The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the DarkNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the renowned astronomer and author of Cosmos comes a “powerful [and] stirring defense of informed rationality” (The Washington Post Book World) in a world where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace. LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER •�“Glorious . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”—Los Angeles Times How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience, New Age thinking, and fundamentalist zealotry and the testable hypotheses of science? � Casting a wide net through history and culture, 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. He examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies as witchcraft, faith healings, demons, and UFOs. 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.� � 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. |
Contents
Science and Hope | 23 |
The Man in the Moon and the Face on Mars | 41 |
Aliens | 61 |
Spoofing and Secrecy | 79 |
Hallucinations | 97 |
The DemonHaunted World | 113 |
On the Distinction Between True and False Visions | 135 |
Therapy | 151 |
Antiscience | 245 |
Newtons Sleep | 265 |
When Scientists Know Sin | 281 |
The Marriage of Skepticism and Wonder | 293 |
No Such Thing as a Dumb Question | 319 |
The Path to Freedom | 353 |
Maxwell and the Nerds | 379 |
Science and Witchcraft | 401 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
able abuse alien alien abduction American answer asked believe better body called cause century child civilization claims common considered course criticism culture cure death demons described dream early Earth electric especially evidence example existence experience explain face fact feel field Force given hand hard human idea imagination interest it's kind knowledge later laws least less light lives look magnetic matter means memories mind Nature never percent perhaps physics planet political possible present programs quantum mechanics questions reason religion religious reported responsible scientific scientists seems sexual skeptical society sometimes space stars story suggest teach television tell there's things thought tion true truth turn UFOs understand United Universe wonder