Pulsar Pulsar A pulsar (from "pulse" and "-ar" as in quasar) is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can be observed only when the beam of emission is pointing toward Earth (much like the way a lighthouse can be seen only when the light is pointed in the direction of an observer), and is responsible for the pulsed appearance of emission. Neutron stars are very dense, and have short, regular rotational periods. This produces a very precise interval between pulses that ranges from milliseconds to seconds for an individual pulsar. Pulsars are
Racing the Beam speed electron beam across the screen. "Racing the Beam" discusses the history of the VCS platform and the design decisions that impacted the types of games that could be written for it. Specific titles such as "Combat", "Pitfall!" and "Yars' Revenge" are analyzed from a technical and cultural perspective. "Racing the Beam" is the first in a series of books on early video game platforms, and has been cited by modern Atari 2600 enthusiasts as an inspiration for attempting to write new games for the platform. Racing the Beam Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System is a book