Carl Sagan, an American astronomer, author, astrophysicist and communicator among other fields of sciences, has written Pale Blue Dot in order to extend ideas on the boundaries of space exploration for the future in order to assure that the human population can survive catastrophic events. He describes earth’s insignificance amongst the magnificent stars in space, how this thriving and sociable place we call home, is merely a pale blue dot amongst the majestic fireballs of blue and red gases and planets one hundred times the size of earth. Sagan first introduces the origins of human nature in order to formulate a common understanding on why humans treasure life so much and why so many of us believe that no other planet exists the same as earth. Our uniqueness bounds from human pride. Why and how the human body is so proud yet thoughtless is because of overconfidence which has led us to initially believe that the Earth was the center of the universe. Sagan explains that human pride is the reason why people had initially believed in the geocentric theory, that reason could not be factored into their mindset because human pride is so prized, and going against the conceit word of the church would be treason against a higher authority. In addition, scientific tools did not have the accuracy to disprove the geocentric theory, so the price of sedition was not worth the price of a indecisive theory.
Sagan then transitions from a human based standpoint to a broader point of view in order to acknowledge humility from understanding that we are not what we think we are, in the geocentric theory. Eventually Sagan explains the history of space travel and exploration in our solar system, because this type of exploration and science...
... middle of paper ...
...e capabilities to explore the beyond the boundaries of our knowledge. In addition, Sagan believes that NASA's decision to cut back exploration of the Moon after the Apollo program was a limited decision, despite the expense and the failing popularity of the program among the United States public. Sagan says future exploration of space should focus on ways to protect Earth and to extend human habitation beyond it. The book was published the year after the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter, an event Sagan uses to highlight the danger Earth faces from the occasional asteroid or comet large enough to cause substantial damage if it were to hit Earth. He says we need the political will to track large extraterrestrial objects, or we risk losing everything. Sagan argues that in order to save the human race, space colonization and terraforming should be utilized.
Some people believe we are not alone in the wide variety of planets, stars, and the solar system next door to us. Believing we aren’t the only ones stuck in space, but having more power than us where they might watch over us. The strong belief created a phenomenon more than the sci-fi culture itself; government cover-ups can’t hide these visitors anymore.
Beauty is always in nature. It is express in many ways. In the poem “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman express the beauty in the stars. Just looking up in space gave him peace. Walt writes about the fascination of the stars. How the night sky can transform a situation. He writes experiencing this phenomenon first hand is better than having it told. In most cases, the real is better than the copy. The beauty of the experience is needed, and to see the real thing than what is told. Whitman express how the night sky was all he needed and his feelings. In the poem “The World Is Too Much with Us” by William Wordsworth, the premise is like Whitman poem. It is the beauty in nature, and how people are not looking for nature to inspire. People are just looking less of nature. Both works show the worldly influence in people’s life. In both pieces, Whitman and Wordsworth showing how nature brings true beauty.
INTRODUCTION Attention-getter: “Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain’t stopped yet. There’s more exploration to come.” (Nichelle Nichols from Star Trek) Credibility: Throughout our childhood as we study space, solar systems, planets we all come to a point of having the dream of exploring the space or learn more about it in the future.
In "The Star" by Arthur C. Clark, a Jesuit astrophysicist is forced to question his faith. The findings are troubling, an entire civilization is destroyed by a supernova; the implosion of their sun. The calculations that he makes proves that explosion could have been seen from earth at the same time the Star of Bethlehem announced the birth of Jesus Christ. His crew looks at the situation with a more logical justification. They believe that the events in the universe happen with no plan or purpose. It doesn't matter if the civilizations that have been destroyed have done good or bad, those events are inevitable.
I have spent several days watching Carl Sagan’s “The Pale Blue Dot” YouTube video as well as reading the transcript located in the description section of the video. Panic stricken, I fought to conjure up a great thesis that will explain what I think the meaning of this video is. I am struggling with creating an essay that casts my personal reflection upon people that don’t know me from Adam, in the meantime watching the clock tick as I lose daylight once again with a blank sheet of good quality paper. So, I will proceed by stating that I am stuck in the idea that Carl Sagan, while being the well respected scientist that he was, wrote The Pale Blue Dot to challenge humans to stop fighting and get along, cancel the belief that there is a “higher power” that cares or loves us or impress upon his audience that there is no other place to dwell in this universe. I believe differently.
