The Starbirth Assignment

Working undercover as a teleporter (Shifter ' someone who shifts between dimensions) with British Special Forces, Lock Harford's familiar world starts to come apart with the advent of a drug called Starbirth. The drug affects users' brains enabling them to develop powers that only Lock, and his American friend Mike Northwood, possessed until now. Crime and violence escalates worldwide. Lock has to employ his previously unique skills as Britain's Shifter and neuro-sensor (he can see the metaphysical essence of living beings as an aura) to battle the spread of Starbirth from Colombia, creating sinister enemies. Lock's fate becomes closely allied to that of Jimmy Mackenzie, a Special Air Service (SAS) trooper, as 'defending the realm' becomes a personal fight for their lives in the murky world of drug lords and powerful figures in the military and intelligence community.Science Fiction/fantasy book, speculative fiction, adult content

Lock Harford is exposed to an unknown drug as a teenager in South America. Its unique effects draw the attention of British intelligence, who undertake Lock's development. He has the ability to move his body through a different dimension using the power of thought. His enhanced senses detect living beings as energy pulses, making him invaluable to military and intelligence organisations. They employ him to work alongside elite taskforces, taking passengers using teleportation, 'Shifting' in and lifting operatives out of hostile situations. Lock's handlers are put on red alert when a similar drug, Starbirth, appears in the United States and Britain sold as an illegal 'high'. Distribution spreads across the world and the results of a Starbirth pandemic are feared as criminal and insane teleporters (Shifters) wreak havoc. Lock and a small unit of covert operatives are given the task of finding the source of Starbirth and shutting it down, but their efforts are hindered by corrupt, ruthless people with their own agendas. Lock is joined in his quest by the powerful, infuriating and immensely likeable Jimmy Mackenzie, a Special Air Service trooper whose life is changed forever by events out of their control.In this first book in the Starbirth series, Jackie Johnson develops a brutal mix of suspense, humanity, command and action with a subtle vein of humour that keeps the reader rooting for Harford's team. These books are crafted to stay with the reader long after the story is finished, a rare ability in these days of bubble gum fiction. Starbirth sits confidently alongside such books as The Bourne Identity and Da Vinci Code. Her ability to merge Sci-fi and Special Forces intrigue are second to none. In true Lock Harford style, she successfully infiltrates this Man's World. This book has been EDITED AND UPDATED IN 2016.

Stellar evolution - the birth, development and death of stars - is central to our current understanding of astronomy, but surprisingly the majority of amateur astronomers lack a full understanding of the physics of stars. Current books on the market tend to be highly theoretical and off-putting, in Observer's Guide to Stellar Evolution, Mike Inglis brings this subject to life in a unique way. By combining a step-by-step introduction with suggestions for practical observations of stars at different stages in their evolution, amateur astronomers regardless of their current level of knowledge, will find this book fascinating and informative. -Accessible to every amateur astronomer, regardless of background knowledge. -Step-by-step introduction to the theory of stellar evolution. -Includes many examples of stars at different stages in their evolution, that the reader can observe for him/herself. -Mathematics is made accessible by being presented in 'boxes'that readers can skip over if they prefer!

This unique volume by two renowned astrophotographers unveils the science and history behind 100 of the most significant astronomical images of all time. The authors have carefully selected their list of images from across time and technology to bring to the reader the most relevant photographic images spanning all eras of modern astronomical history. Based on scientific evidence today we have a basic notion of how Earth and the universe came to be. The road to this knowledge was paved with 175 years of astronomical images acquired by the coupling of two revolutionary technologies – the camera and telescope. With ingenuity and determination humankind would quickly embrace these technologies to tell the story of the cosmos and unravel its mysteries. This book presents in pictures and words a photographic chronology of our aspiration to understand the universe. From the first fledgling attempts to photograph the Moon, planets, and stars to the marvels of orbiting observatories that record the cosmos at energies beyond the range of human vision, astronomers have always relied on images to "break through" to the next level of understanding. A subset of these breakthrough images has profound significance in documenting some of the greatest milestones in modern astronomy.

