Ralph René
| Ralph René | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 24, 1933 |
| Died | December 10, 2008 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Self-taught |
| Notable work(s) | The Last Skeptic of Science (aka MENSA Lectures); NASA Mooned America! |
|
ralphrene.com |
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Ralph René (August 24, 1933 – December 10, 2008) was an American conspiracy theorist, small press publisher and inventor. René was a vocal proponent of the Apollo Moon landing hoax theory. René's last self-published work, a pamphlet he distributed called WTC Lies and Fairy Tales, details his beliefs that the U.S. government was responsible for the September 11 attacks.[1]
René appeared frequently in shows produced by The History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Fox television and Showtime. In one such show, The Truth Behind the Moon Landings: Stranger Than Fiction, journalist and former NASA employee James Oberg referred to René and other Moon landing hoax proponents as cultural vandals.[2] René reacted onscreen with amusement and stated that he liked the characterization. René was also featured in an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! covering conspiracy theories.[3] René was introduced as a physicist on the 2001 Fox documentary, Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon?,[4] and had the designation "Author/Scientist" under his picture. However, René admitted in his biography that he did not hold a degree from any university[5] and always referred to himself as "self-taught."
Contents |
Apollo Moon landing [edit]
His 1992 self-published book, NASA Mooned America!, details why he felt that the Apollo Moon landings were faked and actually produced from a closed studio.
Some of his main arguments were that:
- Astronauts could not have survived the radiation that they would have been exposed to while passing through the Van Allen radiation belt.[6]
- That photos taken on the Moon do not show stars in the background.
- That video shows wind blowing the U.S. flag on the Moon although the Moon has no atmosphere.
- That the letter "C" is visible on a rock in a photo which indicates it was a Hollywood sound stage prop.
- The gloves on the Apollo space suits would have expanded in the vacuum of space to the point where they would be immobile.
- Who put the camera on the ground in front of the lunar lander to show Neil Armstrong stepping down the ladder for the first step on the Moon?
- The shaded side of objects are not dark due to three point lighting in a studio.
Other beliefs [edit]
In addition to contending that NASA never sent astronauts to the Moon, René also proposes:
- Einstein's theory of relativity is not valid.
- The Earth's Equatorial bulge is smaller than that predicted by Isaac Newton.
- Newton's law of universal gravitation is erroneous.
- That the value of π is an algebraic number that is equal to
, or approximately 3.146264.[7] - Fluorescence, not Rayleigh scattering, causes the sky to be blue.
- Archimedes' principle requires revision.
- Coulomb's law requires revision after experimentally 'proving' plates with like polarity and charge will repel, however plates with like polarity and different charge can attract.
- The force that holds the Solar System together is electrostatic.
, or approximately 3.146264.René addressed most of these issues in his self-published book, The Last Skeptic of Science (1995). The original title of the book, MENSA Lectures (1990), resulted in a lawsuit against him by Mensa who felt he was misappropriating the name of their organization and using it to suggest they backed his beliefs.
Personal life [edit]
René referred to himself as an "extra bright kid from the slums." After attending Rutgers University for a time, he dropped out and went to work as a carpenter and millwright. He then continued to pursue his personal interests in structural and mechanical engineering, physics, writing and inventing. René held two patents for simple mechanical tools.[8][9] He maintained a website that archived many of his past columns and essays on a wide variety of subjects.
Bibliography [edit]
Books [edit]
Non-fiction [edit]
- René, Ralph; (as René) (1990). MENSA Lectures. Illustrations by Subi. Matlacha, FL: René. OCLC 21209369.
- ——; (as René) (1994). In Lucas, Stu. NASA Mooned America!. Drawings by Chris Wolfer. Passaic, NJ: René. OCLC 36317224.
- ——; (as René) (1998) [First published 1995 (formerly MENSA Lectures (1990))]. In Lucas, Stu; Hughes, Ed. The Last Skeptic of Science: "The Book Mensa Tried To Stop". Final edit by Steve Krisocki (1995 edition); Illustrations by Subi (Revised ed.). Passaic, NJ: René. OCLC 37029845.
Fiction [edit]
- René, Ralph. A Case of the Jitters.
- ——. A Case of the Missing Members.
- ——. Husa 1.
- ——. Husa 2.
Pamphlets [edit]
- René, Ralph; (as René) (2000). ON SQUARING THE CIRCLE & The new π it brings!: Exploring Dan W. Gaddy's Quadrature of the Circle (Pamphlet). René.
- —— (2002). WTC Lies and Fairy Tales (Pamphlet). René.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ René, Ralph. "Ralph René: Books". Ralph Renés' Website. Langley, British Columbia: Pioneer Abbey. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ The Truth Behind the Moon Landings: Stranger Than Fiction (2003) (TV) at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ "Conspiracy Theories". Penn & Teller: Bullshit!. Season 3. Episode 3. May 9, 2005. Showtime (TV channel).
- ^ Conspiracy Theory: Did We Land on the Moon? (2001) (TV) at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ René, Ralph. "Ralph René: Biography". Ralph Renés' Website. Langley, British Columbia: Pioneer Abbey. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ Dean, Katie (July 20, 1999). "Man on Moon or Pie in Sky?". Wired (New York: Condé Nast Publications). Retrieved April 29, 2013.
- ^ René, Ralph. "Ralph René: Gaddy's Pi and the Circle Squared". Ralph Renés' Website. Langley, British Columbia: Pioneer Abbey. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ "Patent US4191333 - Flame tip for soldering torch". Google Patents. Googleplex, Mountain View, CA: Google Inc. Retrieved May 13, 2013. US patent issue date: March 4, 1980.
- ^ "Patent US3164353 - VARIABLE PITCH ROOF BRACKET". Google Patents. Googleplex, Mountain View, CA: Google Inc. Retrieved May 13, 2013. US patent issue date: January 5, 1965.
