Dr. Carl Sagan

Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the read more

Knowing a great deal is not the same as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgment, the manner in which information is collected and used

The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. From it we have learned most of what read more

The surface of the Earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean. From it we have learned most of what we know. Recently, we have waded a little out to sea, enough to dampen our toes or, at most, wet our ankles. The water seems inviting. The ocean calls. So

You have to know the past to understand the present.

You have to know the past to understand the present.

Who are we? Where do we come from? Why are we this way and not some other? What does it read more

Who are we? Where do we come from? Why are we this way and not some other? What does it mean to be human? Are we capable, if need be, of fundamental change, or do the dead hands of forgotten ancestors impel us in some direction, indiscriminately for good or ill, and beyond our control? Can we alter our character? Can we improve our societies? Can we leave our children a world better than the one that was left to us? Can we free them from the demons that torment us and haunt our civilization? In the long run, are we wise enough to know what changes to make? Can we be trusted with our own future?

I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudo-science and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the read more

I worry that, especially as the Millennium edges nearer, pseudo-science and superstition will seem year by year more tempting, the siren song of unreason more sonorous and attractive.