| Authors and Authority: English and American Criticism, 1750-1990 Contributor(s): Parrinder, Patrick (Author) |
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ISBN: 0231076479 ISBN-13: 9780231076470 Publisher: Columbia University Press OUR PRICE: $54.45 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: November 1991 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Literary Criticism | English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh - Literary Criticism | Semiotics & Theory |
| Dewey: 801.950 |
| LCCN: 90028520 |
| Series: Social Foundations of Aesthetic Forms |
| Physical Information: 1" H x 5.48" W x 8.52" (1.20 lbs) 392 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: One of the great paradoxes of modern times is that the more scientists understand the natural world, the more we discover that our everyday beliefs about it are wrong. Astronomy, in particular, is one of the most misunderstood scientific disciplines.With the participation of thousands of undergraduate students, Neil F. Comins has identified and classified, by origin and topic, over 1,700 commonly held misconceptions. Heavenly Errors provides access to all of them and explores many, including: * Black holes suck in everything around them.* The Sun shines by burning gas.* Comets have tails trailing behind them.* The Moon alone causes tides.* Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is the hottest planet.In the course of correcting these errors, he explains that some occur through the prevalence of pseudosciences such as astrology and UFO-logy and some enter the public conscience through the bad astronomy of Star Trek, Star Wars, and other science-fiction movies. Perhaps most important, Professor Comins presents the reader with the methods for identifying and replacing incorrect ideas -- tools with which to probe erroneous notions so that we can begin to question for ourselves...and to think more like scientists |
Contributor Bio(s): Parrinder, Patrick: - Patrick Parrinder is professor of English Literature at the University of Reading. He is the author of several books, including Utopian Literature and Science: From the Scientific Revolution to Brave New World and Beyond (Palgrave, 2015) and Shadows of the Future: H.G. Wells, Science Fiction and Prophecy (Syracuse University Press, 1995). He was also the general editor for of the 17 H. G. Wells titles published by Penguin Classics (2005-7). |