The Skeptics Society & Skeptic magazine

ALSO INSIDE SKEPTIC

in this issue

Journey Inside the Fantastical Hollow Earth

• Could the Earth Be Hollow?;
• Early Attempts to Discover What Might Be Down There;
• Halley’s Diagram of Earth;
• Strange Tales;
• John Cleves Symmes Challenges the World;
• Symzonia;
• Congress Considers the Hollow Earth;
• James McBride Takes Up the Cause;
• Skeptics Fire Back;
• Funding an Expedition;
• The “New Science” of Koreshanity

By Daniel Loxton. This issue’s cover features a digital painting by Daniel Loxton in a style inspired by oldfashioned book illustrations. The dinosaur depicted in this image is imaginary rather than realistic.

from the Introduction

Hello!

Could unknown civilizations rule undiscovered realms deep underground? Might prehistoric beasts stalk through jungles far below our feet? These ideas have long inspired writers of science fiction and adventure stories. For example, the 2009 animated film Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was based on them. But for some people the “Hollow Earth” is more than just a make-believe story. How did people find their way into such a fantastic belief?