Stephen R. Wilk's Books

Sandbows and Black Lights

Reflections on Optics

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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Sandbows and Black Lights

Reflections on Optics

By: Stephen R. Wilk

In the almost twenty years since I began writing my essays on strange and quirky optics I have been through several employers, but in all that time I have stayed a contributing editor for the Optical Society of America. No matter where I was during the day, I always worked on producing these nuggets of infotainment with some regularity. I have always had a backlog of tentative pieces to write, but new topics arose just as rapidly, so I have never been at a loss with a new piece. The newsletter of MIT's Spectroscopy Lab has, in that time, disappeared, so the essays in this volume are either ones that originally appeared in Optics and Photonics News, or else have not previously been published in any magazine. As I stated in the introduction to How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap!, my goal was to produce quirky, interesting, and somewhat humorous essays that had a slyly pedagogical edge. "Education by stealth," as the BBC said. In reality, I often start off writing one of these to satisfy myself about some minor mystery of optical science or engineering"--

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Page Count

217

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0197518575

ISBN 13

9780197518571

Sandbows and Black Lights

Reflections on Optics

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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Sandbows and Black Lights

Reflections on Optics

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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217

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0197518575

ISBN 13

9780197518571

Medusa

Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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Medusa

Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon

By: Stephen R. Wilk

Medusa, the Gorgon, who turns those who gaze upon her to stone, is one of the most popular and enduring figures of Greek mythology. Long after many other figures from Greek myth have been forgotten, she continues to live in popular culture. In this fascinating study of the legend of Medusa, Stephen R. Wilk begins by refamiliarizing readers with the story through ancient authors and classical artwork, then looks at the interpretations that have been given of the meaning of the myth through the years. A new and original interpretation of the myth is offered, based upon astronomical phenomena. The use of the gorgoneion, the Face of the Gorgon, on shields and on roofing tiles is examined in light of parallels from around the world, and a unique interpretation of the reality behind the gorgoneion is suggested. Finally, the history of the Gorgon since tlassical times is explored, culminating in the modern use of Medusa as a symbol of Female Rage and Female Creativity.

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Page Count

288

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

019988773X

ISBN 13

9780199887736

How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap

Odd Excursions into Optics

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap

Odd Excursions into Optics

By: Stephen R. Wilk

How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap is a collection of essays that discusses odd and unusual topics in optics. Though optics is a fairly specialized branch of physics, this book extracts from the discipline topics that are particularly interesting, mysterious, culturally relevant, or accessible. The essays all first appeared, in abbreviated form, in Optics and Photonics News and in The Spectrograph; the author has updated and expanded upon each of them for this book. The book is divided into three thematic sections: History, Weird Science, and Pop Culture. Chapters will discuss surprising uses of optics in classics and early astronomy; explain why we think of the sun as yellow when it is actually white; present how the laser is used in popular film; and profile the eccentric scientists who contributed to optics. The essays are short and entertaining, and can be read in any order. The book should appeal to general audiences interested in optics or physics more generally, as well as members of the scientific community who are curious about optics phenomena.

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Page Count

272

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0199371318

ISBN 13

9780199371310

Ancient Oaxaca

The Monte Albán State

By: Richard E. Blanton,Gary M. Feinman,Stephen A. Kowalewski,Linda M. Nicholas

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Ancient Oaxaca

The Monte Albán State

By: Richard E. Blanton,Gary M. Feinman,Stephen A. Kowalewski,Linda M. Nicholas

Over two thousand years ago, Oaxaca, Mexico, was the site of one of the New World's earliest episodes of primary state formation and urbanism, and today it is one of the world's archaeologically best-studied regions. This volume, which thoroughly revises and updates the first edition, provides a highly readable yet comprehensive path to acquaint readers with one of the earliest and best-known examples of Native American state formation and its consequences as seen from the perspectives of urbanism, technology, demography, commerce, households, and religion and ritual. Written by prominent archaeological researchers who have devoted decades to Oaxacan research and to the development of suitable social theory, the book places ancient Oaxaca within the context of the history of ideas that have addressed the causes and consequences of social evolutionary change. It also critically evaluates the potential applicability of more recent thinking about state building grounded in collective action and related theories.

