Carl Sagan Memorial Blog-a-thon

We're coming up on the tenth anniversary of my father's passing, and Joel Schlosberg had the inspired idea of commemorating the day online. The goal here is to make December 20th a blogosphere-wide celebration of the life and works of Carl Sagan. So if you're a Carl Sagan fan with a blog, or you know someone who is, I hope you'll join in and take some time on that day to share your thoughts, memories, opinions and feelings about my dad. And if you could help spread the word, it would mean a lot to me.

For more info: The Carl Sagan Memorial Blog-a-thon.

Comments

[Axinar]

I've been doing my best ...

The date being wrapped up in the holidays it makes it difficult to devote the full attention to it that it needs, but we'll try.

Say ... I have an idea ... something that hasn't been covered much ...

How about everyone post, as best as they can remember, about when they very first saw or heard Carl Sagan before they knew any details ... their very first reactions ... that might be quite interesting and enlightening.

[Ângelo Fernandes]

I will spread the news among my sci fi friends :)

ângelo

[Ângelo Fernandes]

and others as well, of course.

ângelo

[Gail]

Great idea! I'll do my best.

[Audrey Harper]

I do want to do something in his honor on that day - I wrote a blog for him on what would have been his 72nd birthday this past month. You can find it here:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=87260765&blogID=199828474&MyToken=8f13bd4d-dbb1-4f97-9bd2-dab4ff4673fa

I'll email it to Joel as well. I'm so glad he's doing this!

[Axinar]

Oh, you may want to check out the "Carl Sagan" label of my blog.

I've been collecting as much as I can there, up to and including a reconstruction of the original CNN obit that ran the evening of December 20, 1996.

[Phil Smith]

Nick - I will absolutely do that on my blog. What an excellent idea. I credit Dr. Sagan for giving me the key to unlocking a door leading to infinite possiblities.

When I was 11, I absolutely had to have Dr. Sagan's "Cosmos" book, when all other kids wanted toy guns, Atari games, or footballs. I finally got the book on Christmas, and I was thoroughly fascinated. Combined with Virginia Lee Burton's "Life Story", Cosmos implanted in me the desire to think big. Really big. As a result, I found great pleasure in thinking about all things connected, and found little need for religion. I am so thankful for that.

The passing of Dr. Sagan in 1996 was a sad day for me. I never knew your dad, but when he died I honestly felt a sense of sorrow I had not expected. I deeply regret I never had the chance to meet with him.

[Nick Sagan]

Axinar: A fantastic collection of entries there. And that's the first time I'd seen the "On The Day Carl Sagan Died" news coverage. When dad passed away, I was too grief-stricken to watch much of the reporting. Moving tribute, and I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.

Ângelo: Obrigado.

Gail: Thanks!

Audrey: Beautiful. Please do send that on to Joel.

Phil: I know just what you mean about thinking big--he had such a gift for inspiring people to appreciate the wonder and majesty of the universe. Many thanks for participating in the blog-a-thon, and although I can't take away the regret you feel, perhaps I can mitigate it by telling you how much it would mean to him to know that he's remembered so fondly, and that the new ways of thinking he brought to you stay with you to this day.

[Helen]

Hi,

When Carl Sagan died, I was 16 years old, and for me was a traumatic experience. One week later I still crying,and looking to the sky and the posibility of milions and milions of another planets like us... now I'm scientist (but not astronomer),...My hobbie is stay in SETI program trying to find life for Berkeley university. I'm from Spain, but he was a good teacher for me, in his books "A pale blue" or in the serie Cosmos "I have the book too". He is gone, and he never will return!

Sorry for my english, I'm from Barcelona... My home is your home if you visit Spain,... Good luck and best wishes for this new year. (I know what is lost a familiar person, because my grandfather died when I was 6 years old, the day of Santa)

[Helen]

I haven't a blog, but could you post this message below? (I will be very happy).

"You are like a star of sky,
that we can see but is not there...
You, Carl sagan, you said end,
but in every star illusion,
I can remember,
that love for science never ends"

It's mine, and I will be very happy if you can post it on 20 of december. (sorry for my english)

[omalaled]

Hi.

First of all, sorry for my bad english. I'm writing from Spain.

I'm a scientific Sagan's son. Carl Sagan change the life of my generation (I'm over 40 years old).

A lot of spanish bloggers remember your father. Be sure.

Thanks, Carl Sagan for showing us the Universe. Sure, you are now looking to the stars.

[Adam]

Thanks Nick. Your father is and will always be on my bookshelf.

