Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan was an American astronomer and science communicator who popularized astronomy through his 1980 television series *Cosmos* and accompanying book.
His phrase billions and billions became a cultural touchstone, often imitated to evoke wonder at cosmic scales.
Sagan championed the search for extraterrestrial life and advocated for scientific skepticism and nuclear disarmament until his death in 1996.
Complete system or domain
- galaxyGravitationally bound stellar mass
- nebulaInterstellar gas formation
- big bangLoud explosive noise
- black holeCollapsed star's remnant
dark matter · space-time · cosmos · astronomical · observatory · telescope · astrophysics · supernova
Being from outer space
- searchAct of seeking
- radio telescopeAstronomical receiver for cosmic waves
- signalMessage-conveying cue
- AreciboPuerto Rican radio observatory
Drake equation · contact · interstellar · intelligence · detection · frequency · alien life · communication
Reverent fear and wonder
- curiosityDesire to learn
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- amazementOverwhelming surprise and wonder
marvel · inspiration · sublime · astonishment · enchantment · cosmic perspective · starstruck · imagination
Elite American letters award
- narratorOne who tells events
- science communicationPublic engagement with research
- nonfictionLiterature about real events
- bestsellerHigh-volume publication
Soil or electrical grounding
- voyagerLong-distance journey taker
- photographImage from a camera
- distantFar away or aloof
- tinyExtremely small in size
pale · fragile · perspective · humanity · spacecraft · insignificance · solitude · reflection
Objective evaluation of information
- scientific methodStructured process for investigation
- pseudoscienceBogus methodology posing as factual
- debunkingProving claims false
- rationalismReason as knowledge source
scientific literacy · evidence-based · inquiry · questioning · agnosticism · extraordinary claims · intellectual honesty · logic
universe
Complete system or domain
- galaxyGravitationally bound stellar mass
- nebulaInterstellar gas formation
- big bangLoud explosive noise
black hole · dark matter · space-time · cosmos · astronomical · observatory · telescope · astrophysics · supernova · quasar
extraterrestrial
Being from outer space
- searchAct of seeking
- radio telescopeAstronomical receiver for cosmic waves
- signalMessage-conveying cue
Arecibo · Drake equation · contact · interstellar · intelligence · detection · frequency · alien life · communication · listening
awe
Reverent fear and wonder
- curiosityDesire to learn
- fascinationIntense absorbed interest
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
amazement · marvel · inspiration · sublime · astonishment · enchantment · cosmic perspective · starstruck · imagination · exploration
Pulitzer Prize
Elite American letters award
- narratorOne who tells events
- science communicationPublic engagement with research
- nonfictionLiterature about real events
earth
Soil or electrical grounding
- voyagerLong-distance journey taker
- photographImage from a camera
- distantFar away or aloof
tiny · pale · fragile · perspective · humanity · spacecraft · insignificance · solitude · reflection · stewardship
critical thinking
Objective evaluation of information
- scientific methodStructured process for investigation
- pseudoscienceBogus methodology posing as factual
- debunkingProving claims false
rationalism · scientific literacy · evidence-based · inquiry · questioning · agnosticism · extraordinary claims · intellectual honesty · logic
- PhysicistsAlbert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Richard Feynman, Enrico Fermi, Max Planck
- AstronomersGalileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Nicolaus Copernicus, Edwin Hubble, Tycho Brahe
- stargazingtelescope, stargazing guides, night sky, stars, constellation
- American ScientistsBenjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Richard Feynman, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Jonas Salk
- popular physicslayman's terms, Einstein, Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye
- Ivy League AlumniBarack Obama, John F. Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, George W. Bush