Quote Originally Posted by Mordar View Post
On topic, I am greatly pleased that the public perception in the 1920s had it that we held the keys to all of the universe and that man had effectively completed the climb to the top of the mountain. I am happy about this because it begat the C'thulhu Mythos, and that has brought me great joy over the decades of my life. I also like the calcium-calmodulin system in skeletal muscle. So I'm good with both sides of the conversation.

- M
i'd say in the 1920's that notion of science being complete was being actively crushed to bits. And this sudden opening of our worldview to the great unknown was probably fueling Lovecraft's paranoia. List of some things changing in science in the early 20th century:
1. Newton's mechanics being replaced. Twice. With both new theories leading to a completely new view of the universe.
2. Milky Way being proven to be just one of many, many galaxies in a universe way bigger than anyone thought before.
3. Discovery of the universe evolving in time (see Hubble's law) -> not being always there and staying the same forever.
4. While evolution in biology was discovered and first described in the 19th century it was still in the process of being accepted by the scientific community and general society. The idea of humans being special among living beings was difficult to let go... or someone needed to invent a more sophisticated reason to feel special.