Here is a fascinating study by L. Sprague de Camp of controversial and often little-known happenings in science and technology, with an emphasis on the wayward activities of those who dabble in fringe science.The Fringe of the Unknown is in three parts. The first, "Our Ingenious Forebears," examines some of the mysteries and oddities surrounding ancient technologies. Occultists and pseudoscientists often attribute extraordinary knowledge and wisdom to "the ancients," crediting them with inventions and discoveries that have ...
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Here is a fascinating study by L. Sprague de Camp of controversial and often little-known happenings in science and technology, with an emphasis on the wayward activities of those who dabble in fringe science.The Fringe of the Unknown is in three parts. The first, "Our Ingenious Forebears," examines some of the mysteries and oddities surrounding ancient technologies. Occultists and pseudoscientists often attribute extraordinary knowledge and wisdom to "the ancients," crediting them with inventions and discoveries that have generally been accepted as accomplishments of recent centuries. De Camp refutes some of these claims, but goes on to show that the ancients, starting from a much lower base of general knowledge, nevertheless achieved some remarkably ingenious results.In Part 2, "Beasts of Now and Then," the author explores a number of oddities and controversies in biology, such as the curious adventures and ramifications of the elephant family, the never-ending efforts to prove that monsters from former eras still roam the earth, the celebrated sighting of a sea serpent by H.M.S. Daedalus in the South Atlantic in 1848, and the many speculations about the great waves of extinction that have, from era to era, impoverished the earth's faunas.In Part 3, "Scientists, Mad and Otherwise," de Camp tells of the behavior of some scientists, from the merely eccentric to the certifiably insane, and examines the differences between real science and pseudoscience.This wide-ranging work is a treasury of entertaining accounts of history and science.
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Add this copy of The Fringe of the Unknown to cart. $6.11, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austell, GA, UNITED STATES, published 1983 by Prometheus Books.
Add this copy of The Fringe of the Unknown to cart. $14.95, good condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 1983 by Prometheus.
Add this copy of The Fringe of the Unknown to cart. $19.95, like new condition, Sold by The Warm Springs Book Company rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Fremont, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1983 by Prometheus Books.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. A fine copy in pictorial wraps. Probable 1st paperback printing with no additional printings listed. Book covers have some light general wear and a touch of rubbing to the spine edges and ends. Very light touch of corner creasing to the bottom edge of the front cover. Overall, a nice tight copy with no names or inscriptions. Illustrated. 8vo; 208 pages.
Add this copy of The Fringe of the Unknown to cart. $48.30, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 1983 by Prometheus.
