Four Song Birds

 

It all began August 25, 1835. The New York Sun published a series of six articles – with pictures – reporting the discovery of life on the moon. They were attributed to a well-known astronomer, Sir John Herschel, and his fictitious collaborator, Dr. Andrew Grant. According to the articles, the pair had used a revolutionary new telescope – 24 feet in diameter – to observe the surface of the moon with more clarity and detail than ever before. They reported seeing lush vegetation and vast oceans on the moon, as well as many fantastic inhabitants: unicorns, large beavers that walked upright on their hind legs, and humanoids that flew about on bat-like wings. Many readers believed the articles, including several respected scientists. On September 16, the Sun revealed the whole thing was a hoax. In the meantime, they’d temporarily increased the newspaper’s circulation, and permanently damaged our collective respect for serious journalism.