A story about Carl Sagan
My personal hero…
Carl Sagan (placeholder)
Carl was an American Scientist who was a great advocate of Science and Scientific Literacy. Some of the older folks on this site might remember his television program (or vaguely remember due to watching it with various ‘herbal enhancements’) called Cosmos, his regular visits to Johnny Carson’s the Tonight Show, or his catch phrase, ”Billions and Billions”.
For more information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan
http://www.carlsagan.com/
http://www.planetary.org/
Alternate pages for Carl Sagan:
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Recent stories by and about Carl Sagan
Why I admire Carl Sagan
I used to watch “Cosmos” faithfully when I was about 6 or so. In my 6 year-old mind, Carl Sagan was a Mr. Rogers-type guy who lived on a space ship and knew all about lots of cool stuff out in space (hey, I was six… gimme a break). It made me look forward to the day when I too could board a space ship and see all the cool stuff.
Later on, of course, I revisited “Cosmos” and Sagan’s books through adult eyes, and enjoyed them immensely. Still, though, there’s a part of me that’s forever 6 years old and in awe of the guy who lives on the space ship and knows where all the cool space stuff can be found.
How I met Carl Sagan
He gave a speech at a conference at the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in 1989. I got his autograph on my copy of Contact, since sadly lost. During the Q&A after his speech, someone asked if he would run for president. If only!
Why I admire Carl Sagan
His show and his work has had a profound influence on how I think and what I believe. His book The Demon Haunted World is a must read! Particularly valuable for anyone who watches and believes what they see on TV and the mass media is The Baloney Detection Kit..it’s like the scientific method for detecting bullshit/lies/manipulation:
http://www.carlsagan.com/revamp/carlsagan/baloney.html
It will open your eyes like nothing else you will ever read.
How I met Carl Sagan
I still cannot believe this gifted scientist died so young…
I remember my brief encounter with Mr. Sagan. He had come to speak, along with a panel of other scientists, about Nuclear Winter as I recall, at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Wednesday nights usually found such events taking place there. Maybe still, I don’t know.
I was thinking Christmas, and knew that my brother-in-law was a huge Sagan fan…and so I brought my copy of “Cosmos” with me to the discussion, and after the discussion, I approached Dr. Sagan with book in hand…which he was gladly signed according to my specifications.
What was strange though was that later that night, I saw Carl Sagan standing around Harvard Square, all alone, and looking basically lost. It seemed so strange, given his immense popularity.
Anyway…it was great to see him during his compressed life.
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