Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection
An Extraterrestrial Perspective

A classic book by the world's most famous scientist and science visionary, back in print with a new perspective.

Carl Sagan (Author), Jerome Agel (Edited by)

9780521783033, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 August 2000

336 pages, 50 b/w illus.
23.1 x 15.7 x 2.3 cm, 0.64 kg

'Because [Carl Sagan] lived, the world's a better place.' Keay Davidson, Biographer 'A Milestone in Popular Science Writing.' Astronomy

In 1973, Carl Sagan published The Cosmic Connection, a daring view of the universe, which rapidly became a classic work of popular science and inspired a generation of scientists and enthusiasts. This seminal work is reproduced here for a whole new generation to enjoy. In Sagan's typically lucid, lyrical style, he discusses many topics from astrophysics and solar system science, to colonization of other worlds, terraforming and the search for extraterrestrials. Sagan conveys his own excitement and wonder, and relates the revelations of astronomy to the most profound human problems and concerns: issues that are just as valid today as they were 30 years ago. New to this edition are Freeman Dyson's comments on Sagan's vision and the importance of the work, Ann Druyan's assessment of Sagan's cultural significance as a champion of science, and David Morrison's discussion of the advances made since 1973 and what became of Sagan's predictions.

Foreword Freeman Dyson
Personal reflections Ann Druyan
Preface
Part I. Cosmic Perspective: 1. A transitional animal
2. The Unicorn of Cetus
3. A message from earth
4. A message to earth
5. Experiments in utopias
6. Chauvinism
7. Space exploration as a human enterprise I. The scientific interest
8. Space exploration as a human enterprise II. The public interest
9. Space exploration as a human enterprise III. The historical interest
Part II. The Solar System: 10. On teaching the first grade
11. 'The ancient and legendary Gods of old'
12. The Venus detective story
13. Venus is hell
14. Science and 'intelligence'
15. The moons of Barsoom
16. The mountains of Mars I. Observations from earth
17. The mountains of Mars II. Observations from space
18. The canals of Mars
19. The lost pictures of Mars
20. The Ice Age and the cauldron
21. Beginnings and ends of the Earth
22. Terraforming the plants
23. The exploration and utlization of the solar system
Part III. Beyond the Solar System: 24. Some of my best friends are dolphins
25. 'Hello, central casting? Send me twenty extraterrestrials'
26. The cosmic connection
27. Extraterrestrial life: an idea whose time has come
28. Has the Earth been visited?
29. A search strategy for detecting extraterrestrial intelligence
30. If we succeed …
31. Cables, drums, and seashells
32. The night freight to the stars
33. Astroengineering
34. Twenty questions: a classification of cosmic civilisations
35. Galactic cultural exchanges
36. A passage to elsewhere
37. Starfolk I. A Fable
38. Starfolk II. A future
39. Starfolk III. The cosmic Cheshire cats
Epilog David Morrison
Index.

Subject Areas: Popular astronomy & space [WNX], Popular science [PDZ]