No evidence would ever convince von Däniken he's wrong. If a monument could be built with primitive tools, he argues aliens gave humans the idea . If a text is poetic, he insists it's literal. This circular reasoning is the hallmark of pseudoscience.
Von Däniken was convicted of fraud, forgery, and embezzlement in the 1970s (later pardoned). He fabricated "quotes" from ancient tablets and falsely claimed academic support. In one case, he presented a pottery fragment as "ancient" — it was made by a Swiss artist in 1973. No evidence would ever convince von Däniken he's wrong
Chariots of the Gods? (original German: Erinnerungen an die Zukunft) is Erich von Däniken’s 1968 book proposing that many ancient technological achievements and religious beliefs were influenced or initiated by visits from extraterrestrial beings. The book became an international bestseller and launched the “ancient astronauts” genre. This circular reasoning is the hallmark of pseudoscience
