Reddit reviews Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax"

Try this book.

Actually, I am

Regarding Phil Plait (an astronomer's) Bad Astronomy book:

> Mr. Rutkowski starts with some polite comments about my site, and then gets into my UFO chapter. In it, I relate a story about how I mistook a flock of ducks under unusual circumstances for a UFO. I was never seriously thinking they were alien spaceships, but I was pretty befuddled by what I was seeing, until they were pretty close by and obviously ducks.

(emphasis added)

Note that this is a professional astronomer. He has spent an absurd amount of time looking at the night sky. Yet he was still fooled by a pretty mundane object. He was not the only one, in fact one of the main explanations of the original "flying saucer sighting" is pelicans much closer to him than he expected.

As someone who has read both your books Bad Astronomy and Death from the Skies, I first wanted to thank you for writing a book and maintaining a blog that opened my mind to science and skepticism. I highly recommend the former book as a classic in teaching scientific method mixed with awesome humor.

And now for the question, can you tell me what is your prediction for the status of skepticism in the future? Do you think there ever will be a world where at least most are skeptics and don't readily believe in superstition?

I recommend Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing "Hoax" by Philip C. Plait. It dispels a number of common misconceptions in a clear, entertaining style.

It was a hot chocolate at Caribou. Reading material:

• Death by Black Hole, and other cosmic quandries
  
  
• Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon landing "hoax"
  
  
• How I killed Pluto and Why it had it Coming
  
  All in all, a pretty decent afternoon.

I remember reading about that, and yeah, Phil Plait calls the bullshit out in Bad Astronomy. Hmm. Just out of curiousity, what is your favorite science book written for laymen?

Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed by Philip C. Plait

Fun and accessible. Most of what's covered is basic but I learned quite a bit reading it.

Here you go. This book explains in detail why people believe in the above listed things, and also why they're wrong. I love the book. It covers other topics, too. Also, the Mythbusters covered at least the flag thing. I'm sure you can find it by searching for "Mythbusters Moon" on Youtube or something.