Carl Sagan's dystopic view of the future that has come to pass

Carl Sagan warns about the celebration of ignorance

The writings of the great scientist, Carl Sagan, and especially his TV series, Cosmos helped to form my world-view along with others that warned me about the issues of the day that are still with us and coming to fruition.

There were sane and prescient voices warning of what in fact has come to passs in a way that no-one could have predicted.

Read what Carol Sagan has to say. I can’t think of a single word where he got it wrong.

Instead his dystopic views have come to pass in spadefuls

"I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time – when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness. The dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second soundbites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance."

Carl Sagan, last interview with Charlie Rose before his death in 1996. He warns of the dangers of lack of education and the potential for tyranny.

Carl Sagan on the dumbing-down of America

Carl Sagan’s foreboding

Excerpt from astrophysicist Carl Sagan's 1995 book: "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark"

Carl Sagan discusses the Greenhouse Effect in 1990

This keynote speech of the great Carl Sagan dates back to when global warming was starting to attract public attention.

In it he dicusses the Greenhouse Effect and mentions the small changes in average global temperature that are needed to bring about big changes. He also mentions positive feedbacks.

His solutions made more sense 38 years ago when we still had plenty of oil and the economy was still functional.

1990 was a time when people still told the truth. Just look at the presenter and compare them with the disgusting presstitutes of today.

Carl Sagan was a great man. The science man, Bill Nye does not even begin to hold a torch to Carl Sagan.

Carl Sagan on Climate as an Emerging Issue (1990)

Carl Sagan's 2/9/1990 keynote speech before the 5th Annual Emerging Issues Forum at NCSU, broadcast live on North Carolina Public Television. Introduction by Roy Park of Park Communications. Recorded by Dr. Woody Sugg on a home VCR. Sagan spoke at the invitation of Jim Hunt, former NC Governor and the founder of the Institute for Emerging Issues.

Contemplating our insignificance

Man in his arrogance

A Great Speech By Carl Sagan

Sagan's ability to convey his ideas allowed many people to understand the cosmos better—simultaneously emphasizing the value and worthiness of the human race, and the relative insignificance of the Earth in comparison to the Universe. He delivered the 1977 series of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in London. He hosted and, with Ann Druyan, co-wrote and co-produced the highly popular thirteen-part Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

The Greenhouse effect - talked about LONG before Al Gore

Stephen Hawking and Carl Sagan on the Greenhouse Effect

Alan Watts on the meaning of life

Is there a purpose to human existence? ~ Philosopher Alan Watts

Philosopher Alan Watts tries to describe the answer to our existence but in doing so he helps us understand the answer cannot be found. He can only say that existence is simply weird. Watts believes our lives are the ‘odd’ standing out of the flat, ‘even,’ unknowable background. The unanswerable nature of the existence question is what will forever make humans wonder. The only thing we can say with certainty is that existence is indeed weird.

The Real You

The mind

Carl Sagan speaks Zeitgeist

Carl Sagan

THE SAGAN SERIES (Part 10) - The Pale Blue Dot

“There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

----Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan's warning

A Science Icon Died 17 Years Ago. In His Last Interview, He Made A Warning That Gives Me Goosebumps.

Carl Sagan inspired a generation of scientists with his work in and out of the classroom. But he didn't always present science with cheer. In this clip, he passionately defends science with a grave warning. It's something we all need to hear.