How to Fake a Moon Landing: Exposing the Myths of Science Denial
The U.S. edition of what in Britain is called Science Tales (to conform with Cunningham’s Psychiatric Tales, 2011) consists of lively, plain-language debunkings of seven cases of quack or fraudulent science and, in the last chapter, antiscientific bias in general. The belief that the Apollo 11 moon expedition was a hoax, the “alternative” medicines known as homeopathy and chiropractic, the scare about the MMR vaccine inducing autism, arguments against evolution, apologies for fracking, and denying human involvement in rapid climate change are the seven “myths” Cunningham exposes. The text, while never failing to point up the dangers of believing the seven, is economical as can be, which well suits Cunningham’s bare-bones, glorified stick-figure drawing style. Besides stylized use of color—some chapters are all in similar tones (greens, blues), others in more contrasting shades (blue and red, orange and blue)—Cunningham uses plenty of tonally altered (but recognizable) photos to keep the uniformly six-panel pages looking good. The last four pages list, chapter-by-chapter, the print and web sources Cunningham consulted. --Ray Olson