Heavenly Errors: Misconceptions About the Real Nature of the Universe - Hardcover

Comins, Neil

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0231116446 ISBN 13: 9780231116442

Publisher: Columbia University Press, 2001

Synopsis

Heavenly Errors Provides access to various paradoxes of the natural world. This book 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 science-fiction movies. It aims to present the reader with the methods for identifying and replacing incorrect ideas. Full description

About this title

Review:

Does the weather get warmer in summer because the Earth moves closer to the sun? Many people believe in such Heavenly Errors, where common sense leads to the kind of misconception Neil Comins sets straight. Comins is particularly eager to stamp out errors about astronomy, his field, and in his book he explores--and corrects--over 1,500 "commonly held" astronomical beliefs. Along the way he investigates the nature of misconceptions, how and why we acquire them, and how to guard against them. He identifies external culprits such as science fiction films, the Internet and advertising, and examines how the psychological traits that help humans survive are poor tools for understanding "the real nature of the universe". A writer and teacher, Comins can clearly explain astronomical concepts to non-scientists. This book, however, seems geared to freshman astronomy students, and not to the general science reader. --JB Peck

Review:

An interesting new look at how humans perceive nature....A good primer on critical thinking and how science really works.--Choice

His relaxed style of discourse makes his book quite readable, and though his pedagogical approach is somewhat unconventional, he deserves a hearing. Recommended for academic and public libraries.--Library Journal

Anyone concerned with astronomy will find this book useful.--Astronomy Now

Debunking silly, frightening and grandiose beliefs, the University of Maine professor of physics and astronomy is reassuring and engaging.--Publishers Weekly

An easy-to-read guide to what science now knows about the universe.--San Diego Union Tribune

Intriguing analysis of common errors and misconceptions of the real nature of the universe.--Bookwatch

About this edition

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0231116446
• ISBN 13: 9780231116442
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288