Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
We are made of stellar ash. Our origin and evolution have been tied to distant cosmic events. The exploration of the cosmos is a voyage of self-discovery.
Interpretation
We are fundamentally connected to the universe, and exploring it helps us understand ourselves.
Carl Sagan's quote emphasizes our cosmic origins and how the elements in our bodies are formed from stars that exploded in the universe. It suggests that the quest to understand the cosmos is not just about space exploration but is also a profound journey that reveals insights about our own existence and identity.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of space exploration, one might say, 'As Carl Sagan wisely pointed out, the exploration of the cosmos is a voyage of self-discovery.'
Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
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.
How smart does a chimpanzee have to be before killing him constitutes murder?
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.
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.
The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
If you're going to go into space, you have to have an objective, a mission. Where do you want to go? Earth orbit? The moon? Mars? What's the technology to get there? You develop the technology for the mission.
Science reserves the highest reward for those of you who disprove our most cherished beliefs. At any moment someone from any walk of life could come forward and be responsible for a complete revision of our view of everything.
Positive findings are around twice as likely to be published as negative findings. This is a cancer at the core of evidence-based medicine.
There's a small worm called Loa Loa Filariasis. This parasite can survive in one environment exclusively- namely, underneath the skin and inside the eyes of human beings. Children and the elderly in tropical regions (usually the poorest) are the most widely affected. A painful, slow death is virtually certain. The worm can actually live in the host for 17 years before the host finally dies.
We need to look at NASA, not as a handout, but as an investment.
The universe is very big - there's about 100,000 million galaxies in the universe, so that means an awful lot of stars. And some of them, I'm pretty certain, will have planets where there was life, is life, or maybe will be life. I don't believe we're alone.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.