In 2002, my book, Bad Astronomy, was published. It’s done pretty well over the years (20,000+ copies sold; not bad for a popular science book), and recently went into its sixth printing.
Oh, wait– did I say "my book"? I meant to say, my first book.
Yes, you read that right. After 6 frakkin’ years, I’m finally writing a second book.
It’s called "Death from the Skies", and it’s about all the myriad ways astronomical events can wipe out (or seriously mess up) life on Earth. There have been books covering this topic before, but not with much breadth and depth simultaneously, and none I have seen are really thorough. I have all sorts of ideas (you like asteroid impacts wiping out all higher forms of life on Earth? That’s only chapter 1!), so this should be a fun book. I’m really tired of doomsday criers scaring people and scamming their money, so this should act as something of a mitigation. I want to be accurate, and I want to make sure that people understand that while the effects of a Galactic gamma-ray burst would good and truly suck — oceans boiling, atmosphere ripped off, the crust of the Earth melted to a depth of many miles, stuff like that– the odds are vanishingly small. How many people do you know who have been killed by a GRB?
There is a long and complex backstory to the publication of this book, and I won’t bore you with details here (but if you recognize the idea, I wrote about this topic — with the same title! –for my article in the June 2006 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine). The hardcover (!) book will be published by Viking Press, and is due out in Spring of 2008.
Yikes! That’s pretty soon! Pardon me, but I gotta go: I need to get writing. Oh– the book is the reason I put Q and BA on hold for a while too. I need my weekends to write. Other than that, I don’t expect the book will affect the blog too much — you may see two posts a day instead of three, but soon I think I’ll have more spare time to write and still get Q and BA back on track… Oops! I’ve said too much for now. I’ll save that bit of news for Big Announcement Part 2. Stay tuned!
April 8th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I’m not buying another book from you. We already went through this. You put out “Bad Astronomy” and call yourself “The Bad Astronomer.” And yet this is entirely misleading.
I bought the book, looking for a horrible read of a bad book on astronomy. It turns out it didn’t suck at all.
Not only was it completely lacking misinformation, but it contained numerous glaring accuracies which only increased the reader’s understanding and enjoyment. It’s neither poorly written nor does it contain anything that would be classified as “Bad Science.” It didn’t even proclamation the universe is a few thousands of years old.
Seriously, if you’re going to keep passing off yourself as a bad astronomer and your books as bad, then it’s just wrong to pass off these stimulating works as crap. The lack of incompetence is sickening.
Please stop misleading us. I can only guess your next book will be equally misleading to those of us out there who are looking to purchase bad literature.
April 8th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
Great news, and I’m sure we all wish you the very best.
Personally, the biggest threat from the skies that I worry about is global warming.
(Oh, and sort out your statistics! The threat is calculated as likelihood of event X average number of people killed in event. I argued on this page about this before.)
April 8th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
drbuzz0- I agree! Can we start some sort of class action going?
April 8th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
It sounds extremely interesting. Honestly, it will take an immediate cosmic terror to unite the humans for the first time in its history. The book may produce a profound political impact.
‘How many people do you know who have been killed by a GRB?’
I almost misread this sentence, and the answer is Lancetly more than you ever wanna know if it were by GWB.
April 8th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
I was going to be cute and say: “soon to be a major motion picture,” then I remembered that great magazine article you wrote where you had a scientist explaining to a movie producer the different ways the world could possibly end, (and scaring the hell out of him.) This should be a really cool book!
April 9th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Death from the skies will come in the year 37340 when millions of minties will cover the land.
Cannot wait to get my copy of the book.
April 9th, 2007 at 12:38 am
I wonder if you read “A choice of catastrophes” by Isaac Asimov? It does provide “breadth and depth simultaneously” and it’s quite thorough. In fact, it’s even broader than proposed “Death from the skies”. It also covers internal means of mass destruction. Anyhow, good luck with your new Armageddon.