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Page Count

219

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1108924263

ISBN 13

9781108924269

Lost Wonderland

The Brief and Brilliant Life of Boston's Million Dollar Amusement Park

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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Lost Wonderland

The Brief and Brilliant Life of Boston's Million Dollar Amusement Park

By: Stephen R. Wilk

If you take Boston's Blue Line to its northern end, you'll reach the Wonderland stop. Few realize that a twenty-three-acre amusement park once sat nearby—the largest in New England, and grander than any of the Coney Island parks that inspired it. Opened in Revere on Memorial Day in 1906 to great fanfare, Wonderland offered hundreds of thousands of visitors recreation by the sea, just a short distance from downtown Boston. The story of the park's creation and wild, but brief, success is full of larger-than-life characters who hoped to thrill attendees and rake in profits. Stephen R. Wilk describes the planning and history of the park, which featured early roller coasters, a scenic railway, a central lagoon in which a Shoot-the-Chutes boat plunged, an aerial swing, a funhouse, and more. Performances ran throughout the day, including a daring Fires and Flames show; a Wild West show; a children's theater; and numerous circus acts. While nothing remains of what was once called "Boston's Regal Home of Pleasure" and the park would close in 1910, this book resurrects Wonderland by transporting readers through its magical gates.

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Page Count

345

Publisher

UMass + ORM

Published Date

ISBN 10

1613768044

ISBN 13

9781613768044

The Traveler

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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The Traveler

By: Stephen R. Wilk

Argus survived on the streets of Rome using his skill and his wits, but he had never seen anything like the Crazy Man, Tenobius. Tenobius looked odd, and couldn’t speak Latin properly, but he had magical things and metal teeth. All Tenobius wanted to do was to repair his Dreamship (with Argus’ help) and go home. What Argus could not know was that Tenobius was a Time Traveler, and his Dreamship was his crashed Time Machine. To get home, he had to rebuild it using only what he could find and make in ancient Rome.

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Page Count

256

Publisher

Rogue Phoenix Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

1624204309

ISBN 13

9781624204302

Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna

The Origins of a West African Political System

By: Stephen A. Dueppen

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Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna

The Origins of a West African Political System

By: Stephen A. Dueppen

Many West African societies have egalitarian political systems, with non-centralised distributions of power. 'Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna' analyses a wide range of archaeological data to explore the development of such societies. The volume offers a detailed case study of the village settlement of Kirikongo in western Burkina Faso. Over the course of the first millennium, this single homestead extended control over a growing community. The book argues that the decentralization of power in the twelfth century BCE radically transformed this society, changing gender roles, public activities, pottery making and iron-working. 'Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna' will be of interest to students of political science, anthropology, archaeology and the history of West Africa.

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Page Count

359

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

1317543661

ISBN 13

9781317543664

Royal Courts Of The Ancient Maya

Volume 1: Theory, Comparison, And Synthesis

By: Takeshi Inomata,Stephen D. Houston

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Royal Courts Of The Ancient Maya

Volume 1: Theory, Comparison, And Synthesis

By: Takeshi Inomata,Stephen D. Houston

This book provides theory, comparison, and synthesis to establish a carefully considered framework for approaching the study of courts and their functions throughout the world of the ancient Maya. It is based on the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association.

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Page Count

328

Publisher

Routledge

Published Date

ISBN 10

0429977174

ISBN 13

9780429977176

Medusa

Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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Medusa

Solving the Mystery of the Gorgon

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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288

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

019988773X

ISBN 13

9780199887736

The Traveler

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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The Traveler

By: Stephen R. Wilk

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256

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Rogue Phoenix Press

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ISBN 10

1624204309

ISBN 13

9781624204302

Book's by Stephen R. Wilk

Sandbows and Black Lights

Sandbows and Black Lights

Sandbows and Black Lights

Sandbows and Black Lights

Medusa

Medusa

How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap

How the Ray Gun Got Its Zap

Ancient Oaxaca

Ancient Oaxaca

Lost Wonderland

Lost Wonderland

The Traveler

The Traveler

Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna

Egalitarian Revolution in the Savanna

Royal Courts Of The Ancient Maya

Royal Courts Of The Ancient Maya

Medusa

Medusa

The Traveler

The Traveler

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