tagged w/ Carl Sagan
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My own musical tribute to two great men of science. Carl Sagan and his cosmologist companion Stephen Hawking present: A Glorious Dawn - Cosmos remixed-melody sheepMy own musical tribute to two great men of science. Carl Sagan and his cosmologist... more
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ScottP
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added this
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2 years ago
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"Harry Potter rules. The unflagging energy of his creator, J.K. Rowling, writing volume after volume, sustains this phenomenon. The success of the latest movie version, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, confirms it.
On the whole, Potter’s seems a benign rule. Educators, publishers, literati are reassured by the success of the Potter books that young people, even in their media-saturated, video-game-enhanced existences, can still read if they feel like it. Critics have generally been respectful of Rowling’s literary achievement. Perhaps the only fervent objectors have been religious fundamentalists who take wizardry and magic seriously, as the handiwork of the Evil One.
You don’t have to be a fundamentalist, however, to wonder what this triumph of fantasy in our popular culture portends. An atheist such as W.P. Kinsella ignores his own core beliefs and practically makes a living out of a sub-genre of fantasy, i.e. baseball fantasy. He has never lacked for a readership.
One effect of this triumph seems to be the increasing presence of fantasy, or elements of fantasy, in works of science fiction, a genre traditionally opposed to magic and even to such folk-scientific phenomena as UFOs. In a way, the trend to fantasy is not due simply to its superior commercial appeal, as demonstrated by the Potter books, and by Kinsella, but also to developments in science itself. “We have reached the point where contemporary science is so far out, to most people it is indistinguishable from magic,” comments well-known Canadian science fiction novelist Robert J. Sawyer. “The notion, for example, that black holes might provide not only links between space but links to time is grounded in current theoretical thinking.”
The recent movie Star Trek is a case in point. The latest movie version is much more space opera than science fiction. It even features a sword fight between the good guys and the Romulans. What really marks the movie as more fantasy than science fiction, however, is its use of our old friend time travel. As Sawyer admits, it’s very hard to avoid using the device these days — he has used time travel, although with gritted teeth, and with a certain scrupulosity. “We pay attention to what physicists actually know,” he says of himself and his sci-fi colleagues. “We don’t wield it like a magic wand.”
A striking example is the 1985 novel Contact by the late astronomer Carl Sagan. There was no more dedicated anti-supernaturalist than Carl Sagan. The fervour with which he speculated about black holes, however, left the suspicion that these phenomena were, to him, the equivalent of magic doors in fantasyland. The suspicion was confirmed by the novel and the movie made from it, in which the heroine, played by Jodie Foster, voyages into space and ends up, literally, in another realm, where her deceased father apparently resides.
It was a striking example of the kind of wish-fulfillment Sawyer maintains is characteristic of fantasy and magic, as opposed to the devices of science fiction. (Ray Kinsella playing catch with his dead father at the end of Field of Dreams is classic wish-fulfillment.) It is hard, evidently, to avoid such wish-fulfillment. Somebody like Sagan throws traditional, religious otherworldliness out the front door, and it comes knocking at the back window.""Harry Potter rules. The unflagging energy of his creator, J.K. Rowling, writing... more
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In this video, world famous astronomer and astrophysicist, the great Carl Sagan, explains the 4th dimension. I wonder if Carl knew how funny he was?In this video, world famous astronomer and astrophysicist, the great Carl Sagan,... more
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Ever wondered if scientist Carl Sagan and Agent Smith from The Matrix might be the same person somehow? Watch and decide for yourself.Ever wondered if scientist Carl Sagan and Agent Smith from The Matrix might be the... more
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A great voice from beyond speaks to us about the futililty of war and the arrogance of the human species. And as Carl Sagan asked in this video, what would an alien observer think of us? Nations strutting about with their weapons of war and death proclaiming that they alone know what is best for all of us and they alone have the right to decide our fate. They deem to speak for us, but who does speak for our Earth? Our fate is in our own hands. What a scary thought in this day and age.A great voice from beyond speaks to us about the futililty of war and the arrogance of... more
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In the 1980’s the Cold War entered its final stage and one of its most dangerous and important periods. It was a time when the rhetoric of nuclear Armageddon with its biblical implications had begun to consume the Western World.
During this period there were many unrelenting voices pounding the war drums, just like today. However, there were also many benevolent voices trying to educate us by showing us the beauty of life and our part in it. One of those working relentlessly towards the betterment of our society was Carl Sagan, and his masterpiece was the Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, , “a thirteen-part television series written by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan, and Steven Soter, with Sagan as global presenter.”...
Considering our present geopolitical situation I thought it would be a good idea to send out Sagan’s message, so I combed the 'cosmos' and found the whole series on the Net. I’m not sure how long these videos will remain available so if you have not had the pleasure of watching this work yet, this might be a great time to do so.