Explore the curiosities of our galaxy with this comprehensive, digestible guide to astronomy! Too often, textbooks obscure the beauty and wonder of outer space with tedious discourse that even Galileo would oppose. Astronomy 101 cuts out the boring details and lengthy explanations, and instead, gives you a lesson in astronomy that keeps you engaged as you discover what's hidden beyond our starry sky. From the Big Bang and nebulae to the Milky Way and Sir Isaac Newton, this celestial primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining astronomy facts, charts, and photographs you won't be able to get anywhere else. So whether you’re looking to unravel the mystery behind black holes, or just want to learn more about your favorite planets, Astronomy 101 has all the answers—even the ones you didn’t know you were looking for.

Did God arrange the stars in the sky to spell out his ultimate plans for the human race? Such is the conclusion of this curious book, first published in 1882 as an attempt to reconcile Christianity with the public fascination with astrology... a fascination that endures today. In this profusely illustrated volume, discover the connections between the signs of the Zodiac and Christian symbolism-Leo the lion represents Jesus, for instance; the Gemini twins signify both the relationship of Adam and Eve as well as God's relationship with his church. Building upon this language of the stars, the author demonstrates the truth of God's "one plan and purpose of Redemption for fallen man." American Lutheran pastor JOSEPH AUGUST SEISS (1823-1904) was born in Maryland and served congregations in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. In addition to numerous translations of hymns from the original German, he also authored numerous books, including The Apocalypse.

This spectacularly illustrated book is a comprehensive exploration of astronomy through the eyes of the world's observatories and spacecraft missions. Featuring the latest and most stunning images, it provides a magnificent picture of the beauty of the cosmos. The accompanying text is an accessible guide to the science behind the wonders and includes clear explanations of all the major themes in astronomy. An essential guide to understanding and appreciating the Universe, Visions of the Cosmos builds on the success of the authors' previous book, Hubble Vision, which became an international best-seller and won world-wide acclaim. Carolyn Collins Petersen is a science journalist and creator of educational materials for astronomy. She is the former Editor of Books & Products at Sky Publishing Corporation, and served as Editor of SkyWatch and Associate Editor of Sky & Telescope magazines. Petersen is the lead author of the book Hubble Vision, first published in 1995 by Cambridge University Press, and co-written with Dr. John C. Brandt. She is also co-editor (with J. Kelly Beatty and Andrew Chaikin) of The New Solar System, fourth edition, co-published by Sky Publishing Corporation and Cambridge University Press. John C. Brandt has held positions as a research scientist, teacher, and administrator, and is currently an adjunct professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Mexico. He served for 20 years as Chief of a major NASA scientific laboratory and was the Principal Inverstigator for the Goddard High Resolution Spectograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. John received the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1978 and 1992, and has had a minor planet formally named after him (3503 Brandt) for his fundamental contributions to understanding of solar system astrophysics.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 15th International Symposium on Algorithmic Game Theory, SAGT 2022, which took place in Colchester, UK, in September 2022. The 31 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 83 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: Auctions, markets and mechanism design; computational aspects in games; congestion and network creation games; data sharing and learning; social choice and stable matchings.

Annotation Papers from a March 2000 meeting report on challenges in the areas of stellar dynamics, computing, and observations of the Milky Way, star clusters, and dense stellar systems in active galactic nuclei. Subjects discussed include star cluster dynamics, direct N-body simulation, structure and potential of the Galaxy as a whole and of the solar neighborhood, the Galaxy's nucleus, satellites, and disk dynamics, and its globular cluster system. Some specific paper topics include Monte Carlo simulations of globular cluster dynamics, stellar collisions in the galactic center, faint moving objects of the dark halo, and cross-dynamics of open clusters in the Galaxy. This work lacks a subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)