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Goodrich, Richard J., 1962-
Subjects
Halley's comet -- History.
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by author:
Goodrich, Richard J., 1962-
by title:
Comet madness : how ...
by call number:
523.642 G655c
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Goodrich, Richard J., 1962-
Halley's comet -- History.
MARC Display
Comet
madness
:
how
the
1910
return
of
Halley
's
comet
(
almost
)
destroyed
civilization
/ Richard J. Goodrich.
by
Goodrich, Richard J., 1962-
Prometheus, 2023.
Call #:
523.642 G655c
Subjects
Halley
's
comet
-- History.
ISBN:
9781633888562 (hc)
Alternate title:
How
the
1910
return
of
Halley
's
comet
(
almost
)
destroyed
civilization
.
Description:
xii, 269 p. ; 24 cm.
Bibliography:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary:
"In
Comet
Madness
, author and historian Richard J. Goodrich examines the
1910
appearance of Halley’s
Comet
and the ensuing frenzy sparked by media manipulation, bogus science, and outright deception. The result is a fascinating and illuminating narrative history that underscores
how
we behave in the face of potential calamity -- then and now. As the
comet
was nearing closer to Earth, scientists and journalists alike scrambled to get the story straight as citizens the world over panicked. Popular astronomer Camille Flammarion attempted to allay fears in a newspaper article, but the media ignored his true position that passage would be harmless; weather prophet Irl Hicks, publisher of an annual, pseudo-scientific almanac, announced that the
comet
would disrupt the world’s weather; religious leaders thumbed the Bible’s Book of Revelation and wondered if the
comet
presaged the apocalypse. Newspapers, confident that there was gold in these alternate theories, gave every crackpot a megaphone, increasing circulation and stoking international hysteria. As a result, workmen shelved their tools, farmers refused to plant crops they would never harvest, and formerly reliable people stopped paying their creditors. More opportunistic citizens opened “comet insurance” plans. Others suffered mental breakdowns, and some took their own lives.
Comet
Madness
reveals
how
humans confront the unknown,
how
scientists learn about the world we inhabit, and
how
certain people—from outright hucksters to opportunistic journalists -- harness fear to produce a profit."--Publisher.
Holds:
0
Copy/Holding information
Location
Collection
Call No.
Item type
Status
Due Date
Central Library
Adult Nonfiction
523.642 G655c
Core Collection - Adult
Checked in
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Central Library
Adult Nonfiction
523.642 G655c
Core Collection - Adult
Checked out
Jul 15, 2024
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