First Lights

Humanity's first big push to outer space. It's been over twenty years since the SolRescue sunshield saved the world from runaway climate change. Or at least bought the world a little time. But in this new world, where the people have started to win back power from the old elites, and where the first uncertain steps are being taken to expand offplanet, there are alliances at work to reverse all of the progress that has been made. When Guiana Space Centre Flight Director Nicolas Clouatre is framed for the destruction of the European Space Agency's first extra-orbital habitat, he realizes that there's little he can do to clear his name. His only choice is to run, and hope for a chance to redeem himself. For Anita Singhal, one of the creators of the original sunshield, there hasn't been much personal gain for what she was a part of; in fact, faced with a lawsuit from her former partners and living in one of the poorest sections of New York City, she spends most of her time depressed and alone. But she's starting to realize that her past is about to catch up with her, and that maybe it's time she learned to accept it. National Security Agency employee Benj McPherson has an almost-famous father and a less-known criminal past. When a suspicious coworker tries to blackmail him into spying on a secret project of the US Air Force, he finds himself trapped in the middle of a government at war with itself. It's not clear to any of them just who is sabotaging offplanet missions and murdering spaceflight engineers and support crew. But it's becoming obvious that every single one of them would make an ideal next target.

Cubs Forever celebrates the 60-year romance between the team, the superstation, and the fans. It brings to life some of the great games and moments in the team's history, such as Ernie Banks' 500th home run, the first night game at Wrigley Field, and four no-hitters. Add in stories from the men who work behind the scenes at Wrigley and WGN, plus interviews with the team's many stars over this six-decade period, and you have a baseball bonanza for fans of all ages.

Combining theory and application, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting provides a comprehensive analysis of lighting systems along with examples and illustrations of the technical tools and methods used in the industry. An entertaining and educational read, author Steven Louis Shelley draws from his 35+ years of diverse experience to explain how to get the job done along with real-life examples of projects from start to finish. Learn why some techniques are successful while others fail with 'Shelley's Notes' and 'Shelley's Soapbox,' all with a humor that guides you through complex problems and concepts. Highlights include: -Over 100 new topics, including analysis and application of the three categories of collaboration; a detailed examination of production meetings and one-on-one meetings; and meeting checklists with management and the creative team. -Over 50 new illustrations, including Shelley's Periodic Table of Fundamental Lighting Systems; groundplans, sections, and front elevations that illustrate basic system wash configurations for each direction of light. -Analysis, calculation, and step-by-step technical construction of each lighting system in the Hokey light plot. -Explanation of a manufacturer's cut sheet, and how to apply basic formulas to determine the beam size, footcandles, and gel transmission for lighting instruments. -Updated process of pre-programming computer lighting consoles prior to the load-in. -Comprehensive overview of archiving paperwork and softcopy for a production. Students and professionals will benefit from experience-based tips and techniques to prepare and execute a lighting design, along with learning how to avoid common traps.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). This special collection of over 292 peer-reviewed papers reflects the success of a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators which was aimed at presenting a state-of-the-art appreciation of measuring technology and mechatronics, automation research and their applications in diverse fields.