Crash Go The Chariots

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Crash go the Chariots is the title of a book that was commissioned by the National Science Foundation in the early 1960s by the author L. Sprague de Camp. During his long career as an author de Camp wrote over 100 books, many of them were science fiction stories. Another set of books that he wrote delt with the pseudoscientific where he took a particular pleasure in debunking some of the outlandish  pseudoscientific theories that have always abounded. Many of these theories are caught up either in the supernatural or visitors from outer space.

The book was written as an answer to a book that was written by Erich van Danakin titled the “Chariots of the Gods.”  In this book van Danakin posited that every large structure built by mankind in the early days of recorded history was built by the intervention of beings from outer space. To make matters worse van Danakin would take a very tiny thread of truth and spin it into a cloak of whole cloth.  One of his favorite theories was how beings from outer space built the pyramids of ancient Egypt.  This theory completely ignored the fact that the early people in history are just as smart as they are now the only thing they lack is modern technology.

It is probable that if Jesus walked into a union hall looking for a job he’s be hired right away.  The tools he used as a carpenter over two thousand years ago haven’t changed much since.  One major change was that hammer heads wouldn’t fly off their handle anymore.  Although we now have many power tools he would appreciate them for their work saving properties, but the theory behind them he would understand.  The only tool that might leave him puzzeled is the screwdriver, they were invented one-thousand years after he died.

Pseudoscientific theories abounded throughout the history of mankind and are nothing new they are literally a cottage industry that supports a great many fools and charlatans that unfortunately believe their own nonsense. This is even spawned a late-night radio program stock in trade is the spreading of these tales of the pseudoscience and the supernatural. The radio program is not only carried on many radio stations late at night, but is also streamed on the Internet giving it a worldwide audience.

The author has to admit to being addicted to the content of some of this program because they do present some very interesting intellectual subjects in the arts and sciences. Their stock in trade to a great extent is built around conspiracy theories. As a scientist the author is able to pick out the wheat from the chaff, but he also realizes that many of the outlandish tales put forth on this program are utter nonsense. Unfortunately many of the people that are on the program as guests believe their own nonsense.

L. Sprague de Camp also wrote several other books either debunking pseudoscience or explaining how many of the things in the ancient world were actually done. Another of the books that was used in the debunking of Erich van Danakin’s books was one titled, “The Ancient Engineers.”   In this book de Camp explains the details of how the ancient engineers were able to accomplish many different tasks with the tools and materials they had in hand without any intervention from the outside at all.

The thing that has to be remembered is that about 5% of the population of the world system about 95% of the work. Many of the labor saving devices that have been invented over the ages are the result of the fact that the human race is inherently lazy. From this we derive the expression, “Necessity is the mother of invention!”

References:

Erich van Danakin, Wikipedia,