Saganism
@sagan.bsky.social
Science. Philosophy. The cosmic perspective.
“Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still.”
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
January 25, 2026 at 2:44 PM
“Exploration is in our nature. We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still.”
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
"Violence finds its only refuge in falsehood, falsehood its only support in violence... Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his method must inexorably choose falsehood as his principle."
— Alexander Solzhenitsyn
— Alexander Solzhenitsyn
January 25, 2026 at 7:13 AM
"Violence finds its only refuge in falsehood, falsehood its only support in violence... Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his method must inexorably choose falsehood as his principle."
— Alexander Solzhenitsyn
— Alexander Solzhenitsyn
"It's clear that there's a rampant dumbing down in progress in which not knowing things is considered a virtue. I don't throw my hands up in despair, but I do try to indicate that it's a very serious problem."
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
January 25, 2026 at 7:05 AM
"It's clear that there's a rampant dumbing down in progress in which not knowing things is considered a virtue. I don't throw my hands up in despair, but I do try to indicate that it's a very serious problem."
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them."
— Frank Herbert, Dune
— Frank Herbert, Dune
January 23, 2026 at 8:42 PM
"Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them."
— Frank Herbert, Dune
— Frank Herbert, Dune
“You should not be afraid of someone who has a library and reads many books; you should fear someone who has only one book; and he considers it sacred, but he has never read it.”
— Anonymous
— Anonymous
January 18, 2026 at 4:03 PM
“You should not be afraid of someone who has a library and reads many books; you should fear someone who has only one book; and he considers it sacred, but he has never read it.”
— Anonymous
— Anonymous
Who speaks for Earth?
Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Carl Sagan, Cosmos
January 17, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Who speaks for Earth?
Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Carl Sagan speaks at a 1990 NASA press conference about Voyager 2.
January 13, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Carl Sagan speaks at a 1990 NASA press conference about Voyager 2.
“True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
— Kurt Vonnegut
January 12, 2026 at 2:53 AM
“True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
— Kurt Vonnegut
“If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power.”
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
January 11, 2026 at 12:53 AM
“If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power.”
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring.
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
January 9, 2026 at 3:26 AM
Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring.
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
“Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason.”
― James Randi
― James Randi
January 7, 2026 at 1:38 AM
“Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason.”
― James Randi
― James Randi
“Human beings have a demonstrated talent for self-deception when their emotions are stirred.”
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
January 6, 2026 at 3:53 PM
“Human beings have a demonstrated talent for self-deception when their emotions are stirred.”
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.”
— Leo Tolstoy
— Leo Tolstoy
January 6, 2026 at 2:48 PM
“Wrong does not cease to be wrong because the majority share in it.”
— Leo Tolstoy
— Leo Tolstoy
"Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot."
– Carl Sagan
– Carl Sagan
January 5, 2026 at 7:25 PM
"Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot."
– Carl Sagan
– Carl Sagan
“When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.”
— Isaac Asimov
— Isaac Asimov
January 5, 2026 at 4:31 PM
“When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent.”
— Isaac Asimov
— Isaac Asimov
"Maxwell's equations have had a greater impact on human history than any ten presidents."
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
January 5, 2026 at 2:09 PM
"Maxwell's equations have had a greater impact on human history than any ten presidents."
— Carl Sagan
— Carl Sagan
“We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.”
— George Orwell, 1984
— George Orwell, 1984
January 4, 2026 at 4:15 PM
“We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.”
— George Orwell, 1984
— George Orwell, 1984
“An organism at war with itself is doomed.”
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
January 3, 2026 at 5:44 PM
“An organism at war with itself is doomed.”
― Carl Sagan
― Carl Sagan
“She had studied the universe all her life, but had overlooked its clearest message: For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.”
― Carl Sagan, Contact
― Carl Sagan, Contact
December 28, 2025 at 6:20 PM
“She had studied the universe all her life, but had overlooked its clearest message: For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.”
― Carl Sagan, Contact
― Carl Sagan, Contact
"Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back."
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World
December 28, 2025 at 2:15 PM
"Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back."
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World
― Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ― Margaret Mead
December 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ― Margaret Mead
“If it takes a little myth and ritual to get us through a night that seems endless, who among us cannot sympathize and understand?” ― Carl Sagan
December 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
“If it takes a little myth and ritual to get us through a night that seems endless, who among us cannot sympathize and understand?” ― Carl Sagan