[Camilo Gomez]

Dragones del Eden cambio mi vida, Gracias Carl Sagan

[Raul Bonade]

Salut guys,
when I was 10 (I am 34 right now), I was amazed by "Cosmos" as millions of other kids and adults. I was born in Mendoza, Argentina and by this time there were only two TV channels over there broadcasting during the afternoons until midnight, and the access to information for normal people was very difficult. There were no signs of globalization and stuff like this. But Cosmos really burned my head. Carl walking around and telling you all these stories (in spanish of course!!) about the universe were I was leaving was just too much for me. I eventually managed to get a copy of the book several years before (an spanish version I still have around)which I intend to pass to my own kids in the future. Nowadays I have a PhD in physics and I work in science, I believe, thanks to the inspiration that Sagan bringed to my life.

THANKS CARL

[Tomate©]

Desde la lejana Argentina me uno al recuerdo del hombre que nos abrió las puertas a los misterios de las ciencias haciendolos entendibles y fascinantes.
Siendo un niño esperaba ansioso la serie Cosmos con mi padre no solo nos enseño sino que nos permitió compartir astronomía
No habrá ninguno igual, Nunca nadie en ningún tiempo o circunstancia podrá igualar a Carl.

[Neil McDonnell]

I wrote my "Carl Sagan Experience" on my web as requested. http://sften.blogspot.com/2006/12/carl-sagan-blog-thon.html
I'm looking forward to the compilation of this effort.
Neil McDonnell

[Maria Fernanda]

De parte de una científica argentina que vive en el viejo continente,me sumo a este homenaje al que fue una de las personas que ayudo a abrir mi mente hacia la ciencia, haciendo para mi lo que para algunos de mis maestros era impensado: "Haciendo entendible lo inentendible", ese era el Don que Carl Sagan tenía, el de poder bajar el conocimiento hacieno que hasta los mas pequeños se interesanran y empezaran el camino de las ciencias exactas.
Por eso hoy le digo GRACIAS, por:
- acercar todo ese conocimiento
- por abrir mi mente
- pero sobre todo, porque con sus enseñanzas logro que una persona adulta aún mira cada noche el cielo estrellado y se siga maravillando como cuando era niña,y siga recordando sus palabras sobre todo ese maravilloso espectáculo.
GRACIAS,y hasta siempre

[Maria Fernanda]

De parte de una científica argentina que vive en el viejo continente,me sumo a este homenaje al que fue una de las personas que ayudo a abrir mi mente hacia la ciencia, haciendo para mi lo que para algunos de mis maestros era impensado: "Haciendo entendible lo inentendible", ese era el Don que Carl Sagan tenía, el de poder bajar el conocimiento haciendo que hasta los mas pequeños se interesanran y empezaran el camino de las ciencias exactas.
Por eso hoy le digo GRACIAS, por:
- acercar todo ese conocimiento
- por abrir mi mente
- pero sobre todo, porque con sus enseñanzas logro que una persona adulta aún mira cada noche el cielo estrellado y se siga maravillando como cuando era niña,y siga recordando sus palabras sobre todo ese maravilloso espectáculo.
GRACIAS,y hasta siempre

[Pablo fernandez]

En estos tiempos oscuros la luz de Carl nos hace falta. Gracias por todo y espero que su mensaje nos siga llegando...
Dr Pablo Fernandez Medico Veterinario. Ex docente Universitario UBA.Ex Asesor Cientifico Sociedad Rousell UCLAF Francia en Argentina . Divulgador cientifico en los ratos libres. Veterinario Independiente.
Bariloche. Patagonia Argentina
ciencia-en-peligro.blogspot.com

[Ernesto]

Soy uno de los tantos chicos que tuvo el privilegio de crecer viendo Cosmos en la televisión, si bien yo ya tenía el interés por las ciencias y el espacio desde chico - mi respuesta a la clásica pregunta: "que queres ser cuando seas grande?" era "Astronauta" - por lo que esperaba, en mi Córdoba (Argentina) natal, esos sábado a la tarde con mucha ansiedad y los disfrutaba al máximo, algunas veces solo y otras en familia.
Tanto es así que ahora vuelvo a disfrutar de mostrarles aquellos videos a mi hijo de 7 años que, por suerte, comparte ese interés y que queda maravillado por las explicaciones y la fotografía de esa producción de divulgación científica sin igual.
Realmente me emocioné al enterarme de que hoy se cumplen 10 años de su partida de la tierra y su retorno al Cosmos.
Gracias Carl por compartir tu pasión con todos nosotros.