Customer Reviews

Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax"

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As an amateur astronomer, I took great pleasure reading Philip Plait's "Bad Astronomy". The book handles the debunking of common myths with hysterical humor. I could not put the book down. Each chapter was entertaining.

Finally we have a text that not only puts the Coriolis Effect where it belongs but explains basic astronomy principles in lay terms. It is better than reading an astronomy textbook. Where else could you read about why skies are blue and why the earth has seasons than in this humorous tome.

Plait gets a little more serious as he talks about the more delicate subjects of the Apollo "hoax", Velikovsky, UFOs, and Astrology. This was appropriate since many people believe in these unscientific hypotheses. He approaches these subjects in a nonoffensive, objective and scientific manner.

Being a movie fan, I particularly enjoyed the chapter entitled: "Bad Astronomy Goes Hollywood." Here Plait unveils all of the Bad Astronomy we see every day in science fiction movies. In his list of Top 10 offenses, the Star Wars series is guilty of no less than 8 of them. That does not make Star Wars any less enjoyable, but it is fun to know the difference between science and Hollywood.

I give this book 5 stars. I think it would be entertaining for anyone with any interest in astronomy regardless of how much or how little they know about the subject matter.

Misconceptions creep into the science of astronomy perhaps more than any other science. Surveys have found that even college graduates carry persistent misconceptions or even wildly incorrect ideas about the phases of the moon or the cause of the seasons.

For the past several years, astronomer Phil Plait has been battling these misconceptions, as well as the flood of just plain bad astronomy (hence the name). Plait's web site has built a loyal following, and I have been a frequent visitor there almost since its inception. For people like me, the book "Bad Astronomy" is a logical extension of the web site. For newcomers, it will be a welcome addition to your libraries.

In addition to chapters on lunar phases and the cause of the seasons, Plait adds a detailed (and fairly technical) account of tides, the coriolis effect (as applied to toilet bowl water rotation), why the sky is blue, the moon size illusion, and many, many others.

Digging a little deeper into the "current issues" genre, Plait also tackles Velikovsky, UFOs, creationism and astrology. His writing is very clear and should be accessible to anybody interested in science and the battle against pseudoscientific nonsense.

Regular visitors to the web site will be familiar with Plait's crusade against those who persist in believing that the Apollo moon landings were faked. Plait's site led the charge against this nonsense, and he includes a treatment of the topic in his book as well.

Bad Astronomy is lightly illustrated with a mix of schematic drawings (to illustrate for example, tides or the moon size illusion) and black and white photographs. Some of the chapters could certainly have benefitted from more lavish illustrations, and perhaps even some color plates (the chapter on the Apollo "hoax," for example, needed some additional photos to help dispel the most common objections). However, the format of the book (paperback) and the expense (between $11 and $14) dictated the conservative approach, I'm sure.

The chapters are well balanced in size. With a topic per chapter, and 24 chapters totalling 257 pages, you won't find an indepth treatment of any of these topics, but enough to surely whet your appetite. He also provides recommendations for additional reading, both book and WWW, in an appendix.

In the larger context of "defense of science" writings, Plait joins other such notables as Carl Sagan, Martin Gardner, Robert Park, Stephen Jay Gould, and Michael Shermer. Plait's contribution is a welcome one, and he is poised to take his place as a defender against bad science.

+++++

Answer true or false to these ten statements:

1) The sky is blue because it reflects the blue color of the oceans.
2) The seasons are caused by the Earth's tilt.
3) The Moon's phases are due to the shadow of the Earth falling on the Moon.
4) The bright glow of a meteor is not caused by friction as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere.
5) There are no stars seen in Apollo Moon-landing pictures thus proving that these landings were staged.
6) The Hubble Space Telescope is bigger than all Earth-based telescopes.
7) Stars in the night sky do have color.
8) The Moon is bigger near the horizon than when it's overhead.
9) In the southern hemisphere, winters are much warmer than those in the northern hemisphere.
10) X-rays are emitted from the eclipsed sun but these X-rays do not damage your eyes if you look at the eclipsed sun.

If you answered true to any one of statements 1,3,5,6,8,9 or false to any one of statements 2,4,7,10, then you can use the help of this book to clear up your misconceptions!

This book, by Dr. Phillip Plait (creator of the bad astronomy internet site), corrects 24 common misconceptions of astronomical science. This book divides these misconceptions into five parts. All science is fully explained so the reader does not have to have extensive scientific knowledge. As well, there are diagrams and black-and-white photographs to aid the scientific discussions. Finally, there are recommended books and recommended internet sites for those who want to know more.