April 9th, 2007 at 2:26 am
Cosmic catastrophes are very rare. That’s true. But they are so destructive than any hypothesis of the future of humankind (or of the development of other planetary civilizations) must consider them. So, I think it is a good idea to condense modern ideas on asteroid-, supernova-related and GRB- catastrophes (causes, probabilities, potential impact on Earth ecosystems and human or post-human facilities). Of course, seeing the stand of our leadership in front of the actual global warming or the great loss of biodiversity, I don’t think this book may impress them much.
April 9th, 2007 at 2:31 am
Looking forward to this one! Interesting to see a catastrophe book that’s not alarmist nonsense for gullible people on the Impeding Doom Next January (So remember to buy your SuperSurvivalKit® from our Survival Store on your way out…).
April 9th, 2007 at 2:33 am
Cool, I just ordered Bad Astronomy from Amazon yesterday. Better hurry up & read it before “Death from the Skies” is published or it happens for real!
April 9th, 2007 at 3:10 am
“How many people do you know who have been killed by a GRB?”
Until we have interstellar travel, isn’t the only possible answer to that “none”? The only other answer, “everyone, including myself”, has no one left alive to give the answer.
Will you have this done by TAM6 so we can sell it at the merchandise table?
– Scott
April 9th, 2007 at 3:39 am
Excellent news!
April 9th, 2007 at 4:21 am
BA,
Glad to hear this! I’m sure it’ll be a good read, although you might want to reconsider the title.
As soon as I read your post, I tried to grab the domain name “deathfromtheskies.com” for you, but it’s already registered to a “Rev Bob” in Tennessee. The domain is currently parked, but depending on “Bob’s” perspective, he could wreak some serious mischief on your book marketing plans.
Just a thought…
Sam
April 9th, 2007 at 4:21 am
Scott, the man said the hardcover will be out a year from now, so hopefully there will be a table full of copies of just this book at TAM 6, which is June 2008. That is, if Phil has anything to say about it. Doubt he does.
I am so looking forward to this. I am so looking forward to this to the point where I am definitely bringing my copy of this AND my copy of Bad Astronomy, which I keep forgetting to bring to TAM for you to sign, Phil, to the next TAM I’m attending.
April 9th, 2007 at 5:15 am
One of my fondest hypothetical intragalactic deaths is the Earth being hit by a single strange partial. Oops the Earth suddenly collapsed to the size of two football fields…
April 9th, 2007 at 5:29 am
Awesome! I can’t wait to buy it.
April 9th, 2007 at 5:43 am
I hope in the chapter covering asteroids, you will go into detail about how ICBMs will not save us. I’ve got a friend who shrugs off an asteroid strike by saying, “Eh, we’ll just nuke it.” I’ve explained over and over that A) our missiles are designed to hit cities, not streak through interplanetary space, B) that a nuke will likely just break up a big rock into smaller rocks (which will hit us anyway over a wider spread), and C) they’ll be radioactive, to boot. Then he counters with words about megatons and vaporization. His thinking is that a nuke will make an asteroid disappear.
I’ve seen plenty of astronomers brush off the nuclear detonation strategy, but none have gone into enough specifics for me to counter my friend’s naivette. Here’s hoping your next book has the details I need.
April 9th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Asteroids and gamma ray bursts are ok, but what about pointed sticks?
April 9th, 2007 at 6:28 am
With your sense of humour I am sure it will be a laugh a page. Actually, I love your writing and look forward to the release of your next-in-a-series of books. Good luck.
April 9th, 2007 at 6:30 am
[…] Bad Astronomy Blog: Big Announcement Part 1: My next book! astronomy, bad astronomy, books, galactic gamma ray burst […]
April 9th, 2007 at 6:32 am
Not pointed sticks!! Nooo!
*duck and cover*
(looking forward to the book!)
April 9th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Cool,
I can’t wait.
