Carl Sagan describes Earth

[ScioAgapeOmnis]

Hi all, this moved me to tears so I just wanted to share it.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=p86BPM1GV8M

another version with slightly more context:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pfwY2TNehw

It's Carl Sagan audibly sharing his thoughts about Earth and the sillyness of our delusions of grandeur and self-importance when we're nothing but a tiny spec in a vast universe. It is very humbling and he definitely has a way with words.

More info about this particular piece here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot

Although Gore shamelessly used this very moving oration by Sagan in his anti-global warming campaign, I don't think that detracts from Carl's words one bit. It's just a politician manipulating emotions to support his cause when in fact Carl's moving words had absolutely nothing to do with that cause. Ironically, Carl was saying the opposite - we're so busy with our delusions and subjectivity, we completely ignore the humbling reality of our predicament. It is our delusions - about each other or about the planet or anything else that is the root of the problem and what results in such global epidemic stupidity and suffering.

 

[nicklebleu]

Thanks a lot SAO, for this link, I was moved to tears as well ...

Have you read one of his books recently? I remember reading one years and years ago (Broca's Brain), but don't remember any of its content ... :(

 

[Nienna]

Yes, thank you for the links to these videos, SAO. I found them quite moving.

 

[treesparrow]

Maybe a more balanced and skeptical perspective regarding Carl Sagan and his utterances is called for. In reality, where the rubber hits the road, he was far from an open minded scientist than he purported to be. Check out his record concerning the ideas and work of Velikovsky and his proclaimations about ufos and crop circles. See -

http://www.velikovskian.com/sagan.htm

and

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/aliens/carlsagan.html

At the latter link, on the topic of ufos he blathers on about "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence..." despite the fact that - as many ufo reseachers point out -the data is available by the truckload. As regards his comments about crop circles - the cosmos truly works in mysterious ways, look how it can conjure up a couple of planks of wood for Doug and Dave to enable them to assault the cornfields of southern England
on numerous late summer nights!

He certainly seemed an avid defender of the existing scientific status quo. He was suave and authoritative, all this and his laboured mannerisms remind me of Agent Smith - defender of the Matrix. :)

 

[Z...]

He certainly seemed an avid defender of the existing scientific status quo. He was suave and authoritative, all this and his laboured mannerisms remind me of Agent Smith - defender of the Matrix. :)

This was always my impression too. Its funny how this narrowmindendess with regards to certain phenomena is totally contradicitve with the perspective he talks about in the video.