Consider Again That Pale Blue Dot: Carl Sagan on anthropocentrism [Carl Sagan Tribute Series]

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This video is part 2 of my continuing tribute to the late Carl Sagan.

Previous Episode: A Universe Not Made For Us http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8P1Y1...
Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...
Next Episode: Wanderers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPM-vK...

Excerpts were taken from Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space. More specifically, from the chapter titled Aberrations of Light. I edited together the audio from the audio-book, and added the video from:

- Carl Sagan's Cosmos
- Discovery's Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking
- BBC's Wonders of the Solar System with Brian Cox
- BBC's The Root of All Evil with Richard Dawkins
- BBC's Walking With Cavemen
- Robert Zemeckis' Contact (based on the novel by Carl Sagan sharing the same name)
- Tony Darnell's Hubble Deep Field in 3D.

The music is Together We Will Live Forever by Clint Mansell, which was recommended by YouTube user thewadsman (thanks!).

Watch this video with Spanish subtitles here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6zg7z...

The Carl Sagan Tribute Series will continue, please subscribe to my channel if you wish to be among the first to see my newest videos.

If you enjoyed this video, read the magnificent book from which it originated: http://www.amazon.com/Pale-Blue-Dot-V...

Also highly recommended, The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God: http://www.amazon.com/Varieties-Scien...

• Category

  Science & Technology

[mimu mum]

You freed me Carl Sagan

[Jonathon Tingey]

Carl Sagan and The Fountain. Simply beautiful.

[Vitalfitness4u]

This is small thinking ultimately. Because even though you aren't the center of the universe, you and everything else feels as if it is. That's the miracle of life. So only one vantage point isn't the correct way to look at the world or universe to make judgement. You need to take into account the physical reality, and the perception of it. Only the merging of those two can give you a real answer.

[Vitalfitness4u]

This is small thinking ultimately. Because even you aren't the center, everything feels as if it is. And that's the miracle of life. Every life. Carl Sagan is thinking that "he has the answer" that there is no God. Just as ignorant as his claim that people before us believed that there was a God, and we were special. Point is, our little brains can never give a definitive answer towards the question of whether or not there is a God. That's why those who think there is a God, call it faith.

[april76301]

You Sir. Are a idiot. iwantmoar(DOT)com/63

[april76301]

"I already told you there is no "point" to atheism." Except there is a point. And that point is not believing in God. "The only reason why the word even exists is because there is theism. Theism is something. Atheism is nothing." People still practice Atheism. Its the act of not believing in a God. WHICH is doing something. My Friend can tell Me he has a fire breathing mouse. If i choose not to believe Him. That is "taking a action" and therefore doing something.

[iHeartHouseNote]

It doesn't matter how much time we've spent doing something. We understand how logic works, and if you want to argue against that, take a Philosophy class in college. Many people have said these things before, and they've been told how logic works. Logic and rationality isn't just something us humans think about. It stands everywhere. It's just a fundamental concept of the universe. You can only assume something if you can justify it; if you can't justify it, you can't assume it.

[iHeartHouseNote]

We don't bother to do anything. We simply do not do something. And that something is believing in God. You don't have to put any effort into not doing something. I already told you there is no "point" to atheism. The only reason why the word even exists is because there is theism. Theism is something. Atheism is nothing. You're the one who is bothering to do something, not me. I'm not doing anything. It's not an opinion, or speculation, it is literally just NOT doing something.

[april76301]

But why! Why bother? Why bother at all? Look at it from a "God believers" view. It would the equivalent of Me telling you Atheism is irrational. And then i tell you to believe in God. Thats it. Thats what Atheism is basically doing. Its truly 100% pointless. Its just speculation... And opinion... One word sums this up nicely: EVIDENCE

[april76301]

When we've actually only been here for about 200 thousand years. AND ONLY in the past couple of hundred years have we actually made progression and learned of the Universe more and what not.. We dont know everything. What you consider irrational is just how your brain decides too interept the information. I consider everything. Even Atheism... Even Scientology. POSSIBLY right. We dont exactly know "everything" if you will.

[april76301]

You raise a interesting point. But everything in life has to be considered. Just because something sounds irrational, dosen't necessarily mean it always is. Take DNA and Atoms... Molecules... And Quarks for example. Not to long ago People considered the concept of them irrational and stupid. The thing is. People need to realize something. You need to quit trying to tame the Universe. People like yourself act like the Human Race has existed for a billion years.