitherto-unknown scale; in theory, one can take any organic substance (say, used tires) and turn it into food. Another is keeping the majority of the passengers in suspended animation, possibly by lowering their bodies to cryogenic temperatures. Elaborate computer games may be developed to help those of the crew who do remain awake to pass the lonely hours of deep space travel. Spacious accommodations for exercise will be essential if the space travelers are to arrive at the end of their journey in condition to begin a colony on an alien world. Never mind that even the shortest interstellar voyage could bankrupt most nations, or that the technology described here exists only in rudimentary form, if at all. Berry is interested in the big picture-and readers who can balance enthusiasm with healthy skepticism are likelyto enjoy the ride, even when the details remain unclear. Blue-sky speculation on the grandest possible scale.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780312877859
  • Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
  • Publication date: 9/15/2001
  • Edition description: 1st U.S. Edition
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 352
  • Product dimensions: 5.58 (w) x 9.04 (h) x 1.15 (d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
Part 1 Quest for the Heavens 9
1. An Alien World 11
2. Starships and Politicians 24
3. The Twilight of the State 32
4. The Migratory Imperative 52
5. The Story of Rigil Kent 66
6. The Sixteen Speeds 80
7. The Incredible Shrinking Calendar 91
8. The Ascent of Rip van Winkle 102
9. A Fuel Like Magic 113
10. The Appearance of a Starship 125
Part 2 The Infinite Journey 139
11. Rocketless Rocketry -- and Other Methods 141
12. The Star on the Starboard Beam 148
13. Faster Than Light? 159
14. 'I Enjoy Working With People' 173
15. When Luxury is Necessity 187
16. The Game's Afoot, Watson 199
17. The Big Sleep 215
18. The Fading of the Stars 223
19. A Cosmic Internet 230
20. Extinction and Eternity 238
Appendix I Milestones to the Stars 250
Appendix II 'Beacon Stars' for Navigation 262
Appendix III Navigating a Starship at Close to the Speed of Light 265
Glossary 267
References and Notes 275
Bibliography 305
Index 315
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