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.
In high school I had a teacher who let us watch the cosmos series. We had finished all the class requirements and we had a few weeks left. We learned more in those few weeks than we had in all our classes combined that year! We were all very interested in the program and would occasionaly stay long past the bell to see and hear just a few more minutes of Mr. Sagan's amazing oratory skills. I have since read and purchased the book for myself and my children and will soon aquire the series for them as well. I am a closet geek and love discussing theoretical subatomic particle physics with anyone who will listen. I miss Mr Sagan very much and wish him well in whatever form his matter and energy took as he left this mortal coil. Thank you Nick for letting us add our words to yours.
PEACE!
BR1AN
Posted by: Brian Jankowski | December 20, 2006 at 11:24 AM
When I was 12 I received " The dragons of eden for a birthday". In time I became an animator and a teacher. I have tried my best all these years to honour Sagan by teaching and helping others to see, and above all to understand.
Posted by: javier mrad | December 20, 2006 at 11:45 AM
When i was 14 I was trying to understand who I was in this incredible Planet, and Mr. Carl Sagan helped me to find a lot of answers to many questions like this. His work inspired a lot of professional scientist, scientist lovers, scientific and science fiction writers, computer animation artists (2D and 3D) and many young and not so young people who wanted to know more about micro and macrocosmos.
I still have a question, why noone could write, produce or imagine an incredible work like Cosmos or Brocca´s Brain, or Dragons of the Eden in the last 10 years? The answer is simple, Carl Sagan was incredible, and his work is amazing!!!
Saludos desde Buenos Aires, Argentina para todos sus seres queridos y gracias por apoyarlo siempre para que nos pudiera regalar tanto conocimiento!!!
Infinitas gracias cósmicas!!!
Posted by: Manfredo Wolff | December 20, 2006 at 02:43 PM
Nick, on this day my best wishes go to you and the rest of the Sagan family. Even though I didn't follow the scientific path he instilled in me a sense of curiosity that I still have to this day.
Posted by: ChivaCongelado | December 20, 2006 at 06:52 PM
Mother nature has endowed the mankind of an anatomy that makes men look to the front. Most of the people pass all their lives looking either to the front or to the ground.
Carl Sagan taught us to look up, something quite unusual for our anatomy.
From then on some of us have not been able to look toward any other place.
Thank you Carl.
J.C.
Spain
Posted by: J.C. | December 30, 2006 at 12:35 PM
Can you please post this?
I was always interested in science and astronomy, but even more so after getting acquainted with Carl Sagan. I am lecturing at university in philosophy esepcially philosophy of science, critical thinking, animal consciousness and ethics.Without the influence of Carl Sagan on my academic life and otherwise, things would have been definitely otherwise for me. His Cosmos series strongly influenced me as to intraterrestrial as well as extrarterrestrial intelligence and life aas well as the linkage betweeen the two. The fact that these things can be studies scientifically impressed me. Sagan opened in me an enduring interest and enthusiasm for astrobiology and seti.
His open minded attitude to new insights , but also his negative stance to pseudo science, sets an exmaple for many.
His making science appealing to many is itself a contribution to science. I will and can never forget him. I salute his memory !
Posted by: Alex Antonites | January 06, 2007 at 02:45 PM
Carl esta más vivo que nunca; la gente muere cuando se le olvida y Carl sigue vivo entre quienes nos maravillamos con su mensaje y compartimos la pasión por aprender y conocer el universo.
Gracias por hacer de mis días infantiles una aventura que todavía no termina.
Thank you Nick, for you blog.
from Chile
Posted by: crystian sanhcez | January 29, 2007 at 06:24 PM
I missed the Carl Sagan memorial, Darn. Nick, your father fascinated me as a child and as a adult reading his books. My ex- husband and named our six year old Sagan, hoping maybe he too can become a great scientist. He does love books of planets and stars hopefully that will continue. I was looking up something for my American Goverment class and stumbled in this direction instead.
