Banvard's Folly
by Paul Collins · first published 2001
4mentions
2recommended by
2HN commenters
2017–2021first – last mentioned
100% recommend
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I can mildly recommend "Banvard's Folly: Thirteen Tales of People Who Didn't Change the World" by Paul Collins, that includes a chapter on N rays, and is mentioned in this article. I don't love Collin's writing style, but the stories are as…
on “N-Rays: The Imaginary Radiation That Ruined Its ‘Discoverer’ (2014)” ↗Augustus Pleasonton[1] must be dancing in his grave (although his money was on blue light being best.) (I learnt about him from "Banvard's Folly" by Paul Collins, a book I highly recommend if you can find it.) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus_Pleasonton
on “The convincing science of light therapy” ↗"Banvard's Folly"[1] is a good read about "people who were ignored by the world, whose ideas came before their time, whose great work was left in ruins". [1] https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Banvards-Folly-by-...
on “Let there be more biographies of failures” ↗…having to speak their mind instead of beating around the bush :) But if you are interested in universal languages, I suggest you to check out Sol-re-sol [1]. I have read the story in Paul Collins' "Banvard's Folly" and have been fascinated by it ever since. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solresol
on “Ask HN: What tech were you convinced would take the world by storm but didn't?” ↗