Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
We are...capable of using our compassion and our intelligence, our technology and our wealth, to make an abundant and meaningful life for every inhabitant of this planet. To enhance enormously our understanding of the Universe, and to carry us to the stars.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the potential of humanity to create a better world using our intellect and resources.
Carl Sagan highlights the remarkable capabilities of humanity, urging us to harness our compassion, intelligence, technology, and wealth for the betterment of everyone's lives on Earth. He envisions a future where we can not only understand the universe at a deeper level but also reach extraordinary heights, symbolically represented by traveling to the stars.
Themes
CompassionIntelligenceTechnologyWealthAbundanceUnderstandingUniversePotential
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech addressing a group of students about their potential in shaping the future.
More from Carl Sagan
All quotes →In more than one respect, the exploring of the Solar System and homesteading other worlds constitutes the beginning, much more than the end, of history.
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How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
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The hole in the ozone layer is a kind of skywriting. At first it seemed to spell out our continuing complacency before a witch's brew of deadly perils. But perhaps it really tells of a newfound talent to work together to protect the global environment.
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There is a reward structure in science that is very interesting: Our highest honors go to those who disprove the findings of the most revered among us. So Einstein is revered not just because he made so many fundamental contributions to science, but because he found an imperfection in the fundamental contribution of Isaac Newton.
Carl SaganRead
The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
Carl SaganRead
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