Whichissillier:denyingweeverwenttothemoonortryingtoconvincethetruenon-believers?

Onceuponatime—July20,1969,tobespecific–twomengotoutoftheirlittlespaceshipandwanderedaroundonthemoonforawhile.Tenmoremenwalkedonthemoonoverthenextthreeandahalfyears.Theend.

Unfortunately,notquite.AfairnumberofAmericansthinkthatthiswholebusinessofmoonlandingsreallyisafairytale.Theybelievethatthelandingswereabighoax(骗局)stagedintheMojaveDesert,toconvinceeveryonethatU.S.technologywasthe“best”inthewholewideworld.

Whichistheharderthingtodo:Sendmentothemoonormakebelievewedid?Thefactisthatthephysicsbehindsendingpeopletothemoonissimple.Youcandoitwithcomputerswhoseentirememorycapacitiescannowfitonchipsthesizeofpostagestampsandthatcostaboutasmuchas,well,apostagestamp.Iknowyoucanbecausewedid.

However,lastfallNASAconsideredspending$15,000onapublic-relationscampaigntoconvincetheunimpressedthatAmericanshadinfactgonetothemoon.ThatideawasmostlyareactiontoaFoxtelevisionprogram,firstairedinFebruary2001,thatclaimedtoexposethehoax.Theshow’screatorisapublicityhound(猎狗)whohasliveduptothenameinmorewaysthanonebyhoundingBuzzAldrin,thesecondmanonthemoon.Mr.X(asIwillcallhim,therebydenyinghimthejoyoussightofhisnameinprint)recentlyfollowedBuzzAldrinaroundandcalledhim“athief,liarandcoward”untilthe72-year-oldastronautfinallylostitandhitthe37-year-oldMr.Xintheface.

Anyway,NASA’spublicitycampaignbegantoslowdown.ThenonbelieverstookthecampaignasNASA’sefforttohidesomethingwhilethebelieverssaidthat$15,000toconvincepeoplethattheworldwasround—Imean,thatwehadgonetothemoon—wassimplyawasteofmoney.(Actually,the$15,000wassupposedtopayforanarticlebyJamesE.Oberg,anastronomywriterwho,withAldrin,hascontributedtoScientificAmerican.)

IfNASA’snotpayingOberg,perhapsitcouldputthemoneytogoodusebyhiringtwobigguystodragNeilArmstrongoutofthehouse.Armstrongisanextremelyprivateman,butheisalsothefirstmanonthemoon,somaybehehasadutytobeabitmoreoutspokenabouttheexperience.OrNASAcouldjustbuyAldrinacommem