Indrajal Comics #16
"Henry" kicks off with a fascinating dive into geodesy, tracing how ancient thinkers like Eratosthenes and Aristotle estimated Earth’s size in whimsical units like "Camel-Days" and "Stades," while later discoveries—like pendulum clocks slowing at the equator—hinted at our planet’s true shape. The story then shifts to the curious possibility of life beyond Earth, spotlighting bacteria that thrive in extreme conditions from boiling springs to nuclear reactors. Written by Athelstan Spilhaus and illustrated by Gene Fawcette, this issue blends science and wonder in a 1965 Indrajal Comics staple.
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Page 1 is a discussion of Geodesy with Earth's girth estimated by Eratosthenes to be 2500 "Camel-Days" in 250 BC. Aristotle estimated it as 400,000 "Stades" a century earlier. Richer, in 1672, discovered that an accurate pendulum clock ran slower at the equator. Finally stating that the flattening of the oceans also pulls the Earth out of round. Page two is a discussion about 'Life in Outer Space' and space traveling bacteria. It points out that bacteria can live in boiling hot springs, below freezing, and in nuclear plant cooling water at levels 100,000 times the radiation that would kill us.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).