Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense. Carl Sagan More Quotes by Carl Sagan More Quotes From Carl Sagan History is full of people who out of fear, or ignorance, or lust for power has destroyed knowledge of immeasurable value which truly belongs to us all. We must not let it happen again. Carl Sagan ignorance truth people The price we pay for anticipation of the future is anxiety about it Carl Sagan anxiety anticipation pay Personally, I would be delighted if there were a life after death, especially if it permitted me to continue to learn about this world and others, if it gave me a chance to discover how history turns out. Carl Sagan would-be death history Some racists still reject the plain testimony written in the DNA that all the races are not only human but nearly indistinguishable. . . . Carl Sagan dna race life Except in pure mathematics, nothing is known for certain (although much is certainly false). Carl Sagan pure mathematics certain It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English - up to fifty words used in correct context - no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese. Carl Sagan learning humility motivational Every cell is a triumph of natural selection, and we’re made of trillions of cells. Within us, is a little universe. Carl Sagan triumph cells littles I consider it an extremely dangerous doctrine, because the more likely we are to assume that the solution comes from the outside, the less likely we are to solve our problems ourselves. Carl Sagan doctrine philosophy religion We can judge our progress by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers, our willingness to embrace what is true rather than what feels good. Carl Sagan atheist motivational inspirational Before we invented civilization our ancestors lived mainly in the open out under the sky. Before we devised artificial lights and atmospheric pollution and modern forms of nocturnal entertainment we watched the stars. There were practical calendar reasons of course but there was more to it than that. Even today the most jaded city dweller can be unexpectedly moved upon encountering a clear night sky studded with thousands of twinkling stars. When it happens to me after all these years it still takes my breath away. Carl Sagan stars light night Man is a transitional animal. He is not the climax of creation Carl Sagan creation animal men A central lesson of science is that to understand complex issues (or even simple ones), we must try to free our minds of dogma and to guarantee the freedom to publish, to contradict, and to experiment. Arguments from authority are unacceptable. Carl Sagan freedom simple science Where did God come from? If we decide this is an unanswerable question why not save a step and conclude that the origin of the universe is an unanswerable question. Carl Sagan why-not steps religion The universe is a pretty big place. If it's just us, seems like an awful waste of space. Carl Sagan optimistic awful space 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. Carl Sagan lovely fundamentals ideas We should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. Carl Sagan atheist teaching children Other things being equal, it is better to be smart than to be stupid. Carl Sagan equal smart stupid We wish to find the truth, no matter where it lies. But to find the truth we need imagination and skepticism both. We will not be afraid to speculate, but we will be careful to distinguish speculation from fact. Carl Sagan imagination wish lying It is clear that the nations of the world now can only rise and fall together. It is not a question of one nation winning at the expense of another. We must all help one another or all perish together. Carl Sagan winning peace fall 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. Carl Sagan understanding science thinking
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