Carl Sagan
From SkepticWiki
[edit] Introduction
Dr. Carl Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American Astronomer whose main research interests were in Planetary Science, particularly the search for other life on other worlds by whatever means he could imagine. He was also an accomplished popularizer of science and a champion of skeptical causes.
Among Sagan's efforts to popularize science was the landmark Public Broadcasting Service program Cosmos: A Personal Voyage which aired in 1980 as a 13 part series accompanied by a book of the same title.
The Mars Pathfinder spacecraft and landing site was renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station in his honor.
[edit] Skepticism
Sagan is noted by skeptics for his seminal book on the nature and value of skepticism, The Demon-Haunted World. A less well-known book, Broca's Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science, has several chapters on similar themes.
Carl Sagan’s attitudes towards the possibility of extra-terrestrial life flew in the face of common predjudices concerning skeptical scientists. Dr. Sagan was an enthusiastic supporter of scientific inquiry into the existence of extra-terrestrial life, and probably believed that the universe was teeming with life. At the same time he was highly skeptical of any specific claims, and especially critical of popular UFO-related anecdotes.
