252:, Perkowitz questions how much faith can be put into Hollywood's depiction of scientists and their work; how accurately these films capture scientific fact and theory; whether cataclysms like the earth's collision with a comet can actually happen; and to what extent these films influence public opinion about science and the future. The book features dozens of film stills and a list of the all-time best and worst science-fiction movies.
314:
and its integration into commerce, telecommunications, entertainment, medicine, warfare, and every other aspect of daily life. And he presents the role of light in the search for the beginning and the end of the universe, as astronomers with their instruments penetrate ever deeper into the sky. His
300:, controls bleeding in trauma victims, aids in drilling for oil, and captures dust particles from comets. The foam of ocean whitecaps affects Earth's climate, and astronomers believe the billions of galaxies that make up the universe rest on surfaces of immense bubbles within a gargantuan foam.
343:
Sidney
Perkowitz has written nearly 100 articles, essays, and book chapters on science for popular audiences, including children. In addition to the major media outlets referenced above, publications in which his works have appeared include
435:(1983). His topics include popular science, the humor and culture of science, science on stage and screen, science and art, science and mythology, the literature of technology, and contemporary artists who use scientific ideas.
1269:
83:
In 1990, Perkowitz's interests turned to presenting science to non-scientists via books and articles, the media, lectures, museum exhibits, and stage works. His popular science books
306:(1996) discusses the nature of light, how the eye sees, and how human understanding of these phenomena have emerged over the ages, including the role of light in the development of
463:(1950) on my to-rent list—and delves into the serious issues of how such films serve to educate the public and to inspire the scientific enterprise. I give it two thumbs up!”
77:
474:
is "A helpful book—a straightforward summarization of the myth and magic, science and struggles, ideals and cautions that constitute the history of artificial beings.”
1299:
272:
tells of reanimating dead body parts into something that resembles a living human being (these are two examples of many given by
Perkowitz). The term “
258:(2005) recounts the history of humankind's fascination with creating thinking beings from inanimate objects. Ancient Greek mythology tells of the god
268:
1277:
76:, where he has pursued research on the properties of matter and has produced more than 100 scientific papers and books. He is a Fellow of the
974:
905:
536:
494:
as “A wondrous, mind-expanding tour of the visible world" and as “Smoothly written, comprehensive, and thoroughly enjoyable," respectively.
296:
in human life, from cappuccino to the cosmos. Foam affects the taste of beer, makes shaving easier, insulates take-out coffee cups and NASA
335:’s elegant measurements of planetary positions to the Hubble telescope’s exquisite sensitivity to light from billions of light years away.
1406:
856:
1374:"Nonfiction Book Review: Empire of Light by Sidney Perkowitz, Author Henry Holt & Company $ 27.5 (240p) ISBN 978-0-8050-3211-6"
160:, all produced on stage. He recently completed his first screenplay. He blogs about science for the National Academy of Sciences.
443:
Sidney
Perkowitz's science books for popular audiences have generally been well received by critics in national publications. The
190:. Even though the quantum mysteries of light are still not fully understood, it can be slowed to a stop and speeded up beyond its
762:
788:
510:
591:
236:
286:, but soon it was a standard term used everywhere to describe these fictional machines and their real-life counterparts.
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352:
242:
191:
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606:
224:
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414:
248:
1200:
Perkowitz, Sidney (September–October 1996). "Mildred
Thompson: A Review of Her Retrospective Exhibit".
209:
72:
is a scientist and science writer. He is the
Charles Howard Candler Professor Emeritus of Physics at
846:
646:
543:
1355:
1236:
885:
426:
398:
376:
218:
30:
1270:"Slow Light, Softcover, by Sidney Perkowitz, Scientific American Book Club® - sciambookclub.com"
1091:
Perkowitz, Sidney (Spring 2005). "Digital People in
Manufacturing: Making Them and Using Them".
1072:
Perkowitz, Sidney (2009–2010). "Resistance is
Unnecessary: Accepting the Cyborg in our Midst".
970:
901:
852:
364:
120:
114:
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573:
408:
358:
346:
311:
73:
57:
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693:
307:
199:
126:
997:
Perkowitz, Sidney (February 26, 1989). "Don't Toss Your Old
Communications Systems Yet".