Part one explains three misconceptions that occur in the home. The second part deals with five misconceptions about the Earth and Moon. Part three unravels eight misconceptions regarding things in the night sky (such as stars, planets, and meteors). The fourth part is concerned with five bad explanations of various events (such as the Moon-landings and UFOs). Lastly, part five is a special section covering three astronomy topics (such as bad astronomy in the movies).

For those who have a science background (such as myself), don't feel tempted to skip a section because you feel you know the correct answer to a misconception. This is because each chapter contains much important detail. For me, I found that for those sections where I felt I knew the correct scientific answer, I still learned a lot because other interesting information was presented to enhance the discussion.

Finally, I did find an error in the UFO section. This section implies that no amateur astronomers have seen UFOs. Actually, the majority of amateur astronomers have not seen them but a small minority have seen them.

In conclusion, we are bombarded by bad science every day. In order to turn bad science into good science, you have to start reading good science books. This book is a good place to start!!

+++++

Philip Plait, whose professional credits in Astronomy include work on a camera for the Hubble Space Telescope, has turned his passion and his pet peeves into an irresistible book.

Plait, who runs the web site BadAstronomy.com, writes in a lighthearted, conversational tone that won't put off those with science or math phobias, yet with enough clarity and precision that technically savvy folks won't find any reason to gripe. He takes on a double-dozen popular misconceptions about the universe we live in, from the cause of the seasons to the Apollo lunar hoax conspiracy theorists.

With this sharp volume, Phil Plait steps into the oversize shoes of another astronomer who became a top-notch popularizer. I think Dr. Sagan would have enjoyed this book.

Albert Einstein is quoted as having said, "If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be research."

Of course, Albert Einstein is also purported to have won the Nobel Prize for his Theory of Relativity.

This is just one myth dispelled by "Bad Astronomy", by Phil Plait, a highly entertaining, thought-provoking, extraordinarily readable anthology of misconceptions about the oldest world's oldest science, Astronomy.

From reasons an egg will stand on end (if patiently balanced) even if it's not the Vernal Equinox to the phases of the moon, all is explained in the simplest of terms. One of the best is an explanation of how, during a wedding reception, Plait was able to relate the revolution of the moon around the earth to his daughter, as she stood on his feet while he danced with her (he was the earth, she was the moon) - after reading this, I demonstrated to my daughter, and (though she kept falling off from laughing) she understood as well as I. Further discussions of the moon and tides include diagrams which are simple and sensible - and eminently useful for teaching anyone who wants to learn.

Another misconception is the idea of seeing stars during the day, using as an example a child's prank of using "the tube" - down which another child (no doubt a prior victim) will pour water, dousing the unsuspecting child. Yet it is true that stars are sometimes visible as the sun sets, and that the moon and Venus are both visible in the blue sky. But can you sit at the bottom of a well at noon and see stars? Nope! Simple discussions of real experiments are presented, as well as the "findings" of a good friend of Plait's who insists it is possible. Plait is chagrined this man stands by this theory, yet as he is willing to accept, with the advent of research, perhaps someone will prove this concept true at some later date. It's doubtful, though!

The confusion Aristotle created with his theories of the geo-centric universe is also discussed; Aristotle's teachings are referenced without specifics, mentioned more because he refused to accept the facts of retrograde motion, disbelieving his own eyes. In truth, it is something of an anomaly to me: I cannot actually see it because my eyes work independently (results of bad surgery when I was pre-pubescent); I cannot focus nor can I judge distance. I have learned what retrograde motion is in scientific terms, and I accept it, but - and this is a failing many people have - I cannot actually see it, therefore, it is difficult for me to believe it strictly "on faith". Plait as usual employs simple examples to explain the concept, and while I still can't "see" the results, his explanation became the eye of the storm in my mind.

It's the type of book that stimulates my curiosity, something rare to me these days, as the world tumbles by, and I feel bombarded by more information than I could possibly use: information which, as proven in this text, is often incomplete - or completely wrong. Yet here I find myself alternately amused and fascinated by Plait's use of laymen's terms to discuss photons of light, gravity, seasons, and time. And yet, as I am inspired to learn more about the ever-changing science of astronomy, I recall the tales my mother told me, the same stories I pass on to my child, and I see the beauty of the errors taught to me. Romantic, yes, fun, and sometimes lessons are to be learned in the ancient (and erroneous) legends passed on through the ages; just as we learn and grow, even having the facts as they are presented by Plait, it's still nice to hear the version that sparks the imagination in so many fantastic ways.

