By Michael D. Gordin
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Extra resources for The Pseudoscience Wars: Immanuel Velikovsky and the Birth of the Modern Fringe
Example text
12 The book was, and remains, an enthralling read. It also required, to account for the events described—near collisions of planets, comets the size of Venus, the transformation of a hydrocarbon/petroleum tail of the comet into carbohydrate manna for the Israelites—outright contraventions or 22 CHAPTER ONE at least severe modifications of the conventional understandings of celestial mechanics, physics, chemistry, geology, paleontology, and biology. , which excluded shifts in the poles or the orbital orientation of Earth.
110 (Velikovsky, it should be said, was not at first enamored of this narrative: “To me it is most important to show that I was right. ”112 Here are two key assumptions: that the campaign was organized and that it failed. But the objections to Macmillan were scattered; in fact, in hindsight, one could easily say that the press overreacted to light pressure. The second point, about failure, requires a proper understanding of the boycott’s purpose. The Grand Collision of Spring 1950 43 It is tempting to look back on the uproar of spring 1950 and see it as so much hot air.
94 A form letter was drawn up to answer hostile correspondents, insisting that “Dr. ”96 This approach failed quickly. By May several scientists and departments—it is impossible to tell how many, and it was quite possibly only about five, but enough to be ominous—had turned away Macmillan representatives and sent back books. So Brett turned to his lawyers. F. ) Brett rapidly arranged a deal with the Doubleday publishing house to take over the Velikovsky contract—a coup for them, since they would be acquiring a best seller at no cost and had no textbook department to leave them vulnerable to boycotting.