Carl Sagan

Astronomer, Astrophysicist

Carl Sagan was an influential astronomer and science communicator, known for his work 'Cosmos' and advocacy for scientific literacy.

Born
November 9, 1934
Died
December 20, 1996
Quotes
592
Rank
#212

About Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan — Life and Legacy

Carl Sagan was a renowned American astronomer, cosmologist, and science communicator, celebrated for his ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible to the public. His groundbreaking work, 'Cosmos: A Personal Journey', not only popularized astronomy but also emphasized the importance of scientific inquiry and skepticism. Sagan's core philosophy revolved around the idea that understanding our universe is fundamental to understanding ourselves. He famously stated, 'Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known,' reflecting his belief in the endless possibilities of discovery. Sagan's quotes often reveal his deep connection to both science and humanity. For instance, his assertion that 'We are made of star-stuff' encapsulates the profound relationship between human beings and the cosmos, challenging us to recognize our origins and responsibilities. He consistently advocated for the importance of critical thinking, arguing that 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,' a principle that remains vital in today's discourse on science and belief. The relevance of Sagan's work endures, as his insights into the universe and our place within it continue to inspire curiosity and wonder. His reflections on the fragility of Earth, particularly in his poignant description of our planet as a 'Pale Blue Dot', serve as a reminder of the need for stewardship of our home. Sagan's legacy is not just in his scientific contributions but in his ability to ignite a sense of awe and responsibility towards the cosmos and our fellow inhabitants.

Quote collection

Carl Sagan quotes (page 1 of 30)

592 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"We live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of confusion and bamboozle requires intelligence, vigilance, dedication, and courage. But if we don't practice these tough habits of thought, we cannot hope to solve the truly serious problems that face us --- and we risk becoming a nation of suckers, up for grabs by the next charlatan who comes along."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Our species needs, and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, no doubt by accident, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long, longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time - [...] when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true."

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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true."

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