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| Methauris https://heinleinsociety.org/thsnexus/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=618 |
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| Author: | audrey [ Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Methauris |
A site called semantic librray lists a work by RAH I had never heard of - Methauris - an english edition published by Kaktos, Athens in 1978. The only other reference that seems to be a plausible source for this is in latin: Aristoteles vero in Methauris dicit quod tonitru fit vento incluso in nubibus, et hoc ignito et cum sonito exculso, unde prius fit sonitus, posterius vero coruscatio nos vero prius videmus coruscationem quam audiamus tonitro, et hoc contingit quia visus acuitior est et promptier ... aerem U 46 videlicet] scilicet UV 49 in methauris dicit] tr. ... in my really bad Latin: Aristoteles in truth, in accordance with Methauris, says that (thunder?) happens (with?) wind and is enclosed in clouds, and this (lights a fire?) and together resounds (??) from strength is created sound, later in truth a strong flash we see glittering that (we) are able to hear thunder, and that it happens because (we) go to see sharply and to be (first?) Possibly an early natural history? even Amazon does not have this and there sem to be basicilly no english references. |
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| Author: | georule [ Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
If the translation was a little more promising, I'd be inclined to think it was a mislabled piece *about* Heinlein by some Euro. . . that started to happen here and there as you get into the mid-60s and later. |
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| Author: | audrey [ Tue Feb 02, 2010 10:11 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
Turns out to be a translation of The Day After Tomorrow. I have no idea why the other site had all that Latin in there. Also sorry for the hurried typing...it never looks that bad until after I hit send... And all that started because I was looking for some details about what RAH did during WW2. I know he worked in aeronautical engineering, but other than a few tidbits I have never really known what the main focus of his work was. I speculate it was classified but it would seem likely at this point that any military classifications would have expired by now. Starship was long after that war and there seemed very little in there about the research end of things, which I presume he would have been expert in if he did that during the war. |
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| Author: | georule [ Tue Feb 02, 2010 10:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
I'm pretty sure Bill's THJ has an article or three on that subject. . . |
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| Author: | antonio4231 [ Tue Feb 02, 2010 10:48 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
Once again, I'm relying on memory here, I have a biography of Fred Pohl. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that Mr. Pohl, states hat RAH, was working on bomb sights for aircraft. I know that several other sci-fi authors were also working with or in nearby labs, but their names escape me. I have always taken the chapter in TEFL, about the Man Who was Too Lazy to Fail, to be loosely based on Heinlein's life. In that story something is mentioned about classified bomb sights. Hope this helps and I'm not muddying the waters. |
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| Author: | JackKelly [ Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:11 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
Relying on memory but I think he also researched aviation pressure suits. |
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| Author: | JamesGifford [ Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:26 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | beamjockey [ Wed Feb 03, 2010 1:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | georule [ Wed Feb 03, 2010 4:09 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
There's a May 1943 work order in the archives signed by RAH as "Test engineer" re the redesign of a machine, including detailed schematics, to test "modulus of elongation" of rubber specimins at low temperatures. Ghu only knows why he kept that. One could speculate towards altitude suits with that, but certainly not exclusively. There are also assignment/promotion type docs that show him being changed from "mechanical engineer" to "materials engineer". Also moving from "plastics and adhesives section" to "rubber and resins" section. There's also an unfilled-out template that looks very consistent in design with earlier official docs re "breathing oxygen analysis" including temperature and atmo pressure. That too could be pressure-suit related. Tho it is not filled out, so perhaps he picked up elsewhere in the lab because he was interested rather than working on it himself officially. He seems to have kept at least those efficiency ratings documents that show him as "Excellent". There's also a 1943 doc from RAH to a subordinate engineer re plastics testings projects aimed at various parts of an airplane or its usual contents. . . ammo boxes, "fairings, panels, doors" etc |
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| Author: | georule [ Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
Oh, and to how the more fantastic kind of rumors got started, well, here's a recruiting pitch to someone named "George" and engineering friends. . . "I wish I could tell you something about the work, but naturally almost all of it is confidential. But I can assure you that much of it is a good bit more fantastic than any thing I dared to put into stories." Baiting the hook with plastic worms, Robert --naughty, naughty! |
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| Author: | georule [ Wed Feb 03, 2010 5:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
Oh, and here's an authorization to travel to NYC to "for the purpose of examing high-speed motion picture camera developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories." Ahh, and here's his weighted by responsibility job description at one point. Plastics, plastics, plastics. . .too long for me to type out right now tho. Somebody remind me where the anti-kamakaze thing came from? Or do I have the wrong favorite author there? Looking at some docs with Robert apparently helping John Campbell make research proposals to Philly re fire-retardation on aircraft carriers. . . (Edit: Ahh, but that last is 1942, so unlikely to be anything to do with kamikazes). |
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| Author: | beamjockey [ Thu Feb 04, 2010 7:33 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | BillMullins [ Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
Somewhere around here I've got a report by RAH from that era which is not listed in Gifford. I've written about it to several members of this forum. It is mostly a "data report" -- Heinlein subjected samples of numerous plastics to impact tests, and reported the results. The most interesting thing about it is that de Camp was in the management chain that had to sign off on its publication. |
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| Author: | georule [ Thu Feb 04, 2010 10:10 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | beamjockey [ Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:40 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | georule [ Fri Feb 05, 2010 7:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
Well, I don't run this place. . .but seems pretty reasonably relevant topic to me. |
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| Author: | BillPatterson [ Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:31 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | RobertWFranson [ Tue Nov 09, 2010 11:57 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | beamjockey [ Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
| Author: | RobertWFranson [ Wed Nov 10, 2010 7:09 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Methauris |
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