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Quasar, Quasar, Burning Bright: [Essays]
Seventeen essays deal with ice ages, undiscovered elements, Antarctic waters, a tenth planet, quasars, and other subjects of current scientific interest
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1978
3 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,358 books28.1k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 20, 2019
En general Asimov es una gozada, pero este tomo le salió demasiado técnico. Cada entrega empieza con la introducción carismática de siempre, pero después... es realmente como estar en una clase dura de química, física, geología, sin ningún dato freak amable que aligere la jornada.
A mí me encantan las ciencias, pero para entenderlas y quererlas, hay que encontrar una relación entre ellas y todo lo que somos nosotros, que estamos hechos de ella. Y acá, al menos yo, no logré hacer el link. Aunque reconozco que llegué solamente a la mitad.
Entre nos, le pondría una estrella y no dos, porque simplemente no me gustó, pero no quiero que el libro tenga demasiada mala evaluación final, y perpetuar el mito de que la parte científica y matemática de la vida, es aburrida y difícil. Aunque acá lo sea. :o
A mí me encantan las ciencias, pero para entenderlas y quererlas, hay que encontrar una relación entre ellas y todo lo que somos nosotros, que estamos hechos de ella. Y acá, al menos yo, no logré hacer el link. Aunque reconozco que llegué solamente a la mitad.
Entre nos, le pondría una estrella y no dos, porque simplemente no me gustó, pero no quiero que el libro tenga demasiada mala evaluación final, y perpetuar el mito de que la parte científica y matemática de la vida, es aburrida y difícil. Aunque acá lo sea. :o
August 23, 2018
I don't think I could give a collection of his essay's anything less than 5 Stars...
June 17, 2007
Please see my review of X Stands for Unknown ([http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98...]) for general comments on Isaac Asimov's science essays. However, I'll add one more here: One of the joys of reading Asimov's science fact is that he usually takes care to provide a historical context for scientific discoveries. That way, even if the topic itself is outdated (and even wrong, perhaps), the essay is still worth reading, for studying the history and methods of scientific inquiry is always instructive (and, to me, enjoyable).
Quasar, Quasar, Burning Bright, the 13th collection of Asimov articles for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, covers the period of May, 1976 through September, 1977. It begins with two essays speculating about properties of superheavy elements. There follows "It's a Wonderful Town," a discussion of New York, the author's home town, and its future given contemporary trends in migration. Three essays chart the rise of the USA to world leadership as a direct result of technological advances and innovation. Asimov outlines the contemporary theory explaining the recent series of Ice Ages (probably not quite correct, though the basic concepts are still relevant) in a series of three essays. Next, he retells the history of the discovery of the three planets (well, two planets and dwarf planet) discovered during historical times—Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Turning to matters of the greater Universe, Asimov writes, in three articles, about the brightest (compact) objects in the Universe (quasars, now called "active galactic nuclei"), and about the densest (i.e., neutron stars and black holes).
Lastly, there appears an excellent diatribe, "Asimov's Corollary," about the American public's extreme skepticism of revolutionary ideas in legitimate science, and simultaneous willing credulity in all forms of crazy pseudoscience. Asimov's Corollary says, "If a scientific heresy is ignored or denounced by the general public, there is a chance it may be right. If a scientific heresy is emotionally supported by the general public, it is almost certainly wrong." He also gives a list of arguments he will automatically, and it is an excellent one. They include arguments from authority ("The Bible says so"); arguments from internal conviction ("I believe it, therefore it's true"); arguments from personal abuse ("You're an athiest, and therefore wrong"); arguments from irrelevance ("Teaching evolution leads to abortion"); and arguments from anecdote ("My cousin's brother-in-law was abducted by aliens....").
Quasar, Quasar, Burning Bright, the 13th collection of Asimov articles for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, covers the period of May, 1976 through September, 1977. It begins with two essays speculating about properties of superheavy elements. There follows "It's a Wonderful Town," a discussion of New York, the author's home town, and its future given contemporary trends in migration. Three essays chart the rise of the USA to world leadership as a direct result of technological advances and innovation. Asimov outlines the contemporary theory explaining the recent series of Ice Ages (probably not quite correct, though the basic concepts are still relevant) in a series of three essays. Next, he retells the history of the discovery of the three planets (well, two planets and dwarf planet) discovered during historical times—Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. Turning to matters of the greater Universe, Asimov writes, in three articles, about the brightest (compact) objects in the Universe (quasars, now called "active galactic nuclei"), and about the densest (i.e., neutron stars and black holes).
Lastly, there appears an excellent diatribe, "Asimov's Corollary," about the American public's extreme skepticism of revolutionary ideas in legitimate science, and simultaneous willing credulity in all forms of crazy pseudoscience. Asimov's Corollary says, "If a scientific heresy is ignored or denounced by the general public, there is a chance it may be right. If a scientific heresy is emotionally supported by the general public, it is almost certainly wrong." He also gives a list of arguments he will automatically, and it is an excellent one. They include arguments from authority ("The Bible says so"); arguments from internal conviction ("I believe it, therefore it's true"); arguments from personal abuse ("You're an athiest, and therefore wrong"); arguments from irrelevance ("Teaching evolution leads to abortion"); and arguments from anecdote ("My cousin's brother-in-law was abducted by aliens....").
November 30, 2013
Asimov frequently wrote essays for The Magazine of Fantasy ans Science Fiction. This book is a collection of 17 non-fiction essays, written on a variety of subjects. He starts with atoms, goes to cities, the United States, our Solar System, and eventually the Universe. (In the final essay he talks about himself. Seeing as he went from smallest to biggest, and knowing Asimov's sense of humor, one has to wonder if the placement was intentional.) This book has a bit of dated information, but it is still interesting, and everything is presented in context.
So in summary, this book is interesting, even if not everything is relevant anymore.
So in summary, this book is interesting, even if not everything is relevant anymore.
August 21, 2021
Some of these essays were over my head, some were really fascinating, and many were obviously dated (this was written in the 70s after all). But Asimov's style is very accessible and engaging and I enjoyed reading it for the most part.
May 26, 2021
The more essays on astronomy there are in the collection, the better I like it, and this one was particularly dedicated to my favorite science.
June 26, 2019
Wonderful original essays
December 24, 2021
-Gregory Kerkman
May 24, 2016
This is a collection of short stories previously published in "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction." This is his third collection of these stories and at the time of publication, it was said he has written over 200 books.
I found these stories to be very scientific and dry reading. Each begins with an amazing anecdote, but after that -- no. I tried reading one half of the book and felt like I retained nothing. After that, I just read the little personal pieces that began each chapter.
I guess ok if you have a technical interest, and I consider that I do, but this was way too technically detailed for casual reading.
I found these stories to be very scientific and dry reading. Each begins with an amazing anecdote, but after that -- no. I tried reading one half of the book and felt like I retained nothing. After that, I just read the little personal pieces that began each chapter.
I guess ok if you have a technical interest, and I consider that I do, but this was way too technically detailed for casual reading.
September 29, 2021
An interesting collection of essays on a variety of science topics. The major exception (which prevented a four star rating) was the book's final essay "Assimov's Corollary", which contained several swipes at religion (such as flatly declaring that there is absolutely no evidence that there is any kind of afterlife). He even manages to imply that creationist biologists are not really biologists.
February 23, 2015
wonderfully entertaining
July 24, 2015
Excelente libro, explicado con claridad y lenguaje (casi siempre) simple. El único problema es la época en que fue escrito. La ciencia avanza y lo publicado permanece estático.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews