benn@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Thomas a Coxus) (11/05/85)
[put your theory in here and close your eyes]
Here's the first, last, and extremely limited edition of the USENET
Guide to Pseudo-Science History.
[background: The much-debated Newman energy-machine prompted
some comparisons between Newman and someone named
Velikovsky. In my enlightened ignorance, I asked for
answers to the question: 'Who is Velikovsky?']
The Answer is below:
This is from Wm. Randolph Franklin
Velikovsky, one of Freud's students (I think) proposed in the 40s
a major revision of ancient history, that there had been numerous
catastrophes around 2000 BC to 500 BC that had destroyed assorted
civilizations. He related them to events in the Bible such as the
Exodus and Joshua's sun and assorted ancient myths.
He said that these events are only remembered as myths because
cultures, just as people, suppress unpleasant childhood events.
[examples given more fully below]
V. had somewhat of a revival in the 70s. A magazine Pensee had a
few issues about him. There was book out refuting him.
Finally, something about him I discovered and have never seen mentioned
anywhere else: In the Harvard library there is a small monograph he
wrote in the 40s disproving gravitation and giving many reasons,
including such gems as: Why isn't the atmosphere stratified (i.e.
Oxygen at the bottom and Nitrogen further up) if gravity exists? (The
other reasons are equally invalid.) He himself never referred to this
book in any of his later books.
This is from Darrel VanBuer, PhD
[Immaneul] Velikovsky is the author of serveral CRACKPOT books, the best
known of which are "Worlds in Collision" and "Ages in Chaos". W in C asserts
that two of the catastrophies in the Bible are the result of close
encounters with the planets Mars and Venus. The claim for Venus is that it
was ejected from Jupiter, passed close to Earth, causing most of the Exodus
related events (e.g. the Plagues, pillar of fire and smoke, and manna from
heaven) and finally settled into the most circular orbit in the solar system!
Mars was associated with the Earth standing still at Jerico! "Support" for
these theories is based on extensive search of ancient literature, finding
examples of similar accounts in the bibles of many ancient people, etc.
Ages in Chaos is a major reorganization of (mostly Egyptian) ancient
chronology because the conventional one doesn't support his other theories.
His continuing "fame" is a result of many factors--his ability to write
appealing accounts of his theories, a charismatic ability to attract a small
cadre of fanatic followers. Also, his theories were dismissed out of hand
by most of the scientific community (even ridiculed) [rather than being
carefully rejected point by point]. As a result of these actions and
personalities, we have the archtypical "martyr being persecuted by totally
close-minded scientific community".
[please note the parallel here with Newman --editor]
His books can be entertaining reading for the sheer absurdity and detailed
documentation in his theories. WofC is still in print in paperback.
This is from Carl Shapiro at the _Las Vegas Sun_
Immanuel Velikovsky is the central figure in one of the most notorious and
amusing episodes in all of pseudo-science. In 1950, the textbook division
of Macmillan published his "Worlds in Collision," which attempted to explain
many of the historical anecdotes of the Bible in terms of a whimsical
history of our solar system.
[Additional examples above. Full MacMillan story below.]
As just one example, consider his claim that
the parting of the Red Sea was caused by a near-collision with Venus, which
at that time was a comet that had been ejected from Jupiter (due to the
misbehavior of Saturn). This event is just one part of his cosmic egg-
juggling game, which involved nearly all of the planets in collisions and/or
near misses with each other and the Earth. Plagues, manna from heaven, the
sun standing still, etc. etc. are all explained in this manner.
Velikovsky is dead now ('79, I think), but his followers and publishers have
not let his work be forgotten. Doubleday, as recently as 1980, was still
advertising Velikovsky's works as scientifically valid, and making claims
for them that were as easy to disprove as were the books themselves.
This is from Christian Ronse:
[. . .] The promotion of such garbage [Worlds in Collision] by
a serious editor provoked an outcry in the scientific community, and Macmillan
soon withdrew that book. (It seems that referees weren't good even at that
time).
Of course all this does not stand in face of Newton's laws (f=m.a=m.m'.g/d^2,
etc.).
This is from Dick Dunn:
[. . .] The various
accolades on the cover should explain the outrage of the scientific
community.
Oh, yeah--caveat emptor.
I would like to thank those who wrote in. There was much repetition
[perhaps still is :-) ] so there was heavy editing. Apologies to
anyone who was upset by this.
One other note about V.'s pseudo-
scientific explanations of Biblical 'events': I was watching The
700 Club [a 'Christian' show] and they were all explaining that
'science was trying to explain the Bible, and this (Worlds in
Collision) is the best they can do -- ergo, it is real history,
but must have been True Miracles.' I kid you not.
Caveat emptor indeed.