The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong The Inconstant Moon
Jun 18, 2024
The podcast dives into the Great Moon Hoax, revealing how The Sun newspaper in 1835 claimed life was discovered on the moon. Absurd telescope details and a showcase of bizarre lunar creatures captivated readers. The story escalated with tales of beaver people and human-like Batmen, all crafted to entice. Experts analyze why the hoax succeeded, citing authoritative language and historical beliefs about lunar life. The aftermath saw astronomer John Herschel's reputation at risk, while Edgar Allan Poe challenged the hoax's credibility, leaving a legacy on media fraud.
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The Cincinnati Time Store Experiment
- Josiah Warren opened the Cincinnati Time Store in 1827 to exchange goods by labor time, not money.
- The store paid people with time-notes convertible into goods, creating speed-shopping and odd trade incentives.
Labor-Time Pricing Reveals Value Tensions
- Warren's time-based valuation exposed tensions between skill, desirability, and equal-hour exchange.
- The system collapsed as people balked at equating expert labor and menial tasks, forcing ad hoc price negotiations.
Warren's Press Sparked Penny Newspapers
- Josiah Warren invented a rotary printing press and freely gave away the design.
- Benjamin Day used that technology to launch the penny paper New York Sun in 1833, transforming mass media.