As one of those proud 20,000+ book owners, I can safely say that I will pre-order this one, from Amazon, as soon as possible.
rod
April 9th, 2007 at 7:27 am
What a great idea for a book! Any book with global impact should do nicely. [sorry]
Do you still have that impact calculator around here? It might be nice to spruce it up for the subsequent visitors.
May I guess that your Q & BA will include a guy and gal team?
April 9th, 2007 at 7:45 am
I’m definitely looking forward to this– there’s nothing better for getting students’ attention than to talk about death and destruction from the skies.
Someone once pointed out to me that the average time it takes for one neutrino in the stream of solar neutrinos to interact with an atomic nucleus in your body is about 70 years, and the average life span of a human is about 70 years… Coincidence? Hardly– it’s obvious from this that neutrinos are deadly. Most of them pass right through you, but eventually, one of them will get you.
April 9th, 2007 at 7:58 am
I’m reading your FIRST book right now and I am enjoying it very much. I’m laughing more or less all the time. It’s really good and interesting, too!
You write another one? About “Death from Space”? That sounds very interesting and knowing your style of writing and explaining I believe it will be another fantastic book to read!
Enjoy writing!!
Another announcement? Let’s hope it’s a good one!
Oh, I almost forgot: Happy Easter to you all here!
April 9th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Thats Great!
I just have a couple of questions about your book(s).
Will librarians be asked to make sure that only their most trusted employees handle
the book when it is delivered so that the ending and biggest questions are not tattled to readers?
Will Christian Bale play the lead in the movie?
Just kidding ….Good luck!
Ger
April 9th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Gamma-Ray Burst of Damocles…
Back in 1979, Isaac Asimov let loose a book called A Choice of Catastrophes. It covered a whole spectrum of Very Bad Things, from the end of humanity (a relatively mild outcome) to the extinction of the Universe itself. Being Asimov, he voiced his co…
April 9th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Darn it - the first comment was much wittier than anything I could come up with. Guess I’ll have to settle for saying - congratulations Phil! I look forward to reading it.
April 9th, 2007 at 9:21 am
I disagree with James A. Brown. Despite the fact that there have been other alternatives proposed, I still think nuclear weapons are the best bet for deflecting an asteroid. They are off the shelf technology and in a situation where you may have very limited time, it might be necessary to hit it with the most powerful thing we have.
No… I don’t mean blow it up. Not at all. But detonating multiple explosions in close proximity or at a small standoff could easily vaporize enough surface material and create strong enough particle flux to impart significant force to an asteroid. Also, you know if it worked relatively fast, and can send up more if you need to.
Rather than trying to fabricate massive mylar sails and pack them into capsules or have some sort of experimental ion-engine driven craft of large mass stand off from the asteroid the most fiesable measures might be to send several probes, using something like a centaur booster to get to the asteroid and have them carry variable-yeild explosives. The first one, being relatively small, would allow for gaging whether or not it had an appreciable effect and if the asteroid is solid in nature or whatever it could be caused to break apart by the explosion.
This in tern would allow for better calculation of the best distance and timing of further detonations, with the goal of causing a change in trajectory.
April 9th, 2007 at 9:26 am
So, when do you branch out into writing for BattleStar Galactica? The end times will be coming, with the arrival of the Ceylons, ah Hah, Hah, Hah!
Gary 7
April 9th, 2007 at 10:19 am
excellent news.
April 9th, 2007 at 10:33 am
About time I might add.
While I got one of you book writing guys, what is the deal with hardcover books?
I realise the prestige in having your book printed in hardcover, but why can’t the hardcover and the paperback be released at the same time?
Only because I was out flying over Christmas, did I manage to get a special airport exclusive paperback version of Richard Dawkins’ “The God Delusion”, otherwise I would still be waiting.
Hardback books are too expensive and too heavy when you move about as much as I do.
