Little blue dot : how the Global Positioning System shaped the modern world / Katherine Dunn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dunn, Katherine, author.

Contributor:

Bloomsbury (Firm), publisher.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Global Positioning System.

Global Positioning System--Social aspects.

Global Positioning System--History.

Genre:

Informational works.

Physical Description:

377 pages ; 25 cm

Other Title:

How the Global Positioning System shaped the modern world

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2026.

Summary:

"Gone are the days when we pulled off to the side of the road, twisted a map this way and that, and squinted in exasperation before saying, "We're lost." Now, a network of satellites that circles the earth points us in the right direction. The Global Positioning System is embedded not only in our phones but in our cultural history and our future. GPS, intangible but ubiquitous, has instigated a radical shift in our relationship to our own intuition and place in the world, making us critically dependent on technology we forget is even there. Little Blue Dot uncovers GPS's origins as a product of the Cold War, from the Space Race to the bombing campaigns in Vietnam, following along as its military and civilian uses expanded and shifted to become part of the fabric of modern life. With pulsating detail and witty expertise, investigative reporter Katherine Dunn takes us on a fascinating journey from the origins of the technology to its modern-day iteration, considering its role in international politics and conflict-and its rising vulnerabilities to manipulation. Initially a cog in the wheel of globalization, GPS has now taken on a new life and may even serve as a parable for the proliferation of AI and newer technologies on the horizon. Sharp and evocative, Little Blue Dot considers the future of GPS, its impact on our understanding of space and time, and the role of technology in our lives."--Publisher's description

Contents:

Prologue

Part I: 1940-1969 - Launch. Mr. Jones

Confusion to our enemies

Rocket man

Operation moonwatch

Sour grapes

Part II: 1969-2010 - Proliferate. Lonely halls

Shootdown

Gladys's map

Flight of the secret squirrels

Spectrum wars

Little blue dot

Part III: 2010-2025 - Distort. To hack a yacht

The Streisand effect

Spinning out

The canary

The drone mother

Nerds of the Northern Lights

Epilogue

Appendix

Notes

Bibliography

Acknowledgments.

Notes:

Includes endnotes (pages 315-370) and bibliographical references (pages 371-372).

ISBN:

9781639734313

1639734317

OCLC:

1533910630

Publisher Number:

90104688342