Carl Sagan Collection
Since its creation in 1976, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly known as CSICOP – the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal) has been honored by its association with founding member Carl Sagan, David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and the Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Peabody-winning television producer, and recipient of the National Academy of Science’s highest honor, the Public Welfare Medal.
Many of us first came to science and skepticism by way of Sagan’s PBS series, COSMOS, but his dedication to skeptical inquiry began long before we saw him on television. Early efforts to inform the public about science, pseudoscience, and the difference between them began in the late 1960s, and from them Sagan created one of the key principles of the skeptical movement: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. From his later work came the other pillar of skeptical inquiry: The Baloney Detection Kit. With these principles, his TV appearances, and his popular and prolific science writing, it’s no exaggeration to say that Sagan inspired an entire generation of scientists and skeptics, the very people who now carry the movement in his absence.
As this collection of articles, both by Sagan and about him, shows, Sagan was that rarest of individuals. He was a true scientist and researcher who was also adept at communicating scientific ideas to the general public, a person equally comfortable with solving strings of equations and creating strings of words, a skeptic who routinely disproved the unfounded and often dangerous beliefs of his fellow humans without ever losing his belief in humankind. We hope you enjoy this look back at Sagan’s work and are as inspired as we are to continue bringing his unique blend of skepticism and wonder into the future.
On the Set of Cosmos’s Season Two
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey aired in 2014 to much acclaim.
This article is available for free to all.Josh Zepps with Ann Druyan: Cosmos, Carl Sagan, and Culture
We present a condensed version of an earlier interview about Ann Druyan’s experience with the first and the new Cosmos series by Josh Zepps for our Center for Inquiry’s Point of Inquiry podcast.
This article is available for free to all.Man for the Cosmos: Carl Sagan’s Life and Legacy as Scientist, Teacher, and Skeptic
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Carl Sagan Takes Questions: More From His ‘Wonder and Skepticism’ CSICOP 1994 Keynote
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Ann Druyan Talks About Science, Religion, Wonder, Awe… and Carl Sagan
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Does Truth Matter? Science, Pseudoscience, and Civilization
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The Burden of Skepticism
What is skepticism? It’s nothing very esoteric. We encounter it every day. When we buy a used car, if we are the least bit wise we will exert some residual skeptical powers—whatever our education has left to us. You could say, “Here’s an honest-looking fellow. I’ll just take whatever he offers me.” Or you might …
This article is available for free to all.Night Walkers and Mystery Mongers: Sense and Nonsense at the Edge of Science
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