Hope you enjoy.
In the 1980’s the Cold War entered its final stage and one of its most dangerous... more
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Wow! This is Amazing! Let me explain..
It is being said on the internet that The Galactic Federation of Light will be visible our skies for 3 days on Oct. 14, 2008 (in two weeks), a 2,000 mile size light~ship is predicted to make a global appearance.
The implications of this are huge & the reason why we need your help is to spread the word. Global collective conscious awareness is required for the ship to be seen and they are here in peace, love and to help humanity out of our current path.
I urge you to sit with this, think about it, listen to your heart and look into the matter! Please! Everyone needs to know… This is our chance to evolve in a positive light on earth!
Sounds like the start of the SHIFT of mater, energy & concsiousness!
Wow! This is Amazing! Let me explain..
It is being said on the internet that The... more
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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, famous for its manned missions to the moon, announced the creation of the Carl Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowships in Exoplanet Exploration on Wednesday.
The fellowship is named after the late astronomer who popularized science through his books and television appearances.
The fellows will search for life on planets outside our solar system, the so-called exoplanets, more than 300 of which have been discovered since 1994.
Many of the planets discovered orbiting distant stars are gaseous and icy giants believed unsuitable to support life. The challenge is to find Earth-like planets orbiting Sun-like stars.
That search will be aided by NASA's Kepler mission, due for launch next year, that will survey 100,000 stars looking for smaller planets.
In addition, the agency wants to attract young scientists who share Sagan's wonderment about the cosmos who will dedicate themselves to answering the question, "Are we alone?" through improved telescope technology or other means.
"Many feel it's only a matter of time before we find Earth-like planets in Earth-like orbit around solar-like stars and that such planets might be capable of sustaining life," Jon Morse, director of NASA's astrophysics division, told a news conference.
The Sagan fellowships -- $60,000 annual stipends awarded to four or five fellows per year -- are the third named after famed scientists. Others are named after Albert Einstein and Edwin Hubble.
When Sagan died in 1996 at age 62, only 11 exoplanets had been discovered.
"We're learning an enormous amount," said Charles Beichman, director of NASA's Exoplanet Science Institute. "We know the rate of star formation. Ten years ago, we didn't know about the fraction of stars with planets. Now we know ... 10 percent have Jupiters and in a few years we'll know about Earths.
"How many of those worlds have life? That's a slightly longer-term question, but is absolutely something that 21st century science can accomplish," he said.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, famous for its manned missions to... more
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From the report: NASA announced Wednesday the new Carl Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowships in Exoplanet Exploration, created to inspire the next generation of explorers seeking to learn more about planets, and possibly life, around other stars.
Planets beyond our solar system, called exoplanets, are being discovered at a staggering pace, with more than 300 currently known. Decades ago, long before any exoplanets had been found, the late Carl Sagan imagined such worlds, and pioneered the scientific pursuit of life that might exist on them. Sagan was an astronomer and a highly successful science communicator.
Follow link for full article.From the report: NASA announced Wednesday the new Carl Sagan Postdoctoral Fellowships... more
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World famous astronomer and astrophysicist, the great Carl Sagan, explains the 4th dimension.World famous astronomer and astrophysicist, the great Carl Sagan, explains the 4th... more
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U.S. scientists, searching for signs of life from faraway planets, are building hundreds of radio telescopes in Northern California, their leader says.
Jill Tarter, director of the Center for SETI Research at the SETI Institute, said 42 of the planned 350 telescopes have been built in a mostly uninhabited area about 300 miles northeast of San Jose, Calif., the San Jose Mercury News reported Wednesday. SETI stands for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
She said the area, just north of Lassen National Park, is an ideal location because it is protected from more mundane radio signals.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen donated $25 million to get the project going. The Allen Telescope Array is also funded by San Francisco-area benefactors, including the University of California-Berkeley and Silicon Valley chip developer Xilinx, the newspaper said.
"In many cultures throughout history, we've always wondered: Is there anybody else? Are we the only ones who can look up at the universe and wonder? I live in the first generation of humans that can try to answer
this," Tarter told the Mercury News.
U.S. scientists, searching for signs of life from faraway planets, are building... more
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When reflecting on the current state of our world and the environment, I always go back to Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speech because the words are so very true. And I believe that once we read them and take them seriously we will reach the higher consciousness we need to reach in order to solve our problems. This interpretation of his words is one I particularly appreciate.When reflecting on the current state of our world and the environment, I always go... more
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In tribute to a brilliant man whom I miss, Carl Sagan, and as a reminder of how rare and precious we and this planet are.In tribute to a brilliant man whom I miss, Carl Sagan, and as a reminder of how rare... more
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