Today on Discovery Enterprise
George Noory spoke with Ann Druyan, widow of the late
astronomer Carl Sagan, and Michael Harrison, publisher of TALKERS magazine, a
trade industry publication related to talk radio and new talk media. The two
shared memories about Sagan and discussed their video podcast project, At Home in the Cosmos with Annie Druyan.
In the videos, Druyan provides intimate details of her life with and love of
the man who popularized science for millions with his books and television
appearances. Druyan said Sagan's secret to greatness was being "filled [in
equal measures] with both skepticism and wonder" about the Cosmos.
Carl Sagan was the rarest of all creatures - the
celebrity scientist. While some accused him of being a grandstander, none can
deny that his approach to science helped introduce millions of people to the
great wonders of the universe that fascinated him all his life.
He played many different roles - professor, working
scientist, bestselling author and TV personality. In his classic television
series Cosmos, he brought science to
the masses in an accessible, entertaining format.
He spent most of his career as a professor of
astronomy at Cornell
University
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| The Voyager Interstellar Record |
Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan both collaborated on the Voyager Interstellar Records which were
included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They
contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture
on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or
for future humans, who may find them. The Voyager spacecrafts are not heading
towards any particular star, but Voyager 1 will be within 1.6 light years of
the star Gliese 445 in the Ophiuchus constellation in about 40,000 years.
Murmurs of Earth - Inspired by Carl Sagan Images (and sounds) from the Voyager Interstellar Record.
This is awesome material currently traveling through space and to the stars. Pay attention to the pictures, they tell our story... This is a message of hope and good will, of who we are and what we used to be like. It talks about us, life and our planet. The background music, by Bach, is also in the Voyager record as is the greetings in 55 languages. I read somewhere, who knows if it is true, that when deciding what music to include someone asked Carl Sagan if they should include Bach to which he replied: "Now,that would be showing off."
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