How do we get people to ask more of the right questions? Just imagine the shared progress and productivity of a world filled with people who ask better questions. People who are wise enough to be skeptical of their own beliefs, critical enough to analyze their actions, curious enough to wonder why and discover what’s yet unknown. The first step to solving our problems — is asking the correct question.
The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan will lead you down a path of scientific thinking. Carl raises many reasons and benefits of why the world needs more question-askers and brave intellectualism. He encourages all to use science as a compass and navigate through life with relentless skepticism and wonder.
Starting with Cosmos and Pale Blue Dot, every Carl Sagan book I have picked up has transformed me in some way. This was a similar result. With a grand importance on the scientific way of thinking, Carl urges how we need this skepticism and wonder to continually uncover the truth and reality — in our universe, in our culture, our politics, and each in our own minds.
By reading the reviews on Amazon for this book, it seems quite clear the fans of Carl Sagan have similar feelings after turning the last page. ‘If more people would read this book... if more people could gather the wisdom of Carl Sagan... if more people would think like scientists…’ Clearly there is a shared belief that the world could benefit if everyone could at least passively listen to the Audible version and absorb its ideas. (Bonus: it’s also read by the great voices of Seth MacFarlane and Cary Elwes (You might know him as the beloved and gallantly heroic, Wesley, from The Princess Bride).
Mind-expanding and entertaining, it’s packed with explanations and logical unravellings of pseudoscience and conspiracies. Challenging these seemingly foolish ideas with great empathy and a sensitive understanding of why people may come to believe in magical thinking. False memories, hallucinations… Carl dives in and debunks everything from divine apparitions, alien encounters and witchcraft crusades.
These bizarre and even downright evil ideas that have blossomed in our history have shown the flaws of human thought and behavior. But science, as we learn, involves a highly counter-intuitive way of thought, and its results become an accepted truth not because it feels good, but because it’s able to be proven with hard evidence. Today, more than ever, its importance to the survival and existence of our species is paramount.
Reading Carl Sagan’s books, I often wonder if it’s too late to become a scientist. I wonder if I had known that learning algebra in high-school could build a foundation for calculus, and eventually lay the groundwork for understanding modern physics and quantum mechanics. I was remarkably a natural for geometry, but why didn’t I work hard at the others? Knowing all that wildly scientific-sounding stuff could have become the basis for which I could test theories about the nature of the universe and contribute to solving some of the greatest challenges of mankind today. Maybe I would have dedicated 15-20 years to grinding it out, but I simply never knew the value of math. I just thought, ‘Well, this doesn’t make any sense. I don’t see how it all applies to anything in life. What are all these letters and symbols and numbers and equations? What good is it?’ It frustrated and split my brain that we were being forced to learn this hoopla nonsense. ‘I don’t need it. I don’t want it. I suck at it. To hell with it.’ Why didn’t any teacher ever passionately explain to me why this is of such remarkable value? Did they not know? Did I miss the memo? Perhaps I wasn’t paying attention and I’m the one to blame. However it went over my head, I do think the search for truth and reality in our universe would be something I’d thoroughly enjoy being a part of. More importantly, for the sake of other kids starting that journey now, this should be communicated clearly, perhaps with a larger megaphone. It’s too valuable to miss. It’s the key to planning our shared future accordingly and achieving the most awe-inspiring things we could possibly do. Why isn’t science the coolest (and more profitable) thing a kid could do?
Sagan also talks about how science educators have a unique responsibility. Stressing they need to have compassion in their teachings. And I assume patience as well. Because many people believe many different things. And science and non-scientist folk seem to fall victim to the ego problem. The identity issue. The us vs. them mentality. But as a scientist it’s not wise to be scornful or feel elevated in self-worth above those who understand less. And it’s unwise to feel subordinate to those who use scientific methods to find truthful facts. There needs to be a level of all-around respect.
I imagine the key to communicating science to the masses is empathy. Because science has a way of stripping away things and ideals that we may hold dear. Things that comfort us, things that we yearn for and wish to be true. Like ya know, heaven. Or that prayers don’t really heal people or bring about vaccines to end global pandemics. Those are big deals. Matter of factly saying that there isn’t much evidence for heaven or for that matter most of the ideas of confident religions that have been founded on earth... It can really be a foundation-shaking and immense idea to grapple with.
