Bartholemew,
R. "The Martian Panic Sixty Years Later: What Have We Learned"
in Skeptical Inquirer, Nov/Dec. 1998, p. 40. On lessons
from the panic caused by Orson Welles' radio broadcast of the
"War of the Worlds" in 1938. Available on the web at:
http://www.csicop.org/si/9811/martian.html
Branham,
R. "Did the Moon Sink the Titanic: Astrology, Lunar Phases,
and Maritime Disasters" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jul/Aug.
1995, p. 30. Examination of over 1400 ship disasters to see if
there was any astronomical connection.
Burnham,
Robert Great Comets. 2000, Cambridge U. Press. Chapter
6 discusses the "Heaven's Gate" affair (where cult members
committed suicide) connected with Comet Hale-Bopp.
Davidson,
K. "The Universe and Carl Sagan" in Skeptical Inquirer,
Nov/Dec. 1999, p. 24. Excerpts from a long biography of Sagan,
highlighting some of his efforts to encourage skeptical thinking
and his involvements with pseudoscience.
Frazier,
K. "Was the 'Rare Earth' Hypothesis Influenced by a Creationist?"
in Skeptical Inquirer, Nov/Dec. 2001, p. 7. The controversial
book that suggests that planets and life like ours may be extremely
rare may have been influenced by a young University of Washington
astronomer who is secretly a creationist.
Gardner,
M. "Zero Point Energy and Harold Puthoff" in Skeptical
Inquirer, May/June 1998, p. 13. On the misuse of some physics
ideas and cosmology.
Hale,
A. "Hale-Bopp Comet Madness" in Skeptical Inquirer,
Mar/Apr. 1997, p. 25. The discoverer of one of the brightest comets
of our century discusses some of the crazy ideas its appearance
generated. (On the web at http://www.csicop.org/si/9703/hale.html)
Krupp,
E. "Lost Worlds" in Sky &Telescope, Apr.
2000, p. 93. Debunks notion that earlier civilizations knew about
Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto, long before they were discovered.
Krupp,
E. "The Sphinx Blinks" in Sky & Telescope, mar.
2001, p. 86. Examines some astronomical connections suggested
for the Sphinx and the Pyramids and finds them wanting. (See also,
Sky & Telescope, Feb. 1997, p. 64.)
Kusche,
Lawrence The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved, 2nd ed. 1995,
Prometheus. A librarian researches the extravagant claims about
disasters in a small area of the Earth and finds little to support
them.
Meeus,
J. "Planetary Groupings and the Millenium: Why Panic?"
in Sky & Telescope, Aug. 1997, p. 60. Analyzes 40 so-called
"alignments of the planets".
Meeus,
J. "Doomsday: The May 2000 Prediction" in Skeptical
Inquirer, Spring 1988, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 290-2. Examines
predictions of disaster caused by one planetary conjunction. (On
the web at http://www.csicop.org/si/8804/doomsday.html)
Morrison,
D. "Killer Comets, Pseudocosmology and Little Green Men"
in Kurtz, Paul, ed. Skeptical Odysseys. 2001, Prometheus
Books. Noted astronomer discusses a variety of pseudo-science
topics connected with planetary astronomy.
Olson,
D. & Lytle, T. "Tidal Forces on May 5, 2000" in
Sky &Telescope, May 2000, p. 109. Examines the effects
of planetary alignments on the Sun in 2000 and through history.
Shadewald,
R. "The Flat-out Truth" in Science Digest, July
1980. An article on the history and president of the Flat Earth
Society. (An updated version is on the web at: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/fe-scidi.htm)
Stenger,
Victor The Unconscious Quantum. 1995, Prometheus. A physicist
examines "new age" claims that quantum mechanical ideas
underlie psychic powers or paranormal experiences.
Stenger,
V. "Quantum Quackery" in Skeptical Inquirer, Jan/Feb.
1997, p. 37. Quick summary of the arguments against quantum mechanics
having "new age" implications for human powers. (On
the web at http://www.csicop.org/si/9701/quantum-quackery.html)
