Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military Cover
Podcast Mentions

Accessory to War The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military

Neil deGrasse Tyson

New York Times In this fascinating foray into the centuries-old relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and writer-researcher Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. "The overlap is s...

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StarTalk Radio

Neil deGrasse Tyson recounted a story about the history of X-ray machines at airports, which he also mentioned in his book, 'Accessory to War', which details the relationship between astrophysics and the military and security.

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I retell that story in my book, Accessory to War. The unspoken alliance between astrophysics and the military. And more broadly, it's between astrophysics and security.

— Episode: Things You Thought You Knew – Up, Up, an...

Episode: Things You Thought You Knew – Up, Up, and Away!

Neil deGrasse Tyson recounted a story about the history of X-ray machines at airports, which he also mentioned in his book, 'Accessory to War', which details the relationship between astrophysics and the military and security.

"

I retell that story in my book, Accessory to War. The unspoken alliance between astrophysics and the military. And more broadly, it's between astrophysics and security.

Episode: Space Force: A New Domain with Maj. Gen. DeAnna Bu...

It was mentioned as a 600,000 page book that discussed the relationship between astrophysics and the military throughout history, particularly the role astronomers played in navigation and military operations.

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I don't know how many people read my 600,000 page book.

It's what role being an expert on the universe has - what that has to do with any kind of military operation, military hegemony, domination.

And so if anyone is interested in sort of the deep history of that relationship, it's all in the book.

Episode: Cosmic Queries – Navigating the Cosmos

Neil deGrasse Tyson mentioned his book about the relationship between astrophysics and the military, highlighting the importance of space in navigation.

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Ooh. I wrote a whole book, okay? I had a co-author because it was a huge 600 page book called Accessory to War, the Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military and you're damn straight.

But I did write a whole book on this.

It's an unspoken alliance that's the subtitle.

Episode: Watching the Skies, with the US Space Command

It was recently published and discussed as a book that explores the relationship between astrophysics and military conflict, touching on the military's reliance on space.

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I spent some time putting that in this book

Yes Accessory to War

Accessory to War, the unspoken alliance between astrophysics and the military

Yeah Probing all the ways that we've been sort of handmaidens to military conflict

Episode: Apollo and the Future of Humans in Space

It explored the hidden relationship between astrophysics and the military, revealing how the two fields have intersected throughout history, and delved into the shared interests of both disciplines.

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It came out last year It came in 2000... No, it came in 2018 Accessory to War

Because it's 500 pages A little bit more Yeah, a little bit more You need a little more I have a co-author, Avis Lang Long time editor of mine from Natural History Magazine I couldn't have finished this in any sense

Episode: Cosmic Queries – X-ray Astrophysics

It was mentioned by Neil deGrasse Tyson as a book he co-authored with Avis Lang that includes a story about Riccardo Giacconi and his work in X-ray astronomy, highlighting the unexpected ways technology can impact security.

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And I tell that story in Accessory to War with my co-author, Avis Lang.

Episode: Cosmic Queries – The New Space Race

It was mentioned as a book co-authored with Alvis Lang, which explores the relationship between astrophysics and the military throughout history.

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Well, you're in my office, so the book is there Well, that's how I came across it I was snooping around his office and in between all the bobbleheads of him and all the Campbell soup, the Star Wars Campbell soups that he has up there on the shelves But this one is primordial soup Get your soup straight here Well, what's the...

Primordial soup, that's what it is, okay On that shelf over there you have... Oh, those are Star Wars Campbell soups Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay But this is Accessory to War, the unspoken alliance between astrophysics and the military You... this is a book you got a few months ago?

It came out, yeah, last September Co-authored with Alvis Lang A major, it's like 500 pages So my book before that was Astrophysics for People in a Hurry Yes This is Astrophysics for People not in a Hurry Not in a Hurry, yes Just to make that clear

The other book I read on a subway ride This one's going to take me a subway ride with four stops It's going to take me a little more extra time But again, you are so... Well, thanks for that plug, thanks for that plug That's another labor of love The history, because science is not untouched by war And the funding for it, that enable it, that empower it, that feed it And so this is just a candid review An assessment of what that relationship has been Between the history of astrophysics and war itself

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.