April 9th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I’ll be looking forward to this. I wondered if you were going to do a second book!
Think you’ll be discussing the movie rights eventually?
April 9th, 2007 at 10:56 am
I agree with Thomas on the hardcover thing - I’d MUCH rather have a paperback copy, given that I usually don’t have time for reading except on the move, on busses or the subway. A paperback is lighter, and much easier to handle… I hate it when books that I really look forward to come out in hardcover only, and I’d have to wait months more to get a paperback copy.
April 9th, 2007 at 11:12 am
>>>Honestly, it will take an immediate cosmic terror to unite the
>>>humans for the first time in its history.
I’m willing to wager my entire net worth that it would do no such thing. And I wager a limb the chaos on the Earth would increase.
April 9th, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Insure that one true copy of your upcoming book is sealed in a non-destructible container and buried deep under the Earth just in case subject events happen for real. And, get a digital version uploaded onto the data banks of a satellite in a L-5 orbit.
Good luck—and start cranking….
April 9th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Here I was hoping the title would be something akin to “Bad Astronomy 2″ with some sort of subtitle like: “Even Badder” or “With a Vengeance” maybe even “Reloaded.”
You have let me down Mr. Plait, you have let me down indeed.
April 9th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Hardcover books are released first because there’s a better profit margin. You catch people who are already looking for the book because they know the book is coming or because they’re told they ‘have to’ read it. After that wave passes, a second release in paperback catches people not willing to shell out the inital cost of the HB, but still interested in the topic.
With some publishers (not mainstream, to be sure) the author has the option of releasing in hardcover and paperback at the same time.
April 9th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Phil,
I’m sure you write faster than I do. Happy writing vibes.
April 9th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Sorry I forgot to congratulate you in the previous post. To break your previous sales record, try to get it featured on Oprah!
April 9th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
Ray Gray,
If I’m remembering my Niven and Pournelle correctly, I think the accepted method is to use multiple layers of ziploc baggies and then place the books in the septic tank. This was in case of comet impact, so I don’t know what to do in case of GRB or other disaster. Perhaps that will also be a chapter in the new book?
April 9th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Yikes, a lot of comments!
The title isn’t set in stone, but I like it. Too bad about the URL, but that’s OK. Maybe it’ll lapse by then.
The asteroid chapter deals extensively with how to move them. Nukes are not a great option for many reasons. I won’t go into detail here… I want you to buy the book!
The hardcover comes out first, and the paperback about a year later.
I am avoiding doing More Bad Astronomy on purpose! I don’t want to have a book that’s just an extension of the first one. It will typecast me, if you will, and I’m looking to branch out a bit.
April 9th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
[…] Part 1 of our story, we learned that Phil Plait, in his role as The Bad Astronomer, has landed a second book contract. […]
April 9th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Hooray! I’ll spring for this one in hardcover, even, and get it when it comes out as opposed to when my local bookstore goes out of business–and I’ll demand either a sticker again or that you go on book tour so I can either see you there or make my mom go to your signing in her area!
April 10th, 2007 at 2:38 am
>>>I’m willing to wager my entire net worth that it would do no such thing. And I wager a limb the chaos on the Earth would increase.
April 10th, 2007 at 2:44 am
It’s odd. Only the quote went through without my comment. I will try again.
GRB - United we perish. No time for a chaos or a limb to wager.
small asteroid - Genes are mightier than civilization. I lose and your limb will remain intact. But protect your net from ash. Oh, and don’t forget to revise down the civilization factor in Drake’s equation. Humans don’t seem to have any chance for a contact.
April 10th, 2007 at 3:28 am
I bought the last book and thoroughly enjoyed it. looking forward to your next.
April 10th, 2007 at 9:37 am
i envy you. and i wish you all the best.
