The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan on moving beyond “us vs. them,” bridging conviction with compassion, and meeting ignorance with kindness:

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Carl Sagan

“Science is a way to call the bluff of those who only pretend to knowledge… It can tell us when we’re being lied to. It provides a mid-course correction to our mistakes.”

Carl Sagan on humility, science as a tool of democracy, and the value of uncertainty – so much timeless wisdom:

From Galileo to Sagan, Famous Scientists on the Art of Wonder, the Mystery of the Universe, and the Heart of Science

Marco Bersanelli

“It would be a very dull universe for any intelligent being were everything of importance to be known.”

From Galileo to Sagan, famous scientists on the art or wonder, the mystery of the universe, and the heart of science – beautiful read:

Murmurs of Earth: Carl Sagan on the Voyager Interstellar Record

Carl Sagan

“We [are] a species endowed with hope and perseverance, at least a little intelligence, substantial generosity and a palpable zest to make contact with the cosmos.”

Carl Sagan tells the remarkable story of the Golden Record, the mixtape of humanity’s greatest sounds and sights sent into space with the Voyager. Plus, hear the sounds of Earth that traveled into the cosmos:

The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God

Carl Sagan

“If we ever reach the point where we think we thoroughly understand who we are and where we came from, we will have failed.”

Carl Sagan on science and “God,” a timeless must-read:

Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Life in Letters

Stanley Asimov

“You are my idea of a good writer because you have an unmannered style, and when I read what you write, I hear you talking.

One thing about the book made me nervous. It was entirely too obvious that you are smarter than I am. I hate that.”

Isaac Asimov’s fan mail to young Carl Sagan:

The Meaning of Life: Reflections in Words and Pictures on Why We Are Here

David Friend

“We live in a vast and awesome universe in which, daily, suns are made and worlds destroyed, where humanity clings to an obscure clod of rock. The significance of our lives and our fragile realm derives from our own wisdom and courage.”

Carl Sagan on the meaning of life:

The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Carl Sagan

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual. … The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both.”

Carl Sagan on science and spirituality, a timelessly fantastic read: