Quotes from Carl Sagan

Even these stars, which seem so numerous, are as sand, as dust - or less than dust - in the enormity of the space in which there is nothing.

In Mozambique, the story goes, monkeys do not talk, because they know if they utter even a single word some man will come and put them to work.

In the fabric of space and in the nature of matter, as in a great work of art, there is, written small, the artist's signature.

The old appeals to racial, sexual and religious chauvinism to rabid nationalist fervor, are beginning not to work.

I believe that in every person is a kind of circuit which resonates to intellectual discovery-and the idea is to make that resonance work

We have entered, almost without noticing, an age of exploration and discovery unparalleled since the Renaissance.

On the day that we do discover that we are not alone, our society may begin to evolve and transform in some incredible and wondrous new ways.

It took the Church until 1832 to remove Galileo 's work from its list of books which Catholics were forbidden to read at the risk of dire punishment of their immortal souls.

In exchange for freedom of inquiry, scientists are obliged to explain their work.

One of the great commandments of science is: 'Mistrust arguments from authority.'

For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.

The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars.

The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous.

No other planet in the solar system is a suitable home for human beings; it's this world or nothing. That's a very powerful perception.

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena.

Those with the courage to explore the weave and structure of the Cosmos, even where it differs profoundly from their wishes and prejudices, will penetrate its deepest mysteries.

I am often amazed at how much more capability and enthusiasm for science there is among elementary school youngsters than among college students.

It is of interest to note that while some dolphins are reported to have learned English - up to fifty words used in correct context - no human being has been reported to have learned dolphinese.

The fact that someone says something doesn't mean it's true. Doesn't mean they're lying, but it doesn't mean it's true.

Curiosity and the urge to solve problems are the emotional hallmarks of our species.

Don't judge everyone else by your own limited experience.

Looking at fires when high, by the way, especially through one of those prism kaleidoscopes which image their surroundings, is an extraordinarily moving and beautiful experience.

The prediction of nuclear winter is drawn not, of course, from any direct experience with the consequences of global nuclear war, but rather from an investigation of the governing physics.

The cannabis experience has greatly improved my appreciation for art, a subject which I had never much appreciated before.