Straight, long 'canali' observed on Mars were interpreted as engineered canals, inspiring claims of a sophisticated, planet-wide irrigation system implying intelligent Martian life.
'The Martians' by David Baron Spins a Clever Tale About a Real Craze
Early 20th-century media promoted false claims of intelligent life on Mars based on telescope misinterpretations and Percival Lowell's persuasive but unsubstantiated canal theory.
