Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan

Astronomer, Astrophysicist

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

Science Stars Thinking Atheist Cosmos Children
Born
November 9, 1934
Died
December 20, 1996
Quotes
592
Rank
#212

Quote collection

Carl Sagan quotes (page 10 of 30)

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

Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"What distinguishes our species is thought. The cerebral cortex is in a way a liberation. We need no longer be trapped in the genetically inherited behavior patterns of lizards and baboons: territoriality and aggression and dominance hierarchies. We are each of us largely responsible for what gets put in to our brains. For what as adults we wind up caring for and knowing about. No longer at the mercy of the reptile brain we can change ourselves. Think of the possibilities."

Caring Thinking Wind
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions."

Reading Writing Cosmos
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"But I try not to think with my gut. If I'm serious about understanding the world, thinking with anything besides my brain, as tempting as that might be, is likely to get me into trouble."

Science Thinking Understanding
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"The suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion or in politics, but it is not the path to knowledge, and there's no place for it in the endeavor of science. We do not know beforehand where fundamental insights will arise from about our mysterious and lovely solar system. The history of our study of our solar system shows us clearly that accepted and conventional ideas are often wrong, and that fundamental insights can arise from the most unexpected sources."

Ideas Lovely Fundamentals
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Other things being equal, it is better to be smart than to be stupid."

Smart Stupid Equal
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Too much openness and you accept every notion, idea, and hypothesis-which is tantamount to knowing nothing. Too much skepticism-especially rejection of new ideas before they are adequately tested-and you're not only unpleasantly grumpy, but also closed to the advance of science. A judicious mix is what we need."

Knowledge Acceptance Science
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Science is an attempt, largely successful, to understand the world, to get a grip on things, to get hold of ourselves, to steer a safe course. Microbiology and meteorology now explain what only a few centuries ago was considered sufficient cause to burn women to death."

Successful Meteorology World
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"There are many other (besides testosterone) behaviour-eliciting hormones fundamental for humen well-being, including estrogen and progesterone in females. The fact that complex behavioural patterns can be triggered by a tiny concentration of moleculas coursing through the bloodstream, and that different animals of the same species generate different amounts of these hormones, is something worth thinking about when it's time to judge such matters as free will, individual responsibility, and law and order."

Responsibility Thinking Animal
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"All of the books in the world contain no more information than is broadcast as video in a single large American city in a single year. Not all bits have equal value."

Book Science Technology
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Imagine we could accelerate continuously at 1 g-what we're comfortable with on good old terra firma-to the midpoint of our voyage, and decelerate continuously at 1 g until we arrive at our destination. It would take a day to get to Mars, a week and a half to Pluto, a year to the Oort Cloud, and a few years to the nearest stars."

Stars Clouds Years
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves."

Lonely Dark Cosmos
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"What's the harm of a little mystification? It sure beats boring statistical analyses."

Analysis Littles Boring
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"One of the great commandments of science is: 'Mistrust arguments from authority.'"

Argument Authority Primates
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still. We have lingered long enough on the shores of the cosmic ocean. We are ready at last to set sail for the stars."

Stars Ocean Long
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

Home Blue Cosmos
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"What counts is not what sounds plausible, not what we would like to believe, not what one or two witnesses claim, but only what is supported by hard evidence rigorously and skeptically examined. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

Believe Two Sound
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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"I believe that the extraordinary should be pursued. But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."

Believe Science Claims
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Carl Sagan Astronomer, Astrophysicist
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".. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the 'Momentary' masters of a 'Fraction' of a 'Dot'"

Thinking Blood Rivers
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