Starburst
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Book Overview
THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST The crew of the Constitution--scientists cum astronauts--had been carefully screened for extremely high intelligence and superb physical qualities. They were to be the first explorers sent to another stellar system. There they would explore the planet Alpha-Aleph and then return. They were the toast of the world press--true heroes, for they were to go where no man had gone before. Or so they thought. Dr. Dieter von Knefhausen knew otherwise--for there was no planet, no place to go...and no place from which to return. Knefhuasen had planned it that way. Of course, Knefhausen realized his plan wasn't exactly ethical. But then, he knew the ends often justify the means. And Knefhausen's plan worked better then even he had ever hoped!
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0345275373
ISBN13:9780345275370
Release Date:November 1983
Publisher:Del Rey Books
Length:219 Pages
Weight:0.30 lbs.
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
This novel makes a Math conjecture that may be unique
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I read this novel nearly 2 decades ago. While only a vague recollection of the plot remains with me, the sense of wonder I experienced from Pohl's idea of a "recreational math" program designed to provoke genius left a lasting impression.One scene in particular stands out. The supergenius crew has made several revolutionary engineering advances (among them controlled fusion), but rather than just send them back to Earth, convert the document describing them to a very large number (via a real technique, "Godelization"), then, ingeniously and intuitively, rewrite the number as a short arithmetic expression: (3.875*12^26)! + 1973^854 +331^852 + 17^2008 + 3^9606 + 2^88 - 78.The idea that such a thing is possible contradicts information theory, and has provoked some interesting discussion among number theorists, who generally agree that it is not. That the original document was "tweaked" slightly provides just enough of a loophole that I've yet to make up my mind about it.If you're a Math lover, even if you dislike science fiction, I highly recommend you find and read this book. Fred Pohl clearly loved Math, too.
Hard core sci-fi read
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
A cute, not-very-long novel about a journey to Alpha Centauri by 8 of Earth's best and brightest. Catch: the President has agreed to use them as guinea pigs for a genius-making experiment. They are sent to visit a planet that doesn't exist, knowing they can't return and will all die in space. But, on the journey, they will be forced to become super geniuses, and perhaps solve Earth's problems as a side-product! Silly, but somehow, Pohl pulls it off convincingly. Pohl's English is sometimes quaint (e.g., 'Januarys'), but his obvious attempt to study hard science and put it in his sci-fi in a popular form is commendable. As a work of literature ... forget it; cut-out characters, made to serve the sci-fi.
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