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9781421405117 Add to Cart Academic Inspection Copy

Science of Navigation:

From Dead Reckoning to GPS
  • ISBN-13: 9781421405117
  • Publisher: JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS
    Imprint: JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY PRESS
  • By Mark Denny
  • Price: AUD $152.00
  • Stock: 0 in stock
  • Availability: This book is temporarily out of stock, order will be despatched as soon as fresh stock is received.
  • Local release date: 14/08/2012
  • Format: Hardback 272 pages Weight: 0g
  • Categories: Science: general issues [PD]
Description
Table of
Contents
Reviews
Google
Preview
In today's world of online maps and travel directions delivered wirelessly to hand-held devices, getting from place to place requires little thought from most of us and mdash;which is a good thing, since accurate navigation can be tricky. Get your bearings with Mark Denny and mdash;an expert at explaining scientific concepts to the non-technical reader and mdash;in this all-encompassing look at the history and science of navigation.Denny's tour kicks off with key facts about the earth and how its physical properties affect travel. He discusses cartography and early mapmakers, revealing fascinating tidbits such as the fact that the direction of true north, as well as of magnetic north, changes with time, and details the evolution of navigation from the days of coastal piloting to GPS and other modern-day technologies. Denny explains the scientific breakthroughs in accessible, at times amusing, terms and provides an insightful look at their effects on societies, cultures, and human advancement. Throughout, he frames the long history of navigation with the amazing tales of such people as Pytheas the Greek and Francis Drake and of such discoveries as the magnetic compass and radio direction finding.Whether you have an interest in orienteering and geocaching or want to know more about the critical role navigation has played in human survival and progress since ancient people learned to use lodestones, The Science of Navigation is for you. With it you'll finally understand the why of wayfinding.

Acknowledgment
Introduction: Point of Departure
First Quadrant: Geodesy
1. Earth and Its Orbit
2. Shaping the Earth
Second Quadrant: Cartography
3. Surveying
4. Mapmaking
Third Quadrant: Early Exploration and Navigation
5. Early Explorers, Basic Tools
6. Europe Discovers the World
Fourth Quadrant: Navigation in Modern Times
7. The Age of Sail and Steam
8. The Electronic Age
Conclusion: Nature's Navigators
Technical Appendix
Annotated Bibliography
Index

""Denny, a theoretical physicist and prolific author, impresses his audience with the immense knowledge and effort that has been expended in developing methods for people to navigate from place to place.""

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