955:
577:
1400:
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392:
328:
297:
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208:(2007) discusses the portrayal of science in more than one hundred films, including
932:
792:
568:
Perkowitz, Sidney (May–June 1991). "True Colors: Why Things Look the Way They Do".
263:
108:
514:
459:“Great fun. It brings less-well-known films to the reader’s attention—I’m putting
1351:
879:
815:"About Sidney | Sidney Perkowitz - Science | Technology | Culture"
451:“Shines with insights from the cutting edge of physics.” David Schneider of the
332:
320:
1232:
198:; teleported; manipulated to create invisibility; and perhaps used to generate
420:
277:
259:
230:
182:(2011) is Perkowitz's fifth book of science nonfiction for popular audiences.
832:
719:
940:
164:
814:
406:, and more. His work has also appeared in national journals, including
1125:
Perkowitz, Sidney (January 23, 1993). "Spelling it Right in
Karachi".
542:. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Archived from
282:
101:
Slow Light: Invisibility, Teleportation, and Other
Mysteries of Light
167:, NY, and was educated at Polytechnic University, New York, and the
1216:
897:
1325:"Gazette | All Things Ornamental: The Arts (July|Aug04)"
1170:
Perkowitz, Sidney (Winter 1996). "Art Upsets, Science Reassures".
966:
324:
273:
187:
186:
is a popular treatment of recent breakthroughs in the science of
293:
148:, among others. He is the author of the performance-dance piece
1185:
Perkowitz, Sidney (June 1996). "Connecting with E.M. Forster".
1142:
Times (London) Educational Supplement (Science & Technology
1110:
Perkowitz, Sidney (November 28, 1988). "When East Meets West".
262:
who was lame and created winged servants to assist him, while
145:
141:
137:
95:
have been translated into six languages and Braille. His book
1042:
Perkowitz, Sidney (March 3, 1991). "The War Science Waged".
1027:
Perkowitz, Sidney (March 3, 1991). "The War Science Waged".
1012:
Perkowitz, Sidney (March 3, 1991). "The War Science Waged".
647:"Sidney Perkowitz: Contributions to Encyclopædia Britannica"
631:
Perkowitz, Sidney (March 3, 1991). "The War Science Waged".
1258:. Ithaca, NY: Cornell East Asia Series. pp. ix–xiii.
1155:
Perkowitz, Sidney (September 2001). "Foamy 'Fizzicks'".
1338:
Barker, G. C. (2000). "PHYSICS: All Kinds of Bubbles".
1300:"Short takes on three books » American Scientist"
323:’s stark blocks of color in today’s art museums, from
961:. Joseph Henry Press/National Academies Press. 1998.
136:and others. Media appearances and lectures include
99:was published in Fall 2007, and his latest volume,
78:
American Association for the Advancement of Science
53:
38:
25:
18:
954:
1217:"The Six Elements: Visions of a Complex Universe"
742:"Doolee Guide to Modern Playwrights and Theater"
1057:Perkowitz, Sidney (May 23, 2004). "Hi, Robot".
228:and concluding with more recent offerings like
1140:Perkowitz, Sidney (Autumn 2000). "Fizzicks!".
881:Digital People: From Bionic Humans to Androids
791:. National Academy of Sciences. Archived from
331:’s modern analysis of the visual system, from
327:’s speculation that the eye sends out rays to
256:Digital People: From Bionic Humans to Androids
8:
851:. Columbia University Press. December 2007.
694:"Three films that would make Einstein blush"
15:
831:. Imperial College Press. Archived from
763:"SCIENTIST SPOTLIGHT: SIDNEY PERKOWITZ"
502:
482:“Broad-ranging and enlightening.”, and
269:Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
292:(2001) exposes the full dimensions of
1388:"EMPIRE OF LIGHT by Sidney Perkowitz"
7:
789:"Science and Entertainment Exchange"
716:"Isadora Duncan Foundation Website"
592:"Brother Can You Spare a Cyclotron"
310:. Perkowitz examines the making of
767:Science and Entertainment Exchange
578:10.1002/j.2326-1951.1991.tb02304.x
513:. Emory University. Archived from
216:. Beginning with early films like
14:
1256:Foreword: Between Word and Number
1215:Perkowitz, Sidney (April 2010).
605:Perkowitz, Sidney (1997-07-20).