Copernicus’ Secret is a biography of an astronomer and a cleric who established that the earth was never the center of the cosmos. The author, Jack Repcheck, explores the action-packed last 12 years of Copernicus’s life that altered the track of western history. The main aim of the author is to give a precise in-depth human explanation of the events that led to the scientific revolution. He also tries to bring this scientific genius to life in a manner, which has never been achieved in the past. In addition, the author also tries to reveal some of the little known weak character traits of Copernicus at the time of his major theories.
Sagan starts his story by talking about the troubling fact that so many people in this world are scientifically illiterate. It is estimated that 95% of people are scientifically
Richard P. Feynman was born in 1918 in Brooklyn; in 1942 he received his Ph.D. from Princeton. Already displaying his brilliance, Feynman played an important role in the development of the atomic bomb through his work in the Manhattan Project. In 1945 he became a physics teacher at Cornell University, and in 1950 he became a professor at the California Institute of Technology. He, along with Sin-Itero and Julian Schwinger, received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his work in the field of quantum electrodynamics.
Carl Sagan in his “Pale Blue Dot” purpose is to convince the audience that they need to consider their vulnerable position in the universe and let this knowledge motivate them to improve the way they treat each other and the planet. What the author is doing is getting his audience to get up and take notice of the world around them and show them how small mankind truly is. Mr. Sagan uses Pathos to show how insignificant the planet Earth truly is by stating, “Consider again that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us”. Sagan gets our emotions involved by showing us just how important a pale blue dot can be to just one species from six billion kilometers. Referring to the earth as our home supports his claim that we should protect the planet
Humans have dreamed of leaving the earth and traveling space for many years, and up to this day they have taken many steps in the right direction. Yet, with every new frontier they approach, new problems loom over the horizon. All problems involved with space exploration may not directly involve space itself. Many of those problems surface right here on Earth. Some of the easier issues have been resolved, such as escaping the forces of gravity to reach outer space. More of these problems are far more arduous and the solutions need more time to be worked out properly. In “The Coming Schism” by James E. and Alcestis R. Oberg, humans have already begun colonizing space, yet there are still new problems arising. Major problems such as financing, communication and culture conflicts are important in the journey to space, because they all have the potential to disrupt progress.
Outer space has always intrigued the human mind. Ever since humans inhabited the Earth, they have always looked to the heavens. Ptolemy, who lived over two thousand years ago, dreamed of being with the stars. He said, “I know that I am mortal by nature, and ephemeral; but when I trace at my pleasure the windings to and fro of the heavenly bodies I no longer touch the earth with my feet: I stand in the presence of Zeus himself and take my fill of ambrosia” (Tyson). At that time, reaching the “final frontier” was not even remotely possible.
...ch one of us has a star that our soul is associated with. Our task as human is to try to live a good live so that when we reincarnate we can return to our associated star. In their own way they both sought to explain the nature of reality and how we could know what is real.
Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought after learning about and exploring the universe. This yearning drove us to achieve such great things as the journey to the moon and the discovery of water on Mars. Nowadays, several people argue as to whether or not space exploration is worth the effort. I believe that it is humanity’s instinctual nature to pursue a better understanding of ourselves, and our universe. Further understanding of our universe will lead to the discovery of new technologies and ways to secure humanity’s survivability.
Some may think exploring outer space is simply a human’s curiosity. This is true but on the contrary, people explore to learn about things they may have never known and touch on the essence of the creation of the universe. Another reason for exploring this uncharted area is the technological advancements people have made and immense amount of innovation they have achieved in this field (Wood). Lastly, scientists study the other planets just in case one day humans need to relocate after overwhelming damage has been done to Earth. Suffice to say, it is a vital part of today’s day and age to research outer space (Rothery).
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.