Critical mass In nuclear engineering, a critical mass is the smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction. The critical mass of a fissionable material depends upon its nuclear properties (specifically, its nuclear fissi ...

is the amount of fissile material needed to sustain nuclear fission. Critical mass may also refer to:

Science and technology

Critical mass (sociodynamics) In social dynamics, critical mass is a sufficient number of adopters of a new idea, technology or innovation in a social system so that the rate of adoption becomes self-sustaining and creates further growth. The point at which critical mass is ac ...

, a stage in social-system innovation *

Critical mass (software engineering) In software engineering, critical mass is a stage in the life cycle when the source code grows too complicated to effectively manage without a complete rewrite. At the critical mass stage, fixing a bug introduces one or more new bugs. Tools such ...

, a stage in the product life cycle of software

Organizations

Critical Mass (cycling) Critical Mass is a form of direct action in which people meet at a set location and time and travel as a group through their neighbourhoods on bikes. The idea is for people to group together to make it safe for each other to ride bicycles through ...

, a form of direct action involving large groups of bicycle riders *

Critical Mass (pressure group) Critical Mass is a pressure group which began its days in opposition to the government of Margaret Thatcher. It supported the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Critical Mass was founded in 1984 in Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, se ...

, a UK political pressure group *

Critical Mass Energy Project The Critical Mass Energy Project was formed by Ralph Nader in 1974 as a national anti-nuclear umbrella group. It was probably the largest national anti-nuclear group in the United States, with several hundred local affiliates and an estimated 200,00 ...

, an anti-nuclear umbrella group founded by Ralph Nader ** ''

Critical Mass Journal The Critical Mass Energy Project was formed by Ralph Nader in 1974 as a national anti-nuclear umbrella group. It was probably the largest national anti-nuclear group in the United States, with several hundred local affiliates and an estimated 200,00 ...

'', published in 1977 by the Critical Mass Energy Project * Critical Mass, a co-working center sponsored by the

New England Venture Capital Association The New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) is a trade association with the mission to make New England the best place in the world to start and grow new companies. The NEVCA represents the interests of venture capital investors by promoti ...

* Critical Mass, a robotics team of the Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, New Jersey

Literature

* ''Critical Mass'' (book), a 2004 book by Philip Ball * ''Critical Mass'' (2013 book), a 2013 novel by Sara Paretsky * "Critical Mass" (Pohl and Kornbluth short story), a 1962 story by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth * "Critical Mass" (Arthur C. Clarke short story), a 1949 short story by Arthur C. Clarke * '' Critical Masses: Opposition to Nuclear Power in California, 1958–1978'', a 1998 book by Thomas Wellock * ''Critical Mass'', a 1990 seven-issue comic book anthology printed under Epic Comics's

Shadowline Saga Shadowline is an American comic book sub-imprint (trade name), imprint of the Marvel Comics imprint Epic Comics that was originally published from 1988 in comics, 1988 to 1990 in comics, 1990. It was created and edited by Archie Goodwin (comics), A ...

imprint

Film and television

* ''Critical Mass'', a 1971 experimental short film from Hollis Frampton's ''

Hapax Legomena In corpus linguistics, a ''hapax legomenon'' ( also or ; ''hapax legomena''; sometimes abbreviated to ''hapax'', plural ''hapaxes'') is a word or an expression that occurs only once within a context: either in the written record of an entire ...

'' cycle * Critical Mass (anime), a subdivision of the video publisher and distributor Right Stuf Inc. * ''Critical Mass'' (film), a 2000 film starring Treat Williams and Lori Loughlin * "Critical Mass" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of ''Stargate Atlantis''

Gaming

* '' Duke Nukem: Critical Mass'', a shooter game developed by Frontline Studios * ''Critical Mass'' (1985 video game) or ''Power!'', a computer game by Durell Software * ''Critical Mass'' (1982 video game), an adventure game by Sirius Software * Critical Mass, a set of collectible miniature game figures by HeroClix

Music

Bands

* Critical Mass (Canadian band), a Catholic rock band formed in 1997 * Critical Mass (Dutch band), a Dutch happy hardcore group

Albums and songs

* ''Critical Mass'' (Dave Holland album), 2006 * ''Critical Mass'' (Threshold album), 2002 * ''Critical Mass'' (Matthew Shipp album), 1995 * ''Critical Mass'' (Ra album), 2013 * "Critical Mass", a song by Aerosmith from '' Draw the Line'' * "Critical Mass", a song by Nuclear Assault from ''

Handle with Care A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and object manipulation, manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomics, ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt wit ...

'' * "Critical Mass", a song by Chrome from '' Half Machine Lip Moves'' {{disambiguation