Exploring the Life and Legacy of Carl Sagan

ByAgkidzone Staff

Updated: Oct 1, 2024

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Carl Sagan was a renowned 20th-century scientist born in 1934 in New York. He passed away on December 20, 1996, at the age of 62 due to complications from pneumonia and a bone disease called myelodysplasia. Sagan had a diverse education in several scientific fields, including physics, astronomy, biology, and cosmology. He was instrumental in pioneering cooperation between scientists across different disciplines. In fact, he helped define two new fields: planetary science and exobiology. His work bridged gaps between various areas of study, making significant contributions to our understanding of the universe.

Outreach

Perhaps Carl Sagan's biggest contribution was his remarkable ability to explain complex science to the general public. Many scientists, especially researchers, struggle to communicate their work outside the scientific community. However, Sagan had a knack for breaking down complicated concepts into understandable terms. He attributed this skill to not being "the most brilliant student." While undoubtedly intelligent, he believed that because he didn't absorb new ideas instantly, he was more familiar with the learning process most people experience. This understanding allowed him to connect with audiences and make science accessible to everyone.

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Education and Academic Career

Sagan had broad intellectual interests and earned several degrees throughout his education, leading to an extensive academic career. To begin with, he attended the University of Chicago on a scholarship in 1951. Then, he received doctorates in astronomy and astrophysics in 1960. Following that, he spent two years at Berkeley and Stanford as a post-doctoral fellow in biology. Later, he became an assistant professor of astronomy at Harvard College. In 1968, he took the position of David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He remained at Cornell until his death in 1996.

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NASA

Carl Sagan was involved at the very beginning of the American space program. He was a consultant to NASA in the 1950s and even briefed the astronauts before the Apollo moon landing. Moreover, Sagan promoted public and government excitement about space exploration. He's credited with securing funding for the Galileo mission, which was launched to investigate Jupiter and other celestial bodies in our solar system. Currently, NASA is constructing a laboratory and public gallery called The Sagan Center in his honor. It aims to improve collaboration in research and development among academia, industry, and other organizations, and it will be open to the general public.

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Voyager

In 1977, the two Voyager spacecraft were launched, each carrying a gold-plated copper phonograph record known as the Golden Record. Carl Sagan led the committee responsible for selecting the content for these records. They contain sounds and images portraying life on Earth, including natural sounds, animal noises, music from various cultures, laughter, and spoken greetings in 55 languages. Additionally, Sagan included the inspirational quote "Per aspera ad astra" in Morse code, which means "through hardships to the stars." This was a symbolic message reflecting humanity's aspirations.

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Early Research

Initially, astronomers believed Venus had an Earth-like climate until radio astronomy discoveries in the 1960s revealed that Venus has a very hot surface. Sagan's early research and thesis included the first greenhouse model of the atmosphere. He hypothesized that the planet's high surface temperatures were due to the infrared opacity of carbon dioxide and water vapor, producing a strong greenhouse effect. He expanded on this research and was involved with NASA's Mariner explorations. The findings from Mariner confirmed Sagan's theories, and his models of Venus are still used today. Furthermore, Sagan developed theories about Mars and contributed to NASA's Viking explorations of the red planet.

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UFOs

When it came to UFOs, Carl Sagan did not believe they were alien spacecraft. He had a thorough understanding of many explanations for unidentified flying objects and why people might mistake them for extraterrestrial activity. In 1969, Sagan held a symposium for the American Association for the Advancement of Science to debunk UFO theories. He maintained that there was no evidence linking UFOs to extraterrestrial life but allowed that evidence might be found in the future. This slight concession was because Sagan didn't want to discourage believers from seeking more knowledge or prevent them from attending the symposium.

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Publications

Sagan's list of publications is extensive, spanning over 250 pages. His novel "Contact" was adapted into a successful movie. His passion was improving public understanding of science and promoting skepticism so that people could recognize false claims or propaganda in commerce, politics, and science. Sagan believed scientists had a moral and ethical duty to address the public and confront misinformation directly. Despite his firm stance against pseudoscience, he refused to participate in anything that demeaned religion or pseudoscientific beliefs. He believed that people don't learn through confrontation and that widespread understanding couldn't be achieved by alienating others.

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Television

Sagan's television career began after he published "The Cosmic Connection." He first appeared on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" in 1973 and went on to appear 26 times in total. Sagan was very enthusiastic and often brought the latest photos from NASA missions, which captivated audiences. His popularity grew quickly. He presented a 13-episode television series called "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage," written by Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter. The show first aired on PBS in 1980 and is still the most-watched PBS series. As the series gained popularity, it was purchased by other networks and released as a VHS box set. New epilogues featuring Sagan discussing recent discoveries prompted even more interest in the show.

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Religion

The Sagan family were Reform Jews. Carl's father, Samuel Sagan, was an immigrant from what is now Ukraine, while his mother, Rachel, was a devout woman from New York. Carl and his sister, Carol, enjoyed a close relationship with their parents. Sagan's thoughts on religion were heavily influenced by his upbringing. Although the family faced hardship, Samuel Sagan engaged in charitable activities and advocated for labor unions. Carl often discussed his mother in his writings and believed she was a "true genius" stifled by her religion, gender, and status as a housewife. Sagan claimed he was never an atheist but was skeptical toward organized religion and developed many of his own ideas.

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Personal Life

Carl Sagan was married three times and had five children. Both of his ex-wives claimed that his intense focus on his career and constant quest for knowledge led to his absence from the family. However, his third marriage to author Ann Druyan lasted over 20 years until his death. Druyan was much more involved in Sagan's work and intellectual pursuits than his previous wives. She shared his passion for social and political causes related to science. Together, they wrote for his documentary series, co-authored many novels and publications, and collaborated on the environmental appeal "Preserving and Cherishing the Earth."

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