Science is a way to not fool ourselves.
Carl SaganRead
Virtually every major technological advance in the history of the human species - back to the invention of stone tools and the domestication of fire - has been ethically ambiguous.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Technological advancements often come with moral challenges and uncertainties.
Carl Sagan highlights that throughout human history, every significant technological breakthrough has raised ethical questions, suggesting that advancements such as stone tools and fire have not been purely beneficial but have also brought about complexities in their impact on society and morality.
Themes
TechnologyEthicsAdvancementAmbiguityProgress
In practice
Example use cases
In a tech conference discussing the implications of AI, this quote serves as a reminder to consider the ethical dimensions of innovation.
More from Carl Sagan
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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.
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The simplest thought, like the concept of the number one, has an elaborate logical underpinning.
Carl SaganRead
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