This book explores the circus as a site in and through which science and technology are represented in popular culture. Across eight chapters written by leading scholars – from fields as varied as performance and circus studies, art, media and cultural history, and engineering – the book discusses to what extent the engineering of circus and performing bodies can be understood as a strategy to promote awe, how technological inventions have shaped circus and the cultures it helps constitute, and how much of a mutual shaping this is. What kind of cultural and aesthetic effects does engineering in circus contexts achieve? How do technological inventions and innovations impact on the circus? How does the link between circus and technology manifest in representations and interpretations – imaginaries – of the circus in other media and popular culture? Circus, Science and Technology examines the ways circus can provide a versatile frame for interpreting our relationship with technology.

Ever watch the circus and wonder, "how do they do that?" Find the answers in this book! Readers will learn about some of the most high-flying circus acts, from silks and ropes to trapeze, and the science that makes them possible. Short, simple activities help demonstrate the science for readers.

Ever watch the circus and wonder, “how do they do that?” Find the answers in this book! Readers will learn about some of the most mind-bending circus acts, from contortionists to human pyramids, and the science that makes them possible. Short, simple activities help demonstrate the science for readers.

Ever watch the circus and wonder, "how do they do that?" Find the answers in this book! Readers will learn about some of the most mystifying circus acts, from rola bola to hot coal walking, and the science that makes them possible. Short, simple activities help demonstrate the science for readers.

Ever watch the circus and wonder, "how do they do that?" Find the answers in this book! Readers will learn about some of the most death-defying circus acts, from human cannonballs to high wire walkers, and the science that makes them possible. Short, simple activities help demonstrate the science for readers.

"Discusses some of the world's most mystifying circus acts and the science behind them"--

The Cambridge Companion to the Circus provides a complete guide for students, scholars, teachers, researchers, and practitioners who are seeking perspectives on the foundations and evolution of the modern circus, the contemporary extent of circus studies, and the specialised literature available to support further enquiries. The volume brings together an international group of established and emerging scholars working across the multi-disciplinary domain of circus studies to present a clear overview of the specialised histories, aesthetics and distinctive performances of the modern circus. In sixteen commissioned essays, it covers the origins in commercial equestrian performance during the late-eighteenth century to contemporary inflections of circus arts in major international festivals, educational environments, and social justice settings.