Blowups Happen - Heinlein Concordance

A Heinlein Concordance

created by M. E. Cowan

Robert A Heinlein

From the stories: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ
From the real world: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w xyz

A Heinlein Concordance presented by the Heinlein Society

"Blowups Happen"

Antarctic Pitchblende: Gus Erickson's and Cal Harper's employer (a company possibly owned by D. D. Harriman).
Clipper: Suborbital transport rocket that King suggested could be refitted for orbital flight for installing a power station in Earth orbit.
Crazy Years: Described in passing as a time of pandemic neuroses.; (also in other stories)
Dr. Cummings (no first name): Dr. Silard's relief at the atomics plant.
DeLancey's Sans Souci Bar: Favorite drinking place of the atomics plant workers. [French Sans souci, "without concern" or "without a care"]
Destry (no first name): [mentioned in passing] Mathematician/physicist who developed atomic theory that made possible the construction of atomic power plants. Some of his theories were later disproven.
Dixon (no first name): Chairman of Antarctic Pitchblende. [Perhaps Daniel Dixon?]
Douglas-Martin Solar Receptor Screens: Power source used for the roadtowns. Named after the inventors, Archibald Douglas and Mary Lou Martin.; ("Blowups Happen", "The Roads Must Roll". Invented in "Let There Be Light", though not called by this name.)
Edith (no last name): Hanger-on at DeLancey's Sans Souci Bar. Gus Erickson declined her offer to join them but gave her money for a drink.
Gus Erickson: Engineer who replaced Cal Harper on watch after Harper was relieved of duty by Dr. Silard. He helped Cal develop a fuel suitable for space travel.
Goddard Field: Rocket port from which the first orbiting power station was launched.; (also in other stories)
Greene (no first name): Pilot who put the first power station satellite into orbit.
Otto Hahn: [mentioned in passing] Scientist who first controlled fission of the uranium atom.
Hannigan (no first name): Atomics worker seen drinking alone at DeLancey's Sans Souci Bar.
Cal Harper: Atomics plant engineer relieved of duty by Dr. Silard when his behavior patterns changed. He was put to work on research, and developed an atomic fuel suitable for space flight.
Delos D. Harriman: Business tycoon who inspired and largely funded many space-related endeavors, including the first trip to the moon. Harriman is mentioned indirectly in most of the Future History stories, mostly in businesses and institutions bearing his name. In "Blowups Happen", he is the founder of Rockets Consolidated, and he underwrote the first issue of Antarctic Pitchblende.
Thomas P. Harrington: Mathematician and director of the U.S. Naval Observatory. He raised fears that the atomic plants were unstable and may blow up.
Israfel (no last name): Waiter at DeLancey's Sans Souci Bar.; (also in other stories)
T.J.J. (no other name): Thomas Harrington's predecessor at the Naval Observatory.
King (no first name): General superintendent of the Arizona atomic plant. He lobbied to have a power plant established in orbit after learning the possibilities of an explosion.; (also in other stories)
Alfred Korzybski: [mentioned in passing] Lentz studied under him.; (also in other stories)
Lance (no other name): Owner of DeLancey's Sans Souci Bar. (Probably a nickname for DeLancey.)
Lentz (no first name): Foremost authority on situational psychoses who was brought in to assess the crisis at the Paradise, Arizona, atomics plant. He saw no way to solve the problem of increasing neuroses among plant workers, but worked with officials there to have power stations located in Earth orbit.
Los Angeles-Oklahoma Roadcity: Population center 100 miles north of the Paradise, Arizona, atomic plant.
Manning (no first name): Engineer at the atomic plant, who went violently insane from job stress.
Dr. Mott (no first name): Member of the psychological staff of the Arizona atomic plant.; (also in other stories)
Paradise, Arizona: Boom town that owed its existence to the nearby atomic plant.; (also in other stories)
Rockets Consolidated: Company founded by D. D. Harriman.
Rutter (no first name): Scientist who published a monograph on vulcanology "proving" that lunar craters could not have been caused by volcanic action.
Dr. Silard (no first name): Psychiatrist in charge of the workers' mental health at the Paradise, Arizona, power planet. He eventually broke down himself from job stress.
squirrel sleuth: Slang for psychologist.
Steinke (no first name): Former engineer at the Paradise, Arizona atomic plant, who suffering a blanking of his mathematical abilities and was rehabilitated as an office worker. He regained his skills while reacting to an emergency.

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