Phil Plait has mixed feelings about the.Plait — known as 'The Bad Astronomer' to his many thousands of readers on Syfy — told Space.com he is frustrated that he and others like him still have to debunk the hoax theory from time to time, 50 years after the. Then again, Plait became famous because he's so good at debunking in the first place.Back in February 2001, Fox Broadcasting ran a documentary titled 'Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?' Plait coincidentally had a pile of research ready from a book he was working on, and a friend sent him an advance copy of the show so that he had time to write up a response.Related.Plait's, which he published shortly after the show aired, quickly generated thousands of views years before Facebook, Twitter and today's social media even existed. Fox's TV show propelled Plait's writing to a large audience, and his 2002 book 'Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Astrology to the Moon Landing 'Hoax' (Wiley) helped as well. Plait remains a popular science commentator nearly two decades later.' I kind of wish it had never aired,' Plait said about the Fox documentary, 'because it opened a huge Pandora's box. On the other hand, it's exposing a wound to sunlight.
China plans to launch another lunar lander next year. The European Space Agency is working on a series of moon landing missions with the.
That thing was there anyway, festering. Let it get out to the public, and let it heal, and let it kill the infection. But yeah, it's troubling. Just to know that if Fox hadn't aired that, who knows what my career path would have been.' Bond, Hyams and MulderNeil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Even back then, some people were skeptical that the feat was technologically possible. The James Bond movie 'Diamonds Are Forever,' for example, had a joke about faked moon landings just two years later, in 1971.But what really propelled the conspiracy theory into popular culture, Plait said, was the 1978 Peter Hyams film 'Capricorn One,' which portrays a faked human landing on Mars.
(Also, a 1976 self-published pamphlet by Bill Kaysing, 'We Never Went to the Moon,' was popular among conspiracy-minded people of the day.)That was 40 years ago, but moon-hoax enthusiasts are still with us today.' The X-Files' brought all sorts of space conspiracies into the public consciousness in the 1990s and 2000s, and the rebooted version of the show addressed the moon landing in a 2018 episode. The conspiracy was also addressed in many other fictional TV shows, from 'Futurama' to 'Friends.' Meanwhile, some documentary films and reality-TV efforts — a 2008 episode of 'MythBusters,' for example — tried to chase away the conspiracy theory by educating people. Other filmmakers, such as the folks behind the 2002 mockumentary 'Dark Side of the Moon,' spoofed moon hoaxers.Opinion polls over the years regularly show that around 5% of Americans believe the Apollo moon landings were faked, former NASA chief historian Roger Launius.
That's more than 16 million people, assuming a U.S. Population of 327 million.NASA has done a lot of debunking work over the decades, including a 2018 offer to NBA superstar Stephen Curry to in Houston after Curry said he didn't believe in the moon landings. (A few days later, Curry said he made the comments in jest.)Earlier this year, NASA spokesperson Allard Beutel recited a pile of evidence supporting the moon landings to.
He mentioned the returned moon rocks, the ability to bounce laser beams off gear the astronauts left behind and images NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took of the Apollo landing sites in 2011. Nevertheless, even former astronauts have found themselves in the fray.Space shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin tackled the topic in the 2019 Science Channel series ',' which also features Space.com Editor-in-Chief Tariq Malik as a guest. And in 2002, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the jaw during a taped confrontation.
(Police later said Aldrin was provoked, and no charges were filed.)Related. Should we even talk about it?Plait said there is a danger in talking about the moon-landing conspiracy and other clearly debunked like it, such as vaccines causing autism or humans not being responsible for climate change. It's possible, he said, that by airing any of these debates, the media gives legitimacy to the conspiracy.
Plait said he sometimes struggles about whether to address a conspiracy in his blog; he tries to discuss ones that are widely talked about already.But it's a tough job in fast-moving social media. Plait said he recently commented on what appeared to be widespread Twitter backlash about the new version of 'The Little Mermaid' starring black actress Halle Bailey, only to discover the backlash was itself likely faked. Plait took down his original tweet. (The genesis of the viral tweet was from a troll account, according to a.)Plait said we should remember that conspiracy beliefs often have real-life effects.
For example: 'Because of the anti-vax movement, babies are dying, kids are dying, older people are dying, people with compromised immune systems are dying.' Extreme weather events driven in part by are killing people as well, he said.
Plait clarified that he did not blame any particular political position for this strife — not even the alt-right, as it doesn't 'play into their ideology' (which he said targets people of certain religious groups). But nevertheless, he added, 'All of this stuff has been corralling the imagination of the American public and forcing it in a direction to not think critically, and to react instead of sitting and thinking a moment about things, and to doubt — even when you can lay a paper trail from Point A to Point B right in front of someone. They won't believe it.' But Plait still tries. He remembers being on a radio show not too long ago, going over the usual arguments conspiracy theorists use — for example, why are there no stars in the sky in Apollo pictures of the lunar surface?
