Comet Madness: How the 1910 Return of Halley's Comet (Almost) Destroyed Civilization

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Richard J. Goodrich

Comet Madness

How the 1910 Return of Halley's Comet (Almost) Destroyed Civilization

Richard J. Goodrich

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Hardback

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English

Rowman and Littlefield
15 February 2023

Social & cultural history; Mathematics & Sciences; History of science

Halley’s Comet visits the earth every seventy-five years. Since the dawn of civilization, humans had believed comets were evil portents. In 1705, Edmond Halley liberated humanity from these primordial superstitions (or so it was thought), proving that Newtonian mechanics rather than the will of the gods brought comets into our celestial neighborhood. Despite this scientific advance, when Halley’s Comet returned in 1910 and astronomers announced that our planet would pass through its poisonous tail, newspapers gleefully provoked a global hysteria that unfolded with tragic consequences.

In Comet Madness, author and historian Richard J. Goodrich examines the 1910 appearance of Halley’s Comet and the ensuing frenzy sparked by media manipulation, bogus science, and outright deception. The result is a fascinating and illuminating narrative history that underscores how we behave in the face of potential calamity – then and now.

As the comet was nearing closer to Earth, scientists and journalists alike scrambled to get the story straight as citizens the world over panicked. Popular astronomer Camille Flammarion attempted to allay fears in a newspaper article, but the media ignored his true position that passage would be harmless; weather prophet Irl Hicks, publisher of an annual, pseudo-scientific almanac, announced that the comet would disrupt the world’s weather; religious leaders thumbed the Bible’s Book of Revelation and wondered if the comet presaged the apocalypse. Newspapers, confident that there was gold in these alternate theories, gave every crackpot a megaphone, increasing circulation and stoking international hysteria.

As a result, workmen shelved their tools, farmers refused to plant crops they would never harvest, and formerly reliable people stopped paying their creditors. More opportunistic citizens opened “comet insurance” plans. Others suffered mental breakdowns, and some took their own lives.

Comet Madness reveals how humans confront the unknown, how scientists learn about the world we inhabit, and how certain people—from outright hucksters to opportunistic journalists—harness fear to produce a profit.

By: Richard J. Goodrich
Imprint: Rowman and Littlefield
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 231mm, Width: 161mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 522g
ISBN: 9781633888562
ISBN 10: 1633888568
Pages: 282
Publication Date: 15 February 2023
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Richard J. Goodrich, Ph.D., teaches late-Roman and early-church history at Gonzaga University. He is the author of six academic books, as well as the monthly quirky history newsletter, What's New in Old News? His writing has been featured in Columbia Magazine, American History, and Medium. More information on Goodrich can be found on his website www.richardjgoodrich.com. Follow him on Twitter @RJGoodrichWrite.

Reviews for Comet Madness: How the 1910 Return of Halley's Comet (Almost) Destroyed Civilization

"""A fascinating account of a time when everyone thought they had the inside source, or the real scoop on a situation, didn't and countless innocent and gullible people paid the cost...Recommended for both science readers and people interested in both media and how rumors and bad science can become so ingrained in people's heads and hearts.""--Dan O., NetGalley Review ""Comet Madness is a fascinating look at historical issues that we still struggle with today -- media overhype, the tension between the scientific process and the need for headlines and, yes, not knowing what's in the skies above us.""--Elizabeth Held, What to Read If ""Go ahead and pick up a copy of Comet Madness and enjoy the tale of how the world was (almost) destroyed.""--Elizabeth M., NetGalley Review ""Goodrich takes a look at how the media created an absolute frenzy around...well, not much of anything but misrepresentations and crackpot theories. If you are a person who walks around these days saying, ""fake news"" then this book is clearly for you.""--Brendan Dowd, History Nerds United ""In a comprehensive overview of the literature that documented these apparitions at the time, Comet Madness offers a thorough sweep through the musings of those foretelling the reasons behind a comet's appearance and the consequences likely to befall the world from its fiery presence. Author and historian Richard J Goodrich relates how civilisations reacted to the foretelling and subsequent sighting of a new arrival in the heavens. With the use of intriguing and often whimsical comet-based quotes to head up each chapter, he neatly catalogues in a flowing dialogue how centuries of archive material generally paint a desperate picture heralded by a comet's presence, of widespread fear among all walks of life.""--BBC Sky at Night Magazine ""This is an excellent read all round, for science and astronomy buffs particularly, but sociologists, anthropologists, and indeed anyone interested in media and its influence on culture will find it fascinating.""--Patricia G., NetGalley Review ""Goodrich vividly shows how little it took ""to drive some Americans back to the fears and superstitions of a prescientific world."" This slice of history fascinates.""-Publishers Weekly"