Fake Physics: Spoofs, Hoaxes and Fictitious Science
暫譯: 假物理學：詐騙、惡作劇與虛構科學
May, Andrew
- 出版商: Springer
- 出版日期: 2019-04-26
- 售價: $1,370
- 貴賓價: 9.5 折 $1,302
- 語言: 英文
- 頁數: 170
- 裝訂: Quality Paper - also called trade paper
- ISBN: 3030133133
- ISBN-13: 9783030133139
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相關分類:
物理學 Physics
海外代購書籍(需單獨結帳)
相關主題
商品描述
People are used to seeing "fake physics" in science fiction - concepts like faster-than-light travel, antigravity and time travel to name a few. The fiction label ought to be a giveaway, but some SF writers - especially those with a background in professional science - are so adept at "technobabble" that it can be difficult to work out what is fake and what is real. To confuse matters further, Isaac Asimov's 1948 piece about the fictitious time-travelling substance thiotimoline was written, not as a short story, but in the form of a spoof research paper.
The boundaries between fact and fiction can also be blurred by physicists themselves - sometimes unintentionally, sometimes with tongue-in-cheek, sometimes to satirize perceived weaknesses in research practices. Examples range from hoaxes aimed at exposing poor editorial standards in academic publications, through "thought experiments" that sound like the plot of a sci-fi movie to April Fools' jokes. Even the latter may carry a serious message, whether about the sociology of science or poking fun at legitimate but far-out scientific hypotheses. This entertaining book is a joyous romp exploring the whole spectrum of fake physics - from science to fiction and back again.商品描述(中文翻譯)
人們習慣在科幻小說中看到「假物理」——例如超光速旅行、反重力和時間旅行等概念。雖然「小說」這個標籤應該是一個明顯的提示，但一些科幻作家，特別是那些有專業科學背景的作家，對於「技術術語」的運用非常熟練，以至於很難分辨哪些是虛構的，哪些是真實的。更讓人困惑的是，艾薩克·阿西莫夫在1948年撰寫的關於虛構的時間旅行物質硫噻唑的文章，並不是以短篇小說的形式呈現，而是以一篇模仿研究論文的形式寫成。
事實與虛構之間的界限有時也會被物理學家自己模糊——有時是無意的，有時則是帶著諷刺意味，有時是為了諷刺研究實踐中的某些弱點。例子包括旨在揭露學術出版物中編輯標準不佳的惡作劇，還有聽起來像科幻電影情節的「思想實驗」，甚至是愚人節的玩笑。即使是後者，也可能傳達嚴肅的信息，無論是關於科學社會學，還是對合法但極端的科學假設的調侃。
這本有趣的書籍是一場愉快的探索，涵蓋了假物理的整個範疇——從科學到虛構，再回到科學。
作者簡介
Andrew May obtained a PhD in astrophysics from the University of Manchester in 1982 and is an experienced and versatile professional, with a career spanning academia, government and private industry. Since the start of 2011 he has been working as a freelance writer and defence consultant. He has a wide range of interests and has written both authoritatively and entertainingly on the physical sciences, military technology, British history, science fiction, New Age beliefs and the paranormal.
He has recently published Pseudoscience and Science Fiction (2017), The Telescopic Tourist's Guide to the Moon (2017) and Rockets and Ray Guns: The Sci-Fi Science of the Cold War (2018) with Springer.
作者簡介(中文翻譯)
安德魯·梅（Andrew May）於1982年在曼徹斯特大學獲得天體物理學博士學位，是一位經驗豐富且多才多藝的專業人士，職業生涯涵蓋學術界、政府和私營行業。自2011年初以來，他一直擔任自由作家和國防顧問。他擁有廣泛的興趣，並在物理科學、軍事技術、英國歷史、科幻小說、新時代信仰和超自然現象等領域撰寫了權威且富有娛樂性的文章。
他最近與施普林格（Springer）出版了《偽科學與科幻小說》（Pseudoscience and Science Fiction，2017）、《望遠鏡遊客的月球指南》（The Telescopic Tourist's Guide to the Moon，2017）和《火箭與雷射槍：冷戰的科幻科學》（Rockets and Ray Guns: The Sci-Fi Science of the Cold War，2018）。
