Bill Dye is one of the lucky ones. Like so many of his childhood pals, he dreamed of flying jets or being "a console guy" launching satellites. Unlike so many young boys who wished for a life of adventure amid the romance of space travel, however, Bill's dream became his reality. His boyhood passion for airplanes and rockets, fueled by his parents' encouragement, launched him into an exciting, fulfilling career in aerospace. In Dye's often humorous, entertaining memoir, you'll get the inside scoop on the US space program from an aerospace engineer with more than three decades of experience. You'll discover how a kid who used to win science fairs and fire off homemade rockets ends up directing the design and development of several spacecraft-including IKONOS, an Earth-observation satellite that changed the world. He is proof that even the loftiest dreams are attainable with the right opportunities, the right education, and the right attitude. "As a fellow aerospace engineer, once I started reading "Climbing into My Dream, " I couldn't put it down. Many of us from different backgrounds went on this exhausting but exhilarating journey. Bill Dye was the go-to guy who was fun to be with. His story brought back memories of 'learning the trade.'" -Tom Dougherty, program director (retired), Lockheed Martin

Angelo Secchi was a key figure in 19th century science. An Italian Jesuit and scientist, he helped lead the transition from astronomy to astrophysics and left a lasting legacy in the field. Secchi’s spectral classification of stars was a milestone that paved the way for modern astronomical research. He was also a founder of modern meteorology and an innovator in the design and development of new instruments and methods across disciplines.This contributed volume collects together reviews from an international group of historians, scientists and scholars representing the multiple disciplines where Secchi made significant contributions during his remarkable career. It analyzes both his famous and lesser known pioneering efforts with equal vigor, providing a well-rounded narrative of his life’s work. Beyond his scientific and technological work, his role as a Jesuit priest in Rome during the turbulent years of the mid 19th century is also described and placed in the context of his scientific and civic activities.

This book is the THE source for information on virtual worlds, covering every aspect of this intriguing and fast-changing social practice and the technologies upon which it rests. Virtual Lives: A Reference Handbook describes the history, development, and role of virtual worlds, also known as virtual environments and immersive virtual environments. It provides detailed background about virtual worlds and their societal impact, from early precursors and inspirations to the latest trends and developments. Specifics on user demographics are included, as are descriptions of virtual worlds' functions, discussion of societal concerns and opportunities, and information about relevant research data and key persons and organizations. Although virtual worlds in their current form are a relatively new phenomenon, other online social environments have served as precursors for decades and literary inspirations go back even further. This handbook therefore covers some early developments dating back to the mid-20th century. Its primary focus, however, is on developments since the mid-1990s and especially on the current state and social impact of virtual worlds, including their impact both in the United States and around the world. A detailed chronology detailing inspirations, precursors, developments, and controversies related to virtual worlds Tables of data about users of virtual worlds An annotated list of private, nonprofit, and government organizations pertinent to virtual worlds Biographical sketches of authors, developers, researchers, policymakers, and notable virtual world users A glossary of scores of relevant terms related to virtual worlds' function and use A bibliography of additional resources readers can consult to learn even more about virtual worlds

Conceived in the 1850s and opened to navigation in 1869, the Suez Canal's construction coincided with Italy's path to unification and its first foray into nineteenth-century globalization. Since then, the history of Italy and the Canal have intertwined in many ways, throughout in peace and war. This edited collection explores the fundamental technical, diplomatic and financial contributions that Italy made to the production of the Canal and to its subsequent development, from the mid-nineteenth century to the Cold War. Drawing from unpublished public and private archival sources, this book is the first comprehensive account of this long and multifaceted relationship, providing innovative perspectives on Italy's diplomatic, economic, social, colonial and cultural history. An insightful read for those studying maritime, diplomatic or Italian history, this book contributes to a growing body of research on the Canal, which has largely emerged from international business, labour and social history, and offers new insights into the Euro-Mediterranean region.

This book is about all the information Kyle learned over his 31 years of interest in solar power. This includes all the information you need to become 100% utility independent. The possibilities of sun electricity (solar power), rain, radiant heat, geothermal, battery banks, inverters, ac-dc lighting, water storage-recycling-filtration, water heating, wire sizing, refrigeration, cooking, fuses, conservation, photovoltaic solar panel positioning/placement, grid-tie, parallel, standalone systems, as well as an overview of how we got here through the inventions of Tesla, Franklin, Einstein, and Edison all are mentioned in this manual.

The technical problems confronting different societies and periods and the measures are taken to solve them form the concern of this annual collection of essays. It deals with the history of technical discovery and change and explores the relationship of technology to other aspects of life - social, cultural and economic - and shows how technological development has shaped, and been shaped by, the society in which it occurred. Volume 27 includes a special issue on "The Professional Identity of Engineers: Historical and Contemporary Issues".

The annual collections in the History of Technology series look at the history of technological discovery and change, exploring the relationship of technology to other aspects of life and showing how technological development is affected by the society in which it occurred.

He and his team are sent to Cairo in 1979 to plan the modernization of Egypt's phone service. Phone service at that point is bad. Most of the time there is no dial tone. They think their work can be accomplished in about nine months, but Willis Culpepper of USAID tells them "Schedules don't mean a thang here in Egypt." They learn that ARENTO wants technology transfer, plus system redesign, so the nine months will stretch to a year or two. Working with the Egyptians, they see the sorry state of the telephone system, first in Cairo, then in Alexandria. Underground cables failed because of water seeping into the insulation. In between they visit Cairo's Souk, Khan El Khalili, and El Alemein. He takes morning runs beside the Pyramids, sometimes enraging the rabid mongrel desert dogs. Bitten, he requires rabies injections. There are no good maps of the cities. His team consults with USAID, and gets the Air Force to do aerial photography of Cairo, and Alexandria. An accelerated course on ESS is given to six Egyptian engineers, and the planning stage is finished at last. Construction contractors are selected through a formal bidding process, and final construction of the upgrade is completed in 1983. Egypt gets the most modern telephone system at the time, but scam artists are still at work at cut-over.