The Halley's Comet Panic

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

Sam Kean

Arts, Books, History

4 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2025

⏱️ 21 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The 1910 return of Halley’s comet was greeted with rapture around the world—at least at first. Due to irresponsible speculation by scientists about the theoretical dangers of a close encounter with a comet, many people grew terrified of Halley’s approach and took drastic measures. They fled their homes, hid out in wells or caves, even committed suicide. It’s a grave reminder of scientific communication gone very wrong.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone, welcome to the new season of Disappearing Spoon.
0:05.0	But before we start, some exciting news.
0:08.2	I have a new book coming out this summer.
0:10.7	The title is Dinner with King Tut.
0:13.8	It's about the fascinating new field of experimental archaeology
0:17.8	on scientists recreating food, tools, weapons, and other lost things from our
0:23.8	past. In the course of writing dinner with King Tut, I attended an authentic Roman banquet. I fired
0:30.8	a medieval catapult. I made ancient clothing and sailed on an ancient Polynesian ship to learn
0:36.9	old navigation methods. I played
0:39.1	Aztec ball games and even talked to people who made human mummies in modern times. I have
0:46.3	never written a book with a bigger scope or one that has been more of an adventure. The book comes
0:52.5	out July 8th and as a special bonus, you listeners can pre-order it now
0:58.0	and get a discount.
1:00.3	Pre-orders help a book a lot.
1:02.5	They are vital, so anyone who pre-orders now, through my publisher, will get 20% off the hardcover.
1:09.8	Just use the code spoon at this website, bit.l.ly slash dinner with King Tut.
1:19.4	Again, the website for the 20% hardcover discount is bit.l.ly slash dinner with King Tut. Offer code Spoon.
1:31.4	You can also find that link in the show notes or at samkeen.com slash podcast.
1:38.5	Please pick up a copy before that offer expires.
1:42.5	And now on with the episode.
1:48.2	In 1705, astronomer Edmund Haley made a bold prediction. He was studying the descriptions
1:55.0	of three bright comets from the past. Each of them appeared roughly 76 years apart. Daringly, he suggested that these
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