Fireballs

first 4 pages in chapter 1.

In celebration of Missy’s birthday, Grandma takes her to buy a plant. Her favorites are the bromeliads, and the variety Missy chooses are called “Fireballs.” The center of the plant is known as the “mother,” while little sprouts—or “pups”—grow next to her. At home, Missy puts her Fireball in a sunny place, and soon, more pups begin to grow. Some of the pups need to be moved to other pots in order to grow properly. The pups and mother worry about the consequences of being separated, but it must be done for the good of the family. Enlisting the help of others in the garden, Mother Fireball and her pups cope with the distance. The kind community spreads love far and wide, proving that families can feel close even when not living together. By working as friends and trusting each other, all the creatures of the garden form a loving bond.

On 30 June 1908 a mysterious fireball exploded in the Siberian sky and flattened 2,000 square kilometres of the remote Tunguska forest. As no crater and no material from outer space were ever found, a meteorite could not have caused the Tunguska explosion. So what did? This 'grand dame of science mysteries' soon turns 100 but continues to seduce scientists and charlatans alike, all hoping to explain what caused the explosion. The scientists' suspects include a comet, an asteroid, a mini black hole, a rock of antimatter, a mirror matter asteroid, and a methane gas blast from below. X-files-type explanations include an alien spacecraft, a laser beam fired by extraterrestrials in an attempt to communicate with the earthlings, and an early experiment in nuclear physics which got out of hand. Numerous websites, conspiracy theories and sensational TV documentaries on the Fireball abound. In a fast-moving and non-technical narrative The Tunguska Fireball discusses all theories and then analyses the evidence to point an accusing finger at a prime suspect.

This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Fundamentals of Software Engineering, FSEN 2017, held in Tehran, Iran, in April 2017. The 16 full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 49 submissions. The topics of interest in FSEN span over all aspects of formal methods, especially those related to advancing the application of formal methods in software industry and promoting their integration with practical engineering techniques.

This fresh look at Hollywood's "Queen of Screwball," Carole Lombard, presents a first-ever examination of the events that led to the shocking flight mishap that took her life on the side of a Nevada mountain in 1942. It also provides a day-by-day account of the struggles of Lombard's husband, Clark Gable, and other family, friends, and fans to cope with the tragedy. In effect, having just completed the first sale of war bonds and stamps in the nation following its entry into World War II, Lombard became the first Hollywood start to sacrifice her life in the War. The War Department offered Gable a funeral service with full military honors, but he refused it, knowing that his wife would not approve of such spectacle. Based on extensive research rather than gossip, this investigation further explores the lives of the 21 others on the plane, including 15 members of the U.S. Army Air Corps, and addresses one of the most enduring mysteries of World War II. On a clear night full of stars, with TWA's most experienced pilot at the controls of a 10-month-old aircraft under the power of two fully functioning engines, why did the flight crash into that Nevada mountainside? This gripping page-turner presents the story of the people on the plane, the friends and families left behind, and the heroic first responders who struggled up a mountain hoping to perform a miracle rescue. It is a story of accomplishment, bravery, sacrifice, and loss.

Portfolio of 8 charts accompanies v. 83.