When they severed earth from sky
by E. J. W. Barber, Elizabeth Wayland Barber, Paul T. Barber · first published 2004
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On those topics I prefer Barber & Barber, "When They Severed Earth from Sky". If Josephson-Storm's thesis be true, at least given the existence proof that humanity has at least once decided that (a) the problem with studying inconsistent things is that it is too easy to make…
on “Americans' Trust in Scientists, Positive Views of Science Continue to Decline” ↗When They Severed Earth From Sky (2004); see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38761574
on “Ask HN: Books that gave you different perspective on religion” ↗> Imagination and suspicion had a field day. Chapter 9 (p.93) of When They Severed Earth From Sky introduces the (Popperian?) trope Zone-of-Convenient-Remove Syndrome: People can perpetuate a vivid and seemingly plausible story by telling it of a third party who can't be consulted for verification
on “'The Revolutionary Temper' by Robert Darnton Review” ↗A question for someone who already knows how to wrangle Skyfield: what is its answer for the "dawning of the age of Aquarius" ca. 2150? (see Chap.16 "Of Sky and Time" in "When They Severed Earth From Sky", esp. Table 2, for the prevalence of —or at least ascription to— mentions of precession of the equinoxes in ancient mythology)
on “Skyfield: Elegant Astronomy for Python” ↗H A Rey The Stars (1952) had a nice series of cartoons depicting a caveman, a grey-flannel-suit man, and a futuristic man all looking at their respective versions of the big dipper. The Barbers' When They Severed Earth From Sky (2004) hypothesises that the various kingship changes in heaven of several ancient mythologies correspond to the precession of the solstices and equinoxes through the zodiac. Eg, for Greek mythology,…
on “Constellations are younger than continents” ↗