This lack of vigilance, due to an unwarranted faith in authority, is depicted and questioned in H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. Published in 1898, the message of Wells's work remains relevant, even in the present day. Criticisms of an unwarranted faith in authority manifest themselves in modern culture in multiple media. The Simpsons, a half-hour animated television program, represents such a manifestation. The episode entitled "Bart's Comet," first aired on February 5, 1995, criticizes a blind allegiance to authority in any form by humorously detailing Springfield's response to an approaching comet, which threatens to des

HOMER. It's times like this I wish I were a religious man.

The most convincing criticism of unwarranted faith in science comes on the heels of the narrator's evaluation of the effects of gravity on the Martians. After seeing the sluggish Martians, he comments that the increased gravity of the earth would make their attempts to move about futile. Employing the clarity of hindsight, however, the narrator notes that had he truly understood the relevant scientific facts, he would have realized that such a claim was unfounded. The increased oxygen level on earth invigorated the Martians, and their demonstrated ability in space travel should have alerted the populace to "the fact that such mechanical intelligence that the Martian possessed was quite able to dispense with muscular exertion at a pinch" (Wells 34). A true understanding of science would have provided a warning of the danger that the Martians embody. Instead, a cursory comprehension provides enough false security to allow the Martians to establish themselves.

When Wells published The War of the Worlds in 1898, it served as a tool to teach his contemporaries about the dangers of imperialism and its inherent immorality. The novel also functioned as a forum for the criticism of an unwarranted faith in authority. Authority, in the forms of government, religion, and science, fails to educate and prepare the public for the coming Martian invasion. An overestimation of this infallibility leads to an underestimation of the Martians. Many lose their lives because of this naivete. The Simpsons also provides a forum for criticism and commentary. Through a humorous depiction of the town of Springfield, John Swartzwelder echoes Wells's metaphor for the reaction of humankind to its impending destruction:

QUIMBY. Fortunately, we have a plan: Professor Frink?

Just as Wells's narrator trusts in his military's might, so too do the townspeople of Springfield, depending on the plan previously discussed in the town meeting, which involves the use of a missile to intercept and destroy the comet.

"Bart's Comet" offers a similar glimpse into the mind of a shaken clergyman. After the missile's failure to destroy the comet, an encounter with Reverend Lovejoy illustrates his despair:

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Approximate Word count = 2847
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)