science

The Precipice (Bova novel)

The Precipice (Bova novel) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand The Precipice (Bova novel) rather than just read about it. In short: The Precipice is a science fiction novel by Hugo Award winner Ben Bova. This novel is part of the Grand Tour series of novels.

Key takeaways

The Precipice (Bova novel) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect The Precipice (Bova novel) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of The Precipice (Bova novel) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Precipice is a science fiction novel by Hugo Award winner Ben Bova. This novel is part of the Grand Tour series of novels. It is the first book in The Asteroid Wars series. It was first published in 2001. The title "The Precipice" refers to the "greenhouse cliff", or the ultimate collapse of Earth's biosphere, preceded by the steady encroachment of climate change.

Plot synopsis The greenhouse effect is threatening the earth. Two rival industrialists, Dan Randolph and Martin Humphries believe that the key to earth's survival is to mine the asteroid belt and move earth's heavy industry to space. Millionaire Dan Randolf is going bankrupt, since his aerospace company, Astro Corp, is out of work due to the "greenhouse cliff" putting Earth at a higher priority than space. Cold-hearted multi-billionaire Martin Humphries shows Randolph a fully laid-out plan to reach the Asteroid Belt and mine it for its abundant metals. Randolph immediately takes up the idea, putting his entire life savings into the plan. Humphries donates much of the funds from his own pocket, planning to use that leverage later, after Randolph has put in all of his own work, to destroy Randolph, take over Astro Corp, and have a monopoly on all metals arriving from the Asteroids Belt. While Dan Randolph wants to distribute the Asteroids' resources fairly at a very modest price to aid in the restoration of Earth's climate system, Martin Humphries intends to take over the company and use the monopoly to his own financial gain.

Characters Dan Randolph, protagonist Martin Humphries, antagonist George Ambrose, Dan Randolph's personal bodyguard. Pancho Lane, Leading astronaut, hired by Dan Randolf Amanda Cunningham, astronaut, also the love-object of Martin Humphries Lars Fuchs, asteroid specialist and love-mate of Amanda Cunningham Lyall Duncan, inventor of the spracecraft fusion-propulsion system Kris Cardenas, Nobel-laureate, solar system's top expert on nanotechnology

Reception According to Library Journal, The Precipice "highlights current environmental issues and scientific speculation while simultaneously telling a tale of heroes and villains that should appeal to most fans of hard sf.

Publication history 2001, UK Hodder & Stoughton ISBN Hodder & Stoughton Ltd, Pub Date 1 Feb 2001, Hardcover 2001, USA, Tor Books ISBN 978-0-312-84876-7, Pub Date 26 October 2001, Hardcover 2001, UK, New English Library ISBN 978-0-340-76961-4, Pub Date 16 Aug 2001, Paperback 2002, USA, Tor Books ISBN 978-0-8125-7989-5, Pub Date 15 December 2002, Paperback

Notes

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with The Precipice (Bova novel)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what The Precipice (Bova novel) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to The Precipice (Bova novel) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about The Precipice (Bova novel) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of The Precipice (Bova novel)

In research: The Precipice (Bova novel) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses The Precipice (Bova novel) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: The Precipice (Bova novel) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2000s science fiction novel stubs, 2001 American novels, 2001 English-language novels, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for The Precipice (Bova novel) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study The Precipice (Bova novel) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what The Precipice (Bova novel) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain The Precipice (Bova novel) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is The Precipice (Bova novel) in simple terms?

The Precipice is a science fiction novel by Hugo Award winner Ben Bova. This novel is part of the Grand Tour series of novels.

Why does The Precipice (Bova novel) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study The Precipice (Bova novel)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on The Precipice (Bova novel).