Carl Sagan Speaks

I discovered this Cosmos clip while browsing YouTube.com.  I'm struck by how deeply this speaks to me.  It's as timely now as ever before.

Comments

[Gail]

I think the YouTube image has just been latched up a few notches. :)

Timely and relevant, definitely. I have the entire Cosmos series on DVD. It's the one collection I'd save in a fire. You don't often find science, passion, humanity, and *vision* all in one place.

I do worry about the future of this planet and the beings on it, and sometimes think that intelligence is what we're losing. ...Or maybe it's awareness.

[Ângelo Fernandes]

He's got some really goooood points to think about.
Sadly the human race only see their problems when they knock on their door. when not it's too much abstract to concern to.
It's like world hunger, how can a person be sensible about that, if it happens on somewhereother country, and in his house lack of food never presented as a problem?

the solution goes right into the education. We got to start from schools, with the children, to creat an awareness that we all got a role on what's going on.

a bit out of topic.
About the massive population on nine-to-five-life, I saw In Lisbon a sentence painted on several walls, wich says something like "So, have you been a good robot today?".
this really got me, specially since I'm bit more like a Peter Pan than a sheep on a flock.

what are we doing here?

ângelo

[Nick Sagan]

Gail: Awareness, perhaps. Either way, I hope it's cyclical--maybe we'll start to swing back.

Ângelo: "So, have you been a good robot today?" strikes me as great graffiti. This, of course, is one of my favorites...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangentialism/6759914/in/set-15785/

[Ângelo Fernandes]

it's a great graffiti but robot's can't read it.

Carl Sagan Cared :)

[Nick Sagan]

Robots can't read it... yet. And let's hope they never get around to learning how to read graffiti, as who knows what ideas they might get in their heads?

http://www.lahosken.san-francisco.ca.us/departures/nyc01/3566_graffiti_robots_will_kill.html

[Su]

Along time ago there was a made-for-tv movie about the aftermath of nuclear war in this country. After the show there was a panel to "discuss" the accuracy. Some military general (or something) said that life wouldn't be THAT bad after such a war, that it would probably be like the 1920's or something. I don't remember the specifics of what he said, because he was smiling, almost joking, and all I could think of is he is insane and there is no hope for the world.

He was followed by Dr. Carl Sagan, who's focused directness cut like a laser through the fog with these words: "It is my sad duty to inform you that there will be no agriculture..."

And I knew there was still hope.

[KaiYeves]

Yes, I was a good little robot and I did my math homework.
I do not mind that you took away our art and library period, Master Principal, as I am a robot and I have no soul- click- no soul.
After six hours of that, I need Cosmos like other kids need their inhalers.
It's people like him who remind us we are more than mindless robots/insane apes