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A physics professor at the Colorado School of Mines, Morse previously worked for the Martin Co., in Baltimore, Md., where he helped develop a tiny nuclear-powered electrical generator. The top-secret project was made public on January 16, 1959, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower demonstrated the 5-pound, 5-watt generator on television. "We were dumbfounded," Morse said in an interview more than 40 years later. "Apparently the president wasn't told the project was classified. Or he did it to show up the Russians. I couldn't even tell my wife about it." His "System for Auxiliary Nuclear Power" radioisotope thermoelectric generators have been used on many deep-space missions to power spacecraft far from the sun, where solar power cannot be used. The devices are secure enough to survive an explosion of the rocket carrying them; the first time that happened, the RTG was recovered and rebuilt for another mission. Before he died, Morse worked to bring war veterans to schools to talk to students. "Kids are learning about this aspect of our history through textbooks written by people who heard about it but never experienced it," he said. "Teachers should invite these guys to reflect on what the war was really about by people who experienced it." "Jerry" Morse died December 10 from lymphoma at age 90. From This is True for 9 December 2001 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Bob RamlowBenjamin Nusz List Price: $24.95 Amazon Price: $16.47 Editorial Review: Heating water with the sun is almost as old as humankind itself, and it is done all over the world. Yet there are strangely few resources on the topic in North America. Solar Water Heating fills this gap. It reviews the history of solar water and space heating systems from prehistory to the present, then presents the basics of solar water heating, including an introduction to modern solar energy systems, energy conservation and energy economics. Drawing on the author's experience as an installer of these systems, the book goes on to cover: Types of solar collectors, solar water and space heating systems and solar pool heating systems, including their advantages and disadvantages System components, their installation, operation, and maintenance System sizing and siting Choosing the appropriate system.Since people often get turned off by the up-front cost, the book focuses especially on the financial aspects of solar water or space heating systems, clearly showing that such systems can save significant costs in the long run. Well-illustrated, the book is designed for a wide readership from the curious to the student or professional. Bob Ramlow is the solar thermal consultant for the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Program. The owner of a renewable energy company, he has over 30 years experience with solar energy systems and is a founder and director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). Benjamin Nusz currently works as a solar water heating consultant and site assessor in Wisconsin.  By: Chris Seibold List Price: $34.99 Amazon Price: $22.74 Editorial Review: Bigger in size, longer in length, broader in scope, and even more useful than our original Mac OS X Hacks, the new Big Book of Apple Hacks offers a grab bag of tips, tricks and hacks to get the most out of Mac OS X Leopard, as well as the new line of iPods, iPhone, and Apple TV. With 100 entirely new hacks presented in step-by-step fashion, this practical book is for serious Apple computer and gadget users who really want to take control of these systems. Many of the hacks take you under the hood and show you how to tweak system preferences, alter or add keyboard shortcuts, mount drives and devices, and generally do things with your operating system and gadgets that Apple doesn't expect you to do. The Big Book of Apple Hacks gives you: Hacks for both Mac OS X Leopard and Tiger, their related applications, and the hardware they run on or connect to Expanded tutorials and lots of background material, including informative sidebars "Quick Hacks" for tweaking system and gadget settings in minutes Full-blown hacks for adjusting Mac OS X applications such as Mail, Safari, iCal, Front Row, or the iLife suite Plenty of hacks and tips for the Mac mini, the MacBook laptops, and new Intel desktops Tricks for running Windows on the Mac, under emulation in Parallels or as a standalone OS with Bootcamp The Big Book of Apple Hacks is not only perfect for Mac fans and power users, but also for recent -- and aspiring -- "switchers" new to the Apple experience. Hacks are arranged by topic for quick and easy lookup, and each one stands on its own so you can jump around and tweak whatever system or gadget strikes your fancy. Pick up this book and take control of Mac OS X and your favorite Apple gadget today!  By: Martin Gray List Price: $35.00 Amazon Price: $23.10 Editorial Review: Acclaimed photographer and anthropologist Martin Gray spent the last 20 years on an amazing pilgrimage: he visited 1,000 sacred sites in 80 countries around the world. His journey unfolds in a remarkable compilation of images that reveals just how devoutly pre-industrial cultures everywhere worshipped and respected our Earth. From the Western Wall to the Great Mosque of Damascus, Mt. Olympus to Assisi, Tibet’s Potala Palace to Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, Teotihuacán in Mexico to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, these are the awe-inspiring places from which all the world’s great religions sprang, along with our finest culture, art, and architecture. Gray’s stunning photographs and fascinating text provide unique insight into why these powerful holy places are the most venerated and visited sites on the entire planet. Maps adapted from the National Geographic Society show the locations of all the sites presented, and a thorough appendix includes a comprehensive list of over 500 of the world’s sacred sites.  By: Joseph McMoneagleCharles T. Tart List Price: $16.95 Amazon Price: $16.95 Editorial Review: From one of the actual participants in the U.S. government's remote-viewing program comes the definitive work on remote viewing. Avoiding the snare of becoming a neo-Nostradamian prophecy, Mind Trek is a nuts-and-bolts approach to an ability that Joseph McMoneagle considers to be inherent in all human beings. There are no CIA secrets revealed in Mind Trek, but it does disclose the laboratory methods employed during U.S. government research into the field, stressing protocols that insure the veracity of results. The case it makes for the reality of remote viewing is strong. Without falling into the doomsday-prophecy trap, McMoneagle takes a step beyond the laboratory and what viewers can find over the physical horizon, exploring the implications of this ability that allows us to see to the farthest distances, even across time into our past and our future. --Brian PattersonIn 1970, while serving in the Army, Joe McMoneagle had a near-death experience that opened him psychically. When he tested out as a world-class remote viewer--able to correctly perceive and describe unknown people, places, and objects--he was recruited for a top-secret military program, code name Stargate. For twenty years McMoneagle honed his intuitive psychic abilities and refined the scientific protocols that resulted in the most reliable method of informtion retrieval. In Mind Trek, which is replete with actual remotely viewed drawings, the author describes the development and application of one's natural intuition through the proper use of these protocols.  By: Steven Lambakis List Price: $39.95 Amazon Price: $31.96 Editorial Review: The United States has long exploited Earth's orbits to enhance security, generate wealth, and solidify its position as a world leader. But America's ambivalence toward military activities in space undermines our future security, argues Steven Lambakis. Washington possesses a peculiar regard for space and warfare. One viewpoint perceives space as a place to defend and fight for America's vital interests. Another, frequently dominant, looks upon space as a preserve not to be despoiled by earthly strife. Lambakis reviews key political, military, and business developments in space over the past forty years. Emphasizing that we should not take our unobstructed and unlimited access to space for granted, he identifies potential space threats and policy flaws and offers steps to meet national security demands for the twenty-first century. “This book clearly outlines both organizational and scientific issues. It will trigger public debate, generate controversy, and add creatively to the policy debate. An exceptionally good job of clarifying issues and meeting the hard questions head-on.”—John D. Stempel, University of Kentucky Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce “A thorough study of the role and potential of American space power. Steven Lambakis has consulted with America's foremost space experts and drawn upon his own considerable experience and vision to create this useful reference. Our national security leaders at all levels will profit from this volume—no national security expert should be without it.”—Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) |
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