Translation Mistake That Caused Mars Fever

Is there life on Mars? 

140 years ago, maybe for the first time ever, scientists started to research the Red Planet, having assumed that a civilization had existed there in the past. Mars owes such an increased attention to a translator’s mere mistake. It was the translation mistake which caused the so-called “Mars Fever” all around the world.

Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory, St. Petersburg, Russia

This whole Martian mess was caused by an Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli. Almost 160 years ago, he worked as a trainee at Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory which is located 19 km (11.8 miles) south of St. Petersburg. In 1877, Giovanni made a discovery which turned the world upside down.

Italian Canali

Channels of Mars sketched by Giovanni Schiaparelli

The scientist discovered the structures which he called the channels of Mars. He sketched the complete geometrical network of these straits-channels or 'canali'. Italian word 'canale' (plural form canali) can be translated as 'channel' in English language.

During the publication of the newly discovered material about Mars, Italian translator had made a mistake and used the word 'canals' which mean 'channels of artificial origin.' Due to this mistranslation, the rumors about the Martian civilization sparked.

The War of the Worlds

At the end of XIX century, this novel by Herbert Wells had brought up the topic of an alien invasion. The War of the Worlds inspired fantasy authors for a hundred of years into the future. Wells himself read too many newspapers. This topic was in the air at that time and the existence of the Martians was taken for granted.

In 1911 “The New York Times” announced that 'Martians Build Two Immense Canals In Two Years.' The society was shocked. It was shocked not with the fact that the newspaper declared the existence of the Martians, but with the fact that the aliens turned out to be far more technically advanced than us. For example, Panama Canal alone had been being built for decades with a lot of difficulties. 

Later on, someone thought – what if the canals were the Martians themselves. The gigantic sentient plants!

The Martian Boom still goes on; the missions have been scheduled for decades into the future. We have not unearthed the mystery of the Red Planet yet. Who knows which way the space exploration would have developed if it were not for that mistake with the Martian canals 140 years ago. For example, Sergei Korolev got into the space theme because he dreamed about the flight to Mars most of all!