Scientists and Scoundrels: A Book of HoaxesU of Nebraska Press, 1 juin 2007 - 251 pages As if history and nature had not provided wonders enough, through the ages humans themselves have contrived more marvels to deceive one another. Sometimes they have concocted evidence when none was available to prove pet theories; sometimes their intention has been to impress or defraud; sometimes they have acted merely for sport. ø Robert Silverberg tells the stories of a baker's dozen of these scientific hoaxers in a lively, good-humored book that ranges through time and across continents. Here are perpetual-motion machines and space rockets, men on the moon and serpents in the sea. The rogues? gallery is a varied one: Dr. Mesmer, who cast his hypnotic spell on eighteenth-century Paris; Charles Dawson, whose Piltdown Man challenged evolution; Dr. Cook, with his tale of ?discovering? the North Pole; and many others. ø These are fascinating stories and more than just entertainment. The author explains the scientific background against which the hoaxes appeared and the detective work that led to their exposure. The schemers teach us to be alert, to challenge the evidence, and to appreciate the healthy skepticism that characterizes the scientific method. |
Table des matières
One The Lying Stones of Dr Beringer | 1 |
Two The Marvelous Magnetism of Dr Mesmer | 16 |
Three The Men on the Moon | 34 |
Four The Sea Serpent of Dr Koch | 51 |
Five John Keelys PerpetualMotion Machine | 71 |
Six The Kensington Stone | 85 |
Seven Dr Cook and the North Pole | 108 |
Eight Paul Schliemann | 143 |
Nine The Etruscan Sculptures | 159 |
Ten The Case of the Venezuelan ApeMan | 171 |
Eleven The Kammerer Tragedy | 188 |
Twelve Otto Fischers Rocket Ride | 207 |
Thirteen The Piltdown Puzzle | 220 |
A Last Word | 235 |
246 | |
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Expressions et termes fréquents
America ancient animal magnetism anthropoid Arctic Arthur Smith Woodward Atlantis began Beringer Beringer's bones called carved century claimed Cook Cook's creatures Dawson declared discovered discovery Eskimos Etruscan expedition experiment explorer fake feet Fioravanti fossil fraud genuine German Rocket Society giraffes Greenland Heinrich Schliemann Herschel hoax hoaxer Holand human Hydrarchus inscription Joice Heth journey Kammerer Kammerer's Keely's Kensington Stone knew Koch land later living look Loys mastodon Mayan ment Mesmer midwife toad miles Missourium Montandon moon Mount McKinley Museum mystery never North Pole Ohman olms Otto Fischer patients Paul Kammerer Paul Schliemann Peary Peary's photograph Piltdown polar Professor published reached Robert Silverberg Roderick runes runic salamanders sapajou scientific scientists sea serpent seemed simply skull specimens story strange tail teeth theory thousand Tiahuanaco tion told tree turned Vinland Woodward World Monkeys wrote Würzburg York Zänger