Posted by: stephanie byrd | January 30, 2007 at 07:10 PM
I was just a kid, that saw for the first time the wondrous achievements from humankind through science, revealed before me in the series Cosmos by Carl Sagan. That day was my awakening. And still is! I don't think the education as skeptical thinking does ever end. Every single day one encounters a lot of marvels and rubbish and one must choose what to think, what to believe in, and ultimately, where to stand. And I've found that reality, even though sometimes is hard to grasp or to endure, is the best, the ONLY choice we have to live in a world under the rules of nature and physics.
And that, I learned from Carl Sagan. I owe a lifetime debt of gratitude to that great man. The one responsible for teaching to so may people that you don't need to delude yourself in order to have a wonderful life. To marvel at the vastness of the cosmos, and who taught us that we come from that afar place, as he used to say: we are star matter. That is the best! no religion can give something better!
Posted by: Mario Romero | February 21, 2007 at 08:34 PM
I read that someone, a former colleague maybe- said that Carl was the greatest science educator of the twentieth century, a view that I indorse not just because of worldwide exposure to his writings and TV series, but because I am now able to look at my life and ask the questions of causality most people don’t won’t or can’t.
Growing up in Belfast during the last three decades saw many of my friends and neighbours partake in the conflict that was the ‘Troubles’. Looking back I can see how it was all to easy for them to become a prisoner of history living in a community that is insular in outlook and ‘provincial’ in attitude. Fortunately the evolution of my outlook and attitude was, and still is deeply effected by the work of Carl, the grip of what he termed ‘the reptilian traits’ has largely subsided and for that I am truly thankful.
Sean
Posted by: Sean Burns | March 17, 2007 at 07:37 PM
Carl Sagan will remain the friend teacher and hero of the millions who would like to explore the universe , but have given up the dream for various reasons.
Seeing the universe through his eyes itself is good enough for me.Whenever I speak to my young sons about science- it is him that I quote extensively.
Carl Sagan must be now talking in a Universe which comprehends the fourth dimension.
Posted by: Vee Sagar | September 19, 2007 at 12:02 AM
Make peace, not war!
Posted by: clieddyDice | January 12, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Hi I'm with First Independent Pictures in Los Angeles and there
is a new movie coming out called Dark Matter.
What is DARK MATTER about? It chronicles a bright Chinese student's journey, a student who came to the US to study the origins of the universe at a prestigious university and got lost in the very cosmos he was pursuing. Too busy chasing the stars in the sky, he lost sight of the ground beneath his feet. This film celebrates the awe and passion of science, the pursuit of the American dream and the constant hunger to connect with our fellow man.
Dark Matter is opening in April in Los Angeles, Madison, Boston, Orange County, San Fransisco, and New York.
If you need anymore information go to the website www.darkmatterthefilm.com or email me [email protected]
Posted by: FIP | February 20, 2008 at 01:35 PM
carl sagan changed my life, and my view on life for the better.....thanks mr. sagan!
Posted by: derbin | February 26, 2008 at 03:04 PM
Hello
Your forum is great! I like it and its very helpful.
Thank you much for your work. Cheers!
Sorry for off topic.
Posted by: celebrityjuicy | March 06, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Hi
I am a new member here. I am from the US and am 25 years old. I am here to
share my experiences and gain from your expertise.
Posted by: propertyarchives | March 10, 2008 at 08:51 AM
Many of us grew up watching Carl Segan act. He was a craze in our childhood days. I still remember many of my friends wanting to be like him. I would like to pay my online tributes to this great soul.
Posted by: Online Tributes | December 26, 2008 at 07:15 AM
I only have a few fond memories of people in my lifetime. Carl sagan has inspired and awed me in no other way. What an intellect and well spoken man. There will never be another to take his place. I miss his thoughts and genious and i am glad he had all these accolades in his name. Everytime i look in the sky and stare at the stars i get a warm feeling carl is still there with his wonderful renditions of the explanation of everything. I only wish i could have met him in person for five minutes. What a wonderful time that would have been.
Posted by: christine hitchcock | March 09, 2010 at 01:16 AM
Great idea.. this is the way to express to ur love one that you never forget. A fantastic collection of entries there.
Posted by: Memorial | June 24, 2011 at 03:46 AM