In one of the mags, must have been in the 60s, plot: two guys on the space station are mucking around with microwaves, and accidentally create a non-reaction drive. I loved their repartee regarding the mythical Confusion and what his sayings were (“it is better to have the voice of authority speak with your words than to be the voice of authority”).
Have no idea who the author might have been.
I expect a very quick answer to this one, the timer is clicking: 1…2…3…4…
possibly Star Smashers of the Galaxy Rangersby Harry Harrison.
It is about two college students, Chuck van Chider and his friend Jerry Courtenay, who accidentally invent a device that can transport them through space, powered by a substance called “Cheddite”, which is created by irradiating Cheddar cheese.
Sounds like one of the component stories of Venus Equilateral. The collection is much like Heinlein’s future history, but way more Gernsback/Doc Smith in its reliance on gadget stories and cheesy masculine banter.
Yeah, that sounds right. This article Venus Equilateral - Wikipedia mentions a “driver tube” which sounds like the device the OP is talking about
Just looked at the list of stories, and I think “Recoil” is the one the OP is looking for.
The series is about one pseudoelectronic gadget after another, described in Gernsback/Clancy loving detail, while Our Manly Heroes banter Bogey-style nonstop (and badly).
No joy so far. The device, if memory serves, was microwave powered…I remember that they had to run pipes to channel the microwaves. “Banter” is the word I couldn’t think of when I wrote the original post, thank you AB.
Oh, and because the unintended reactionless drive moves the space station, the high powered laser that was aimed at…Iceland? Greenland?..wavers and wipes out a city.
C’mon, nobody else remembers this story? I loved it.
Ah, loved that book. It introduced me to hygroscopy because the cheese absorbed water from the air so it was constantly replenished as you ate it. IIRC, Harrison called it “hydroscopy,” but I read it 40 years ago and could be wrong.