Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Location: Hess Room,
Lunar and Planetary Institute
Houston, TX

Most space experts and historians consider the persistent assertions that the Apollo program was a hoax to be a bothersome distraction and silly crackpottery unworthy of serious attention. However, examples show that in cultural and historical context these heretical 'theories' are hardly unusual. And they can be productively exploited to identify themes of science, technology, and reasoning that are poorly understood by large portions of the public. Since ordinary people -- as consumers, as voters, as jurors, as parents-- need to be able to successfully handle such controversies, identification and remediation of such shortcomings in public education can only be beneficial. Such 'intellectual infections' exercise the social 'immune system' by prompting the deployment of 'antibodies', the development of 'vaccines', and ultimately the maintenance of 'cultural health' in the face of other threats.

James Oberg, a veteran of 22 years at Mission Control, is now a full-time consultant, author, and lecturer (www.jamesoberg.com). He is writing a book on the Apollo hoax myth, even without a contract from the NASA History Office.

Theme Lecture
Date Monday, January 13, 2003
Location Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, US
Web Address http://www.jamesoberg.com