Bad Astronomy: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from ...

176 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Velikovsky’s thesis certainly seems legitimate. It’s built upon a
tremendous amount of historical and archaeological research. The
book has a vast number of quotes from all manner of historians,
from contemporary analyses to those by the ancient Roman, Pliny
the Elder. Experts in the field have many criticisms of Velikovsky’s
interpretations of these works, and it’s quite possible that his research
is historically inaccurate. To be honest, I have no expertise
in this, and so I’ll refrain from judging his ideas on their historical
merit. However, I’ll be happy to discuss them in an astronomical
context.
Like most areas of pseudoscience such as astrology and creationism,
it’s possible to find fatal flaws in the theories without
resorting to a detailed and painful analysis of every fact and figure.
As a matter of fact, sometimes it pays not to nitpick; when you do,
pseudoscience supporters will simply throw more facts and figures
at you, hoping either to dazzle you with their database of knowledge
or to confuse you beyond hope of reaching any rational conclusion.
So, instead of going over his writings with a fine-toothed
comb, it’s a better idea to look at more general concepts—large,
broad areas that contradict the basic premise. These are usually easier
to explain and understand, anyway. If I mention a few details
it’s because I think they’re important, as well as fun and interesting.
PPP
Velikovsky’s main idea of Venus as tooling around the solar system
and creating havoc is based on many ancient writings. Perhaps the
most important biblical passage is in Joshua 10:12–13. During a
massive battle with the Canaanites, Joshua knew he could win if
only he had a little more time, but the day was drawing to a close.
Getting desperate, he asked God to make the Sun stop its daily
motion around the Earth, giving him the extra time he needed. The
biblical passage reads, “. . . and the Sun stood still in the midst of
heaven, and the Moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves
upon their enemy.” Then, almost exactly 24 hours later—
after the battle was over—God restarted the heavens, setting the
Sun and Moon in motion once more.