vshwa.blogg.se - The demon haunted

The topics Sagan went into were centered around conspiracy theories of the time -UFOs, Extraterrestrial Life Forms, and Religious explanations of the natural world. Just the section above from Sagan was worth the price of the book. It was timeless in its approach to detractors of scientific reasoning.

Always ask whether the hypothesis can be, at least in principle, falsified.

If there’s a chain of argument, every link in the chain must work, including the premise, not just most of them.

Quantify if whatever it is you’re explaining has some measure, some numerical quantity attached to it, you’ll be much better able to discriminate among competing hypotheses.

Try not to get overly attached to a hypothesis just because its yours.

Arguments from authority carry little weight.

Encourage substantive debate on the evidence by knowledgeable proponents of all points of view.

Wherever possible there must be independent confirmation of the facts.

“Passionate.The question is not whether we like the conclusion that emerges out of a train of reasoning, but whether the conclusion follows from the premise, or starting point, and whether that premise is true. “Passionate.” - San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle

A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity.” - The Sciences “A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing.” - The Washington Post Book World A stirring defense of informed rationality.

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.

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. How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? 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.Ĭasting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs.

From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”- Los Angeles Times A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace