Death Rays, Jet Packs, Stunts & Supercars: The Fantastic Physics of Film's Most Celebrated Secret Agent.DEATH RAYS, JET PACKS, STUNTS & SUPERCARS: The Fantastic Physics of Film's Most Celebrated Secret Agent BARRY PARKER Consider the famous laser in Goldfinger, the jet pack in Thunderball, the X-ray glasses in The world Is Not Enough. Without these gadgets, James Bond might not have survived the perilous predicaments in which he often found himself. Parker explores the physics behind the death-defying stunts, amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. vehicles, and advanced weaponry of one of Hollywood's most enduring heroes. The author, a physicist, attributes much of the stories' appeal to the science and technology included in each plot. In an entertaining narrative, Parker explores which aspects of Ian Fleming's Bond stories are scientifically sound and which are purely fiction or movie magic. With entertaining references to the movies and amusing anecdotes, Parker explains in easily understood terms the physics behind skydiving skydiving Sport of jumping from an airplane at a moderate altitude (e.g., 6,000 ft [1,800 m]) and executing various body maneuvers before pulling the rip cord of a parachute. Competitive events include jumping for style, landing with accuracy, and performing in teams (e.g. , holograms, autogiros, electromagnetic pulses electromagnetic pulse n. Abbr. EMP The pulse of intense electromagnetic radiation generated by certain physical events, especially by a nuclear explosion high above the earth. , Geiger counters Geiger counter or Geiger-Müller (G-M) counter (gī`gər-mŭl`ər, –my , hydrogen bombs, and other nifty devices. An appendix lists Bond-movie superlatives, including the author's picks for best villain, best car, and best chase scene. Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University, mainly at Baltimore, Md. Johns Hopkins in 1867 had a group of his associates incorporated as the trustees of a university and a hospital, endowing each with $3.5 million. Daniel C. Press, 2005, 288 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $25.00. |
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