The earth is not a globe, but a flat disk. The north pole is at the center, and there is no south pole, only a frozen polar rim that protects us from the edge of the world.
Colored light has miraculous curative powers.
T here is a lively tradition of weird science in American history, from rainmaking and phrenology to crystal power and the hunt for UFOs . Odd ideas might have been expected 150 years ago, in a young republic with more enthusiasm for science than actual expertise. We must examine the strange enthusiasms of the past in order to understand their persistence today. It renders those who pass the verdict smug. Indeed, it's worth remembering that theories we might scoff at today were once embraced by Americans from all walks of life.