(The reason is and the stars were too faint to show.)'Then somebody called in with some bizarre, trivial thing that made no sense at all,' Plait recalled, 'and bless him, the radio host jumped in and said, 'Listen. This guy said your 10 biggest claims are wrong. At what point do you back down?'
'Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the film 'Capricorn One' was directed by Stanley Kubrick. It was directed by Peter Hyams.Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter and on.
It was a monumental achievement that enthralled people around the world: On July 20, 1969, astronauts walked on the moon.Fifty years later, that spellbinding milestone is being honored with. Central to the celebrations are places tied to the mission: Florida’s “Space Coast,” where the was launched; Huntsville, Ala., where the Saturn V rocket that powered the spaceflight was built; and Houston, headquarters for mission control.“Many Americans today take man’s landing on the moon for granted,” said Pauline Frommer, editorial director for Frommer’s guidebooks. “In reality, it was a signature achievement for the United States — a massive, complex, dangerous undertaking.”To spotlight destinations connected to the people, history and science of spaceflight, Frommer’s even put “space” on its.But there’s no need to leave planet Earth to enjoy the anniversary. Here are some places offering space-themed attractions and Apollo 11 fun. HoustonAmong the first words uttered from the moon was the name of this Texas city. “Houston, Tranquility Base here,” said astronaut Neil Armstrong. “The Eagle has landed.” No wonder Houston is going all-out to honor the anniversary with, including a blow-out at.
Ongoing attractions at the Space Center include exhibits of spacecraft and spacesuits; tours and films; and interactive experiences like “Planet Pioneers,” where visitors learn to survive in an alien environment by finding water and oxygen, growing food, building shelter, driving a 4-D vehicle, flying a virtual drone and spinning in a capsule.A (now a National Historic Landmark) that managed Apollo 11 is on track to be finished soon; starting July 16, visitors can see the restored control center on the. And remember Tang, the powdered orange drink that went up with some missions?
Is offering a Tang-inspired vodka cocktail called “Houston We Have Lift Off!”For a good look at what’s actually in space, try stargazing at. FloridaFlorida’s “Space Coast” east of Orlando is planning many. In the, a July 12 and a July 13 parade feature veteran NASA astronauts, while a July 13 evening concert includes Armstrong’s son Rick performing with the band.At the, a reimagined experience at the opens July 15, while ongoing attractions include the awe-inspiring spacecraft display in the Rocket Garden, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Shuttle Launch Experience simulator and more.
You can go behind NASA’s gates on a bus tour, meet or, see space shuttle Atlantis and try the Astronaut Training Experience. Huntsville, Ala.Huntsville’s NASA Marshall Space Flight Center developed the for the Apollo moon missions, and it’s still home to research, design and operations support centers for space programs.Huntsville’s nickname is Rocket City, and its will host re-enactments of the moon landing, along with a July 16 launch of 5,000 model rockets at 9:32 a.m. Eastern time (8:32 a.m. Local time), exactly 50 years after the Apollo 11 launch.
Other include a street dance party, classic car show featuring 1960s-era vehicles, a beer garden and concerts. You can also see astronaut Alan Shepard’s boot prints on a sidewalk and leave a banana on the tombstone of a monkey who flew a test flight 300 miles up in 1959.
(The monkey lived out her life, another 25 years, at the Rocket Center.) For stargazing, check out the at Monte Sano State Park. Disney, Washington and elsewhereHow about visiting a galaxy far, far away?
Opened at Disneyland in California in late May and launches at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in Florida on Aug. The themed lands take guests to Batuu, a new planet that “Star Wars” fans haven’t seen before. Visitors can build a droid or a lightsaber, engage in battle from the cockpit of a Millennium Falcon and have a drink at Oga’s Cantina. Another attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, is slated to open later this year.In Washington, D.C., a July 16-20 Apollo 11 anniversary is planned for the National Mall. And the Smithsonian’s will display Armstrong’s Apollo 11 spacesuit for the first time in 13 years following a restoration funded by a Kickstarter campaign.
Seattle’s is hosting the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibit, “,” until Sept. The exhibit includes the command module Columbia that brought Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon and back. A is planned for July 19-21.In Wapakoneta, Ohio, Armstrong’s birthplace, the plans exhibits, science demonstrations, races and entertainment. The in Hutchinson, Kan., hosts a free, family-friendly July 20 event called.In California, the Richard Nixon Library and Museum hosts an interactive exhibit, through early January., birthplace of the Apollo capsules, plans ranging from a Lunar Pub Crawl to an Apollo 11 Landing Day celebration where people are encouraged to don their best ’60s attire.Finally, the award for best name for an anniversary shindig might just have to go to Denver’s Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum:, July 13-20.Beth J. Harpaz is a freelance writer.