Physics Today

Magazine Overview

Title: Physics Today
Issue: Vol. 17, No. 11
Date: November 1964
Publisher: American Institute of Physics
Country: USA
Language: English
Price: $1.00

This issue of Physics Today features a prominent review of "The World of Flying Saucers" by Donald H. Menzel and Lyle G. Boyd, with a review by J. Allen Hynek. The magazine also includes reviews of "The Critical Approach to Science and Philosophy," edited by Mario Bunge, and "Fundamentals of Orbital Mechanics" by D. A. Pogorelov. A section dedicated to "Books Received" lists numerous new publications across various scientific disciplines.

Reviews

The World of Flying Saucers

Reviewed by J. Allen Hynek, this book by Donald H. Menzel and Lyle G. Boyd is described as a "Scientific Examination of a Major Myth of the Space Age." The authors examined the complete file of the US Air Force on flying saucer reports and linked them to stimuli that often give rise to such reports. Hynek notes that the book does not shy away from controversial sightings. The core postulate of the book, as stated by Hynek, is that UFOs are typically usual objects or phenomena observed under unusual conditions. The review highlights that UFO reports seem to stem from a "heterogeneous collection of stimuli" rather than a single phenomenon. The book is praised for its lucid presentation and its exploration of the role science fiction played in setting the stage for the flying saucer phenomenon in the US. While acknowledging that some UFO reports are difficult to explain, the authors suggest that many can be attributed to phenomena like ball lightning, meteors, stars, planets, artificial satellites, birds, and migrating spiders. The reviewer, a consultant to the Air Force, attests to the "wonderful, wacky world" of flying saucers and finds the book to be a "wonderfully well told story."

The Critical Approach to Science and Philosophy

This collection of 29 essays, edited by Mario Bunge, honors Karl R. Popper. The contributors are described as leading figures in their fields, and the essays reflect Popper's influence, often by way of reaction. The book is recommended for philosophers, physicists, biologists, mathematicians, and social scientists concerned with methodology. The reviewer notes that the presentation is lucid, making it a good starting point for examining the subjects discussed, though some omissions, like ionization phenomena, are regretted.

Fundamentals of Orbital Mechanics

Reviewed by T. Teichmann, this book by D. A. Pogorelov, translated from Russian, focuses on the orbital motion of small bodies in central fields. It provides a practical approach to computing orbits and determining orbital elements, influenced by astronomical origins. The book derives Keplerian orbits from Newton's equation in vector form and explicitly provides relations for range, altitude, velocity, and error. The reviewer points out that while the approach is direct and useful, it is unfortunate that important effects like rotation and oblateness were not introduced, limiting its scope for readers going beyond the basic Kepler ellipse.

Books Received

This section lists recent publications categorized into Experimental Techniques, Geophysics & Earth Sciences, Handbooks, Tables, etc., and Mathematics. Titles include "Methods of Experimental Physics," "Effects of Radiation on Materials and Components," "Advances in Electronic Circuit Packaging," "Exponential and Critical Experiments," "Plenum Press Handbooks of High-Temperature Materials," "Electron Density Distribution in Ionosphere and Exosphere," "Cloud Physics," "Heat Transfer in the Soil," "Descriptive Physical Oceanography," "Air Survey of Sand Deposits by Spectral Luminance," "Infrared Absorption Spectra Index for 1958-1962," "The Universal Encyclopedia of Mathematics," "Die mathematischen Hilfsmittel des Physikers," "Recent Advances in Matrix Theory," "Mathematical Methods of Physics," and "Elements of Numerical Analysis."

Advertising

An advertisement for Agilent Technologies' new IDP-7 & IDP-10 Dry Scroll Vacuum Pumps is featured on page 1. Another advertisement on page 3 promotes the Perkin-Elmer Model 5100 Frequency-Stabilized Practical Laser, highlighting its applications in metrology.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme in this issue is the critical examination of phenomena, whether it be flying saucers, scientific philosophy, or orbital mechanics. The editorial stance appears to favor a scientific, evidence-based approach, as exemplified by the review of "The World of Flying Saucers" which critiques the phenomenon from a scientific perspective. The inclusion of numerous book reviews across various scientific fields suggests an aim to inform the physics community about the latest research and literature.