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James Randi Speaks: Carl Sagan
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good morning good afternoon or good
evening whatever the case may be folks I
find it difficult to believe that Dr
Carl San has been dead now for some 13
years I'm reminded of him just about
every time I open a book access an
Internet site or discuss scientific
matters with colleagues he's been on my
mind recently because of the heavy
attrition rate of my friends my heroes
are all passing away Isaac azimov dick
fan so many who have inspired and
encouraged me over the years Carl was
very much aware of the need for Science
Education for everyone not because he
expected that everyone would become a
scientist but because he felt that every
citizen should know at least to some
degree how the real world functions I
couldn't agree more in my own work I
daily come upon persons who have no
knowledge whatsoever about the simplest
of scientific ideas and even less about
the technology that has resulted from
science they adopt mystical ideas to
explain what they experience and that
naive T makes them easy prey for others
who can and will take advantage of them
years ago while working with Dr Sean
briefly at Cornell University on a
course titled critical thinking I
commented on the high percentage of
Asian students that I could see were on
campus Carl told me that the greatest
distinction he had found between Western
and Asian students was that many of the
western students were satisfied to work
for a passing grade in their classes but
the Asians expected that they should
obtain perfect grades not just
satisfactory ones that is an excellent
work ethic and it should be preached to
every student in my opinion in his book
The Demon Haunted World Carl expressed
how important an education is in today's
civilization he
wrote we've arranged a global
civilization in which most crucial
elements trans Transportation
Communications and all other Industries
agriculture medicine education
entertainment and protecting the
environment profoundly depend on Science
and Technology we have also arranged
things so that almost no one understands
Science and Technology this is a
prescription for disaster we might get
away with it for a while but sooner or
later this combustible mixture of
ignorance and power is going to blow up
in our
faces we in America 300 years ago to our
great shame underwent a period in which
we ba blamed innocent individuals we
called witches for troubles and
calamities choosing to believe that
these persons mostly women used
Supernatural powers to cause these
problems we hanged these innocent
citizens at the same time that our
brothers in England France Italy Germany
and Spain were burning them alive as
punishment Carl Sean pointed out that in
those earlier times there were reasons
for fear and Superstition reasons that
should not be part of our mindset again
in the demon Haunted World in
1995 he wrote I worry that especially as
the Millennium
nears pseudoscience and Superstition
will seem Year bye more tempting the
siren song of unreason more sonorous and
attractive where have we heard it before
whenever our ethnic or national
prejudices are aroused in times of
scarcity during challenges to National
self-esteem or nerve when we agonize
about our diminished Cosmic place and
purpose or when fanaticism is bubbling
up around us then habits of thought
familiar from ages past reach for the
controls the candle flame gutters its
little pool of light trembles Darkness
gathers the demons begin to stir I
cannot tell you how much those words of
Dr Sean have affected me in a manner far
more eloquent than I could ever have
managed he expressed my thoughts and I
hope that you being able to experience
his writings will also feel that he
spoke for you I sincerely hope so the
message of this great man cannot grow
old we must recognize that despite our
becoming more mature more rapidly in so
many ways we must be always Vigilant
it's been said before to forget history
is to be forced to relive its errors
these Demons of which Carl spoke are
still out there somewhere waiting for
their opportunity we cannot allow them
to come back to life our greatest enemy
by far is ignorance we have the weapons
to defeat it and we are increasingly
able to do so teachers of the quality of
Carl Sean exist in every culture and
every city and Village and every school
and home all over this planet that we
call home to nourish those teachers to
encourage them to assist and support
them should be one of our greatest our
most important goals when all people are
armed with knowledge and can organize to
oppose and banish hunger poverty disease
distress and discouragement those
elements cannot flourish and those are
the Demons of which Carl Sean wrote and
spoke I'll leave you with this short
tale some years ago I was seated in my
office reading on my computer screen
with great Amusement a joke about
astronomy that had appeared on the
internet I laughed and suddenly froze
looking at my left hand which had begun
to reach for the telephone folks I had
been about to call Carl and tell him
about this amusing story well I have
absolutely no belief in an afterlife
like Carl San I am a realist but if it
were possible to survive this life and
if Carl had been able to do that I'm
sure that he would now be out there in
the cosmos he so loved and respected
chasing an interesting Comet or testing
the temperature of a galaxy because his
work survives him and we can enjoy it
learn from it and most importantly add
to it I can feel Carl San was many
things but his greatest accomplishment
in my opinion was that he could teach he
did it painlessly convincingly
provocatively he not only knew his
subjects but he loved them in the
classic way that all great teachers have
followed he had a firm modulated voice
and a superb manner of expressing his
thoughts a man that was both poetic and
colorful he could be understood by
anyone who would read his
words I'm James Randy thank you and
thank you too
Carl we thank you for watching this
latest episode of James Randy speaks for
more of James Randy and the Educational
Foundation make sure you visit randy.
org
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