About the Book
A clever, thought-provoking guide that attacks common astronomical misconceptions
What is Bad Astronomy? Anything that accidentally or intentionally mangles the basic principles of astronomy. And who is on the lookout for good examples of Bad Astronomy? The Bad Astronomer, of course, a/k/a professional astronomer Phil Plait. In Bad Astronomy, Plait clears up misconceptions and malarkey relating to our Earth, moon, and the wider Universe. Ranging from commonly misunderstood notions such as why the sky is blue and the reason we have seasons, to large-scale shenanigans such as the so-called moon landing hoax and UFO sightings, Bad Astronomy wipes the stardust from readers' eyes to reveal just how the Universe works. Not only does Plait clearly explain the principles behind major concepts like the Big Bang, he leads readers to understand basics such as what makes the Moon look big when it rises and why the planets -- and astrology-- cannot directly influence our lives. Here is a fascinating and enlightening read for amateurs and experts alike. Bad Astronomy is the first volume in Wiley's "Bad Science" series; forthcoming titles will look at common misconceptions related to biology, weather, and the Earth.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
PART I: Bad Astronomy Begins at Home
1. The Yolk's on You: Egg Balancing and the Equinox
2. Flushed with Embarrassment: The Coriolis Effect and Your Bathroom
3. Idiom's Delight: Bad Astronomy in Everyday Language
PART II: From the Earth to the Moon
4. Blue Skies Smiling at Me: Why the Sky Is Blue
5. A Dash of Seasons: Why Summer Turns to Fall
6. Phase the Nation: The Moon's Changing Face
7. The Gravity of the Situation: The Moon and the Tides
8. The Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie: The Big Moon Illusion
PART III: Skies at Night Are Big and Bright
9. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star: Why Stars Appear to Twinkle
10. Star Light, Star White: Stars of Many Colors
11. Well, Well: The Difficulty of Daylight Star Sighting
12. The Brightest Star: Polaris-Just Another Face in the Crowd
13. Shadows in the Sky: Eclipses and Sun-Watching
14. The Disaster that Wasn't: The Great Planetary Alignment of 2000
15. Meteors, Meteoroids, and Meteorites, Oh My!: The Impact of Meteors and Asteroids
16. When the Universe Throws You a Curve: Misunderstanding the Beginning of It All
PART IV: Artificial Intelligence
17. Appalled at Apollo: Uncovering the Moon-Landing Hoax
18. Worlds in Derision: Velikovsky vs. Modern Science
19. In the Beginning: Creationism and Astronomy
20. Misidentified Flying Objects: UFOs and Illusions of the Mind and Eye
21. Mars Is in the Seventh House, But Venus Has Left the Building: Why Astrology Doesn't Work
PARTV: Beam Me Up
22. Hubble Trouble: Hubble Space Telescope Misconceptions
23. Star Hustlers: Star Naming for Dummies
24. Bad Astronomy Goes Hollywood: The Top-Ten Examples of Bad Astronomy in Major Motion Pictures
Recommended Reading.
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author :
PHILIP PLAIT, Ph.D., works in the physics and astronomy department at Sonoma State University in California. He maintains the Web site badastronomy.com and writes monthly articles on astronomy for the German newspaper Die Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. His work has appeared in the Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook of Science and the Future and Astronomy magazine. He also writes a monthly column for astronomy.com.
Review :
"Inspired by his popular web site, www. badastronomy.com, this first book by Plait (astronomy, Sonoma State Univ.) debunks popular myths and misconceptions relating to astronomy and promotes science as a means of explaining our mysterious heavens. The work describes 24 common astronomical fallacies, including the beliefs that the Coriolis effect determines the direction that water drains in a bathtub and that planetary alignments can cause disaster on Earth. The author sharply and convincingly dismisses astrology, creationism, and UFO sightings and explains the principles behind basic general concepts (the Big Bang, why the sky is blue, etc.). Though some may find him strident, Plait succeeds brilliantly because his clear and understandable explanations are convincing and honest. This first volume in Wiley's 'Bad Science' series is recommended for all libraries, especially astronomy and folklore collections." Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado Lib., Denver (Library Journal, March 15, 2002)
"...everything's beautifully explained. He gives the neatest explanation of tides I've ever seen...for that alone, this book should be in every school library on the planet." (New Scientist, 4 May 2002)
"...the book might be a better student introduction than many more sober tomes..." (Times Higher Education Supplement, 7 June 2002)
"Bad Astronomy is a book which is both timely and welcome. I would recommend it without hesitation, and I have no doubt that it will be widely read..." (The Observatory, October 2002)
For skeptics, always fans of science: The first two books in a series devoted to "bad science," Bad Astronomy by Philip Plait and Bad Medicine (Wiley, $15.95) by Christopher Wanjek, may warm even a Scrooge's heart. In short chapters, Plait tackles misperceptions about why the moon looks larger on the horizon and why stars twinkle before moving on, dismantling conspiracy kooks who doubt the moon landing and offering a top 10 list of bad science moments in movie history. Wanjek, a science writer who has also written jokes for The Tonight Show and Saturday Night Live, takes an edgy and funny tack in debunking myths such as humans using only 10% of their brains, the utility of "anti-bacterial" toys and the safety of "natural" herbal remedies, ones often loaded with powerful chemicals. (USA TODAY, December 3, 2002)
"...a good read...Plait's book is readable, entertaining, not exclusively for astronomers, and often very funny..." (Astronomy & Space, June 2003)
"...a great book to dip into..." (Popular Astronomy, January 2004)
"Der Autor grenzt sich eindeutig und unmissverständlich von Astrologie, Kreationismus und UFOlogie ab. "Der außerordentliche Erfolg des Autors gründet sich auf klare und nachvollziehbare, dabei ehrlich und überzeugend wirkende Erklärungen." Library Journal
"Alles wird wunderbar erklärt - der Erklärung der Gezeiten ist in der Tat die hübscheste, die ich jemals gesehen habe. "Schon aus diesem Grund sollte das Werk in keiner Schulbücherei auf unserem Planeten fehlen." New Scientist
"Dieses Buch könnte die Studenten besser in das Thema einführen als viele andere, ernsthafter angelegte Wälzer." Times Higher Education Supplement
"Bad Astronomy ist ein modernes und sehr willkommenes Buch. Ich empfehle es ohne zu zögern und ich zweifle nicht, dass es einen breiten Leserkreis finden wird." The Observatory
