The Museum of Jurassic Technology in LA has an exhibit of letters written by interested citizens to the astronomers at Mt. Wilson observatory in the early decad

The Museum of Jurassic Technology in LA has an exhibit of letters written by interested citizens to the astronomers at Mt. Wilson observatory in the early decades of the 20th century (http://mjt.org/exhibits/letters/letters.html http://mjt.org/exhibits/letters/letters.html). Mt. Wilson was famous at the time because Edwin Hubble had just discovered extra-galactic light sources, and the Big Bang, while observing with the 100-inch telescope there. Most letters are just routine congratulations and thanks. But others have the tone you mention. A sample from 1928: http://mjt.org/exhibits/letters/26ezekielp.1dropped_image.gif http://mjt.org/exhibits/letters/26ezekielp.1dropped_image.gi... http://mjt.org/exhibits/letters/23ezekielp.2dropped_image.gif http://mjt.org/exhibits/letters/23ezekielp.2dropped_image.gi... People have been having fevered imaginings about little-understood technology for a long time.