The Demon-Haunted World
Science as a Candle in the Dark
Published on 6. July 2011
480 pages
978-0-307-80104-3 (ISBN)
Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the renowned astronomer and author of Cosmos comes a "powerful [and] stirring defense of informed rationality" (The Washington Post Book World) in a world where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace.
LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER • "Glorious . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought."-Los Angeles Times
How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience, New Age thinking, and fundamentalist zealotry and the testable hypotheses of science?
Casting a wide net through history and culture, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. He examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies as witchcraft, faith healings, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning, with stories of alien abduction, "channeling" past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect.
As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.
LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER • "Glorious . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought."-Los Angeles Times
How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience, New Age thinking, and fundamentalist zealotry and the testable hypotheses of science?
Casting a wide net through history and culture, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions. He examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies as witchcraft, faith healings, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning, with stories of alien abduction, "channeling" past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect.
As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Random House Publishing Group
Product notice
Reflowable
File size
3,85 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-307-80104-3 (9780307801043)
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
02/1997
Ballantine Books Inc.
€20.00
Available immediately
Audio
Books on Tape
€60.92
The article will not be published
Person
Carl Sagan served as the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He played a leading role in the Mariner, Viking, Voyager, and Galileo spacecraft expeditions, for which he received the NASA Medals for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and (twice) for Distinguished Public Service.
His Emmy- and Peabody-winning television series, Cosmos, became the most widely watched series in the history of American public television. The accompanying book, also called Cosmos, is one of the bestselling science books ever published in the English language. Dr. Sagan received the Pulitzer Prize, the Oersted Medal, and many other awards-including twenty honorary degrees from American colleges and universities-for his contributions to science, literature, education, and the preservation of the environment. In their posthumous award to Dr. Sagan of their highest honor, the National Science Foundation declared that his "research transformed planetary science . . . his gifts to mankind were infinite." Dr. Sagan died on December 20, 1996.
His Emmy- and Peabody-winning television series, Cosmos, became the most widely watched series in the history of American public television. The accompanying book, also called Cosmos, is one of the bestselling science books ever published in the English language. Dr. Sagan received the Pulitzer Prize, the Oersted Medal, and many other awards-including twenty honorary degrees from American colleges and universities-for his contributions to science, literature, education, and the preservation of the environment. In their posthumous award to Dr. Sagan of their highest honor, the National Science Foundation declared that his "research transformed planetary science . . . his gifts to mankind were infinite." Dr. Sagan died on December 20, 1996.
Content
- Intro
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Epigraph
- Preface: My Teachers
- Contents
- 1. The Most Precious Thing
- 2. Science and Hope
- 3. The Man in the Moon and the Face on Mars
- 4. Aliens
- 5. Spoofing and Secrecy
- 6. Hallucinations
- 7. The Demon-Haunted World
- 8. On the Distinction Between True and False Visions
- 9. Therapy
- 10. The Dragon in my Garage
- 11. The City of Grief
- 12. The Fine Art of Baloney Detection
- 13. Obsessed with Reality
- 14. Antiscience
- 15. Newton's Sleep
- 16. When Scientists Know Sin
- 17. The Marriage of Skepticism and Wonder
- 18. The Wind Makes Dust
- 19. No Such Thing as a Dumb Question
- 20. House on Fire
- 21. The Path to Freedom
- 22. Significance Junkies
- 23. Maxwell and the Nerds
- 24. Science and Witchcraft
- 25. Real Patriots Ask Questions
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- References
- Other Books by This Author
- About the Author
