The sacred truth of science is that there are no sacred truths. Carl Sagan More Quotes by Carl Sagan More Quotes From Carl Sagan 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 understandingsciencethinking .. 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' Carl Sagan riversbloodthinking 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. Carl Sagan soundtwobelieve We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of ignorance and power is going to blow up in our faces. Carl Sagan ignoranceeducationmotivational Nevertheless, (Jefferson) believed that the habit of skepticism is an essential prerequisite for responsible citizenship. He argued that the cost of education is trivial compared to the cost of ignorance, of leaving government to the wolves. He taught that the country is safe only when the people rule. Carl Sagan governmentignorancecountry Demon mean knowledge in Greek, especially about the material world. Science means knowledge in Latin. A jurisdictional dispute is exposed, even if we look no further Carl Sagan latinsciencemean Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact. Carl Sagan sciencekidschildren Absolute certainty will always elude us. We will always be mired in error. The most each generation can hope for is to reduce the error. . . . Carl Sagan elude-usgenerationserrors We are, each of us, a multitude. Within us is a little universe. Carl Sagan injurypainlittles Who are we, if not measured by our impact on others? That’s who we are! We’re not who we say we are, we’re not who we want to be - we are the sum of the influence and impact that we have, in our lives, on others. Carl Sagan impactwantmotivational If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. Carl Sagan acceptancescienceideas We seem, these days, much more willing to recognize the perils before us than we were even a decade ago. The newly recognized dangers threaten all of us, equally. No one can say how it will turn out down here. But this is also, we may note, the first time that a species has become able to journey to the planets and the stars. Sailors on a becalmed sea, we sense a stirring of the breeze. Carl Sagan starsjourneysea It is the responsibility of scientists never to suppress knowledge, no matter how awkward that knowledge is, no matter how it may bother those in power; we are not smart enough to decide which pieces of knowledge are permissible, and which are not. Carl Sagan smartresponsibilityknowledge It does no harm to the romance of the sunset to know a little bit about it. Carl Sagan sunsetromancedoe Science cuts two ways, of course; its products can be used for both good and evil. But there's no turning back from science. The early warnings about technological dangers also come from science. Carl Sagan cuttingeviltwo A blade of grass is a commonplace on Earth; it would be a miracle on Mars. Our descendants on Mars will know the value of a patch of green. And if a blade of grass is priceless, what is the value of a human being? Carl Sagan marsmiraclewould-be The size and age of the Cosmos are beyond ordinary human understanding. Lost somewhere between immensity and eternity is our tiny planetary home. Carl Sagan understandinghomescience A still more glorious dawn awaits / not a sunrise, but a galaxy-rise / a morning filled with 400 billion suns / the rising of the milky way Carl Sagan sunrisedawnmorning If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you. You become a crotchety old person convinced that nonsense is ruling the world. (There is, of course, much data to support you.) But every now and then, a new idea turns out to be on the mark, valid and wonderful. If you are too much in the habit of being skeptical about everything, you are going to miss or resent it, and either way you will be standing in the way of understanding and progress. Carl Sagan support-youdatascience Atoms are mainly empty space. Matter is composed chiefly of nothing. Carl Sagan atomsspacematter