106:Perkowitz has also written for
212:, scientific biographies, and
194:, 186,000 miles/sec; used for
1:
445:Scientific American Book Club
163:Sidney Perkowitz was born in
1352:10.1126/science.289.5478.398
1059:Atlanta Journal-Constitution
371:Atlanta Journal-Constitution
315:examinations range from the
1433:
1254:Perkowitz, Sidney (2003).
1233:10.1162/leon.2010.43.2.208
196:quantum telecommunications
169:University of Pennsylvania
649:. Encyclopædia Britannica
317:cave paintings at Lascaux
103:, was published in 2011.
63:
46:
1407:American science writers
890:National Academies Press
433:The Metaphorical Circuit
1014:The Manchester Guardian
353:The Manchester Guardian
192:Einsteinian speed limit
133:Encyclopædia Britannica
1274:www.sciambookclub.com
1187:The American Prospect
1044:The Houston Chronicle
431:and in books such as
415:The American Prospect
249:An Inconvenient Truth
669:"Big Screen Science"
594:. Technology Review.
468:Pennsylvania Gazette
466:Beth Kephart of the
461:Panic in the Streets
447:reviewer wrote that
276:” was first used in
1417:American scientists
1280:on 13 December 2011
537:"Roster of Fellows"
154:Friedmann’s Balloon
886:Joseph Henry Press
549:on 6 February 2012
517:on 15 October 2012
511:"Sidney Perkowitz"
453:American Scientist
439:Critical reception
219:Voyage to the Moon
150:Albert and Isadora
31:Brooklyn, New York
1376:. September 1996.
976:978-0-309-06556-6
907:978-0-309-09619-5
848:Hollywood Science
769:. 8 November 2011
611:Los Angeles Times
484:Publishers Weekly
457:Hollywood Science
365:Houston Chronicle
237:War of the Worlds
206:Hollywood Science
121:Los Angeles Times
115:Technology Review
97:Hollywood Science
67:
66:
48:Scientific career
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1311:
1302:. Archived from
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1276:. Archived from
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1245:
1244:
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722:on 15 March 2012
718:. Archived from
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476:Science Magazine
427:Leonardo Journal
409:Denver Quarterly
359:San Jose Mercury
347:The Miami Herald
312:electrical light
243:A Beautiful Mind
152:, and the plays
74:Emory University
70:Sidney Perkowitz
58:Emory University
20:Sidney Perkowitz
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795:on 21 June 2012
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633:Washington Post
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607:"Light Reading"
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492:Empire of Light
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308:quantum physics
304:Empire of Light
210:science fiction
200:hydrogen fusion
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127:Washington Post
85:Empire of Light
34:
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12:
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1227:(2): 208–211.
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935:. 2001-10-16.
929:Universal Foam
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898:10.17226/10738
871:
857:
838:
835:on 2012-08-22.
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488:Kirkus Reviews
480:Universal Foam
472:Digital People
440:
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340:
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298:Space Shuttles
290:Universal Foam
266:’s 1818 novel
176:
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93:Digital People
89:Universal Foam
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1346:(5478): 398.
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1306:on 2012-05-23
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1308:. Retrieved
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911:. Retrieved
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833:the original
829:"Slow Light"
823:
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797:. Retrieved
793:the original
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745:. Retrieved
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724:. Retrieved
720:the original
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696:. 2010-02-23
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614:. Retrieved
610:
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570:The Sciences
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544:the original
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54:Institutions
47:
1099:(1): 21–25.
470:wrote that
333:Tycho Brahe
321:Mark Rothko
39:Nationality
1401:Categories
1310:2012-05-29
1202:Art Papers
1174:: 120–131.
1093:The Bridge
498:References
449:Slow Light
421:Art Papers
382:The Bridge
278:Karl Capek
260:Hephaestus
231:The Matrix
225:Metropolis
184:Slow Light
180:Slow Light
1360:118257185
572:: 22–28.
399:The Times
1241:57568744
1221:Leonardo
1189:: 86–89.
1080:: 26–27.
941:7441854M
892:. 2004.
339:Articles
165:Brooklyn
42:American
1340:Science
1159:: 6–11.
1157:Odyssey
1074:Literal
799:25 June
747:20 June
726:20 June
478:called
455:called
424:, and
404:Odyssey
377:Literal
202:power.
1358:
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