Creativity and compassion, that’s what it takes to deliver the truth and share science in a manner that sparks wonder and joy. But the creation of compassionate science educators can only come from inspiring more young adults to become scientists and people willing to put in the time and mental labor that it takes. Without generations of people inspired to be scientists we are pretty much screwed.
It makes sense that so many believe in an afterlife, it makes sense that we once believed the sun rotated around the earth. But there’s no evidence for the first, and the second we know is simply not true. But that doesn’t mean science should depress us and take away all-purpose and joy out of life. I strongly believe, and share the profoundly deep humbling joy of Carl Sagan in that science continually redefines what we know about ourselves, and that is a very stirring and spiritual thing to comprehend.
Furthermore I feel personally deprived. Why do I feel like I’ve been so distant from science? I knew plenty of people growing up, not many were scientific thinkers or intellectuals. How come the world isn’t abundant and brimming with people who see the value in this way of thought? Is it my own fault? Why was science not as awesome as I’ve come to know it now, was I just an idiot? Why did I ignore the building blocks of this stuff when I was younger? Why was I so thrilled to get drunk and play video games or run around like a half brained-ape trying to meet women. In many ways I feel like it’s my own fault that I’m left behind.
Science is still new. We’re not that good at it yet. It’s a new process. A new way of discovering and thinking. In my experience with advertising, I’ve worked with creative superiors who wanted to cut the science out, it was too complex to explain, “nobody cares about that.” Because they didn’t understand it themselves. But what if we created work that left people with unanswered questions, lighting a fire of curiosity under them to ask more? From my experience, the truth is out there when you start to look.
Science is a self-correcting body of knowledge, serving all humanity and seeking nothing but the truth and evidence to prove it. It offers everyone the ideal way to think.
Written in 1996, before social media or the idea of a blog — it’s still relevant. This book shows the many human flaws of thought which allow collective insanities to flourish and blaze through our world, clearly, we’re still dealing with those weaknesses.
I think I was most captivated by Sagan’s story of Frederick Douglas’s life. And how he knew literacy was his ticket to freedom. As a human being on earth I can still feel this tension everywhere. It seems so many people, myself included, need to realize that the key to freeing themselves and upward mobility is education. I’ve been a slave in my own ways. With friendships I’ve chosen, jobs I’ve chosen, beverages I’ve drank, and as I’ve more recently started to understand — negative thought patterns in my own mind. Think about all the free education access we have out there. Think about all the places we can go if we spend our time wisely — if we put forth the rigor and the fortitude and rumble through the struggle to learn. Frederick Douglas learned how to read and write as an actual non-metaphorical slave. Could you even imagine? Trying to learn something that nobody would be willing to teach you, something that you could be killed for trying to learn. I have endless hours of Youtube and online university courses at my fingertips, shouldn’t this be a cinch? Shouldn’t we all be bloody geniuses and masters of our chosen crafts? Why are some inspired to set themselves free while others would rather be miserable in shackles of laziness? Why are so many blind to their own suffering and the path to true freedom?
In my life, I find freedom in pursuing creative endeavors, learning various instruments to tell stories and share positive energy. Understanding science, even as a surface-level qualitative approach frees me to understand the truth. And there is freedom in better understanding my mind, finding the separation from the thoughts I think. There is freedom of letting go of my constructed sense of self. Or at least allowing myself to operate and observe its behavior and wants.I know my corporate writer job is just a glorified slavery situation. A few thousand a month to become a noble and city-dwelling serf that can afford his rent. Sure it allows me to learn and grow, have access to smart people and technological resources. But ultimately my lack of knowledge to run my own business or inability to rally a team to start a business idea, it keeps me a slave within the company. A slave to the eogic powers that rule and tell me what to do, a subordinate to the insecure and greedy. I also don’t have to look at it so negatively. On the positive, I know I’m just not there yet...
I’m well aware of the problem, I know my freedom starts with learning, reading and doing. It comes from new skills and putting in the time to produce whatever is needed. It comes from following the light. That little flame of truth. Science and the truth it reveals never fails to inspire me. My next question is, what do I need to learn next?