April 10th, 2007 at 9:38 am
[…] “Big Announcement Part 1: My next book“, no Bad Astronomy. Vem aà o próximo livro de Phill Plaitt. Pessoalmente, é um dos novos nomes da divulgação que eu mais aprecio. Vai-se chamar “Death from the Skies”. Entretanto, continua-se à espera que “Bad Astronomy” seja editado em português…eu sei…tenho de esperar sentado […]
April 10th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Big Announcement Part 2: A bunch of other stuff that happened! www.badastronomy.com/bablog/ - 9 Apr 2007
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=79068
…so, did you quit your job? It’s been posted on two different forums so far, including BAUT?
April 10th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Some of the asteroids in question have the consistency of cotton candy (not taste, but consistency
). A nuclear blast would likely be absorbed without affecting the flight path. The give in the material absorbs the kinetic energy - an “inelastic” collision.
Phil, where did announcement 2 go?
April 10th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
The consistency of an asteroid doesn’t matter very much. A nuclear explosion would deflect it. The major interaction is via x-rays. The matter that asteroids are composed of is optically thick to x-rays, so they are well absorbed, and heat the immediate surface very hot to a very shallow depth, causing that material to ablate off. The fission products are swept away by this ablated material.
A porous material would likely be better than something solid. Idealy, you would want the shock waves to not spall material off and generate lots of clutter that would likely destroy every satellite in orbit.
A 1 MT explosion in rock melts about 1 MT of rock. You could easily vaporize 10 kT of rock if it was close enough. That is a lot of momentum.
April 10th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
[Something is amiss. Hold out for some nice bucks, BA. :)]
April 10th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
deathfromtheskies.co.uk
deathfromtheskies.net
deathfromtheskies.org
all up for grabs
April 10th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
Oh, and good luck
April 10th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Congrats, Phil. I look forward to reading it. I bought your first book at a very appropriate location - the visitor centre for the Parkes radio telescope. I only hope I do not have to go back there to buy your second book.
Didn’t Heisenberg have something to say about trying to calculate breadth and depth simultaneously?
April 11th, 2007 at 4:38 am
Phil,
The book idea sounds great, and I love the reason you are writing it, however, Sam Wise has a really good point. Providing the revrend ‘Bob’ in Tennessee isn’t preaching Armageddon the title shouldn’t be confusing nor linking your book to his web site. Most folks seem to refuse to link religion and astronomy anyway.
If there is a concern here, I think ‘Above’ relates to anything from overhead on a gravitational or spiritual (power) prospective. Since there really is no ‘Above’ nor ‘below’ once we leave our atmosphere would a different title be appropriate? Plus the reverend ‘Bob’ wouldn’t be sharing or trying to share the same title.
Just a thought….
April 11th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I hope that, as with any proper threat analysis, you will list mitigations.
April 16th, 2007 at 4:00 am
[…] on April 16th, 2007 Phil Plait, AKA the Bad Astronomer, has some interesting announcements here about his forthcoming book, here about quitting his job and here about him moving. He is also the latest interview over at […]
April 18th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
[…] hard to know just how far away you can be from a supernova and still survive (hmmm, that could be a really cool chapter in an upcoming book, I bet) but it’s safe to say that the clock is ticking for any star in that […]
June 19th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
I just LOVE your youtube videos. I just discovered them today. I am so facinated by the complexity and thought of the entire universe. Your videos of all of the questions from kids has tought me SO MUCH today, and I understood every single part of it. I have found out that, I think EXACTLY, and I mean EXACTLY like you, but I am one of those people who cant get their thoughts out in verbal expression (speech) or onto paper. I felt that your love for science and the way you described it and explained it, is just heart warming.
Thank you Phil. Thank you.
-Wes, age 13
June 19th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
One more thing. I hope to find your book somewhere and hopefully purchase it, because the way you speak is kind of the way you right, and it’s not all mono tone.
Thanks.
-Wes, Age 13
June 19th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
I actually think that you are the best person Ive EVER seen on youtube of the internet (and Im on for HOURS every day).