"Scientists mess up occasionally, like everyone else." Offering ample proof for this statement, this diverting volume spotlights a random selection of "blunders, hoaxes, unlucky accidents, and bizarre beliefs" that have emerged over the centuries. Exposes unconventional theories of how the world began, outlandish tenets about the shape of the earth and the motion of the planets, misguided medical hypotheses, early attempts at flying (with and without planes), disasters at sea and wacky inventions.

Includes index.