Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy in the Context of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention

Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy in the Context of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention
Author: Clive L. N. Ruggles
Publisher:
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2017-11-30
Genre: Archaeoastronomy
ISBN: 9780954086770

This joint venture between ICOMOS, the advisory body to UNESCO on cultural sites, and the International Astronomical Union is the second volume in an ongoing exploration of themes and issues relating to astronomical heritage in particular and to science and technology heritage in general. It examines a number of key questions relating to astronomical heritage sites and their potential recognition as World Heritage, attempting to identify what might constitute "outstanding universal value" in relation to astronomy. "Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy--Volume 2" represents the culmination of several years' work to address some of the most challenging issues raised in the first ICOMOS-IAU Thematic Study, published in 2010. These include the recognition and preservation of the value of dark skies at both cultural and natural sites and landscapes; balancing archaeoastronomical considerations in the context of broader archaeological and cultural values; the potential for serial nominations; and management issues such as preserving the integrity of astronomical sightlines through the landscape.Its case studies are developed in greater depth than those in volume 1, and generally structured as segments of draft nomination dossiers. They include seven-stone antas (prehistoric dolmens) in Portugal and Spain, the thirteen towers of Chankillo in Peru, the astronomical timing of irrigation in Oman, Pic du Midi de Bigorre Observatory in France, Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and Aoraki-Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in New Zealand. A case study on Stonehenge, already a World Heritage Site, focuses on preserving the integrity of the solstitial sightlines.As for the first ICOMOS-IAU Thematic Study, a international team of authors including historians, astronomers and heritage professionals is led by Professor Clive Ruggles for the IAU and Professor Michel Cotte for ICOMOS.

Astronomy in India: A Historical Perspective

Astronomy in India: A Historical Perspective
Author: Thanu Padmanabhan
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2014-08-20
Genre: Science
ISBN: 818489998X

India has a strong and ancient tradition of astronomy, which seamlessly merges with the current activities in Astronomy and Astrophysics in the country. While the younger generation of astronomers and students are reasonably familiar with the current facilities and the astronomical research, they might not have an equally good knowledge of the rich history of Indian astronomy. This particular volume, brought out as a part of the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of Indian National Science Academy, concentrates on selected aspects of historical development of Indian astronomy in the form of six invited chapters. Two of the chapters – by Balachandra Rao and M.S. Sriram – cover ancient astronomy and the development of calculus in the ancient Kerela text Yuktibhasa. The other four chapters by B.V. Sreekantan, Siraj Hasan, Govind Swarup and Jayant Narlikar deal with the contemporary history of Indian astronomy covering space astronomy, optical astronomy, radio astronomy and developments in relativistic astrophysics. These chapters, written by experts in the field, provide an in-depth study of the subject and make this volume quite unique.

Predator

Predator
Author: Richard Whittle
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2014-09-16
Genre: History
ISBN: 0805099646

A history of the Predator drone, discussing how it transformed the American military, reshaped modern warfare, and triggered a revolution in aviation.

The Theory of Sets of Points

The Theory of Sets of Points
Author: W. H. Young
Publisher: American Mathematical Soc.
Total Pages: 346
Release: 2013-09-30
Genre: Mathematics
ISBN: 1470409623

From the Preface to the first edition (1906): "A few of the most modern books on the Theory of Functions devote some pages to the establishment of certain results belonging to our subject, and required for the special purposes in hand... But we may fairly claim that the present work is the first attempt at a systematic exposition of the subject as a whole."

Wiki at War

Wiki at War
Author: James Jay Carafano
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2012
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1603445862

In Wiki at War, James Jay Carafano explains why these and other Internet-born initiatives matter and how they are likely to affect the future face of war, diplomacy, and domestic politics.