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00:00:00 – 00:07:28
The video delves into the historical context and enduring impact of moon-related hoaxes and fake news, beginning with a notable 2022 deception by a French physicist involving a chorizo purported to be a star. It extensively discusses the infamous moon landing conspiracy from 1969 and the grand moon hoax of August 1835 published by the New York Sun. This hoax, driven by publisher Benjamin Day and editor Richard Adams Locke, falsely claimed the discovery of life on the moon by astronomer John Herschel, featuring fantastical creatures like unicorns and man-bats. Locke's intention was to satirize the religious astronomers' beliefs in extraterrestrial life, but the public, influenced by the era's scientific and religious fervor, took it as truth, leading to widespread acceptance and efforts like fundraising for lunar Bible missions. The hoax's popularity was amplified by artistic illustrations commissioned to depict the fictional lunar landscape, highlighting the New York Sun's exploitation of the series for profit. This narrative underscores the timeless allure of fake news and the perennial curiosity about lunar mysteries, paralleling modern challenges posed by misinformation.
00:00:00
In this part of the video, the discussion revolves around the history and impact of moon-related hoaxes and fake news. It highlights a prominent false claim in August 2022 by a French physicist about a star being a piece of chorizo and refers to the long-standing moon landing conspiracy from July 1969. A significant moon hoax from August 1835 is elaborated upon, where a fictional account published by the New York Sun claimed life on the moon, including unicorns, man-bats, and beavers walking on hind legs, based on supposed discoveries by astronomer John Herschel. This hoax was widely believed, significantly boosting the New York Sun’s readership. The actual creators of this fabricated story were the publisher Benjamin Day and editor Richard Adams Locke, who aimed to increase newspaper accessibility and affordability through innovative, cheaper printing methods.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses how Richard Adams Locke created a highly successful newspaper hoax in the form of a satirical piece that ended up being taken as true. Locke’s intention was to lampoon the beliefs of religious astronomers, who claimed that heavenly bodies, including the moon, were populated with intelligent beings. In the 1830s New York, amidst the backdrop of civil unrest and the second religious awakening, people were eager to believe in such fantastical stories. Locke aimed to mock these beliefs by writing exaggerated articles about lunar inhabitants and other absurdities, using scientific rhetoric. Ironically, the public, already influenced by these astronomers’ ideas, accepted Locke’s satire as fact, and religious groups even began raising funds to send Bibles to the moon.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker describes the distress of an individual who knew the truth about a series but felt unable to reveal it due to his obligations to his publisher. The New York Sun exploited the series for profit, even commissioning an artist to create illustrations of the lunar landscape based on detailed descriptions provided by Locke. The series gained widespread popularity, being republished globally with various artistic interpretations of lunar man-bats. The segment draws a parallel to the modern issue of fake news, emphasizing that the phenomenon existed long before contemporary media and resonates with a universal curiosity about the moon and its fantastical possibilities.