Author: Phillips, Graham

In 1500 BC, after Earth passed through the tail of a comet called 12P - Pons-Brooks, civilizations around the world suddenly abandoned their peaceful ways and began making war on their neighbors and among themselves. Sudden outbreaks of monotheism - a new idea at the time - simultaneously occurred. Phillips contends that the comet was interpreted as a powerful new god, and debris in its tail contaminated the atmosphere with a chemical known to cause aggressive behavior. In 2024, 12P - Pons-Brooks is due to pass nearby again. 256 pp.