By the way, in 1921, Einstein *did* win the Nobel Prize for his research on quantum theory - a mathematical form not Einstein's own, but first adapted by Max Planck.

Einstein was a wiseguy, though, well before his time. I'd be willing to bet the quote is accurate!

Finally, I found out why stars appear to twinkle while planets do not. As with most things in our universe, the reason was simple, logical, and yes...scientific. That also describes the tone of Phil Plait's book. It is a must read for anyone interested in learning how our world works and in defending oneself against disinformation.

I once saw a Harvard-produced video titled "Our Private Universe", which documented how tenaciously we cling to our incorrect beliefs. As one of the people in the documentary stated in defending his absurd understanding of how vision works, "My ideas make sense to me!" Dr. Plait's book will help nearly everyone move from their private universe of misconceptions learned by rote to the actual universe of scientific discovery and scrutiny.

In a time when clear thinking may save us all from real catastrophe, Bad Astronomy paves the way for anyone interested enough to invest a little time.

The book is a fun read, filled with wit and humor. I promise you will enjoy it.

I had the pleasure of chatting with the author both before and after a talk he presented in Sarasota, FL. He's an engaging speaker... he does NOT speak down to his audience, and his writing style is similar.

This is NOT too technical a work for the layperson. Plait is a 'regular guy' who just happens to have a PhD in Astronomy. (Well, he worked at it long and hard, to be sure, but neither his writing nor his public image convey any sort of 'uppity,' I'm-better-than-you attitude that SOME in academia suffer from.)

That being said, the book was entertaining to read and I certainly learned a few things while reading it.

Whether you've just recently developed an interest in astronomy, been an amateur or armchair observer for decades, or you've seen the Fox TV show claiming the moon landing was faked --then please, pick up a copy of this book!

I'm looking forward to seeing what else Dr. Plait has in store!

Specific instances of incorrect astronomical knowledge amongst regular people aren't really much to be concerned about. But just like in all other sciences, the general public displays a pattern of inaccurate belief in all sorts of misinformation, dogma, and unsupported speculations. Philip Plait is one of those rational-thinking scientists who is concerned about improving the public's scientific knowledge for practical reasons, not unlike Carl Sagan, and this book is overflowing with rebuttals against incorrect popular theories in astronomy. Plait debunks a few theories that don't really deserve that much effort unless you're writing an entertaining book, such as astrology and the crackpot theories of Immanuel Velikovsky. Plait also tends to nitpick sometimes, getting a bit huffy over news reports about the Hubble telescope taking "photographs" when it actually transmits digital images. But otherwise, this book is an entertaining exercise in tackling dogma, with brutal and hilarious denunciations of the Apollo Hoax conspiracy theory and the repeated errors of Hollywood sci-fi flicks, among other misperceptions. (Plait commends The Simpsons for its efforts in accurate astronomy, and my title for this review is a line from its sister show Futurama, which really takes both real science and fantasy science to outrageous lengths.) Although I consider myself a learned and rational thinker on these matters, even I was surprised by some of Plait's real answers in this book, especially when it comes to how the moon affects the tides and whether or not water really goes down the drain in the opposite direction if you're down under. [~doomsdayer520~]

I bought this book expecting to read the usual stuff about why some people think that the moon landing was a hoax and how astrology doesnt really work (as explained on the cover). But i was suprised to learn about so many things that I actually thought really did exist in the world of astronomy. I really did think that the water spun in a different direction in australia, and that the sky was blue because thats what a lot of oxygen looks like and many other things that turned out not to be true. Many times i thought "oh what! that isnt real!?"

There is also a nice section that takes delivers a blow to the creationists and their wacko claims.

I highly reccomend this book to anyone curious about astronomy and anyone that wishes to learn about all the ailment of bad astronomy that you never knew you suffered from.

I have been a visitor to Phil's website for several years and anxiously awaited his book. It covers many of the same topics - debunking misconceptions - and in the same way... like having a knowledgeable friend sitting in the room with you discussing astronomy.

But, more important than my liking it was my college art student son's reaction. He saw the book sitting on the coffee table, picked it up and began reading. After about half an hour, he put it down and remarked, "Hey, that's really cool!"

(High school and college science teachers: This would be a great resource for you and your students. It addresses astronomy, but the thought processes are universally applicable.)